Emotions, Logic, Intuition, Knowledge and the Science of Reading

It’s an emotional response, make no mistake about that.  The decision to abandon good reading instruction and move to what the SoR zealots call structured literacy is an emotional response.  The decision to use hyperbole and pejorative statements to dismiss that with which you are unfamiliar is an emotional response.  The decision to take the argument out of an academic realm to a political realm, and to threaten and bully those who disagree is an emotional response.   The decision to give credence to a radio journalist and ignore real literacy experts is an emotional decision.  Now, there’s nothing wrong with an emotional response.  Emotions are wonderful things.  They are part of what makes us wonderfully and uniquely human.  I wish more decisions were more emotional.  However, good decisions, just like good literacy instruction – is balanced.