Whole Language: Comparative Effects on First-Grade Reading Achievement

Whole language is an approach to reading and language instruction that is gaining increasing popularity nationwide. This acceptance is occurring without evidence that the use of a whole language approach will lead to comparable reading achievement when contrasted with traditional basal reader approaches. In this article, we report the findings of a study comparing two whole language classrooms and two basal classrooms on a standardized reading achievement measure at the conclusion of first grade. The results indicated a significant difference between whole language and basal reader approaches. The size of the effects favoring whole language over basal reader approaches was a moderate .6 standard deviation from the basal group mean performance. Results of this study supported the belief that whole language strategies and routines used in first-grade classrooms will yield scores on traditional reading standardized achievement tests that are comparable or superior to those resulting from the use of basal reader programs