The battle of Phonics vs. Whole Word: the science of reading with Adrian Johns

The complicated history of how we read—and ways it sparked the Reading Wars and anti-science rhetoric

Reading is one of the most significant practices in the modern age of information, but it has a complicated history. Scientists began studying reading over a century ago; they built eye movement devices to study how fast and efficiently we read, and even proposed methods on the best ways to teach kids how to read. But all of this well-intentioned science led to various debates, from America's Reading Wars to today's anti-elite and anti-science movement.

In a new book, The Science of Reading: Information, Media, and Mind in Modern America, Prof. Adrian Johns, chair of the Department of History at the University of Chicago, dives into reading's complicated history and what we can learn from it to better shape the future of reading.

0:00 - Introduction and sponsor mention
1:00 - Cultural war over book banning in America
3:00 - Historical context of the "reading wars" since the 1950s
4:30 - Whole word vs. phonics debate
6:00 - Role of science and public skepticism
7:00 - Introduction of Adrian Johns and his book
9:00 - Importance of reading for democracy and society
11:00 - Early scientific studies on reading
13:00 - Development of eye movement tracker by Edmund Huey
15:00 - Speed reading and its impact on reading education
17:00 - Public interest in speed reading and its commercialization
19:00 - Failures of speed reading products and public distrust
21:00 - Whole word teaching method and its development
24:00 - Criticism of whole word method by Rudolf Flesch
26:00 - Impact of Sputnik on education policy and reading methods
29:00 - Political implications of the reading wars
31:00 - Conservative advocacy for phonics
33:00 - Modern neuroscience and its findings on reading
35:00 - Role of libraries in providing access to reading materials
37:00 - Impact of new media on reading habits
39:00 - Conclusion and future of reading education
41:00 - Credits and closing remarks

(Episode published August 24, 2023)

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