New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-11-09
TEACHING A CHJLD TO READ.
AN DISSOLVED PROBLEM or THE SCHOOLS.

Old METHODS CoNFUsING-AS ANALYSIS BY A
SPECIALIST.
There il no subject more worthy ut the atten-
ton of educators than that OF teaching 10 read II might
bo thought that question so elementary would nave
been solved years ago The great interest mani
tested In the subject of late, however, shows
that II Ia not only question of prime In
portancc, but that II Ia attn an unsolved problem
TRBuNE reporter recently asked FOR an expression ot
his views from q. ~ Norton "a teacher In private
school IN this city who has made speciality OF the SUB
jcct. Mr.. Morton said
For many ycars have siyen the suhcct very careful
m"ntary rrlncipc' on witch tlc progcis OF ,,eaen
evident to any one who his given the
matter moments thought that the oh method OF
naming tho ettera ana then pronuuncy the .uDio'l,
IN the Inst degree confusing to the child. 49, ne must
learn the true sound VI word th,ou. s., oi ig"e
sounds. Take, FOR rfa.nple me worl cot IN" ceb,H
made tn say ceahuuhlnell leaving ont ot ln'
sSGSn. nSnnC %9 %h n, r"nnnel so". Nae
he finally TO get 9nt OF the lS'''. ne ia mc To- srr
tho oniy equud witch tho chld oven "pptoNimaic1 -
that ~ Tho anil In calling thu by H h9hr ui
tho anund IN c to much uuuuth o got nt the lrnth
mover hc dcfondod On any rtuopca oi rh'oHopho"
Many Wise teachers accng the owls ot -ugh dl'crcp
ancy holwron the names of The lotiot an" tue eous
"n v ,r une,s I'M nionl}v nrnaronIy msnpcra.
Gs ' prcoc"h itself NY Thsr" ar" IA the Ens Language
aftann vowel sounds fonr diphiaons, and twenty
sonannl sounds while there only twonty'six let
te.or egns by which orcprescnt these sounds Three
con'onanls aud are particularly neeSs !" tn" pnp
are f2cprcscI,'ei by other Si,nS. Thcro are then
s Sn twenty van ehonrfht S that the dneuy coad
he met only by the invention OF new SIGNS
But ts created new dicai,y Inc new Ssns , s." ,h at
child might almost a. wen nave 70 req" si'n of Vie
favor. II was however. step III Che rsht direction
THE woRp-REApiNG SYSTEM
The next effort made to the difficulty was the
method by worl-readiug. This method has been ably
advocated and illustrated by Colonel Francis W Parker
Learning TO read. according to him is learning to use
vocabulary OF written and printed words precisely as the
child has used the spoken words. He maintains that,
just the spoken word is learned as whole, so should
the written word be learned In order TO hN inc "ten
ton OF the child and to impress his mind, he calls INTO
pay the association OF Ideas He draws the word upon
the blackboard and at the same time prese nus to inc view
OF the child the object rcpies ted by We WORT IHlS ,
of New York city. fany thing could recommend ~
ten which it5 .st principles the method
taught would eer.n:ny do so. But the system
radically wrong. Colonel iker and those who think
learning talk. words the units In learning 20 read
the naits the elementary sounds Of The words What
,Vnr d. are Ia scr words
Bcdcs this there fatal objections TO the word
method In the rst place, it is next to impossible for
words the language to know each one at sight 1t
is evident that he must way &c; the ecmcn
tqrv sounds so "a 10 be able combine them In new
words which for the first time; or he must wait
to teach him what the words are tiseyl
dent lso that he must these elementary sounds by
analysis and deduction; whereas the true process should
enable him proceed directly TO gsyuthcss In od'rto
do this. he must fret know the eiee sounds 20 as
TO buld them NJ into words just In learning 10 talk
he tho words In order to build them up INTO
sentences.
process and after ali the relief obtained 10y the pleasing
OF the subject by the aid OF the association
not necessary TO consume several years in learning to
read. when child may bc taught far better IN few
snrifies, the old G method Is a shorter and more
philosophical one than the word method.
TWO THINGS TO BE KEPT IL VIEW.
How then are we to teach the child 20 read In an
swerng this question two things must be kept invew.
In the first place the child read with accuracy
and confidence until he knows thoroughly the elemeu-
tary sounds which compose the words lie must be
forced to get those sounds by analytical and de-
duction process, but he must be ready IN an instant
alphabetically to unite them into distinct utterlce In
the second place there must be fixed relation between
the sound and the sign presented to the eye as repre-
sentative OF tine sound.
call attention to few facts which bear upon the
problem Many years perence ia Brazil upon
ny mind the wonderful facility with which Brazilian chill
eu learn 10 read. Often one little primer Is the only
Se primer 1e the s Of the various branches mapped
out Tor HIM suc things ~ graded readers or spelling
found ia part in tho regularity OF the language, but
principally in the almost phonetic character of the Portu
The second fact to which would call attention is that
under favorable circumstances deaf mutes Will learn TO
ec Is true that nature generally compensatcs for
Inc loss OF by quckening the operation Of the
others but the principal reason for the difference IN
learning read Is that the deaf not ooufIsed
" variation In sound between the OF the letters
the words which they made spell. II this
interesting fact which led james W. Shcarer to invent
iis ingenious phonetic alphabet which 10y means OF do
critical points makes OF the common alphabet for rep
presenting all the elementary sounds OF the language
Without altering the printed page. except by the add
Ion of these points.
We may then thattwo principles established
9irs I'm teaching read must teach phoneticaly;
eoond the sign must the beginning least. uniformly
the sound. The OF sight and hear
NJ must work together in harmony.
Another principlc-thc priucple OF repetition-must
brought Into play. IL Is fact not generally known
hat the mother Of the Weseys accustomed TO take
er children arriving ~ certain into to
completely mustered. There was philosophy In this: |
Advantage was taken OF dIst Impressions, and
he repetition which IL generally eN
ended weeks even over months, |
A. begun and finished at sitting. In teaching 10
cad all the repetition necessary 10 teach the connection
etween a given sign and given sound must be taught
one The principle. although 80 simple Ia yet
that IL has been made 10 form tho basis OF
method OF teaching TO read This method elab /
rated by Professor Hudson. Of Rio de Janero, and In
IL hands have seen IL accomplish wonderful results
There remains but other principle 10 make out
ompetc system As a. two signs with their cor
esponding sounds have been learned By the pupil they
Immediately be put To by being combined The
onbnation. far AZ practicable must 10 on through
he whole alphabet. When the child has finished the
lphabet, he has almost learned to read OF any word
nth which he may meet