Why Argue Without Reading?

                                                 

 

Twice now, Andrew Evans has replied to my comments on Substack with sweeping dismissals. First, he said there are “no products, no scripts, no algorithms, no panaceas, no silver bullets” that will get almost all kids to read — and accused me of selling snake oil. Then, when I laid out a diagnostic of the Science of Reading’s wrong assumptions, he insisted there is “no evidence that phonics is more important than semantics” and that “reading is understanding.”

But here’s the problem: Andrew has not read the sample pages of my book. He is arguing against a caricature, not against the actual sequence I propose.

 

The Core Sequence

The practical sequence I teach is modest and specific:

 

Teach letter sounds cleanly — without extra vowels like “buh” for /b/.

 

Tell children early — that many letters have more than one sound.

 

Make high‑frequency words automatic — so attention is freed for comprehension.

 

Form new words from syllables — show children how to build words from known chunks (for example: oo → oot → hoot → shoot).

 

Use context to confirm — not to substitute for decoding.

 

This is not snake oil. It is the result of years of one‑on‑one work with children, including those who could already read in Malay or Hanyu Pinyin but stalled in English until the extra sounds were removed.

 

Why Semantics Alone Is Not Enough

Andrew says “reading is understanding.” Of course comprehension is the goal. But comprehension cannot occur if the words themselves are not identified accurately. A child who says “ribbon” for bow has not read the word, even if the sentence sounds plausible. Skilled readers use meaning and syntax after decoding, not instead of decoding.

 

Why Parents Look Outside School

Functional illiteracy is not a ghost story. Too many children still leave school unable to use print for ordinary purposes. Parents do not seek help outside school because a graph looks flat. They seek help because their child still cannot read the words.

 

The Missed Opportunity

Instead of dismissing my book as a “product” or “snake oil,” why not read the sample pages? The Kindle edition is $2.99. If Andrew or anyone else believes my sequence is wrong, let them point to the specific lesson and explain why. That would be a serious discussion. Blanket rejection without engagement is not.