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

Reading.is Almost important branch oi
| education, but, in many instances, is one
which is sadly neglected. To my mind
good reader, one who sways his audi.
ence with every word he utters, is as
great as a fine musician, and TO ME Char.
lotte Cushman is as famous to day as
ever was Jenny Lind or Adelina Patti.
Until within q 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, he would take his reader and drawl
out the words, sometimes spelling them
as he went along, aud generally pitching
his voice on the most excruciatiug key,
would manage to pull through his lesson,
or else he would humble through it, or
gallop through it-et any rate, he would
get through it and that ia about ell.
Row, 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 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 il, rather than read it
in other " rds, to read in such manner
that person not seeing him, will not
know whether he 10 reading or convers.
ing. TO enable the pupil to do this,
think tits an excellent plan for the teacher
to read over the lesson to the child, to
throw into it all the feeling aud express
ion which the selection requires, and of
whic! lie Is capable, and to eyplsin
whatever is likely 10 puzzle or confuse
the childish mind. Some persons may
say, then, "their reading will be only
imitation :" but say, what are children
but creatures Of imitation9 and 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 az 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 tho side.
He must be careful as To pronuncis.
tiop, enunciation, emphasis, and express.
ion. Never overlook an error; II he
makes mistake compel him to read the
sentence over and over again, and If he
10 still wrong, the teacher should either
read it for him properly, or cause one of
the pupils to do so, though sometimes II
does very we'll 10 have some cne read IL
exactly re ne has done aud let him hear
for himself how badly it ituounds. A plan
(Which l have found good one, but to
which l have heard objections made) 10
to cause pupils u criticise each other.
thlnk this causes them to pay strict at
tention and mako 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 SEQ 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 tho language of
Shakespeare, can 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
ION the play ground) so as to be heard at
q 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 q tone
conveys great deal. Make them know
that good reading can always be made
available, amply compensating 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 10 men.
NORTH Carolina Teacher.