Samuel Blumenfeld (born 1926 in New York, died 2015 in Waltham) was a phonics advocate and conservative writer. He frequently lectured in favor of systematic phonics instruction in the teaching of reading and wrote over a dozen books on education.[1] Blumenfeld's critiques against having psychologies in the U.S. public education system is often quoted by Church of Scientology in their publications, and he serves in the Board of Commissioners of Citizens Commission on Human Rights, a Scientology affiliated lobbying organization.[2]
Growing up in the South Bronx, Blumenfeld saw combat in Italy during World War II and later graduated from the City College of New York.[1] He published multiple books on education and spent much of his career investigating the decline in American literacy, the rise in learning disabilities in American children, sex and drug education, and other topics related to education.[1][3] Blumenfeld was an advocate of homeschooling.[1]He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws from Bob Jones University in May 1986.
Blumenfeld was also active in the Shakespeare authorship question, theorizing in his 2008 The Marlowe-Shakespeare Connection that Christopher Marlowe may have written many of the works attributed to Shakespeare.[4]
How To Tutor and Alpha Phonics outline Blumenfeld's preferred methods for teaching children basic school subjects.
Other published works include: