[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6724]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 6724]]

                NATIONAL READING PANEL SUPPORTS PHONICS

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                         HON. DAVID M. McINTOSH

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 3, 2000

  Mr. McINTOSH.  Mr. Speaker, a parent in Indiana shared with me this 
touching story, ``When my son was in first grade, he used to say, `I 
hate school, how old do you have to be to quit.' He was so frustrated 
because he couldn't read. The school did not `believe' in phonics. When 
my son learned the Direct Approach, he got the `tools' he needed to 
read. The logical approach made sense to him. He started reading on his 
own instead of me reading to him. With only one year of the smart 
chart, in second grade, he scored 4th grade reading equivalency on the 
Stanford Achievement test. Pretty amazing!''
  This success story could be repeated again and again if schools took 
the initiative this caring parent took to help her child learn to read 
by teaching him phonics. Unfortunately, many elementary schools do not 
teach phonics and more than a few teacher colleges do not teach 
teachers this instruction technique.
  Recently, however, I became optimistic that many more schools will 
choose to adopt phonics. My optimism stems from the release of the 
National Reading Panel's report on successful reading strategies. On 
April 13, 2000, the Congressionally mandated National Reading Panel 
released its findings which support the teaching of phonics, word 
sounds, and giving feedback on oral reading as the most effective way 
to teach reading.
  The Panel, selected by the Director of the National Institute of 
Child Health and Human Development in consultation with the U.S. 
Secretary of Education, was composed of 14 individuals including 
leading scientists in reading research, representatives of colleges of 
education, reading teachers, educational administrators, and parents. 
During the past two years, members reviewed thirty years of reading 
research studies.
  The panel found that for children to read well, they must be taught 
phonemic awareness--the ability to manipulate the sounds that make up 
spoken language and phonics skills--an understanding of the 
relationship between words and sounds.
  The panel concluded that research literature provides hard evidence 
that phonics provides significant benefits to children from 
kindergarten through the 6th grade and to children with learning 
difficulties. The panel recommends systematic phonics instruction which 
provides the greatest improvements. Systematic phonics consists of 
teaching a planned sequence of phonics elements, rather than 
highlighting elements as they happen to appear in a text.
  The importance of these findings cannot be overstated. America 
suffers from a reading deficit. The 1998 National Assessment for 
Educational Progress (NAEP) has found that 69% of 4th grade students 
are reading below the proficient level. Minority children have been 
particularly hard hit by reading difficulties. According to NAEP, 90 
percent of African American, 86 percent of Hispanic, 63 Percent of 
Asian students were reading below the proficient level.
  The cost to those who never learn to read adequately is much higher 
than that. Job prospects for those who cannot read are few. Americans 
who cannot read are cut off from the rich opportunities this nation has 
to offer. And the tragedy is that students who can't read often end up 
in juvenile hall, or on the street susceptible to drugs, or school drop 
outs.
  Many students will not get a second chance. Andrea Neal, the Chief 
Editorial Writer for the Indianapolis Star who has been closely 
following this issue puts it this way, ``It is reasonable and necessary 
to require elementary teachers be trained in the most effective 
phonetic programs. To do otherwise is to commit educational malpractice 
on our children.''
  The National Reading Panel's report provides teachers and teacher 
colleges information to prevent instructional malpractice. As the most 
comprehensive evidenced-based review ever conducted of research on how 
children learn reading, this report can be a powerful tool in fight 
against ineffective reading instruction and illiteracy, if we choose to 
use it.
  I urge my colleagues to read the report and disseminate its findings 
through their respective districts.

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