#I don't get why Hanford is so bad at reporting on the science behind the social issue she's staked out as Her Beat

[mystacoceti]

Among reading researchers, however, the controversy over the causal relation between phonemic awareness and literacy acquisition has proved remarkably fruitful. Many have joined the fray over the years and have contributed scores of studies exploring this relation. Findings of these studies have caused most researchers to consider the issue settled at this point. The relation is thought to be reciprocal, with cause running in both directions: Phonemic awareness is a cause as well as a consequence of literacy acquisition, with each influencing the other as children learn to read and spell. I have asserted this conclusion as well. In truth, however, I am not so sure that a complete resolution has been achieved, particulary when it comes to practical questions such as how to teach phonemic awareness and when and how to introduce letters.

I have found an actual psycholinguistic researcher from the 20th century referring to a general scientific consensus reached sometime in or soon before the 1990's. only this isn't a consensus that orthographic mapping is necessary for literacy like Emily Hanford reported. this isn't that at all