HIEROGLYPHICS or PICTOGRAPHS – symbols that represent whole ideas or concepts
ALPHABETIC Code – each letter represents a sound

Late 1700s

• Horace Mann promoted "no drill"
• Sight-word (whole word) instruction
• Teach MEANING over word decoding

• McGuffey Readers – primarily sight-word

• Rudolph Flesch asked Why Johnny Can’t Read – he recommended return to PHONICS at a time when "Dick and Jane" were in use.
• His book promoted a split in philosophy between whole-language and phonics teachers.

• The National Reading Panel reports a combination of phonics, word sounds and oral reading is the most effective way to teach reading.
• Many schools are still using "whole language."
• We see massive documented reading failure in America’s children.
• Scientific research shows that direct, systematic phonics is the best foundation for beginning to read.