The Dickinson press., 1889-06-22
GOOD READERS.
Some Sensible Suggestions for tho Instruo-
tiOn of Old and Young,

some SciiSiDlo suggestions Tor tho InStruC-
tion of Old ant. Young.
Everybody has theories of education now.
adays, and the next generation or two ought
to grow into highly cultivated race, but
tho Importance of making them good readers
Is being forgotten. Wo educate children for
their future good; wo give them accomplish.
mcns to render them attractive and agrcea-
bic to the world of society; to develop their
minds for their own future enjoyment, and,
first of all things, we teach them to read and
spell How many of them, grown into men
and women, who would be ashamed to spell
badly, arc able to read ono paragraph, SO,
lerted at random, SO that every word shall be
pronounced correctly, every sentence given
,mlcrstandnsly, every infection properly
marked, and the thought of tho author in
stantly seized and perfectly expressed, whilo
the voice, meantime, is SO pleasantly modu
lated that tho fact of tho sound itself is graft
flying to tho sense of hcuringl
In tho matter of pronunciation alone, few
grown persons can do this do not speak
whereof know not. Tho thing was tried at
Il fashionable chit i'll tho city Out of ten at
tcnpts to pronounce correctly all tho words
of Il certain paragraph, mono were successful,
tho president of tho chit himself making
thirteen mistakes, which was only about tho
average number.
Make the attempt, cach one for himself,
and SEQ how many of tho followin. words
you pronounce, either as Webster or Worccs,
ter directs: Acclimatcd, cement, pronuncia
tion, plebcian, precedence finance, concavc.
concentrate, phial, fuchsia, vase, interest, etc
Tho pronunciation classes which havo been
the rage III the east have been public benc
fit and II matter of pleasant interest. a few
huvo been recently organized in Chicago
with much success, and arrangements have
been effected for many moro in tho fall
| Everybody knows there arc two ways of
reading to ones self, and that one of these is
as much selfish benefit us reading aloud
This is with both eyes and lips; in mu.in;l
tion, although no sound is produced, the for
nation of each word on tho lips is made and
the attention, therefore, for tho instant, St,
| fixed upon it that its meaning is fully graspcd
| In the other way, there is such breathless in
tcrcst in the facts narrated that there seems
| to be an overwhelming necessity to hurry on
for iniormations sake, and the eyes alone
termed automatically over tho page, and an
outline II ;inat.nig a. .,"asncd without an
idea oi tho words and phrnseology I'D to
express it. Tho habit Of so reading skim
ming over things, produces in II very short
time poor memory. When everything is
poured into the mind at such ratio that only
Il confused jumbe is produced no wonder tho
memory breaks down.
| There is but one way to read seriously, i'm
| provinSy and mott for the solo purpose of pass-
| ing away the hours. Read and think at the
samo time. AS each page is finished close the
book or turn over tho paper, concentrate the
attention and think over what hns just been
read. If you can put tho thoughts into
words and speak them aloud. two things are
bound to result: Improvement of mind and
improvement of memory. Pleasure thus be-
comes intellectually profitable. This should
ever be adopted in reading poetry, for tho
word painting here is so beautifully varied
that oittlincs tho meaning must bo searched
for SCI lously, ofttimes the style itself renders
the exquisite thought obscure. The practice
Of mcnorizins passages of poetry will soon
become mere play, if reading, good reading,
is always done in this way. We cannot train
the body to our will unless we give it excr
else, nor can we expect different results in
mind OF memory.
Tho power of concentrated attention, it is
claimed, is more apparent in man than in wo-
man, and it cannot he denied that this is tho
case. But the average man trains his mlnd
to this end by hourly practice; tho average
woman, perhaps once a month, attempts to
concentrate her thoughts Oh one subject
If in these days Of culture We could all
learn the definition of reading and know cx
actly what the phrase means wien the word
reading is qualified by tho udvcrb "well,"
it would DO Of untold worth to U.s. A good
memory is such a help to self confidence, Il
good understanding to self Improvement; a
good mind, well cultivated, such n treasure
An individual possessing all three is u delight
unto himself and to the world.-Chicago Her
rlJ