Year: 1860




NUMBER FIVE.


In most interesting work entitled the
Theory and Practice of Teaching" which
was published by Mr.. David 2 Page, Prnci-
pal n the state normal school at Albany, n.
Y, find the following Every teacher
should be good reader. Not more than one
in every hundred among teachers can be call
ed good reader To be able to read well
implies quick perception Of the meaning, as
we'll as proper enunciation of the words
4 1t is a branch but poorly taught in our schools
Many of the older pupils get ADORE reading be-
/ fore they have learned to read we'll and un-
! fortunately, many of our teachers cannot
awaken an interest in the subject, because
very likely they cannot read any better than
their scholars. 1t would be interesting to as
certain how large portion of our youth leave
the schools without acquiring the power readi-
! ly to take the sense Of any common paragraph
! which they may attempt to read. l am iu-
clined to think the number is not small -
Since writing the above says Mr. Page in
foot note "my eye has fallen upon the fol
lowing, from the second Annual Report of the
| Secretaryot the Massachusetts Board of Ed
ucation. 4 have devoted, says Mr. Mann, es-
| pecial pains to learn with some degree of nu-
mercial accuracy, how far the reading in our
! schools is an exercise of the mind in thinking
and feeling, and how far it is barren action
of the organs of speech upon the atmosphere
My information is derived chiefly from the
written statements of the school committees
of the different towns, gentlemen who are GER
tainly exempt from all temptation to dSparage
the schools they superintend. The result is
| that more than eeven.twelfths of all the chill
dren in the reading classes in our schools do
not understand the meaning of the words they
read that they do not master the sense of
their reading lessons and that the ideas and
feelings iatended to be conveyed and excited
| in the readers mind by the author, still rests
in his intention, never having yet reached the
place of their destination. 1t would hardly
seem that the combined efforts of all persons
engaged could have accomplished more in de-
feating the true objects of reading. How the
cause of this deficiency is to be apportioned
among the legal supervisors of the schools,
parents, teachers, anthors of textbooks, it is
impossible to say but surely it is an evil
gratuitous, widely prevalent and threatening
the most alarming consequences"


Other testimony equally competent and
credible might be adduced in confirmation of
this statement, conceding the neglect into
which the study of elocution has fallen in our
dignifed seats of learning and in our public
schools. The question then naturally arises,
how comes it to pass that so few comparative
ly endeavor TO cultivate the organs Of speech
that they may become good readers, or to ac-
quire just action and graceful manner of de-
livery How comes it that so many spend
years Of ceaselesS toll in laying up stores of
erudition TO become it may be, acute logcians,
misty metaphyscianS or profound theologians
while the art Of eocution by which these ac-
quisitionS can be made available is altogether
neglected.


How extraordinary that students will labor
so strennously in the cultivation of their men,
tai powers that they may be prepared to pro-
mote the general interests of society, or more
important still, to instruct mankind in the
great concerns of eternity, and yet neglect the
powers of speech and action, such mighty ac-
cessories for securing the attention, and thus
more readily for conveying instruction to the
mind.


1t would be easy to show that among the
Greeks and Romans, and other polished ma
tions of antiquity, very different estimate of
the Importance of the arts of speech was eS-
timated. In that imperiShable work the In
stitutes of Oratory, "Quntilian tells US with
what care and vigilance the children of the
wealthy and influential classes were trained to
purity and accuracy of pronunciation, and
graceful land decorous department, in view of
making them public speakers Mothers were
expected to exercise and maintain q constant
supervision in these matters. Cornelia the
mother of the Gracchi, materially contributed
to secure the orator;cal renown of her sons in
forming with scduous care their infant speech
by precept and example.


1t was regarded as q false and perniciouS
opinion that teachers of mean capacities or
meaner qualifications might be employed in
elementary instruction for it was rightly
judged that the greatest skill and care were
requisite in forming the voice and demeanor of
their embryo orators and that vicious habits
either of utterance or gesture contracted at
that early period, remained fixed for life or
were only to be overcome by arduous strug
giles long continued


In teaching children to read, how few are
qualified to correct either natural inpediments
of speech or bad habits acquired by imitation
of the defects of Others These impediments
whether arising from defects in the organiza-
tion or from careless and imperfect use of the
voice, such as Stammering, lisping, hurried and
indistinct utterance, drawling, constrained and
offensive tones of voice, the teachers in the
primary departments of our schools, for the