The Jury Is Still Out on the Effects of Whole Language and Language Experience Approaches for Beginning Reading: A Critique of Stahl and Miller’s Study

Abstract

In their article, “Whole Language and Language Experience Approaches for Beginning Reading” ( Review of Educational Research, Spring 1989), Stahl and Miller attempted to compare the effectiveness of whole language/language experience with that of basal reader approaches. Because longitudinal data (i.e., third grade and beyond) were not included in the study, however, the significance of the small differences found is unknown. Stahl and Miller also go beyond their data or fail to exploit it for alternative interpretations. Finally, they fail to discuss the broad goals of whole language approaches, which include not only the development of reading but the development of writing.