The Reading Wars: Ideological and Pedagogical Conflicts Ignited by the Writings of Rudolf Flesch

Siobhan Mumford, Salve Regina University

Abstract

This dissertation seeks to answer the question: what were the social and cultural effects of Rudolf Flesch’s thoughts and writings on late 20th-century American literacy education? The purpose is to provide an understanding and articulation of the cultural and educational ramifications of Rudolph Flesch’s books Why Johnny Can’t Read and What You Can Do About It (1955) and Why Johnny Still Can’t Read: A New Look at the Scandal of Our Schools (1981). To achieve this goal an understanding and articulation of the cultural and educational ramifications of Rudolf Flesch’s books will be offered. This qualitative study will look at the history, arguments, and productive consequences of this ideological and pedagogical debate. An examination of the current state of reading education and recommendations for further study will also be discussed. This dissertation is limited to reading instruction in the United States. And while a history of reading instruction will be offered, it is limited to mostly northern states. Many factors influence who receives reading instruction and the type of reading instruction they receive, including race, gender, and socio-economic background. This dissertation is not an attempt to answer those complex questions. Rather, its goal is to examine the effect of two of the most influential books on reading instruction in the United States from the mid-twentieth century until present: Rudolf Flesch’s Why Johnny Can’t Read and What You Can Do About It (1955) and Why Johnny Still Can’t Read: A New Look at the Scandal of Our Schools (1981) and how Flesch’s writings outlined the history and flaws of a specific method of reading instruction and proposed a solution to the current literacy crisis. An overview of the history of literacy instruction and the methods used from the 1600s to the publication of Flesch’s first book in 1955 will lay the foundation for the study. An understanding of the early life and writings of Rudolf Flesch will provide insight into who he was and what made him an expert in literacy. Doing so will provide the basis for an in-depth analysis of his best-selling books, which will lead to an examination of the ramifications and consequences of his writings on American literacy education. A review of the current state of literacy instruction and recommendations for further study will be offered in the conclusion.

Subject Area

Reading instruction|Education|Early childhood education

Recommended Citation

Mumford, Siobhan, "The Reading Wars: Ideological and Pedagogical Conflicts Ignited by the Writings of Rudolf Flesch" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations. AAI30995898.
https://digitalcommons.salve.edu/dissertations/AAI30995898

COinS