On Reading

The "school" System has a vested interest in the micro-management of learning (to read) and thus grossly mis-applies whatever reasonable thing that comes its way, including the work of Ken Goodman. All bureaucracies have this tendency of micro-management, a stark example of which is the monstrous abuse of Jesus' teachings by the early Catholic Church, for which many people have rejected Jesus' message and humane example, in favor of yet another bureaucratic system of "accounability", namely, metaphysical humanism/secularism.(I don't mean to be controversial; I wish only the very best for people of whatever metaphysical pursuasion). Ken Goodman shows the stable center-position of the nature of reading. But then, because of its pursuasive power, the "school" system uses it to gain tighter control of childrens' learning to read and adults' efforts to help them read. Micro-managing the learning of reading is only as potentially handicapping for the learner as the complexity and the number of the aspects of reading which are being micro-managed. Thus, micro-management of learning phonics (which is only minor one aspect of reading) naturally has less potential for being a handicap for children in learning to read than is the case when a number of aspects of reading are being micro-managed---especially if those aspects are of a high intellectual order. Ken Goodman's argument for whole (holistic) language should be read primary with an interest in what is true of reading, and only secondarily with an interest in the question of reading instruction. To do otherwise only produces absurdities on both sides of the insitutionalized-reading- instruction 'wars': those claiming to favor Goodman's work and who claim to be proponents of whole language, but who miss the real point that Goodman makes and who then grossly mis-apply his work; and those who, largely because of this mis-application and its clearly more horrible consequences, blaim Goodman for that mess and call his argument balony. Many people call themselves Christians too, but, as one bumper-sticker says, "Jesus loves you, but everybody else thinks you're an ______" I hope I don't come across to some people as ranting at them. I only want to make the matter as plain as possible and in a quiet, friendly manner. Unfortunately, to make some crucial points clear sometimes requires giving examples that happen to be emotionally charged for many people. I hope this review encourages everyone to read this book (and every book) by Kenneth Goodman, and that it helps them truly understand the real issue that he addresses. I also recommend the comparable works of Frank Smith, especially his Understanding Reading and The Book of Learning and Forgetting. I appreciate your consideration.

In this short book Dr. Goodman makes the complexities of the reading process accessible to most any reader. It is understandable why Dr. Goodman's theory of reading has become so central to the world of reading today. So much of what he offers in this book just makes good sense.