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On 6 December 2007, the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) published a report (Literacy education in school: research perspectives from the past, for the future) which says that an overly negative view of literacy and reluctance to take account of history, has limited research and led indirectly to the advancement of some unproductive ideas about literacy.
The report argues that a false dichotomy has developed in literacy theory between 'code' and 'meaning-emphasis', a dichotomy sometimes wrongly equated with the debate between 'phonics' and 'whole language' approaches to teaching. This leads teachers of early literacy to believe that they must choose between the two methods, when, in fact, effective teachers use elements from both, as well as additional strategies.
The report is concerned that the idea of literacy is sometimes simply used as a form of punishment. The effects of research are less productive when the primary function is to cut "underperforming" teachers, students or target demographic groups out from the herd for naming, branding or punishment.
The report argues that future research into literacy education must include a focus on observational study of teaching in actual classrooms.
Literacy education in school: research perspectives from the past, for the future