whole language

American  

noun

1. a method of teaching reading in which reading is combined with listening, speaking, and writing practice, and literature is used to decode words in context.

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Other Word Forms

• whole-language adjective

Example Sentences

These advocates have long been critical of alternative “whole language” approaches that rely heavily on the concept that children are more engaged when they learn to read with less emphasis on decoding words.

From Los Angeles Times

For decades, most school districts in California have been devoted to a different approach called “whole language” or “balanced literacy,” built on the belief that children naturally learn to read without being taught how to sound out words.

From Los Angeles Times

California embraced the whole language approach to literacy, which took hold in the 1970s and 1980s, said Susan Neuman, a New York University professor who served as assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education under former President George W. Bush.

From Los Angeles Times

But many teachers in the state disliked the more regimented approach, and when the funding ended, districts largely transitioned back to the whole language approach.

From Los Angeles Times

But the research has become clear: Looking at the pictures or context of a story to guess a word — as is encouraged in whole language or balanced literacy instruction, leads to struggles with reading.

From Los Angeles Times