Review of The Balancing Act: An Evidence-Based Approach to Teaching Phonics, Reading, and Writing, by Dominic Wyse & Charlotte Hacking
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14507/er.v33.4589Author Biography
Sangita Sapkota, Virginia Tech
Sangita Sapkota is a doctoral student in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in literacy studies at Virginia Tech. Her research focuses on the reading–writing connection, the teaching of writing, and integrated literacy instruction, with particular attention to how teachers develop and enact knowledge of integrated approaches in classroom practice. Her work further engages cognitive and sociocultural theories to examine how reading and writing function as reciprocal, mutually reinforcing processes. Prior to beginning her doctoral studies, Sangita worked in English language education in Nepal as a secondary school teacher, teacher educator, and college instructor. She earned her degree from Kathmandu University, graduating with the Chancellor’s Gold Medal, and remains committed to advancing research that meaningfully informs literacy teaching across diverse educational contexts.
References
Fitzgerald, J. (1992). Towards knowledge in writing: Illustrations from revision studies. Springer-Verlag.
Kuhn, M. R., & Dougherty Stahl, K. A. (2022). Teaching reading: Development and differentiation. Phi Delta Kappan, 103(8), 31. https://doi.org/10.1177/00317217221100007
Shanahan, T. (2004). Overcoming the dominance of communication: Writing to think and to learn. In T. L. Jetton & J. A. Dole (Eds.), Adolescent literacy research and practice (pp. 59-74). Guilford Press.
Suggate, S. P. (2016). A meta-analysis of the long-term effects of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and reading comprehension interventions. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 49(1), 77–96.
Unrau, N.J., Alvermann, D.E., & Sailors, M. (2019). Reading research and practice over the decades. In N. J. Unrau, D. E. Alvermann, M. Sailors, & R. B. Ruddell, (Eds.). Theoretical models and process of reading (pp. 3-34). Routledge.
Wyse, D., & Bradbury, A. (2022). Reading wars or reading reconciliation? A critical examination of robust research evidence, curriculum policy, and teachers’ practices for teaching phonics and reading. Review of Education, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.3314.
[Book Reviewed] Wyse, D. & Hacking, C. (2024). The balancing act: An evidence-based approach to teaching phonics, reading, and writing. Taylor & Francis.
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