Editing Whole language (section)

====Balanced literacy====
Since 1996, "[[Balanced Literacy|balanced literacy]]" has been suggested as an integrative approach, portrayed by its advocates as taking the best elements of both whole language and code-emphasizing phonics, something promoted by Adams in 1990. In 1996, the California Department of Education described the balanced approach as "one which combines the language and literature-rich activities associated with whole language with explicit teaching of the skills needed to decode words—for all children."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ericdigests.org/2000-3/reading.htm|title=Balanced Reading Instruction. ERIC Digest|website=www.ericdigests.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/05/22/us/california-leads-revival-of-teaching-by-phonics.html|title= NY Times 1996, California Leads Revival of Teaching by Phonics|newspaper= The New York Times|date= 22 May 1996}}</ref> In 1997, the department called for grade-one teaching of concepts about print, phonemic awareness, decoding, and word recognition, as well as vocabulary and concept development.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/elacontentstnds.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/elacontentstnds.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live|title=English–Language Arts Content Standards for California Public Schools}}</ref> In 2014, the department stated, "Ensuring that children know how to decode regularly spelled one-syllable words by mid-first grade is crucial". It went on to say that "Learners need to be phonemically aware (especially able to segment and blend phonemes)".<ref name="auto1"/> In grades two and three, children receive explicit instruction in advanced phonic-analysis and reading multi-syllabic and more complex words.<ref name="auto2"/>

The [[New York City Department of Education|New York Public School]] system adopted balanced literacy as its literacy curriculum in 2003.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/03/education/new-york-s-new-approach.html|title=nytimes.com/2003/08/03|newspaper=The New York Times|date=3 August 2003|last1=Traub|first1=James}}</ref> However, in 2015, it began a process of revising its English Language Arts Learning Standards, calling for teaching involving "reading or literacy experiences" as well as [[phonemic awareness]] from pre-kindergarten to grade 1, and phonics and word recognition from grade 1 to grade 4.<ref name="auto"/>

Other states, such as Ohio, Colorado, Minnesota, Mississippi, and Arkansas are continuing to emphasize the need for instruction in evidenced-based phonics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Operating-Standards/Table-of-Contents/Instruction/Phonics|title=Rules for Phonics, Ohio}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Early-Learning/Third-Grade-Reading-Guarantee/Third-Grade-Reading-Guarantee-District-Resources/Approved-List-of-Research-Based-Reading-Instructio/Reading_Competencies.pdf.aspx |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Early-Learning/Third-Grade-Reading-Guarantee/Third-Grade-Reading-Guarantee-District-Resources/Approved-List-of-Research-Based-Reading-Instructio/Reading_Competencies.pdf.aspx |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live|title=Reading Competencies, Ohio}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Learning-in-Ohio/Literacy/Third-Grade-Reading-Guarantee/Third-Grade-Reading-Guarantee-Teacher-Resources|title=Third Grade Reading Guarantee Teacher Resources &#124; Ohio Department of Education}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cde.state.co.us/coloradoliteracy/elementaryteacher-literacystandards|title=Elementary Teacher Literacy Standards, Colorado Department of Education, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/120B.12|title=Sec. 120B.12 MN Statutes|website=www.revisor.mn.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/stds/|title=Academic Standards (K-12)|website=education.mn.gov}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arkansased.gov/divisions/learning-services/r.i.s.e.-arkansas|title=Reading Initiative for Student Excellence, arkansased.gov/divisions/learning-services, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arkansased.gov/public/userfiles/Learning_Services/RISE/RISE_Arkansas/RISE_Arkansas_2018_Report_REV2.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.arkansased.gov/public/userfiles/Learning_Services/RISE/RISE_Arkansas/RISE_Arkansas_2018_Report_REV2.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live|title=A New Chapter for Arkansas Students, 2018 Report}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/public/userfiles/Learning_Services/RISE/SCIENCE_OF_READING.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/public/userfiles/Learning_Services/RISE/SCIENCE_OF_READING.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live|title=The Science of Reading, RISE, Arkansas}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arkansased.gov/divisions/learning-services/r.i.s.e.-arkansas/its-all-about-meaning|title=It's all About Meaning, arkansased.gov/divisions/learning-services, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mdek12.org/ESE/literacy/resources-for-teachers|title=Resources for Teachers &#124; The Mississippi Department of Education|website=www.mdek12.org}}</ref>

Critics of balanced literacy have suggested that the term is a disingenuous recasting of whole language with obfuscating new terminology.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.ldonline.org/article/6394/|title=Whole Language Lives On: The Illusion of Balanced Reading Instruction – LD Online }}</ref> Neuroscientist Mark Seidenberg, a proponent of the science of reading and the teaching of phonics, writes that, "Balanced literacy allowed educators to declare an end to the increasingly troublesome 'wars' without resolving the underlying issues", and that "Balanced literacy provided little guidance for teachers who thought that phonics was a cause of poor reading and did not know how to teach it".<ref>Reading at the Speed of Light: How we Read, why so many can't, and what can be done about it, 2017, pp. 248 & 266, Mark Seidenberg {{ISBN|978-1-5416-1715-5}}</ref><ref name="seidenbergreading.net|title"/>

[[No Child Left Behind]] has brought a resurgence of interest in phonics. Its "Reading First" program addresses the reading deficiency in elementary students and requires that students must be explicitly and systematically taught five skills: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://education.findlaw.com/curriculum-standards-school-funding/the-no-child-left-behind-act-s-reading-requirement.html|title=No Child Left Behind: Reading Requirement}}</ref> During the 2000s, whole language receded to marginal status, and continues to fade.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}