Phonics and alternatives

Phonics and alternatives

       A wiki link on phonics can be found at:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonics

            Many people still believe the alternative methods of teaching reading to our children   are a better course of action.  Yep, there are alternatives. One obvious example is the "sight method" used in the Dick and Jane series that was used for decades before phonics was introduced.

            These days I think "phonics" reigns supreme as a teaching idea in the USA, and maybe a political idea here, too.  Yet I still ask the question, is this method  the best course of action for today's kid's and where we live?  

            Of course our local school boards often have a lot of influence on what the decision is finally made, and  locally with your kids that you send to your local public schools. And in fairness, school boards have other issues, too, like real estate decisions. One school board I know of has a $1.4 billion dollar annual budget to deal with, for example.

            I suspect these days the real estate problems (my example)  may be  more important to many school board deciders than our children's future through education, both of which they have serious influence on , I believe, in their decisions.

            The key point to me is to teach our children as best we can and where ever we live. Said another way, education, not indoctrination.  For example, I have child who got high school credit for taking a course in pet care in the Raleigh, NC area. That, to me, is absurd. Yet it happened over two decades ago.

            And since then she has been married, divorced, and has a child to boot. So is it the school boards fault, I doubt it.  Did her poor pet care education contribute to her present circumstances, maybe. I just suspect she is not a happy camper, now knowing there are other ways to go, and she and now your kids could go, too.

            And is this a future voting issue to so many that have children and can vote.?  I think so. Actually, I imagine anyone that can vote (that counts these days) may have interests in this subject, both young and old,  too.

            Anyway, the  present situation sucks, to me.