Unedited version of article In 1986 the US Congress contracted Marilyn Adams to write a book about the critical elements in teaching beginning reading. These research areas include education, psychology, linguistics, neurology and physiology. Sadly, decisions about education have rarely been informed by research. Much educational policy has been either faddist, or based on broad philosophical principles. The programs derived from these origins are rarely subjected to serious evaluation either prior, or subsequent, to their implementation.
Whole language is based on a range of assumptions several of which are demonstrably false.
Pragmatic teachers probably already do so, but those whose views are driven purely by philosophical considerations rather than by practices with good theoretical and empirical support cannot countenance a model which draws the best from all beneficial sources. Such intransigence fuelled by some teacher training institutions and consultants makes difficult the incorporation of research findings into classroom practice. Until the last 10-15 years it could be argued that much research was too far removed from the classroom to be either readily implemented, or even useful. There are now programs which have been successful in carefully evaluated classroom interventions with long term follow-up. This emphasis is based on the finding that most individuals with problems in reading have difficulty understanding that words are made up of sounds, and that written words represent sounds by the use of letters.