Whole Language: Comparative Effects on First-Grade Reading Achievement

Whole language is an approach to reading and language instruction that is gaining increasing popularity nationwide. This acceptance is occurring without evidence that the use of a whole language approach will lead to comparable reading achievement when contrasted with traditional basal reader approa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of educational research (Washington, D.C.) D.C.), 1990-05, Vol.83 (5), p.252-257
Main Authors: Ray Reutzel, D., Cooter, Robert B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Basal Reading
Childrens literature
Classroom environment
Comparative Analysis
Conventional Instruction
Curriculum subjects: programmes and methods
Educational sciences
Gates MacGinitie Reading Tests
Grade 1
Language teachers
Primary Education
Reading
Reading Achievement
Reading Instruction
Reading teachers
Reading, writing
Teaching Methods
Textbooks
Whole Language Approach
Writing instruction
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Summary:Whole language is an approach to reading and language instruction that is gaining increasing popularity nationwide. This acceptance is occurring without evidence that the use of a whole language approach will lead to comparable reading achievement when contrasted with traditional basal reader approaches. In this article, we report the findings of a study comparing two whole language classrooms and two basal classrooms on a standardized reading achievement measure at the conclusion of first grade. The results indicated a significant difference between whole language and basal reader approaches. The size of the effects favoring whole language over basal reader approaches was a moderate .6 standard deviation from the basal group mean performance. Results of this study supported the belief that whole language strategies and routines used in first-grade classrooms will yield scores on traditional reading standardized achievement tests that are comparable or superior to those resulting from the use of basal reader programs.
ISSN:0022-0671
1940-0675
DOI:10.1080/00220671.1990.10885966