The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-07-28
Reading Aloud.

Reading aloud seems almost gone out Of
fashion except among those who do it in
some way professionally. IL is no longer
really taught in schools, or it is taught In
very few. A single generation has seen it
pass away. The reason of this is tWofold
and strange. For it is first the great diff
fusion Of education, and next the great in-
crease in reading. Reading aloud cannot
be taught in large classes, and consequent
ly 10 public schools and in large private
schools it has fallen into neglect. Not
that there is no pretence made Of teaching
it, although even Of this there is compara-
lively little; but that there has ceased to
be that individual practice before the
teacher, guided by his example as well as
informed by his instruction, which used to
be regarded as one of the most important
Of daily school exercises. This is much to
be regretted. Better let two branches
60 than this Of reading aloud. In fixing
his attention, in leading to exnctness Of
apprehension, in power Of bringing the
pupils mind into flexible adaptability to
the thought presented to ii, there is no ex.
ercise that will take the place of reading
aloud. A person cannot read anything
aloud well, with proper infection aud en-
phasis, without thoroughly understanding
it. A pupil cannot scramble through and
skip over what he knows that he is likely to
be called upon to read aloud. 1t is among
the very best of educational disciplines.
Besides this, with n competent teacher, it
is, | need hardly say, the very best means
Of acquiring that clear enunciation which
is one of the greatest beauties of speech,
and which any observant person will find
largely lacking in the younger people of
the present day. Good English speaking
and good English writing comes, except in
cases of rare Unborn faculty, chiefly by the
reading aloud of good English authors un-
der the supervision Of teacher who him.
self or herself speaks good English and
understands those authors. 0fsuch teach
ers how many may be found in our public
or in our private schools OF such teach
ing, or of the attempt at such teaching,
how much
Reading aloud has fallen into disuse in
families and in the social circle because
we read SO much. The newspaper, or
rather the abuse Of the newspaper, has
done much to bring this about. We rise
from the table, we seize each Of us a news
paper or a new paper-covered novel, and
we plunge into their pages and sit unsocia-
bly, silent. We even resent the reading Of
anything aloud to us, because it interrupts
our own silent, solitary enjoyment, and
because we think that we could have read
the passage so much more quickly by our
selves. The pleasure of common enjoy
ment is disregarded in favor of our own
greedy devouring of our silent, solitary
mental meal; the charm of the sound Of
the human voice, conveying to us shades
of meaning and points of emphasis, is un-
dervalued, and seems to bo passing away
as one of the delights of life. Silent read.
ing is even destroying companiouship,
which now is to be found in perfection
only among men at their clubs. News
papers thus read are gradually extinguish-
ing conversation. One advantage of long
dinner is that it compels those around the
table to leave books and newspapers out of
their hands while they are there, and talk
to each other to their best ability. As to
talking at reception" or ball, that is
impossible in any coherent, intelligent,
almost in any Ineligible fashion. And
thus by silent reading and the neglect of
conversation, language itself is coming to
q kind of disuse. For language is speech,
not letters; and we cannot really enjoy it
or master it by hearing sermons and lee
lures and plays, and thus getting our
speaking done for US, as the Turks get
their dancing done for them, by others
Richard Grant Whitc IN the ". Y. Times.