10/04/2006

The Fate Of Early Reading Assessment

Politics aside, the Reading First fiasco is as much about which screening tests to use on young readers as it is about how to instruct them.

That is, it's not just about the USDE vs. Bob Slavin or about phonics vs. whole language. It's about DIBELS, PALS, and the other screening tools that sometimes help identify floundering readers way before they would otherwise be caught.

Today's NYT article (Early Repairs in Foundation for Reading) ignores the whole reading mess -- mercifully -- and serves as a good reminder of what the purpose and process of the early reading programs are -- and what may still be salvageable if politics don't require throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Have you thought about following the taxdollars and insiders supporting the "experts" mentioned in the NYT article, Early Repairs in Foundation for Reading, October 4, 2006?

1:37 PM  
Blogger Alexander Russo said...

good point, given what's happened in reading first.

clearly, there's been some inside dealing among academics with a financial interest at stake.

1:57 PM  

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