All,
This doesn't answer anything but I thought I'd bring up an intrisically interesting anecdote from the annals of reading. If we're to believe St. Augustine, reading silently may be datable to the 4th century A.D. Or maybe Augustine's observation of St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, reading "with silent tongue and voice," is just the earliest mention of silent reading in the west (The Confessions, Book V).
As the proud papa of kindergaartener who is reading at a clip, I believe in "the hundred languages of children." That is, kids possess multiple means and strategies for learning and literacy. Early education teachers who are artists--something that our education policies and funding priorities discourage as much as possible--are capable of fostering the development of each child along unique paths according to the child's innate strengths and problem-solving styles.
By the way Janet and Dan, I've been led to believe that New Zealand is ground zero for some of the most interesing early literacy education in the world: Whole Language pedagogy, Mari Clay, Reading Recovery, etc. I don't know much about it, but it sounds fascinating. I've also been led to believe that these advances would not have been possible without the inherent challenges of teaching literacy in a bilingual Maori-English environment.
If anyone has further insight, I'd be captive.
John
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