Plymouth banner. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1852-1855, 1853-07-14
For the Banner.
The Eye and the Ear in Elementary instruction.
Y UNI BER =

We have spoken of the par. performed
by the eye in the acquisition of knowl-
edge of 0rthography, and in the applica-
tion of that knowledge. We have seen
that the superiority of the method BY
writing over the oral-a superiority ad'
mi.ted BY all-arises from the fact that
in the former. the eye, which is to be the
Judge in all actual spelling, is distinction
from that which is merely recitative. is
continually appealed to; while IN the
latter, the appeal is made to the ear
The principle may be extended to pune
tuation. How many candidates for a
Teachers certificate will not write a sem
tence, or a number Of sentences, dictated
to the m, and make neither comma nor
period, colon or dash. from the beginning
to the end. And when their attention
is directed to the omission, they will say
with great simplicity, that they did not
know as you wished the pauses pu; in.
| As If the sentence were sentence with
out them. any more than number OF
words articulated, without any inhec-
tions, would constitute a spoken sem
tence They can define all the punctua-
tion marks, and tell the pupil how many
he must stop to count in each case-a
most miserably artificial mode of xplain-
ing the object and use of fpauses-but they
have no knowledge Of them as constit-
uent elements of written language.
Let us now examine the method of
teaching to read, and ascertain which
needs special attention in this depart
ment of instruction., the eye or the ear.
AS has been alread, stated, the question
! should not be. which Of number of
modes has an individual teacher found to
be most successful in his or her own ex
perience; but what mode can be shown
to be best adapted to the attainment Of
the end. A particular teacher has been
more successful with one than with an
other. perhaps, because he understands ii
better; or it may be because he likes it
better, and SO, unwittingly perhaps, he
should be decided according to some
principle. That method will in the end
be the most successful which can be sup
ported by the best reasons. We shall
never make progress if each teachers in
dividsal experience is to decide every
question.
There are two kinds Of reading. the 81
lent and the audible. By the first we
gain information from the printed page
| by the second. we communicate that in
formation to Others who are within the
sound of our voice. Both require that
the reader should know the name of each
word the instant i meets his eye. Wheth-
er the reading be silent or audible. the
knowledge is conveyed to the mind of
the reader through the medium Of the eye
In audible reading, after the mind has gain
ed she knowledge by the eye. the voice
communicates it to the hearer. The ear
of the reader is not employed in Ell
ther method. In one case, the eve does
it all: in the other. the eye does part
and the voice part. The name of the
word then should be known at sight
The eye at glance takes in the various
letters composing the word. and the or
der in which they are arranged. With
this visible appearance Of the letters. the
name of the word should be indissolubly
connected. Before the child can read
fluently. he must be able to cal; the
words at sight. and not stop to ask the
teacher, or spell them.
All this is so manifest that our readers
may wonder that We deem it worth sta
ting. But all princi pies are simple, that
is, all correct principles. Let us be care
ful that we do not run counter to these
very simple and manifest principles when
we come TO :heir application. The most
important element Of reading, then, is
knowledge Of words--an eye knowledge
The sight--not the sound-of the letters
composing the word. How shall this
knowledge be acquired, There are diff
ferent methods in use. each having its
par'isans. All who know anything of
practical education. know tina: there is
no question connected with il, more par
ticularly important than this: How shall
child be taught TO read? A vast amount