Whole language

The whole-word method is a method of learning to read.

Method

It is a special form of a holistic, analytical approach, in contrast to the synthetic approach of spelling or Lautiermethode. The study of perception of Gestalt theory provides a theoretical justification for the whole-word method.

History

Holistic reading learning methods have been developed in the first half of the 19th century, but found only in the second third of the 20th century widespread. The deaf teacher Carl Malisch developed in view of the grown mostly bilingual in Silesia and therefore with impediments in learning to read equipped children published in 1909 for his " Primer for the first writing reading instruction " the whole-word method. In his essay The first literacy class, he writes:

After vigorous dispute over methods and many, often conflicting studies forming an integrated method is propagated today by the majority, posed by single letters, but this very soon composed to first words.

Sight words

A variant of the whole-word method, which is used primarily in the English-speaking world, is the systematic study of so-called "visual words " (English sight words): a repertoire from 100 to 220 most frequently occurring words that the student not make sounds, but to be recognized at a glance. This method is particularly used in such words whose spelling " difficult ", so that does not help the student make sounds (eg, friend, aunt, shoulderstand ). In addition, the Erstleseunterricht in the English language, however, is also based in Germany on the Lautiermethode.