A War of Words: Whole Language Under Siege

By Karen Diegmueller

Late on a Sunday afternoon last November, long after most educators had escaped the confines of the convention hotel to drink up the glorious San Diego weather, several dozen teachers remained behind for one final session.

"Why Are You Involved in This Loosey-Goosey Approach to Teaching Reading and Writing?" was billed as a discussion in which panelists would answer the critics of whole language, a meaning-centered philosophy and method of teaching language arts.

In the audience itself, there were few critics, but there were teachers who expressed doubts. "My own faith in this movement has been shattered by people asking the question, 'Does whole language work, and if so what does it...