Blast from the Past: We need less bickering and more talk. By Dr. Sam Bommarito

In last week’s blog, Michelle Ruhe had questions about what Emily Hanford has said in her podcast series, Sold a Story. Michelle feels that Emily has not told the full story. She had questions for Emily and her followers. Last week, we said that there is a lot more to unpack concerning the post. We said that Michelle and I will coauthor part two of this blog. We are still in the process of trying to get a response from Emily and her followers. Accordingly, we are not yet ready to carry out part two.

As a result, I am posting a “blast from the past” that addresses many of these same issues.

Background on today’s post: The article we are examining is one that I wrote over four years ago. At that time, the debate between the two sides was becoming increasingly contentious. I believe in listening to all points of view. That is hard to do if the opponents refuse to engage or worse yet engage in a way that tries to bypass finding common ground using common sense. The article was published in Literacy Today. Let’s have a look at what it said. Here are some screen captures of the article:

Here is how AI summarizes the article:

I would like to emphasize that the concept of considering all perspectives and utilizing research from multiple sources is something I have been advocating over the past five years.  In my blog entries, you will find interviews with educators from all sides.  Recently, some SOR individuals on social media have claimed to have found the ultimate solution, citing research that supports their conclusion. According to that line of thinking, proponents of Balanced Literacy are simply clinging to outdated ideas. However, the point of view Michelle and I are advocating indicates that every time we go to one extreme (Code-Based) or the other (Meaning-Based), the pendulum swings back to the other side. That makes it abundantly clear that neither side by itself offers help to all the kids. To help all the kids, we need to draw on ideas and practices from all sides.

Dare to dream

Dr. Sam

Copyright 2025 by Dr. Sam Bommarito. Views/interpretations expressed here are solely this author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of any other person or organization. Links are provided on this page to follow the blog if you’d like to.