Why Johnny Can't Read?: And What You Can Do About It

The classic book on phonics--the method of teaching recommended by the U.S. Department of Education.

Rudolf Flesch examines the nationwide shift from the alphabetic code to look-and-say memorization, identifying word guessing as the root cause of reading failure.

The text breaks down the forty-four distinct sounds of spoken English, demonstrating how systematic phonics-first instruction trains pupils to sound out unfamiliar words from left to right.

Alongside his critique of classroom readers, Flesch supplies seventy-two step-by-step lessons that guide learners from short vowels and simple consonants to complex multi-syllable terms. Contains complete materials and instructions on teaching children to read at home.

• Teaching Techniques: Outlines a five-phase instructional sequence that establishes short vowels and single consonants before introducing consonant blends, vowel digraphs, silent-e rules, and irregular endings.
• Spelling Rules: Explains why reading and spelling must be taught simultaneously, using dictation practice to ground word attack in the mechanics of written English.
• Educational Research: Analyzes decades of comparative classroom studies, including data from North Carolina and Great Britain, showing that phonics-trained pupils consistently outscore sight-reading peers.
• Homeschooling and Tutoring: Provides practical guidance for parents to teach five-year-olds foundational reading at home or retrain older students struggling with remedial reading issues.