Correspondence

...They were even being placed in special reading classes...

...GERALD W. BENSON NEW HOPE, MN LEARNING HOW TO READ In an otherwise excellent article, John J. Dilulio Jr...

...Whole-language methods depend on such tactics as guessing, "inventive spelling," looking at pictures, and even looking at "shapes" of words...

...The implementation of whole-language methods by public schools across the nation, with the resulting decline in literacy, and then a total failure to recognize that fact and change it, is one of the many reasons that public schools have been in precipitous decline...

...These methods may work for learning an ideographic language, such as Chinese, but not for a phonetic language such as English...

...JIM WALLIS CONVENER CALL TO RENEWAL WASHINGTON, DC WISDOM OF FRENCHMEN William Styron is correct—the French do not have an "equivalent of the American South, where a strain of Protestant fundamentalism is so maniacal" ("Not a Parody," Oct...

...Our round-table discussions on poverty and welfare reform have had participants such as the Promise Keepers, the Family Research Council, the National Association of Evangelicals, the Progressive National Baptist Convention, and the National Council of Churches...

...Could Styron be suggesting the same methods be employed in the United States so as to prevent the "dismantling" of the present presidency...

...To dismiss this growing movement as "mere courtiers" is both insulting and a misreading of history...

...Public schools have widely eschewed not only the teaching of systematic phonics, for whose efficacy there is ample empirical evidence, but also of the "old-fashioned" use of such things as rote, drill, and memorization, for which there is no real substitute...

...For the most part, the French Protestants were systematically massacred in the later 1500s and early 1600s in the Eight Wars...

...Look at any elementary schools that are truly successful in widely increasing the literacy rate and you will find (perhaps along with some of the other things DiIulio mentions) the use of systematic phonics applied in a direct-instruction approach...

...The difference is crucial, and must be widely recognized if sweeping changes in literacy are to be effected...

...makes the serious mistake of saying that the debate over whether to teach reading by using phonics or whole-language instruction is irrelevant ("My School Choice: Literacy First," Oct...

...If Ferguson had read the original statement, he would have seen that it is critical of both liberals and conser-vatives—we articulated a new Christian political vision...

...Call to Renewal is a movement of Christians seeking new approaches to the problems of American life—we are dedicated to overcoming poverty, dismantling racism, affirming life, and rebuilding family and community—an agenda that is neither liberal nor conservative, and that is most certainly not simply supporting President Clinton...

...The original "Cry for Renewal" was endorsed by a wide range of Christian leaders, from conservative evangelicals to Catholic bishops to leaders of the black church...

...My investigation of the reasons for this led to the discovery of the use of whole-language techniques, for which there are no intellectual underpinnings...

...The remainder of the tour, from Milwaukee to Austin to Seattle to Miami to Boston to Nashville and many other places, was highly critical of the president and generated news coverage across the country reflecting that criticism...

...In the three years since then, we have maintained working contacts with both Republicans and Democrats in Congress...

...Again, if he had done some basic research, he would have found that the national conference that began our town-meeting tour included my being quoted on the front page of the New York Times as saying to President Clinton: "Be sure your sin will find you out...

...RON KRUIS GRAND RAPIDS, MI...

...We removed three of our four children from an "excellent" suburban public school because they weren't learning how to read...

...Correspondence 'RENEWAL' IS NONPARTISAN Andrew Ferguson says that Call to Renewal was founded "so that Christian liberals could become mere courtiers to the power of the executive branch" ("Atoning with Tony," Oct...

...When the statement was publicly launched in the spring of 1995, we held separate meetings with Speaker Newt Gingrich and the minority leader, Dick Gephardt, not with President Clinton...

...For all he has seen that works in increasing literacy, he utterly misses the single biggest reason for illiteracy among schoolchildren in the last 30 years...

...Similarly, Ferguson claims that "Call to Renewal organized more than 40 town meetings in the month before the 1996 election, in hopes of transcending those 'doctrinaire ideological approaches to the issues' and reelecting President Clinton...