House strikes reference to criticized learning method from Senate bill
By Guy Page
A bill intended to improve Vermont student reading may be stripped of a key section about phonics in the Vermont House Education Committee.
Since 1992, Vermont 4th grade reading scores have loitered every year below the ‘proficiency’ rating from the NEAP annual scorecard but above the national level. They’ve been dropping steadily since 2015 and are now at the national level.
When passed by the Vermont Senate March 27, S204, the “ supporting Vermont’s young readers through evidence-based literacy instruction” bill, included this section deemed crucial by supporters of returning phonics to Vermont schools:
“Public and approved independent schools shall not use instructional strategies that do not have an evidence base, such as the three-cueing system. Evidence-based reading instructional practices, programs, or interventions provided pursuant to subsection (c) of this section shall be effective, explicit, systematic, and consistent with federal and State guidance and shall address the foundational concepts of literacy proficiency, including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.”
At issue is a longstanding controversy on the best method for teaching children to read. For generations, students learned through phonics. Vermont public schools abandonred phonics for the so-called ‘three cue’ method of learning. The difference between the two is described below:
“The Three-Cueing Systems Model, says the ExcelinEdinAction website, it can be boiled down to this: Teachers using this method instruct students to guess. This approach is soundly criticized by many reading experts, because it encourages students to guess, not sound out [phonics], words they do not know by using pictures or what they think might make sense given the context of the sentence.”
The House ‘strike-all’ amendment on the Legislature’s website does mention phonics, but has removed the Senate bill reference to the ‘three cueing system.’
Today, House Education Committee member Rep. Terri Williams (R-Granby) told VDC she has received many emails from parents and educators alike bemoaning the committee removing the crucial clause from its draft of the bill.
A school reading specialist from Bennington County wrote: “I strongly urge you to include language in the S. 204 3.1 bill banning the three-cueing system. Research shows that this practice is ineffective and damaging to students who are learning to read.”
A parent wrote Williams the following note:
“As we personally watch our child struggle to read and write, I cannot tell you how upset, I am at the changes this committee has made. The financial and emotional tolls that my family has gone through over the past eight years of trying to get effective reading instruction in school for our child is an understatement. We know her ability to read and write slowly and poorly will follow [her] throughout her life. Harm to my child had been done due to poor instructional practices in our school.”
S.204 is scheduled for review tomorrow and a committee vote on Thursday.