Below is my letter to the editor of the New York Times, regarding their recent article: “In Raising Scores, 1 2 3 Is Easier Than A B C”. Interestingly, although the article was on the lower half of the front page, only two letters about the article were published. Mine was not one of them, but I agree with the letter from Terry Thomas, a veteran reading specialist from Houston, who states: “After learning advanced decoding skills and realizing that making an inference is not simply a wild guess, most students find that their reading scores improve dramatically.” Thank you, Terry!

To the Editor:

I am disgusted by the banality of ignorance with regards to effective reading instruction. Mathematicians approach their content methodically, yet many who claim to be teachers of English lack a scientific knowledge of language development. Administrators announce their bewilderment at students’ failures to develop reading skills rather than turning their attention to the myriad of studies focused on effective reading instruction.

If more teachers instructed their pupils in systematic word identification skills, they would see a rapid increase in their pupils’ vocabulary because students would be able to independently gain exposure to new words, rather than having to rely on a teacher to do it for them.

The ideological “reading wars” are a mere philosophical distraction; the science of language is the key to unlocking literacy for struggling readers. If educators don’t look at the research, they are simply playing games with children’s lives.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Dines, M.Ed.