EVERY teacher, administrator and parent reads this article. For 30 years educators taught kids how to read using “whole language” instead of phonics. Lucy Calkins and friends made over $2 billion dollars selling this garbage to educators. Now 60% of students are functionally illiterate.

The Critical Shift in Reading Education: Why Phonics Matters

In the realm of education, the approach to teaching children how to read has been a contentious topic for decades. For over thirty years, many educators relied on the “whole language” methodology—a belief that children could learn to read by immersing them in meaningful text rather than focusing on phonics, the foundational sound-letter correspondence.

This widespread adoption was heavily promoted and commercially fueled by influential figures such as Lucy Calkins and her colleagues, who collectively generated over $2 billion from selling this educational philosophy. Unfortunately, the outcome has been sobering: today, approximately 60% of students are considered functionally illiterate, struggling to read at grade level and navigate the world confidently.

It’s crucial for parents and community members to understand the roots of this issue. Blame doesn’t solely belong with the teachers in classrooms but often rests with school administrators and policymakers who, perhaps due to misguided beliefs or financial incentives, continued to endorse and enforce these ineffective methods.

Recently, there has been a significant shift in California’s approach to literacy education. The state is now embracing phonics instruction, aligning with research that highlights its importance in developing strong reading skills. This change signals a much-needed return to evidence-based teaching strategies that prioritize the fundamental building blocks of reading.

For those interested in the deeper history behind this shift, a revealing report delves into how the faulty “whole language” movement gained traction and its profound impact on literacy rates nationwide. Read more here.

The transition to phonics-based instruction offers hope for millions of students who have been underserved by earlier methods. As educators, parents, and policymakers work together, prioritizing proven teaching techniques will be crucial to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to become a confident, capable reader.