| What people in American don’t seem to | | | | motivated her system never took off in |
| realize is this country was made by | | | | mainstream schools. |
| homeschooling. It was one of the few times in | | | | Mainstream schools usually switch between |
| America when most children could read and write | | | | phonics and whole word or whole language |
| and they were taught in covered wagons trekking | | | | system, depending on which political force is in |
| into the wilderness. I can still remember one of | | | | play at the moment. |
| the early TV programs ‘Little House On | | | | The main problem with reading is a lot of |
| The Prairie’ where the kids had to learn | | | | students will learn to read no matter what |
| their reading and writing. It was actually a theme | | | | system is in place but it has been shown that |
| that ran through the whole program. | | | | phonics helps children who are struggling to learn |
| Schools have been around for a long time but | | | | reading. Success in learning to read depends more |
| they were mainly for the wealthy and elites of | | | | on the enthusiasm, ability and energy of the |
| society. In the history of teaching reading there | | | | teachers and children than on any particular |
| was a very big step about 100 years ago when | | | | teaching method. |
| Maria Montessori started teaching learning and | | | | But that has not stopped politics getting involved |
| mentally disabled children in Italy. | | | | with how to teach reading. The history of |
| She brought out the system of learning phonics | | | | teaching reading in basically a history of how |
| with sandpaper letters and her disabled kids were | | | | politics influences schools. And if the government |
| learning to read faster than the children in the | | | | is paying the schools then they have the clout. |
| village school. But as Maria was not politically | | | | |