To the Editor:

    It's unfortunate that James Traub had his brain washed while

preparing his article, "New York's New Approach" (Aug 2). What is

happening in New York and the rest of the U.S. is not science versus

romanticism, but ideology versus practice.  The No Child Left Behind

officials he consulted, Reid Lyon and Sally Shaywitz, have,

respectively, one year and no experience teaching children to read,

but they have strong professional reasons to favor certain

scientific findings and to foist them on schools and teachers who

know from experience that they do not work.

    Obviously, the informants cited above, and others unnamed,

have convinced Traub that "reading experts have coalesced around the

principle that step-by-step phonics works best."  He would find if

he talked to a random sample of "experts" that they favor a balanced

approach to reading instruction with phonics at Grades K and 1 and

for older students whose difficulties indicate that they need it,

which is what the National Reading Panel (2000)concluded.  He would

also find that the much-hyped commercial program "Open Court" is not

universally loved or successful with students.  Under extreme

political pressure, many school districts have adopted it or its

bedfellow, "Success For All," but the results are as yet

unimpressive.  Less noisily but just as rapidly, schools are

shelving such scripted programs that turn teachers into

ventriloquists and their students into dummies, and  turning to more

balanced programs that teach decoding more meaningfully and

emphasize literature and writing.

    If Mr Traub decides to write more about the New York approach

to teaching literacy and math, or about K-12 teaching anywhere, I

suggest that he consult a broad range of experts and look at the

research himself*, rather than relying on the federal government's

minions.  On the other hand, he might heed the philosophy of

Chancellor Joel  Klein who told him,"I don't believe curriculums are

the key to education.  I believe teachers are."

Sincerely yours,

Joanne Yatvin

National Reading Panel Member

5226 SW Northwood Ave.

Portland, OR, 97239

503-245-3743

*I would be happy to supply Mr. Traub with names of experts and

refer him to the appropriate research.