Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-07-20
Reading Instruction
Probe Sought Here
Tobriner Cites
Student Laos
In D. C. Tests
BY JAMES G. DEANE


A board of education member
today said he will move for an
investigation of the District
public school systems methods
Of teaching reading.
Walter N. Tobriner, the board
member, said the city's reading
instruction needs study in order
to find the reasons for lagS
which showed up on new CITY,
wide tests.
He added he will propose hav-
ing the study made by a group
of outside experts rather than
the city's school administrators.
School officials two days ago.
made public test results show
ing pupils in most grades average
ing well below national stand
ards in reading and other basic
subjects.
Improvement SHOWN
Mr.. Tobriner said he was
aware that the new tests showed
some improvement over a year
ago.
We've got a start on the
problem" he declared.
But he said the test report
itself-which urged more reme-
dial classes to counter the lags-
pointed to the need of a study
of the teaching methods.
Mr.. Tobriner said he had per.
sonal knowledge of the reading
problem. He said his daughter,
now a college student, was turned
into "a lousy reader" while in
elementary school here and had
to attend a special reading i'm
provement school. Later she.
transferred to a private school.
The board member said his
daughter was taught originally
by what is popularity called the
sight" method. Later a son
went through the same school
and the method had been
Changed to phonetics, which
worked fine. he added. The son
is still in public school.
Remedial Center Cited
Mr.. Tobriner is a board mem
Der of the Remedial Education
Center, a non-profit school for
reading improvement here. The
center sends tutors to private
schools and also works with
children and adults, he said.
The District school system re-
Gently has organized a number
of remedial reading classes, and
a number of special remedial
teachers have been requested in
the proposed school budget for
1878.
School officials, in response to
past inquiries, have said reading
is taught in the District by no
single method. but in whatever
way is most suited to particular
pupils at a particular time. Both
the so-called sight and phonetic
methods are approved, officials
have indicated.
Mr., Tobriner said he was con-
cerned about the effectiveness Of
Reading instruction because read
! ing is the fundamental essence"
of any education.
September Study Sought
He said he plans to ask the
school board to order the pro-
posed study as soon as the new
school year opens in September.
The new test report, while
showing lags in most city-wide
reading averages, also showed
that some of the city's pupils
are well ahead of national stand
ards and others have made re-,
cent improvement.
High school seniors averaged
above national norms in English
and science. Seniors at 8 OF
the citys IL senior high schools
either equaled or surpassed ma
tional standards in both sub
jects.
Seniors at six schools also
equaled or topped national
norms in mathematics, and at
four in social studies.
The test report said the city's
lags weren't based on low INTEL
ligence. Tests given in the
third, sixth and ninth grades
showed intelligence scores aver
OiR