The best way to teach kids how to read is with intensive, systematic, explicit phonics. We learned that over 30 years with the $1 billion, federally funded Project Follow Through study. It showed without a doubt that teacher-centered direct instruction was the most effective and efficient way to teach all children. Ironically, teachers colleges have stuck with the type of instruction that finished dead last in Project Follow Through  loose, unstructured, unsystematic, child-centered whole language techniques.

Our teachers colleges haven’t taught the right methods to teachers over the past several decades. To be brutally honest, they don’t know how to teach reading right  and it shows.

With the additional federal funding, maybe now they will see for themselves how much better phonics is for kids. Kansas will receive over $6.3 million for the year 2002 and an additional $7.1 million for the 2003 school year. Lawrence public schools will receive over $600,000 if their grant is approved.

I’m not happy that the federal government has gotten involved with our local schools, but let’s face it, they are involved because we are in an illiteracy crisis, and local schools haven’t shown that they can win it without extra help.

It is time we really did something for the children: teach them to read.

Linda Weinmaster,

Lawrence