SIMULTANEOUS READING.

11

done with advantage at an early stage, for some children who leave school never acquire this power. The learning to write the alphabet should be practised simultaneously with the learning to read it, as these two processes are a great mutual help.'

Simultaneous reading another remedy. That plan of reading which is called simultaneous,' when properly directed and kept within due bounds, is another very admirable remedy for these special defects. It consists in the joint reading of the master and his class, or of the class alone-all keeping time, as it were, and training their voices into harmony with each other. Such an exercise derives its value from its tendency to create a uniformity in the reading, and to oblige the entire class to take the tone from the most proficient. It therefore checks quickness, and gives confidence and firmness to those who are hesitating. It secures body of voice, removes those tones which are unnatural, monotonous, or accompanied with a cadence; while by the very effort which all are obliged to make to keep up to the true standard, and by that sympathy which must exist throughout the class, distinctness of utterance is necessarily produced. Mr. Stokes says also of it,2 that it shortens the process of learning to read, and produces, in good schools, a commendable correctness, which in a few cases rises into elegance.' It must be remembered, however, that these are about its chief advantages, and that the highest excellence in reading must always be the result of well-directed individual effort. It should not, therefore, be too much practised or relied upon, except for the removal of the faults with which it is intended to deal.

Conditions required to give these suggestions their full force. But that these suggestions may have their true force, two things are essentially requisite: (1) That the errors themselves are detected; and, (2) That reading is sufficiently practised. The first may appear to be too much of a mere truism to deserve special mention; but, upon reflection, it will be found that the non-detection of error has probably more to do with the bad reading which admittedly prevails than any deficiency of special remedies within the knowledge of the teachers. Teachers are, as a body, intelligent, hard-working, and zealous; and as they must recognise the importance of reading, it is clear that, with these qualities, they would long ago have improved it, or taken steps to improve it (neither of which they have done), had they been conscious of the defects. No doubt but that, in some cases, a want of ability

1 For remarks upon simultaneous reading, see Min. of Council, 1846, vol. ii. p. 87; 1851-2, pp. 275 and 1079. Also the works on school

education, by Currie, Gill, Woods, Dunn, &c.

2 Min. of Council, 1856-7, p.

610.

to invent remedies, or a want of zeal in seeking and carrying into practice those already invented, are the chief sources; but, as a rule, reading is bad simply because the defects which are continually brought before the teachers do not make themselves felt.

Reasons that teachers do not perceive the errors in reading made by the children. It may be asked, how is it that, if capable of judging of them, they do not notice them quite as well as an inspector or a manager? In reply, I think it may fairly be said, (1) That, from being accustomed to the frequent repetition of the errors by the children in their presence, they insensibly but naturally cease, after a short time, to notice them; and, (2) even supposing that this was not the case, the habit, which nearly all teachers have, of reading the lesson conjointly with the child, places them in the very worst position possible for doing so. For no master can be a competent judge of how the reading of his children will strike the ear of a stranger (which is the best test for reading aloud), so long as he himself is following the words not only with his ears, but with his eye. In such a case, both of these organs convey impressions to the brain, which it is almost impossible to avoid confounding.

Evils of this. Masters thus really know what the pupils ought to be saying; and, by mistaking that knowledge for actually hearing what they say, they very often pass over errors of expression, of punctuation, and of intelligent grouping. Besides, when following the book, they cannot note properly the general attention of the class, nor the countenance and bearing of the reader himself; and, to omit these, is to neglect an important part of their duty. These evil results follow with more certainty when the master, as is frequently the case, is engaged, when poring over the book, not in following the reader, but in thinking of what question he should ask when he is done.

Remedy. The best course to adopt, if the teacher is fully acquainted with the lesson, as he ought to be, is to close the book (keeping, however, a finger between the leaves, for ease of reference), and, standing at some considerable distance, to make the ear the sole judge. That this organ may be a true judge, however, it is necessary that the master should seek every opportunity of hearing good reading.

It is also an ex

Pupils to become mere listeners also. cellent plan to make the whole class occasionally form themselves into mere auditors. The reader will thus find that he must speak clearly, distinctly, forcibly, and naturally, if he would have himself understood; and both he and his class-fellows will learn what

1 Report of Education Commission, 1861, vol. i. p. 254; Min. of Council,

1852-3, p. 70; 1857-8, pp. 381 and 391; 1860-1, p. 170.

READING, AS A DISTINCT LESSON.

13

the objects of reading aloud are, and in what its excellences consist. This will, no doubt, prove, in the present state of the classes, a very severe test for the junior children, but it is nevertheless the master's duty to apply it early, because, from a want of early attention to the formation of good habits, many teachers are now obliged, too frequently, to occupy their time in curing those faults that, had proper means been adopted in proper time, they would have had only to prevent. Incorrectness of utterance, apathy in speaking, general listlessness of manner, inattention to what is read, monotonous tones, cadences in speaking, &c., all have their rise in sources scarcely discernible at first, but they grow upon children if permitted, until it is scarcely possible to cope with them. In these cases, therefore, as in most others, 'prevention is better than cure.'

Reading must be taught as a distinct lesson. The second condition required to give the previous suggestions full force is that reading should be practised for itself and by itself-practised, in fact, as a distinct lesson. At present, the time of the reading lesson is occupied with reading, spelling, meanings, subject-matter of book, and sometimes, etymologies, grammar, and geography. Among so many subjects the actual practice of reading is exceedingly little, especially so if the classes are large; and, therefore, one of the most important rules about good reading—that to read well we must read much-is violated. Besides, so long as it is not the immediate object of the lesson, it will be exceedingly difficult to fix the child's attention satisfactorily upon it and upon any remarks that may be made as to its improvement.

Some inspectors say that every class should receive four lessons daily; some three; and some two; but all agree in saying that one lesson at least should be set apart exclusively for mere reading. During this time the portion allotted to each child should be large-in fact, it cannot be too large consistently with the time allowed-not only for the purpose of giving greater practice in reading, but also to accustom him to that continuous and connected reading which aims at taking in the whole of the subject, and which he must follow in his more matured studies. The lessons selected should be those which are most familiar, so as to secure the greatest freedom of expression, and to occupy little time in the explanations of such words and phrases as it will be found necessary to explain in order to make the reading forcible and intelligent.

Should read poetry. During this time, also, they should read a great deal of poetry; the junior classes from their ordinary reading-books, and the more advanced from good authors, or from good selections from their works, such as those now published

by the Commissioners of National Education. With the advanced classes, the object should be, not so much to learn to read, for this they ought to have acquired already, as to improve in reading; and I know of no better way to do this than to read poetry extensively. When read and recited well, it tends to produce expressive reading, in the highest sense of that term; it also has a powerful effect in awakening the feelings and in inculcating sentiment-one of the most important agents in the formation of character. But that it may be of any advantage, due regard should be had to the repetition. All errors of affectation, exaggeration, hurry, &c., should be carefully watched and removed. The utterance should be clear and distinct, with as little musical intonation as the nature of poetry admits of; and that attention should be paid to the modulations of the voice which is necessary to bring out, not only the true meaning, but the true feeling also.

Intelligent reading: its importance. It will be noticed that the suggestions up to this refer almost solely to expression and utterance, and relate, in but a secondary way, if at all, to the comprehension of the text. It is now my duty to deal with this, the most important part of reading. It is important, because 'the foundation upon which every system of intellectual instruction must rest, is the ability to read with ease and intelligence, so as to evince a clear conception of the subject,' 1 and because when attained, all other excellences in reading either follow of themselves, or are more easily acquired. Intellectual reading, however, is not only valuable in itself, but, inasmuch as it is an exercise which requires a due appreciation of the ideas, as well as of the peculiarities of the language used in their expression, it becomes a valuable agent, in the hands of a skilful person, for developing and strengthening the mind.

'Meaning of words ' at root of it. As the meaning of the entire sentence depends upon the force of the words made use of, that exercise which has for its object the explanation of those words must necessarily lie at the root of this branch of our subject, and, therefore, it naturally demands our first consideration.

Object of this exercise. This exercise seeks to make the text intelligible by translating its imperfectly understood phraseology into a language of more ordinary use. It is sometimes incorrect, therefore, to require the children during this exercise to be very particular in the choice of those words which they give in the explanation of others. A distinction, however, ought to be made in this respect between the two divisions of the school. From

1 Mr. Fleming, Head Inspector of National Schools, Ireland.

MEANINGS OF WORDS.

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the junior section, because the children have not yet had sufficient opportunities for getting up a good vocabulary, the words commonly used by the uneducated should be accepted; but from the senior classes something higher, I think, ought to be expected. They should convey their explanations not only clearly and definitely, but in neat and correct language; not, indeed, to render their meaning more easily understood-for many of the rough words current among the unlearned cannot be exceeded for terseness and force-but to give them the habit of using the more canonical words of our language. Their acquaintance with the words and style of the advanced lesson-books, the improved taste and the increase of ideas consequent upon their progress through these books, naturally point out why a difference should be made, in this respect, between the senior and junior classes.

This exercise badly conducted at present.

is very badly conducted in schools at present.

This exercise

1. Joined with spelling. (1) It is, for the most part, connected with the spelling rather than with the text of the reading-lesson. The very nature of the exercise ought, however, to show to those teachers who adopt this course that it has no more connection with spelling than grammar has, which they also join with it. The late Mr. McCreedy, Secretary to the Board, writing on this point, says, That in a large number of schools, the old and absurd system is persevered in, of teaching the meanings of words in connection with the spelling-in which the sense is unsettled and arbitrary-rather than with the reading exercise, or, more properly speaking, with the analysis of the text of the reading exercise, where only can the words of the lesson have their meaning properly determined by their application.' 1

2. Dictionary meanings generally unsuitable. (2) The meanings given are also, too frequently, the mere meanings contained in a dictionary. But such are almost worthless in securing the object in view, as they are generally less familiar to the children, and much more difficult of comprehension than the words they seek to explain. Take, for instance, the following meaning for 'network,' extracted from Johnson's Dictionary: :

"Network, is anything reticulated or decussated at equal distances, with interstices between the intersections.' This may be very accurate, but fancy the puzzled expression of a poor child after reading it!

The fact is, that the ends aimed at by a teacher and a lexicographer are so very different, that a dictionary must be used with great

1 Reports of the Commissioners of National Education, Ireland.