Whole Language Approach

The popular use of the term whole language probably came from teachers becoming aware of the knowledge explosion surrounding oral and written language development and the reading and writing processes. Teachers realized that students needed to use language to solve problems that were significant and meaningful their daily lives in order to take charge of their own learning (Goodman, Smith, Meredith, and Goodman, 1987).



A whole-language approach represents a philosophy about reading rather than anyone instructional method. According to this philosophy, language is a natural phenomenon and literacy is promoted through natural, purposeful language function. It has as its foundation current knowledge about language development as a constructive, meaning-oriented process in which language is viewed as an authentic, natural, real-world experience, and language learning is perceived as taking place through functional reading and writing situations." (p. 458) (Lapp, D. & Flood, J. (1992). Teaching reading to every child. (3rd ed.). New York: Macmilliam Publishing Company.)