Fighting Words

The reading wars are far from over. Indeed, in Losing Our Language, Stotsky directs our attention to a second front that progressives have opened. To the whole-language demand for rich, authentic literature has now been added a multiculturalist definition of authenticity. Among the many dolorous consequences is that students learn even fewer standard English words so that they may learn Native American words such as parfleche and travois. Academic goals have been sacrificed to political ones. As Stotsky explains, "The fusion of the anti-intellectualism of the multiculturalists and the antiteaching philosophy of whole language advocates is an educationally deadly combination in the elementary grades."

Still, Robert Sweet, the phonics booster, takes an optimistic view: "I would say although the mop-up crew hasn't finished yet, I believe we have truly turned a corner." With fewer than 15 percent of American children learning phonics, by his rough estimate, that mop-up crew has a lot of work ahead. Members of the far-right conspiracy to dismantle the public schools, meanwhile, can take heart that the Democratic party of California and the linguistics department at MIT have joined them.

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