Misreading Reading: The Bad Science That Hurts Children

By Gerald Coles

Book Overview

Across the nation, legislators and policy makers are dictating the course of literacy education--all in the name of "indisputable scientific evidence." Unchallenged, this research has impacted just about every area of reading instruction. Now, just in time, nationally renowned educational psychologist Gerald Coles enters the discussion, offering the first comprehensive, clearly written critique of the so-called evidence.

This important book examines the studies of leading researchers who have testified in various hearings and promoted policy and legislation on behalf of skills-emphasis learning, especially those financed by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). No other book has systematically and comprehensively analyzed this work. Coles not only identifies each claim, he analyzes the research that backs it up. Chief among them are that: Phonemic awareness is the chief causal influence in learning to read. Skills-training programs facilitate learning to read and remediate reading problems. Research has demonstrated the superiority of skills emphasis over whole language instruction. The effectiveness of a widely acclaimed skills-emphasis reading program has been demonstrated in published research. A brain "glitch" associated with phonemic awareness is responsible for the reading problems of many children. At the beginning of each chapter is a summary of the claims and the major criticism of the research discussed in the chapter. These reader-friendly summaries enable you to conceptualize and organize the arguments quickly, and can serve many possible uses--including "talking points," hand-outs, or overheads for presentations.

The publication of Misreading Reading marks a shift in the balance of power and an opportunity to enact early reading policy and legislation based on "good science." Preservice and inservice teachers, teacher educators, administrators, parents, anyone confronted with complex and mystifying claims about the value of direct instruction in reading instruction will benefit from this book.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0325000603
• ISBN13: 9780325000602
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Heinemann Educational Books
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.7" x 8.6"
• Grade Range: Kindergarten to Grade 5

Customer Reviews

A Clear Update on the Hottest topics in reading

This the second book I have read by Coles and I continued to be impressed by his clarity and incisive thinking. This is a great book for all those who feel so battered about by all the arguements for and against the really topical issues in reading such and phonemic awareness and pathological reasons for reading difficulty to name just a few. Cole's summaries of the most significant research are a Godsend to those who do not have the time or resources to review all the current research themselves. I work as a Literacy Advisor in schools and this book has helped me in my understanding of the issues.

A generation of mis-readers

"Research-based" has become code for "direct-instruction", "phonics only", and "NICHD/Reid Lyon-supported". In Coles' important book, this research is carefully and responsibly examined and discredited. A must for everyone who, in good conscience, is standing up to this recent wave of (as Frank Smith has said) reading nonsense.

good counsel

Dr Coles' book is a sure guide to the thickets, trials and tribulations of learning to read and teaching to read and helpful counselor for parents and professionals. The writing is straight (with an enlivening dry wit) and will take the reader with certainty to an understanding of what occurs in our schools and of what must be done. And with the understanding comes a how-to knowledge that will help all concerned. Dr Coles gives a comprehensible history of the science and mis-science and practices of reading teaching that will enable advocates to present their cause comprehensibly. It tells one where the "experts", good and bad, are coming from and arms one to encounter them capably. Buy this book: you'll like it and use it!