Bannatyne Reading, Writing, Spelling and Language Program

Third Edition

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS

GENERAL EDUCATIONAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Why have traditional reading programs failed to teach large numbers of students to read, write, spell and cope with language at average grade or age levels, let alone raise those low levels of average reading competency?

The answer to this question is simple. Traditional reading, spelling, writing and language programs do not teach these subjects. Traditional reading, spelling, writing and language programs rely almost solely on the simple rote-memorization of words, and most totally ignore the linguistic, phonetic, orthographic, syntactic, auditory-vocal and comprehension basis of the English language all of which form the basis of the Bannatyne Program. Even many so-called "phonics" programs teach dozens of words as sight words because the orthography of these words is irregular--words that are regularized in the Bannatyne Program.

If, in mathematics, a teacher asked his or her students to rote-memorize counting, addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, decimals, proper fractions, money, weight, length, volume and some algebra and geometry all at the same time in a higgledy-piggledy jumbled disorder without logical explanations, you would be horrified and say that teacher and that mathematics program were woefully inadequate. Yet elementary school educators and program authors, almost without exception, have ignored the deep inner structure and organization of the words and language they are supposed to be teaching! The major superiority of the Bannatyne Program lies in the fact that it is sequentially organized as precisely and logically for English as is a fine mathematics program. Every detailed aspect of the linguistic, phonetic, orthographic, syntactic, auditory-vocal and comprehension basis for English has been taken into account, as well as the entire realm of student psychology and motivation.

This approach is in keeping with the basic policy of the Bannatyne Program of never presenting students with any phonemes, graphemes, blends, digraphs, or other clearly definable word parts, grammar, etc., until after they had been thoroughly taught by the teacher in a structured lesson format.

How was such a detailed task-analysis of the English language, student psychology and teaching methods achieved? What research is the Bannatyne Program based on?

Over a period of many years I was in research situations which allowed me to carry out extensive and detailed studies in the following areas, and to teach these at the graduate and doctoral levels:

• Language structure and linguistics, and the nature of language including psycholinguistics (including international language differences and similarities)
• Neuropsychology of language, reading, genetic factors, the central nervous system, all types of perception, and hemispheric dominance
• Memory and the various types of memory and the ways the mind/brain memorizes
• The nature of comprehension and meaning, and their psychological associations with words, sentences and prose, including frequency of usage word lists from several sources
• Student motivation, and research into student incentive psychology
• Reading as a completely learned phenomenon
• All available methods, techniques and programs of teaching reading, writing, spelling and language during the twentieth century and later
• All handicaps, disorders, and dysfunctions interfering with language acquisition, including learning disabilities, aphasia and attention deficits of all kinds
• Sex differences pertaining to verbal learning and learning styles
• Learning styles and content preferences in terms of intellectual types and traits
• Analysis of favorite story and topic themes, and popular contents that students enjoy
• The development of auditory-vocal language acquisition in infancy and throughout childhood, especially listening and articulation training
• Social and cultural factors, and differences in verbal learning skills
• Optimal regular and remedial learning environments

Much of this information has been published by me in numerous journals, books, tests and programs, and all the key information has been carefully and appropriately incorporated into the Bannatyne Reading, Writing, Spelling and Language Program. See: RESUME (VITA)

The Bannatyne Reading Program is an excellent, tested reading program. The Bannatyne Reading Program is unlike any other reading programs currently available. This means you will find many features which are only in the Bannatyne Reading Program. In some Commonwealth countries the program may be referred to as: Bannatyne Programme, or Bannatyne Reading Programme. 

Bannatyne Reading, Writing, Spelling and Language Program -- Copyright © 2003 Alexander Bannatyne, PhD