The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1916-03-16
EDUCATIONAL.
ESSENTIALS IN TEACHING READING
BY w. E. Larson

words that appear upon the page. The
symbols known as words have pro.
nunciation and person should be able
to give this pronunciation correctly.
a person who cannot do this can hardly
be called reader, though, of course,
it does not necessarily follow that the
words must be pronounced audibly.
One of the essentials in reading,
therefore, is what we might call me-
chanical proficiency, or The ability to
call at sight words which appear on the
page. When child enters school the
teacher, by some method or other,
gets him to recognize and pronounce
symbols placed upon the blackbo or
found in the book. These are repeated
and drilled upon, various devices being
used, until the child recognizes them
instantly. The training of the teacher
in acquiring skill in presenting this
first material in the reading class is
the function of the schools that train
teachers for their work. 1t is exceed
ingly important that the child have
skillful teacher when he first enters
school for the reason that, if he is
taught in bungling manner at the
beginning, he acquires bad habits that
will be difficult to overcome. Great
progress has been made in the teach.
ing of primary reading and as a
general thing this phase of the school
work is quite we'll done, especially IN
counties where the teachers have had
the opportunity to get considerable
special training for their work.
Teaching is an art, and like all the
arts, it can be perfected through guild
ance and suggestion in schools that
give it special attention.
This mechanical phase of reading is
especially prominent in the lower or
beginning classes, but it needs to be
carried on to some extent all through
the school. Correct pronunciation and
fluency in reading need to be given
attention continually. Careless and SLOW
emily pronunciation and lndstnct
utterance are serious handicaps in life.
We often find children in advanced
classes and even N high school read in
a labored manner, and when we in
vestigate we find that there has been a
lack of proper drill on the mechanics
of reading. Teachers should give due
attention to this phase of the work
throughout the whole school course in
order that the child may acquire me-
chanicai proficiency Parents will do
well to give this matter some atten-
ton. Have the children do some oral
reading in the home. Such practice is
valuable.
But mechanical proficiency is not
the only essential in reading. In fact,
a person may have acquired this prof
iciency and not be reading at all. |
may acquire the art Of pronouncing
Spanish words. The sounds Of the
letters in that language are easily
mastered and the language itself is
largely phonetic. With comparatively
little training I may be able to get
mechanical proficiency in Spanish.
But does it necessarily follow that |
can read Spanish when can pronounce
the words? Yet | might be able to
give an impression that | had a fair
knowledge of that language, unless
some one should ply me with questions
as to the contents of the article ] had
read. "Understandest thou what thou
readest?" is after all the only true test
Of reading ability.
More important than mechanical
proficiency is intellectual ability.
Does the child understand the lesson
he is reading? Is he picturing the
scenes described? Does he get the
thought expressed? DO the words
mean somthing to him? Does he get
the correct idea? Is he thinking?
These are questions which both parents
and teachers should ask themselves
when they listen to reeding exercise.
1t is mistake to think that all OF
the time in a reading class should be
taken up in oral reading. To be sure
a skillful teacher can usually recognize
by the oral reading whether or not the
child has the right thought by the eX-
preston given. Yet this is not always
true, and in any event, considerable
portion of the time needs TO be given
to rea! teaching; that is, getting the
children to think. Questions need to
be asked TO ascertain the child's view
point and knowledge, illustration, and
explanations need to be given to clear
up difficult points, and maps, sketches,
drawings, or other helps may need to
be used to bring about clear COM
prehension of the selection read
Here again parents may help. AS
the child reads in the home ask him
questions regarding the meaning of
certain expressions, BY getting him
to explain things you are strengthen
ing his language powers and at the
same time you are getting him into
the habit of not beng satisfied with a
selection until he understands it. The
inquiring mind is an essential in
scholarship.
Some years ago visited school in