Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-08
GOOD READERS.
Some Sensible Suggestions for the Instruc-
ton of Old and Young.

Some Sensible Suggestions for the Instruc-
ton of Old and Young.
Everybody has theories of education now
adays, and the next generation or two ought
to grow into a highly. cultivated race, but
the Importance of making them good readers
is being forgotten. We educate children for
their future good; we give them accomplish
ments to render them attractive and agreed
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, are able to read one paragraph, Sc
lected at random, SO that every word shall be
pronounced correctly, every sentence given
understandingly, every infection properly
marked, and the thought of the author in
stantly seized and perfectly expressed, while
the voice, meantime, is SO pleasantly modu-
lated that the fact of the sound itself is graft
flying to the sense of hearings
In the matter of pronunciation alone, few
grown persons can do this. do not speak
whereof know not. The thing was tried at
fashionable chit in the city. Out Of ten at
tempts to pronounce correctly all the words
of a certain paragraph, none were successful,
thirteen mistakes, which was only about the
average number.
Make the attempt each one for himself,
and see how many Of the following words
you pronounce, either as Webster or Worces-
ter directs: Acclin,ated, cement, pronuncia-
ton, plebeian, precedence, finance, concave,
concentrate, phial, fuchsia, vase, interest, etc.
The pronunciation classes which have been
the rage in the east have been public bene-
fit and matter of pleasant interest. A few
have been recently organized in Chicago
with much success and arrangements have
been effected for many more il the fall
Everybody knows there are two ways of
reading to ones self, and that one of these is
as much selfish benefit as reading aloud
This is with both eyes and lips; in magma
ton, although no sound is produced, che for
nation Of each word on the lips is made and
the attention, therefore, for the instant so
fixed upon it that Its meaning is fully grasped.
In the other way, there is such breathless in
terest in the facts narrated that there seems
to be an overwhelming necessity to hurry on
for iuformahon's sake and the eyes alone
turned automatically over the page, and an
outline of meaning is grasped without an
idea Of the words and phraseology used to
express it. The habit of SO reading, skim
ming over things produces in very short
time q poor memory. When everything is
poured into the mind at such a rate that only
q confused tumble Is produced no wonder the
memory breaks down.
There Is but ono way TO read seriously i'm
provingly and not for the sole purpose Of pass
ing away the hours Read and think at the
same time AS each page is flushed close the
book or turn over the paper, concentrate the
attention and tuink over what has lust been
read If you can put the thoughts into
words and speak them aloud, two things are
bound 10 RESULT Improvement of mind and
Improvement of memory. Pleasure thus be-
comes Intellectually profitable. This should
ever be adopted in reading poetry, for the
word painting here is so beautifully varied
that ofttunes the meaning must be searched
for seriously, ofttinas the style itself renders
the exquisite thought obscure. The practice
of menorizng passages Of poetry VIII soon
become mere play, il reading, good reading,
is always done in this way. We cannot train
the body to our VIII unless we give i exer-
else: nor can we expect different results in
mini or memory.
The power Of concentrated attention, it is
claimed, is more apparent IN man than in wo-
man, and il cannot be denied that this is the
case. But Che average man trains his u1nd
70 this end BY hourly practice: the average
woman. perhaps once q month. attempts to
concentrate her thoughts on one subject
If IN these days Of culture ve could all
learn the definition of reading and know ex-
actly what the phrase means when tho word
reading" is Qualified by the adverb well"
1t would be Of untold worth TO US. A good
memory IS such help to self confidence. a
good understanding 70 self Improvement; e
good mind, well cultivated, such treasure
An individual possessing 81 three is delight
unto himself and TO the worid-C Chicago Her
aid