The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-01-04
METHODS OF PRIMARY READING.
v,
The Associative, or Eclectic,
BY William Noeiling.

OF reading, though used by many
teachers throughout the country be-
fore 1865, was, SO far as can remem-
Der, not published until that year,
when DR.. J. p. Wickersham's Methods
of Instruction appeared. In this
book, after stating the objections to
the dIphdbetic, the ,oord and the
phonic methods, Wickersham said
that since none of these methods
taken alone was without objections,
more satisfactory one than any of
them could be formed by selection
and combination of the best of each
of them, and to this method he gave
the name associative" or "eclec-
tive"
This method begins with words
with which the children are familiar,
words which they recognize through
the ear. After they have learned a
hundred or more Of them through
the eye, they are taught or helped to
analyze them into their sounds, or
powers. They are also taught the
signs, or letters, that represent the
sounds and to combine them into
words. The names of the letters are
taught incidentally in speaking of
them while writing. Both oral and
written spelling are taught with this
method.
Not unlike many other good things,
this method encountered much op
position and, strange to say, it
came largely from those who should
gladly have adopted 1.-THE teachers.
They could see nothing but forebod-
ings of evil in anything that required
change from their idol, the alpha
bette method, which they had 50 long
and easily worshipped. They point
ed with pride to the number Of men
in high stations who had been led to
their success by this "well tried "
mode of instruction. Danuel Web.
ster, whom not few of them believ-
ed to be the author of the dictionary,
was frequently named as an example
of what the method accomplished
and since the ae,o method could
show no such illustrious products
of its possibilities, its fate was at
once and forever considered sealed.
They declared that the names Of
the letters were necessity to spelling
and spelling a necessity to reading.
They went even SO far in their asser.
tions as to say that good reading was
an impossibili,y without good spell
ing.
Requiring pupils to analyze words
into their elementary sounds they
ridiculed; called it nonsense child
ish
They declared with the greatest as
surance that it was impossible to
teach pronunciation without first
teaching the names Of the letters and
spelling They could easily see
their own experience bearing them
evidence--that the names of objects
in nature, of animals, for example,
not only could be learned, but were
learned without synthesis, or spell
ing, of the names of their parts; but
how the same could be done with
words was an enigma which their
und erstanding could not solve.
The opposition to the neso, at some
places, took the form of an epidemic
the infection passing from the teach
ers to the parents, and through them
even to the children These, from
Instructions of their parents refused to
take part in any exercises other than
those of the "long established and ap
proved kind"
The method however. gradually Sc
cured a foot-hold, especially in the
more intelligent communities, where
better class of teachers was employed.
Although the superiority OF the new
over the ,old was plainly seen wher-
ever it was introduced, it was not an
unusual thing to hear it said by those
who were unfriendly to it, that child
were allowed to read, and this was all
the evidence they wanted of the er-
roneousness and failure of the method.
The general principles of the sec
lectic method" so clearly in the line
of correct pedagogy, came to stay.
Up to the present time they have left
behind them the wrecks of all other
methods, and with the Improvements
which the experience of the wisest
heads has suggested, and especially
those lately added, and hereafter to be
explained, will continue to receive the
endorsement of the leading educators
and teachers of the land.
AS will be observed, this method
like all others explained and discuss
ed in this series Of articles, is not one
of reading, but of pronouncing The
learning of the pronunciation of dis
connected words is no more reading
than learning the names of figures and
numbers In arithmetic is learning cal