That's a good question. I honestly had no idea how I learned language, so I called my mom to garner her two cents on the issue. As I had more or less expected, she credited the phonics approach for my excellent (...or at the very least satisfactory!) grasp of the English language. I guess that explains why I had very little knowledge of the whole language system before we discussed it in class on Wednesday. I've also always urged kids to "sound it out" when they hit a particularly tricky word. It's always worked for me, and what I use to this day if I happen to stumble across a word I'm not familiar with.
As a teacher I will most likely favor the phonetical approach in my teaching style simply because that was the way I was taught. However in a class of students from many different backgrounds and experiences it is important to consider alternative ways of teaching. If learners in my class would benefit more from a whole language approach I will definitely give it a shot in order to help them reach their full academic potential. I'm consistently told that teaching is a profession in which every year (and even every day!) presents constant change. In order to keep up with new and different students and situations, I will have to allow myself and my teaching strategies to remain flexible and open to anything!
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If you want change on a regular basis, then teaching is the career choice for you :) Glad I could warrant a phone call to mom to question about your learning as a child. Most folks do have the phonics background and we'll talk a bit more in depth about whole language. You are right in that you will need to use a little of this approach and a little of that approach to meet the needs of everyone in your classroom!
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