Rating: 
Summary: If you have to believe everything a book says, don't read it
Review: A book which once I held up couldn't be put down (took me 3 solid late nights to read carefully through!). In fact, I read and re-read it many times just to digest the information. I find the author is excellent in putting up her firm statement of why reading can only be taught in the one and only way through phonemic awareness. I accept her strong stand against other methods as I find that it is only right if we can start the reading process right, instead of trying to unlearn those bad habits of trying to figure out word-readings.The initial paragraphs on the origin of language though dry but is interesting. It sets the logic of the author's subsequently arguements later when she insists that reading can only be learnt in one and the only way. I benefited so much from the book and I thank the author profusely for having written such a wonderful book which I'm trying to practise what it preaches in my pre-school right now. How wonderful it is that if we can endow in our children the gift of correct way of reading since young? Nothing beats the joy of teaching little children read! This is the best book I'd read so far pertaining to reading.
Rating: 
Summary: Why Our Children Can't Read
Review: A book which once I held up couldn't be put down (took me 3 solid late nights to read carefully through!). In fact, I read and re-read it many times just to digest the information. I find the author is excellent in putting up her firm statement of why reading can only be taught in the one and only way through phonemic awareness. I accept her strong stand against other methods as I find that it is only right if we can start the reading process right, instead of trying to unlearn those bad habits of trying to figure out word-readings. The initial paragraphs on the origin of language though dry but is interesting. It sets the logic of the author's subsequently arguements later when she insists that reading can only be learnt in one and the only way. I benefited so much from the book and I thank the author profusely for having written such a wonderful book which I'm trying to practise what it preaches in my pre-school right now. How wonderful it is that if we can endow in our children the gift of correct way of reading since young? Nothing beats the joy of teaching little children read! This is the best book I'd read so far pertaining to reading.
Rating:
Summary: Like a lighthouse in the storm
Review: An excellent book, founded in common sense, close observation, and real science. I hope it starts a revolution, and soon. Rita Kramer complains about the occasional tone of the book that the author's "own method is the only way to teach reading". Don't be put off by that. The book does make (and justify) some very strong claims about what any successful method for learning to read and write has to do. This book is the theory book. The companion "how to" or workbook, for parents doing home-schooling or trying to help their children learn to read, is "Reading Reflex", by Geoffry and Carmen McGuinness. It's no surprise that the book is very critical of whole language, invented spelling, and such. But the real win for me was its critique of (traditional) phonics. Most phonics teaching stinks. It's unsystematic, and riddled with false claims and utterly confused classifications. Phonics is the way to go, but you do have to get it right. Most controversial will be its claim that there is no such thing as dyslexia. If you or a family member are "dyslexic" or "LD", by all means get and read this book. The book argues that dyslexia is not inborn but the result of being intellectually maimed by teaching mistakes. You can verify for yourself that these mistakes are pervasive throughout our school system and you can satisfy yourself that they are indeed mistakes: they are false statements about the writing system of English. One consequence of that is that the smarter the child, the more deeply he or she gets wedged if commanded to believe nonsense. The book also claims that dyslexics can be rescued. It is not a snake-oil miracle cure; the "12 hour" figure is often cited, but this is only for getting a child unstuck and moving again. As the book discusses, adults and emotionally traumatized people take longer to get unstuck, and nobody learns to read from start to finish in 12 hours. What the book is really claiming is that dyslexia is like being lost in a storm with a map that lies. You can struggle all you want but the map will subvert all your best efforts, and you give up. The moment you have a good map, your efforts become effective again.
Rating:
Summary: There is only one way to learn to read
Review: And that way is phonetically. Humans beings don't posess the memory required to memorize every word as a separate shape. And there are only two kinds of reading students -- those who can figure out the phonetic rules on their own, and those who can't. Most people can't, so they have to be taught how to connect the sounds to the letters explicitly. Diane McGuiness assembles a mound of evidence to prove these two points, and shows you how reading in English should be taught. She overstates her case a bit, and her program is not as novel as she makes it sound (on that, see below). But she is fundamentally correct on the main issues -- we learn to read by learning how the way written language turns sounds into letter sequences, and for the vast majority of children, reading instruction is successful ONLY to the extent it EXPLICITLY teaches those sound-written form connections. In other words, only phonics works. I was one of the children who couldn't figure out the rules on his own, but I was lucky. My mother found out I was having trouble learning to read, and taught me herself, based on the what she could remember of her own phonics based first grade instruction. It worked, and McGuiness's program is an improved version of what my mother used with me. What's sad is that, as Jeanne S. Chall showed in LEARNING TO READ: THE GREAT DEBATE, ALL the evidence has always supported phonetic instruction versus 'whole word' methods, but the teacher's colleges teach the 'whole word' method almost exclusively. I don't know whether this is because they're ignorant, or because they actively wish to discourage reading, but I do know that if your children are taught McGuinness's way, or with Roberta Pournelle (Mrs. Jerry Pournelle)'s computer reading program, there is a 95% or better chance they will learn to read easily and well. If they are taught from Rudolf Flesch's WHY JOHNNY CAN'T READ, there's at least a 75% chance they will learn to read easily and well. If taught using whole word methods, there's at best a 40% chance they'll learn to read -- and the ones who do will be the ones who figure out phonics on their own. The choice is yours, but if I were currently teaching reading the methods I'd use would be McGuiness's for instruction out of books or Mrs. Pournelle's for computer-based instruction. They work.
Rating:
Summary: There is only one way to learn to read
Review: And that way is phonetically. Humans beings don't posess the memory required to memorize every word as a separate shape. And there are only two kinds of reading students -- those who can figure out the phonetic rules on their own, and those who can't. Most people can't, so they have to be taught how to connect the sounds to the letters explicitly. Diane McGuiness assembles a mound of evidence to prove these two points, and shows you how reading in English should be taught. She overstates her case a bit, and her program is not as novel as she makes it sound (on that, see below). But she is fundamentally correct on the main issues -- we learn to read by learning how the way written language turns sounds into letter sequences, and for the vast majority of children, reading instruction is successful ONLY to the extent it EXPLICITLY teaches those sound-written form connections. In other words, only phonics works. I was one of the children who couldn't figure out the rules on his own, but I was lucky. My mother found out I was having trouble learning to read, and taught me herself, based on the what she could remember of her own phonics based first grade instruction. It worked, and McGuiness's program is an improved version of what my mother used with me. What's sad is that, as Jeanne S. Chall showed in LEARNING TO READ: THE GREAT DEBATE, ALL the evidence has always supported phonetic instruction versus 'whole word' methods, but the teacher's colleges teach the 'whole word' method almost exclusively. I don't know whether this is because they're ignorant, or because they actively wish to discourage reading, but I do know that if your children are taught McGuinness's way, or with Roberta Pournelle (Mrs. Jerry Pournelle)'s computer reading program, there is a 95% or better chance they will learn to read easily and well. If they are taught from Rudolf Flesch's WHY JOHNNY CAN'T READ, there's at least a 75% chance they will learn to read easily and well. If taught using whole word methods, there's at best a 40% chance they'll learn to read -- and the ones who do will be the ones who figure out phonics on their own. The choice is yours, but if I were currently teaching reading the methods I'd use would be McGuiness's for instruction out of books or Mrs. Pournelle's for computer-based instruction. They work.
Rating:
Summary: EVERY teacher (elementary or secondary) should read this!!!
Review: As a high school teacher I was HORRIFIED to watch completely non-pragmatic approaches in the classroom (both elem. and secondary) but didn't have the science or research to back my instincts. Now I do. This book puts everything out there for readers, parents, teachers, to see clearly. What we are doing doesn't work. I don't care if she IS selling her method--more power to her if the method is actually based on research instead of the pseudo-science one generally finds in teacher ed programs.
BUY THIS BOOK--pass it on to other parents and teachers. Do what she recommends. Let's get this country reading and writing again!
Rating:
Summary: This title should have been: How Every Child *Can* Read
Review: As a parent searching for help for my child, I was transformed by this brilliant book. It is thick with information, but McGuinness is a clear, careful writer, so it's easy to absorb. I will never again look at any child's reading difficulties in the same old way, wondering what it is about that child that makes progress so difficult. Now I know: the child has not been taught in a logical, clear way. The methods McGuinness describes have been found to be 100% effective for all children. I should stress that: All children. Including -- especially -- those labeled learning disabled or dyslexic. Many people, educators and parents alike, find it difficult to believe such figures. I nearly gave up trying to persuade a friend whose daughter has been labeled dyslexic at her expensive private school. I kept nagging, though, feeling that I owed it to her child, a terrific kid with rapidly eroding self-respect. She's now starting Phono-Graphix remediation. By the way, do you want to know the average number of hours needed for remediation? Twelve. 12! Plus some one-on-one reinforcement with a parent or other adult. I think this book will spark a natural revolution in reading instruction. Let's help spread the good word: spoken, written and -- let's go for it! -- correctly spelled. This lovely new system is what our children have been waiting for.
Rating:
Summary: The most important book on education of the past 20 years.
Review: As a teacher with advanced degrees in reading and learning disabilities, I have never read a more concise, persuasive (and useful) book. Ms. McGuinness's research results certainly changed my professional direction. I bought Reading Reflex as well, became a certified Phono-Graphix instructor/trainer, and have built a successful reading therapy practice. EVERY client has succeeded using this approach (average: 24 session-hours). The sad part is the non-believers and the naysayers, those teachers and administrators who refuse to acknowledge the power of the evidence, refuse to read about this paradigm shift in instruction, and refuse to discuss the new possibilities for struggling readers of any age. Some even attempt to deny the obvious results! All I can say is I consult my copy of this book so often that it's falling apart--and I've just ordered a second copy from Amazon!
Rating:
Summary: An incredible resource for teaching reading.
Review: At the urging of a kindergarten teacher I read this book. I have been teaching for 5 years and never felt that I truly had the proper skill or approach to teaching reading. This book has changed forever what I do within my classroom and how I teach reading with my students. This book should be a must read for every teacher and for all parents with children who are struggling with reading skills in school.
Rating:
Summary: An educational time bomb!
Review: Hello?...educators...anybody READ MUCH? I do and this is what I picked for fun one night...it changed my life! With 2 college-age kids I thought I was done with "school daze." Wrong. After reading this book non-stop, I immediately signed up & trained in Phono-Graphix & now volunteer teaching 16-18 year olds (who can barely read) what they should have been taught in 1st grade...and it's WORKING!!! I'm also starting teen literacy groups where kids mentor kids in reading (yes, it's that good that even kids can teach it -kinda makes you want to cry), and training private tutors and public school teachers. I can only say "read it" but don't weep, join the Reading Revolution & make a difference in someone's life, maybe even your own--by b r EA k i NG TH e WR i TT EN c o DE...it's easy with the info Diane gives.
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