Enlightened Literacy Beyond the Reading Wars

Enlightened Literacy Beyond the Reading Wars: Providing Hope for Democracy, Global Citizenship, and the Human Condition provides an in-depth historical analysis of the reading wars that have dominated the policy discussions and governmental mandates about how reading is taught in public schools across the United States for decades. The resulting fixation on phonics, and criticism of public schools continues to drive headlines in spite of what is considered settled science about the essentiality of phonics in early reading instruction. Deborah Duncan Owens' journey to develop a new paradigm for literacy instruction through enlightened literacy provides insight into the convergence of the economic and governmental forces that have resulted in the stagnation of literacy research and practice and the reductionist view of reading instruction that threatens literacy development in the United States. Enlightened Literacy offers an alternative framework that holds the promise of moving beyond the reading wars toward a more expansive vision for literacy education. Actualizing enlightened literacy in the classroom environment is examined through four aspects: 1) a panoramic perspective; 2) a humanistic ethos; 3) a spirit of curiosity; and 4) a focus on the pragmatic.