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Many, including The Star, took note of the late Theodor Seuss Geisel's March 2 birthday. In my opinion, the single greatest way to honor him would be to implement the reading method he favored -- intensive, systematic, explicit phonics -- in every kindergarten through second-grade classroom.
Dr. Seuss told Arizona Magazine in June 1981, "They think I did it in 20 minutes. That (expletive) Cat in the Hat took nine months until I was satisfied. I did it for a textbook house, and they sent me a word list. That was due to the Dewey revolt in the '20s, in which they threw out phonics reading and went to word recognition, as if you're reading Chinese pictograph instead of blending sounds of different letters.
"I think killing phonics was one of the greatest causes of illiteracy in the country."
President Bush signed HR 1, on Jan. 8, 2002, to assure "no child is left behind," to re-train teachers and implement synthetic phonics in every classroom.
Whole word memorization is the Grinch that stole literacy from our country. Let's give kids just what they need. Give them real phonics. Then they'll read.
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Linda Weinmaster
Kansas/Nebraska Right to Read Foundation
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