The 1960s schools experiment that created a whole new alphabet
10 months ago
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- #literacy
- The Initial Teaching Alphabet (ITA) was an educational experiment in the 1960s-70s aimed at simplifying English spelling for children.
- ITA used 44 unique characters to represent distinct sounds, bypassing traditional English spelling inconsistencies.
- Many children, including the author's mother, struggled with the transition back to the standard alphabet, leading to lifelong spelling difficulties.
- Early reports showed ITA improved reading fluency initially, but benefits faded by age eight.
- The experiment was inconsistently implemented and lacked follow-up studies, leaving its long-term impact unclear.
- Former students and educators remain divided on ITA's effectiveness, with some blaming it for poor spelling and others seeing benefits.
- The 'reading wars' debate between phonics and whole-language approaches continues today, reflecting ongoing challenges in teaching English literacy.