ords as a deaf person is to the sounds of spoken words.Research provides the answerIn 1967, Harvard Professor Jeanne Chall released her review of reading methods with the conclusion that:"[The phonics approach (code emphasis) produces] better results, at least up to the point where sufficient evidence seems to be available, the end of the third grade.The results are better, not only in terms of the mechanical aspects of literacy alone, as was once supposed, but also in terms of the ultimate goals of readinginstruction - comprehension and possibly even the speed of reading."In 1973, Dr. Robert Dykstra, professor of education at the University of Minnesota, reviewed 59 studies and concluded that:"We can summarize the results of 60 years of research dealing with beginning reading instruction by stating that early systematic instruction in phonics provides thechild with the skills necessary to become an independent reader at an earlier age than is likely if phonics instruction is delayed or less systematic."In 1973, Samuel Blumenfeld wrote "The New Illiterates," which further exposed the history of how our children are being damaged by being taught reading withimproper methods:"In the course of researching this book, I made a shocking, incredible discovery: that for the last forty years the . . . children of America have been taught to readby a method originally conceived and used in the early 1800s to teach the deaf how to read, an [experimental] method which has long since been discarded by theteachers of the deaf themselves as inadequate and outmoded. Yet, today, the vast majority of . . . American children are still being taught by this very method. Theresult has been widespread reading disability."In 1979, a three-volume collection of papers by leading researchers was published titled "Theory and Practice of Early Reading," edited by Lauren Resnick of theUniversity of Pittsburg and Phyllis Weaver of Harvard. Of the 59 contributors, 53 ...
