The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-03-20

How to Teach Reading.
Rsadinr:is Almost important branch of

Reading.is Almost important branch oi
education, but, in many instances, is one
which is sadly neglected. To my mind
good reader, one who swaya his audi.
ence with every word he utters, is as
great as fine musician. and to ME Char
lotte Cushman is as famous day as
ever was Jenny Lind or Adelina Patti.
Until within a comparatively few
years there was no great deal of attention
paid to reading. If child happened to
be naturally good reader, we'll II
not, be would take his reader and drawl
out the words, sometimes spelling them
as he went along, and generally pitching
his voice on the most excruciating key,
would manage to pull through his lesson,
or else he would humble through it, or
gallop through tat any rate, he would
get through it and that is about all.
Now, however, thanks to the educa-
tional wave which has swept over our
country, it is very different, and reading
in most, indeed, may say all of our
schools, is a matter of prime Importance.
The first thing the pupil should do
is to understand, and as far as may be. to
enter into what he is going to read, and
then to talk it, rather than read it
in other W ,rds, to read in such manner
that a person not seeing him, will not
know whether be is reading or convers.
ing. TO enable the pupil to do this, I
think tits an excellent plan for the teacher
to read over the lesson to the child, to
throw into it all the feeling and express
ion which the selection requires, and of
which he is capable, and to explain
whatever is likely to puzzle or confuse
the childish mind. Some persons may
say, then, "tbeir reading will be only
imitation )" out say, what are children
but creatures of imitation aud besides,
if their understanding and feeling is
fully aroused it will not be imitation, but
almost unconsciously they will lose their
own identity, and will read as they feel
and as they understand. In reading
make the child stand, holding the book
in the left hand, with the right hand
down at the side.
He must be careful as to pronuncia.
ton, enunciation, emphasis, and express.
ion. Never overlook an error; if he
makes mistake compel him to read the
sentence over and over again, and if he
is still wrong, the teacher should either
read it for him properly, or cause one of
the pupils to do so, though sometimes it
does very we'll 10 have some one read it
exactly as he has done and let him hear
for himself how badly it sounds. A plan
(which l have found good one, but to
which I have heard objections made) is
to cause pupils to criticise each other. I
think this causes them to pay strict at
tention and make them much more care.
full, for all children like to correct, and
none of them like to be corrected by
each other.
Above all, never let them read in
sing.song tone, nor slur over and blend
their words, but see that they pronounce
each word distinctly and properly. Do
not let them read with too little force, as
some (girls especially are prone to do.
1t is true that voice, which is gentle,
soft and low, is, in the language of
Shakespeare, IAN excellent thing in
women" but in reading it is often an af-
fectatioD, and we generally find that the
very girls who adopt this style of reading
have powerful lungs, and can use them
Ton the play ground so as to be heard at
distance Of half mile (more or less)
To sum it all up, make the children read
understandingly and with feeling; train
their understanding, train their hearts
and train their voices, for even tone
conveys great DEAL Make them know
that good reading can always be made
available, amply compensatiDg one for
the expenditure both of time and patience,
and that it is an accomplishment of the
highest order, second to none, of the
greatest importance to people of all pro-
fessions, and to women as we'll as to men.
NORTH Carolina Teacher.