The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-05-11
TEACHING READING.

! Some time ago wrote all article Oh
Teaching Reading, in which | confined
my remarks TO the method of teaching
those wko possess some knowledge o.
reading.
/ will here present our method OF
teaching young pupils the alphabet and
at the same to read.
/ will remark that | am not an advo
cate of the method which says, spell
the spelling book through before you
read l know that by such method
there is a great loss of time.
Our method is nothing new under
the sum-" but we think it is a good
method. We have in our practice, OBJ
tanned results. from its use, which more
than compensate us for our efforts We
have practiced it for about three years
and intend to continue in its use until
we find "that better way"
The common method of teaching a
a child to read is TO commence with the
first letter of the alphabet and to name
and rename the letters until the child
can give the names of each letter.
Many teachers know no other method,
but in many of our schools, i am happy
to say, this method is not being used.
That method which teaches words first
is now considered best.
In the successful use Of any meth
cd it is necessary TO be ready. In the
use Of this method tits necessary, Q.) to
be sure you are familiar with the
sounds of the letters. (2) To have good
black-boaards and chalk. (3) That the
children possess states, pencilsand prim-
er, or First Readers. Each child should
be supplied. I dislike joint-stock COM
panies in school.
When all are ready, q sentence is
placed upon the board in printing.
Suppose the sentence TO be IT is AN OK.
The teacher proceeds 10 pronounce the
words slowly, while the children give
attention. She then proceeds to pro-
nounce as in reading until they catch
the idea.
The children are instructed to follow
the teacher in a slow pronunciation and
then TO pronounce as in reading.
After they have been thus drilled they
are permitted to pronounce and read it
alone. Great care must be exercised to
never allow the children to use unnat-
ural tones in speaking or reading. Here
is the time to lay the foundation of ex-
preston.
A child is now taken from the class
and told TO pronounce slowly while the
class pronounce after him. He also
reads it and is followed by the class.
After several have pronounced and
'ead the sentence, the teacher erases
t She now proceeds to get each child |
'eady to print, and reprints the first |
word while her children give attention. |
Her work is then initiated by the class.
The whole sentence must be printed
by each child.
The children are then told 10 print
the sentence several times ON their
states while at their study seats and are
excused from the exercise
The teacher, at the next recitation or
exercise, examines the printing; first, of
course, giving instruction to each as she
passes along. She again prints the sem
tence and calls on each child in the
class to pronounce each word and then
to read the sentence.
The names of the letters have not
been called for yet, but a more import
ant step has been taken; the step which
tends to teach the powers of letters. /
have no objection to naming the letters,
but the power of the letters is the all
thing to be learned. In case
it is demanded ofyou to teach the names,
you can easily spend minute or twoat
each recitation in naming the letters
We proceed to teach the sound of the
letters as soon as the children can pro-
nounce the words in the lesson at sight.
The sounds are taught in the following
The sound of the first letter is
made several times by the teacher and
then by the children. So with the sec
ond. After the sounds have been made
several times the word is again pro-
by producing the sounds in
rapid succession.
In this method of teaching three i'm
portant rules are followed: l Learning
to name words at sight 2 Practicing |
On the power of letters. 8 Learning the
arbitrary names of the letters.
VI V SwITZER.