Whole Language Approaches
Gillam describes how shifting to a whole language approach to intervention required him to look at his clinical practices differently (Gillam, 1995, p. 220)
- I stopped looking only for disabilities and started looking more closely for abilities.
- I became less interested in subskill testing and teaching and more interested in real communication.
- I stopped writing specific behavioral objectives and started writing broad learning goals.
- My language intervention became less of a direct instruction process and more of an opportunity for discovery.
- I trusted that children with special language and learning needs could become learners
- I trusted myself to put students ahead of lesson plans and mastery criteria.
- I believed I could make a difference by mediating between context, meaning, and form as they operated freely in a variety of communication systems (reading, writing, art, drama, etc.).
Whole Language Web Sites
http://www.heinemann.com/info/08894f6.html
http://www.usc.edu/dept/education/CMMR/text/Krashen_WholeLang.html
References
Gillam, R. (1995). Whole language principles at work in language intervention. In D. F. Tibbits (Ed.), Language intervention beyond the primary grades (pp. 219-255). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
Gillam, R., McFadden, T., & van Kleek, A. (1995). Improving narrative abilities: Whole language and language skills approaches. In M. Fey & J. Windsor & S. Warren (Eds.), Language intervention: Preschool through the elementary years (Vol. 5). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
Goodman, K. S., Goodman, Y. M., & Hood, W. J. (1989). The whole language evaluation book. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Educational Books, Inc.
Norris, J. & Damico, J. (1990). Whole language in theory and practice: Implications for language intervention. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 21, 212-220.
Norris, J. (1993). Some questions and answers about whole language. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 1(4), 11-14.
Norris, J., & Hoffman, P. (1993). Whole language intervention for school age children. San Diego: CA: Singular Publishing Group.
Westby, C., & Costlow, L. (1991). Implementing a whole language program in a special education class. Topics in Language Disorders, 11(3), 69-84.