The influential classic—now back in print for today's educators!

The Roots of Phonics
A Historical Introduction, Revised Edition
By Miriam Balmuth, Ph.D.

"A splendid read and a meticulously researched book. . . offers rich and unique insights on the role phonics plays in different writing systems and its impact on how reading development and instruction are conceptualized. Should be required reading for all engaged in fostering literacy." —G. Reid Lyon, Distinguished Professor of Education Policy and Leadership, Southern Methodist University "The original Roots of Phonics was a major resource for my own dissertation. Thankfully, the book is back in print for linguists, teachers and all persons interested in the history of written language and its importance to reading instruction." —Marcia Henry, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, San Jose State University

To teach phonics effectively to children learning to read, education professionals need a deep understanding of the nuances and complexities of the English language. That's why this highly influential classic is more important than ever. A book that shaped the work of the most respected and prominent literacy experts, The Roots of Phonics is finally back in print to enlighten a new generation of professionals—many of whom have not had phonics instruction themselves.

Through this clear and concise history of how modern English phonics developed, readers will trace the evolution of familiar language concepts: the alphabet, syllables, vowels and consonants, spelling, pronunciation, punctuation marks, and more. As readers uncover the "big picture" of phonics and the forces that shaped it, they'll learn fascinating facts such as

• why our alphabet has 26 letters
  
  
• what sparked the phonics vs. whole language debate
  
  
• how Spanish, French, Dutch, Native American, and other languages influenced the development of American English
  
  
• what phonemes, graphemes, and morphemes are, and how they relate to each other
  
  
• how the invention of movable type affected writing and spelling
  
  
• why British spellings faded from American English
  
  
• how different pronunciations take hold in different regions of the country

More than a history lesson, this landmark book strengthens readers' understanding of the English language and illuminates the longtime importance of phonics in education—critical insights they'll use as they help children learn to read.

A must for the library of every education professional, SLP, and researcher who works to promote children's literacy.

ORDERING INFO
ISBN 978-1-59857-036-6
Paperback / 256 pages / 7x10 / 2009 / $29.95
Stock# 70366

About the Author
Foreword
Marilyn Jager Adams
Foreword to the Previous Edition
Jeanne S. Chall
Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. Characteristics of Writing Systems

2. Pictograms and Logograms

3. Syllables

4. Alphabets

5. History of the English Alphabet

6. Alternative Forms of Written English

7. English Punctuation Marks

8. The Ancestry of Spoken English: Indo-European Origins

9. The Germanic Heritage

10. Backgrounds of Old English

11. Old English Pronunciation

12. Backgrounds of Middle English: The Norman Conquest

13. From Old to Middle English

14. Middle English Pronunciation

15. The Transition from Middle to Modern English

16. Backgrounds of English Spelling

17. Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Authoritarianism: Backgrounds of the English Dictionary

18. The English Dictionary from the Eighteenth Century on

19. Transplanting the English Language to America

20. Noah Webster

21. Early American Spelling

22. Alphabet Reform

23. Simplified Spelling

24. Rejection of the Alphabetic Code I: Horace Mann

25. Rejection of the Alphabetic Code II: Through the Nineteenth Century to Today

26. Emphasizing Regular Patterns First

27. Nonphonemic Spelling Patterns as an Advantage of Written English

Epilogue
Bibliography
Appendix
Index