our hero in action

Siegfried Engelmann on a rant!

"When they read the words in lists they make fewer mistakes than when they read the same words in context.

Why?

Because in grade one teachers did eminently stupid stuff like have them look at the picture, discuss the picture, and then read the words. I'm sorry, Virginia; pictures do not generate specific words, but specific words generate certain features of pictures.

So the proper order is: Read the words, what are you gonna see in the picture -- here's the picture! Not the other way around.

Then another thing they do is it's always discuss, discuss, discuss. Frame, think, then read.

Wrong!

And that's what these poor readers are trying to do. They're trying to figure out, like there's some kind of crazy rules for them."