Book Offers Historical Analysis of "Reading Wars" While Arguing That Its Narrow Focus Has Stunted Literacy Research and Practice

Author offers a new framework that envisions literacy development as essential for democracy, global citizenship, and the human condition

ELMIRA HEIGHTS, N.Y., Jan. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Deborah Duncan Owens, a literacy professor and scholar who has spent three decades in education, is challenging decades of ideological conflict in a new book. She offers a new concept for literacy instruction, arguing that the persistent "reading wars" – characterized by a narrow focus on phonics – are detrimental to developing truly literate citizens.

In "Enlightened Literacy Beyond the Reading Wars," Owens concludes that the current fixation on phonics instruction, while essential, has been weaponized by market forces and political ideologies, leading to a "reductionist view of reading instruction that threatens literacy development" in the United States. She also introduces her concept of "Enlightened Literacy," an alternative basis that moves beyond the simplistic debates over phonics methodology by combining historical analysis with philosophical and scientific thought to urge a shift toward a more expansive, liberating, and democratic vision for literacy education.

"The reading wars have distracted us from the true, broader purpose of literacy," said Owens. "Enlightened Literacy envisions literacy development beyond the early childhood years, and is about reclaiming education as a sacred, transformative process—one that cultivates citizens capable of sustaining democracy and engaging with a complex world."

Dr. Deborah Duncan Owens has spent over 30 years in education and on the front line of the reading wars as an elementary teacher, reading specialist, literacy professor, and scholar. This book reflects her personal and professional journey as an educator who has dedicated decades of her life teaching students to read, preparing undergraduate pre-service teachers, and graduate level teachers honing their skills as literacy educators.  She describes her experiences as an elementary teacher and literacy specialist in Mississippi during the No Child Left Behind era when phonics instruction became a core component of teaching children to read.

"This book offers an accurate history of the reading wars and the corporate forces driving a continuous churn in reading reform. More importantly, it establishes a new framework which is supported by embracing a panoramic perspective, a humanistic ethos, a spirit of curiosity, and a focus on the pragmatic in the classroom."

"Enlightened Literacy Beyond the Reading Wars: Providing Hope for Democracy, Global Citizenship, and the Human Condition"
By Dr. Deborah Duncan Owens
ISBN: 9781665778275 (softcover); 9781665778282 (electronic)
Available at Archway Publishing, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the author
Dr. Deborah Duncan Owens received a Ph.D. in Education from Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Miss. and has spent three decades in education. She currently teaches graduate literacy education courses for Alfred University, Alfred, NY. She previously published, "The Origins of the Common Core: How the Free Market Became Public Education Policy," in 2015. To learn more, please visit www.deborahduncanowens.com and enlightened-literacy.com.

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SOURCE Archway Publishing