Program
Education K-12 M.A.
Year Approved
2021
First Advisor
Silmser, Lisa
Abstract
This thesis examines the benefits and identifies the differences between reading instructional methods. Current research reveals the relationship between whole language, phonics, and balanced literacy, which can be helpful to educators in identifying a primary strategy for reading instruction. Some students respond best to phonics-based strategies while others show greater growth in response to whole language instruction. Various factors can affect reading development, including educator knowledge, parental support, brain research, gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity. Several methods are explained to help teachers identify the most effective strategies in teaching young learners how to read and aiding those who struggle.
Degree Name
Education K-12 M.A.
Document Type
Masterʼs thesis
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Duwenhoegger, J. L. (2021). Reading Instructional Methods: The Effectiveness of Phonetic-Based, Whole Language, and Balanced Approaches to Teaching Beginning Readers [Masterʼs thesis, Bethel University]. Spark Repository. https://spark.bethel.edu/etd/180