The Des Moines Register recently ran an article about phonics in the classroom. It listed many examples of schools, districts and entire state school systems leaving whole language approaches for phonics based instruction. This is unfortunate.

Any argument comparing the benefits of whole language with phonics is flawed from the beginning.

Phonics is just one method for teaching students to read — whole language is not. It’s an entire approach using many different teaching methods.

Though definitions of whole language vary with each person you ask, included in whole language is reading, writing, phonics, spelling, and much more. Advocates of whole language do not say that phonics does not work, they assert only that it should not be used alone.

There is no doubt that phonics helps many children to learn to read; I learned to read with phonics. But phonics-only instruction ignores the fact that each child learns differently.

Phonics is not the answer for our faltering schools (as some would call them). It can’t teach every student to read, and it especially can’t teach every student to love to read.

Many phonics programs and textbooks isolate reading from meaningful context. Phonics instruction uses workbooks, worksheets, games and other artificial learning tools.

Rarely do phonics classrooms use real books. Students are taught to read from the bottom-up. That is, students are taught letters first, then letter sounds, then words, then sentences, etc. It stresses individual skills and letter and word recognition over comprehension.

Whole language teaches from the top-down. Students begin with real books and other forms of literature.

Children first experience reading from their environment. They see adults read books and magazines. They begin to recognize certain places from signs and displays. (Show me a four year old who can’t “read” McDonald’s from their big golden arches.)

In contrast, a student’s first classroom experiences with “reading” probably has nothing to do with real books or their environment. Instead, they begin with contrived worksheets about made up people and events.

It sometimes sounds like phonics instruction believes students should learn to read before they are allowed to open a real book. Now, how dumb does that sound?

In a whole language classroom, teachers use real literature to teach reading. Students are encouraged to read even before they know how.

The more students read and write — even before they do it correctly — the better they will become. Students are reinforced and assisted with individualized instruction when they are ready to expand or are having trouble. This individualized instruction includes some phonics and other more specific teaching methods.

Many of the problems associated with whole language relate to poor integration of the practice into the school’s curriculum.

Rarely do you find a completely whole language school. Many times it is just a few teachers who have broken off from the traditional practice. In other places the school administration has told teachers to teach with whole language against their will.

If you do not understand the whole language philosophy it is difficult to implement it. Because they do not understand it, many teachers implement whole language poorly, mixing traditional requirements with new teaching methods.

For example, in a whole language classroom, students may be asked to relate their personal feelings about a book in a journal. Without understanding the purpose of the assignment (to encourage students to write more and to express themselves better), a traditional teacher may deduct points for misspelling — completely missing the point of the assignment.

Critics of whole language call attention to the fact that many whole language classrooms do not perform as well on standardized tests.

Well, that’s no surprise. Take a look at a copy of a basic skills test. Multiple choice items about specific skills do not assess the abilities of students taught with whole language.

Whole language makes learning to read and write enjoyable and meaningful. Students discover the importance of reading when using real books and the importance of writing when it is used for real and personal purposes. Phonics instruction doesn’t provide such motivation or purpose.

Phonics teaches children to decode. Whole language teaches children to comprehend.

Jamey Hansen is a senior in elementary education from NAS Sigonella, Sicily. He is the editor in chief of the Iowa State Daily.