The Weekly Sam: Sam Blumenfeld and Rudolf Flesch, author of “Why Johnny Can’t Read.”

Sam Blumenfeld dedicated his life to teaching people of all ages how to be good readers via intensive phonics.  While he was an editor for Grosset and Dunlop in the early 1960s,  he was asked be a friend, Watson Washburn, a conservative New York attorney, if he would join his reading foundation.  Sam was initially perplexed since he didn’t know that there was a reading problem.  He thought that practically everyone knew how to read.  Mr. Washburn suggested that he read “Why Johnny Can’t Read” by Rudolf  Flesch.    Sam befriended  the author of the book, Rudolf Flesch, and we have archives some of their correspondence.  It is interesting to note that Mr. Flesch called himself a “Viennese Socialist.”   A link to their corrresponsdence:  http://blumenfeld.campconstitution.net/Other/Rudolf%20Flesh%20-%20American%20Literacy.pdf

The Blumenfeld Archives