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Scene 3
As they stood pondering their dilemma, the earthly
life of a College Professor of Education came to an end. As Professor Indoctrinate stood
before the Gatekeeper, she stated a rather high degree of confidence: "I have been
completely happy with my earthly life. The life of a tenured professor, with the academic
freedom that it brings, was near perfect bliss. I wouldn't have changed a thing."
"So be it," said the Gate Keeper,
"But I'm afraid the fork in the road up ahead is becoming choked with people. Perhaps
you can help them by bringing this "context clue" to help them decide which path
to take. With that the Gatekeeper gave her a sign that said: PANDEMONIUM*. Take this clue
with you and place it at the left fork in the path, beside the sign marked
"PERDITION". Do you understand? Certainly," said Dr. Indoctrinate, and she
did as she as she was asked."
Needless to say, Drs. Goodguess and Sampler were
delighted to see help coming, but they were immediately confounded when they found
themselves with yet another 'P' word that was nearly the same length as the other two.
Without hesitation, Professor Indoctrinate,
unwilling to provide them with any phonics information due to her thorough disdain for
such "lower order subskills," encouraged Drs. Goodguess and Sampler to use the
Whole Language cueing systems they all knew so well. In an attempt to reassure them she
said: "Don't be upset if you can't read the signs just yet. After all, reading is
developmental. In time it will all begin to click, maybe next year or the year
after." (Neither of the good Drs. thought this was at all funny!)
Now they knew they were in need of a 'real' reading
expert, particularly one who had been intensely trained, preferably at Ohio State. So
without hesitation, even though their self esteem was becoming badly damaged, Drs.
Goodguess and Sampler fell to their knees and began praying loudly. As if on cue, a
Reading Recovery teacher appeared on the pathway.
At first, she was a bit intimidated to be in the
presence of the Founders of whole language, but then she quickly regained her composure
when she remembered that Reading Recovery owed its very existence (in more ways than one)
to the theories and strategies taught by these very experts.
"I am sure I need not remind you gentlemen,
that comprehension and meaning-making are of primary importance is reading a word you have
not seen before. You must just answer the question: "What would make sense
here?"
With the path behind them filling up with people
impatiently awaiting their turn to pass through the fork, Drs. Goodguess and Sampler cried
out in despair even more loudly than before. "What we desperately need is more
context!"
Once again their voices rose in prayer.
This time, they heard the soft spoken voice of a
child. A little six year-old boy walked up to them, looked at the sign on the right and
said with great pride, "I was taught to read with explicit, systematic phonics. I can
sound out any word. The sign on the right says 'PARADISE' and that's the way I'm going,
and off he went."
Drs. Goodguess and Sampler looked at each other
with knowing smirks. Their prayers had been answered. Dr. Goodguess
whispered excitedly, "Did you hear that" Now we have context! That
little boy sounded out the words; he used explicit systematic
phonics to choose what he thought was the path to PARADISE -- he was
obviously mistaken. He MUST have taken the road to PERDITION!"
"Quickly now, let's take the other path!" |