Reading
Sir,—The many reports of inability to read must surely prove that our system of teaching reading is wrong. 1 have five children at primary school and, with one exception, their standard of reading appals me. The present method of learning words as a whole, instead of learning letter sounds, entails a lifetime of tearing each word in the English language separately. The school readers with their endless, boring repetition of a restricted number of words are enough in themselves to dampen any child's enthusiasm. Hence the countless picture comic books, and also the bad spelling. The remedy lies in a book, “Why Johnny Can’t Read,” by Rudolf Flesch. Could I recommend it as compulsory reading for the Education Board? After ten days of teaching my children by this method, the progress and interest shown are more than sufficient reward for the extra work entailed.—Yours, etc., A MATTER OF METHOD. March 18, 1964.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30395, 20 March 1964, Page 10
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153Reading Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30395, 20 March 1964, Page 10
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