Rating: 
Summary: Be proactive in your child's education!
Review: I am a teacher of children with mild to moderate specific learning disabilities who went through the teacher education program at Ashland University in Ohio. Like countless other teacher education programs, ours stressed only a "whole-language" model of instruction, to the exclusion of all others, especially those that stress explicit phonics instruction. I bought this book at a symposium given by the International Dyslexia Association, and I am so thankful that I did. As a parent of elementary school-age children I needed to know the things in this book. Specifically... *Why a book like this is necessary in the first place. *What is this "great debate" that reading teachers, and educators keep talking about? *How do children learn to read? Amazingly, this is not taught in many teacher education programs. Why? Because almost all of the research ever done on the issue, any research worth its weight in cotton candy points to the explicit teaching of phonics to be the way that most children learn to read. As the authors so beautifully, and succinctly point out "The English written code is a sound symbol code, not a word symbol code. That is the game." Parents of school-age children especially need to carefully read this book. Although I myself am a teacher, I believe in a "parent as consumer" focus in education, and, given this, caveat emptor! Parents need to know what they are getting in return for their hard earned tax dollars. Please email me if you would like to continue this discussion.
Rating: 
Summary: Good points but it is not "Straight Talk."
Review: I purchased this book because my younger child is exhibiting signs of having reading difficulty in the future. In contrast, my older child learned to read on her own prior to entering school. From my own experience I realize that there is a wide variation in what children need in school. My easy reader would have found a "face the teacher and practice the sound" program exceptionally boring. I selected this particular book because I wanted "straight talk" on how a school could teach these two, very different, kids. Instead of the "straight talk" I wanted got a very biased presentation. For example, the child that gets phonics is "beaming with success." Secondly, the "researcher" reports the test scores that occur during "whole language" teaching but does not compare it to the scores that occurred during phonics periods. In addition, they do not identify the lag between when a child is taught to read and when they are tested. Thirdly, they should be more clear about why these shifts have taken place. My friends 2nd grader knows phonics well but cannot read because he cannot put it together in context. What happened to those kids in a highly phonics based program. Did they all "beam with success?" Lastly, a credible researcher provides a balanced report that identifies the strengths and weaknesses of both approaches. This book reports phonics as strong and whole language as weak. So, if you want "straight talk" on why phonics is the only way then this is a book for you. I you want to find a balance that will work for many different kids, then keep looking.
Rating:
Summary: Good points but it is not "Straight Talk."
Review: I purchased this book because my younger child is exhibiting signs of having reading difficulty in the future. In contrast, my older child learned to read on her own prior to entering school. From my own experience I realize that there is a wide variation in what children need in school. My easy reader would have found a "face the teacher and practice the sound" program exceptionally boring. I selected this particular book because I wanted "straight talk" on how a school could teach these two, very different, kids. Instead of the "straight talk" I wanted got a very biased presentation. For example, the child that gets phonics is "beaming with success." Secondly, the "researcher" reports the test scores that occur during "whole language" teaching but does not compare it to the scores that occurred during phonics periods. In addition, they do not identify the lag between when a child is taught to read and when they are tested. Thirdly, they should be more clear about why these shifts have taken place. My friends 2nd grader knows phonics well but cannot read because he cannot put it together in context. What happened to those kids in a highly phonics based program. Did they all "beam with success?" Lastly, a credible researcher provides a balanced report that identifies the strengths and weaknesses of both approaches. This book reports phonics as strong and whole language as weak. So, if you want "straight talk" on why phonics is the only way then this is a book for you. I you want to find a balance that will work for many different kids, then keep looking.
Rating:
Summary: Parents Can and Need to be Part of Reading Education
Review: In today's world, reading is an essential component in a very competitive, highly technological society. More and more parents should be making efforts to advocate for quality reading programs in their schools. This book by Hall and Moats is a comprehensive guide for parents about current researched based practices in teaching reading. Susan Hall has traveled the road as a parent of a child who had difficulty learning to read. Louis Moats, Ed.D has extensive experience in the field of reading as an educator, researcher, consultant and writer. The book has been divided into three parts: 1. Background Information - all the information you need to make informed judgments and decisions about your child's reading instruction, whole language vs. phonics. 2. What Parents Can Do To Help Their Child - numerous explicit activities and games to support you child's progress in reading. 3. When Reading is Difficult - discussion about disabilities vs. poor instruction; learning disabilities and dyslexia. Like James Cunningham, these authors attempt to create an 'aha' moment with the reader by drawing analogies to other professions (e.g. physicians, lawyers, accountants) regarding consumer expectations for quality and know-how. "Best practices" in education as in other fields should not only be reasonable but mandatory. It is my belief that the Dept. of Ed. in MA is making attempts toward this through their recertification process. Though they can advocate and require accountability for performance, they cannot control how the individual school districts choose to implement these policies. "Children's needs shouldn't have to take a back seat to adult professional egos." All the more reason for parents to know, understand and advocate for `good instruction'. Limited resources are available geared toward the public about reading research which makes this book extremely valuable to parents. It's 'reader friendly' way to become acquainted with proven research based methods of reading instruction definitely creates 'aha' moments. The authors have skillfully used clear and concise charts throughout the book to highlight main points. They have also included a fascinating historical timeline of Reading Instruction from the 1700's-1997 which is sure to amuse, confuse, and enlighten the reader. As parents of school age children we need to be reminded that `just because we learned one way' doesn't necessarily mean it was the best way. The authors also tell the reader to BEWARE - "All that goes by the name of `phonics' is not equally effective." and take CAUTION when you hear - "balanced reading program." The 'buzzwords'- sequential, systematic, explicit are carefully defined and seven instructional components of a good reading curriculum are described in detail. Beyond creating more informed parents, four chapters have been written to empower the parent by providing detailed activities to do at home, benchmarks to gauge your child's progress, as well as recommended books for your child. I believe the authors have encouraged the kind of parent involvement that fosters a powerful partnership between school and home. This sense of collaboration and communication between home and school is further encouraged as the authors discuss assessments and various structured Multi-sensory Phonic Programs, developed for children with reading disabilities. Parents are urged to question "developmental lag" labels, seek early intervention and know "best practices". As an educator and a parent of children who have struggled with learning to read, I was encouraged by the authors ease to communicate to parents. Their ability to clearly describe the intricate process of reading and artfully repeat the most crucial message, the use of systematic code instruction -phonics, is commendable. However, I was equally troubled by their lack of optimism in our schools to adopt "best practices" in reading instruction. I would encourage parents, teachers, and administrators to read this book with the mind set of understanding `how' to teach rather than `what' to teach. I urged a bit of caution as to the authors' recommendation on "Hooked on Phonics". Hall and Moats have done an admirable job of giving parents the tools and information they need to seek and participate in good reading instruction for their children.
Rating:
Summary: Parents Can and Need to be Part of Reading Education
Review: In today's world, reading is an essential component in a very competitive, highly technological society. More and more parents should be making efforts to advocate for quality reading programs in their schools. This book by Hall and Moats is a comprehensive guide for parents about current researched based practices in teaching reading. Susan Hall has traveled the road as a parent of a child who had difficulty learning to read. Louis Moats, Ed.D has extensive experience in the field of reading as an educator, researcher, consultant and writer. The book has been divided into three parts: 1. Background Information - all the information you need to make informed judgments and decisions about your child's reading instruction, whole language vs. phonics. 2. What Parents Can Do To Help Their Child - numerous explicit activities and games to support you child's progress in reading. 3. When Reading is Difficult - discussion about disabilities vs. poor instruction; learning disabilities and dyslexia. Like James Cunningham, these authors attempt to create an 'aha' moment with the reader by drawing analogies to other professions (e.g. physicians, lawyers, accountants) regarding consumer expectations for quality and know-how. "Best practices" in education as in other fields should not only be reasonable but mandatory. It is my belief that the Dept. of Ed. in MA is making attempts toward this through their recertification process. Though they can advocate and require accountability for performance, they cannot control how the individual school districts choose to implement these policies. "Children's needs shouldn't have to take a back seat to adult professional egos." All the more reason for parents to know, understand and advocate for 'good instruction'. Limited resources are available geared toward the public about reading research which makes this book extremely valuable to parents. It's 'reader friendly' way to become acquainted with proven research based methods of reading instruction definitely creates 'aha' moments. The authors have skillfully used clear and concise charts throughout the book to highlight main points. They have also included a fascinating historical timeline of Reading Instruction from the 1700's-1997 which is sure to amuse, confuse, and enlighten the reader. As parents of school age children we need to be reminded that 'just because we learned one way' doesn't necessarily mean it was the best way. The authors also tell the reader to BEWARE - "All that goes by the name of 'phonics' is not equally effective." and take CAUTION when you hear - "balanced reading program." The 'buzzwords'- sequential, systematic, explicit are carefully defined and seven instructional components of a good reading curriculum are described in detail. Beyond creating more informed parents, four chapters have been written to empower the parent by providing detailed activities to do at home, benchmarks to gauge your child's progress, as well as recommended books for your child. I believe the authors have encouraged the kind of parent involvement that fosters a powerful partnership between school and home. This sense of collaboration and communication between home and school is further encouraged as the authors discuss assessments and various structured Multi-sensory Phonic Programs, developed for children with reading disabilities. Parents are urged to question "developmental lag" labels, seek early intervention and know "best practices". As an educator and a parent of children who have struggled with learning to read, I was encouraged by the authors ease to communicate to parents. Their ability to clearly describe the intricate process of reading and artfully repeat the most crucial message, the use of systematic code instruction -phonics, is commendable. However, I was equally troubled by their lack of optimism in our schools to adopt "best practices" in reading instruction. I would encourage parents, teachers, and administrators to read this book with the mind set of understanding 'how' to teach rather than 'what' to teach. I urged a bit of caution as to the authors' recommendation on "Hooked on Phonics". Hall and Moats have done an admirable job of giving parents the tools and information they need to seek and participate in good reading instruction for their children.
Rating:
Summary: Parents don't have to accept mediocre reading education!
Review: Massachusetts fourth graders last year took a state-wide comprehensive assessment test (MCAS) and my first grader's school did particularly poorly in English Language Arts. Being a concerned parent, I wanted to arm myself with information about reading/literacy educational methods so I could help improve the teaching going on at the school. While my child already seems to be reading at a high level, I don't want to wait until fourth grade to get an objective assessment and I DO want to provide her an education which allows her to excel. This is the perfect book for parents who want to help their children to read and help their school to do better in reading instruction. It decodes edu-babble and provides information that can make you an effective change agent for your school. I particularly liked the sections on: • Background on the differences between whole language and phonics approaches. • A detailed account of the tribulations of reading instruction in California (for all my CA friends) • Ways to determine if your child's teacher is using effective teaching practices. • Benchmark lists to see whether your child is "on track". • A list of warning signs for reading difficulty. • Lists of recommended books scaled by reading difficulty. I highly recommend this book!
Rating:
Summary: This book is a must-read for parents and educators
Review: Reid Lyon's introduction to this book provides a clear description of this helpful resource: "It is unusual that a book about reading written for parents can be informative, understandable, and true to the scientific basis for understanding reading. To my knowledge, this book is the first of its kind. The scientific research in reading has progressed to the level that dissemination of critical findings to a child's most important teacher-the parents-is not only possible but imperative.....Mrs. Hall, whose own child experienced reading difficulty in first grade, and Dr. Moats, a reading scientist and teacher educator, combine their wisdom and knowledge to produce a readable, informative, accurate, and above all, practical resource for parents." Reading through Hall and Moats' book, I was impressed not only by its clear readability, but how adeptly the authors wrote about complex issues associated with reading instruction in such an interesting, attention-holding manner. This latest book on reading is not only helpful for parents, but would also be informative and hold the interest of any elementary education teacher or principal. Especially helpful and unique to this book is Hall's differentiation of the needs of the regular learner as contrasted with the needs of the student with learning disabilities. The first part of Hall and Moat's book details the larger picture of America's Reading Crisis along with theory and research behind whole language and explicit phonics. Interspersed among these issues is the echoing theme of Hall and Moat's that "teaching a child to read is a shared responsibility between school and parents." The responsible parent as described throughout this book is not just a bake sale parent who reads aloud to his or her child at home, but rather an informed, proactive consumer who assumes the role of COACH at home, who MONITORS his/her child's reading development against benchmarks, and who ADVOCATES if reading development at school is not on track. Information provided throughout this book is designed to help the parent develop skills in those three areas. I found the specific tips and strategies for reading aloud and conversing to children at different stages between 6-9 months, 12-18 months, 2 years of age, and 6-8 years of age practical and well summarized. I always felt as if I had an advantage with my own children after working for so many years with speech and language pathologists because I picked up on so many little tips for natural learning that can be engendered with younger children. Many of those types of tips are presented here. Moving past this point, the reader soon is introduced to all of the issues behind phonics instruction, phonological skill development, and stages of reading development. Armed with this information, the reader will know whether a specific reading program is phonics or whole language based; whether the phonics is taught well, and how to spot whether one's child is struggling to read. The second part of this book emphasized activities for each grade starting with preschool through third grade. Word games and activities to develop early reading skills are presented for each of these levels as well as materials and books to use. The authors answer common parental questions such as "Should I push my child to read if he is reluctant?" , "If my child doesn't know a word, do I tell him what it is, or ask him to figure it out", How Does a Child automatically recognize a word? , and "Should I dissuade my child from rereading books that are too easy for him?" After graduating as an elementary education teacher 25 years ago filled with misinformation and inaccurate dogma about reading instruction, I would have found this section helpful in my early teaching years. The final third of the book addressed reading difficulties and disabilities issues. Red flag signs of learning disabilities, testing issues for dyslexia, questions to ask potential reading tutors, and the eight most common multisensory structured phonics approaches to teaching reading provide helpful information for parents. The emphasis on only multisensory approaches to intensive reading instruction leads to the omission of some validated research-based approaches such as Direct Instruction Reading, and inclusion of any such validated approaches would be my one suggestion. Some of my favorite books are listed in the recommended lists of books to read aloud to children in different grade levels. Because these past few years I have seen far too many teachers in whole languge classrooms read picture books to first and second graders, I was delighted to see chapter books recommended for oral reading. Whether a parent is homeschooling, advocating for a phonics-based approach to reading at school, or wondering what the "reading wars" issues are all about, this book will become a well-used resource. The school board member who wonders if his/her district is adequately teaching phonics and the legislator who wants to readily understand what state reading standards and programs should encompass will also find this resource helpful. Mary Damer
Rating:
Summary: Valuable information for parents and teachers about reading
Review: This book by Susan Hall and Louisa Moats offers parents, as well as teachers, the most up-to-date information about teaching reading. Parents need usable and practical suggestions about what they can do to make a difference for their children in the early years. The teaching of reading continues to be controversial. What methods are the most effective according to the latest scientific research. This book provides the answers in a readable and understandable format. Janet Lerner
Rating:
Summary: Valuable information for parents and teachers about reading
Review: This book by Susan Hall and Louisa Moats offers parents, as well as teachers, the most up-to-date information about teaching reading. Parents need usable and practical suggestions about what they can do to make a difference for their children in the early years. The teaching of reading continues to be controversial. What methods are the most effective according to the latest scientific research. This book provides the answers in a readable and understandable format. Janet Lerner
Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended for all parents
Review: This book gives the information all parents need to successfully carry out what the authors say are parents' roles in their children's reading: advocates; monitors (of reading progress); and, reading coaches. After reading a myriad of confusing sources about the whole language vs. phonics debate, I have finally understood the issues through this book. My favorite parts are: how to tell which method your child's school is using; recommended activities, games, and toys to support your child's progress in reading; book lists for different ages and stages in reading; and the list of benchmarks to flag reading problems. I do have a couple of criticisms, though. First, the index is not detailed enough. Second, the authors recommend "Hooked on Phonics", but totally disregard Siegfried Engelmann's "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons", which is based on the direct instruction method to teaching reading. Direct instruction has been thoroughly researched and proven to be one of the -- if not the -- most effective methods in teaching reading, and the book costs less than 1/10th the cost of "Hooked on Phonics". Just ask the reviewers of Engelmann's book right here in Amazon.com.
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