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Flesch had many different contributions to the field of literacy education, however, his most notable contribution is his book titled “Why Johnny Can’t Read.” Flesch’s book went into how the current way that literacy was being taught was not successful. Flesch’s idea, which was described in his book, was that teacher’s need to use phonics and sounds to properly teach children how to read. This changed the way that teachers saw literacy education and the way that their classrooms should operate.
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Marie Clay came up with an organization called Reading Recovery. Marie discovered through her observations and research that students in schools in the 1940s did not receive proper literacy education. She came up with the concept of the Emergent Literacy concept which stated that children learned about words, symbols, etc. before they actually learned to read and write. This began to grow at a very young age.
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Branching away from the typical direct teaching methods when learning literacy, the whole language philosophy states that children would learn literacy, the ability to read and write, through experiences. Students need to be able to practice the power of language, especially when it comes to communication in a personal way as well as decision making.
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The reading recovery program provides tutoring opportunity for children learning how to read and write. The students are individually worked with, during school hours, to be able to get individualized instruction and attention over 3-5 months.
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The purpose of the Reading First Initiative was to provide students who are in need access to resources. The goal of the program was to get all students on grade level in their reading abilities. The law provides grants to schools and areas that are struggling to assist their students with literacy education. The program provides, money, materials, and instructors who teach from scientifically proven successful methods of literacy instruction.
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he Science of Reading legislation is a movement that led for all states to teach reading in the same way, through phonics. Reading instruction and the way that reading is taught needs to be in the way that science has proven to be most beneficial. The legislation provides money to states who are implementing the Science of Reading into their policies.