Looking At Reading (1) WHAT IS THE BASIC PROBLEM IN SCHOOLS ?

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30512, 6 August 1964, Page 7

Looking At Reading (1) WHAT IS THE BASIC PROBLEM IN SCHOOLS ?

By

P. H. JONES,

a former Christchurch ; headmaster now living ; in Taupo.

The standard of school reading is a major problem. One newspaper said: “The average person is appalled* and even incredulous, 'to learn of pupils entering secondary schools still unable to read.” Hundreds in Hamilton cannot read—even men of thirty. Recently a magistrate noted a driver who had a licence but couldn’t read street signs. Cause And Effect How does one recognise a word? By the sound of its letters—by phonics. But what if the alphabet is unknown? One waits to be told—look-and-say ((look-say in America) see-sa'y really. Basic words—chosen by experts—are stored in the memory by repetition; one Canadian reader uses the word “zoo” 82 times. How many basic words must one store to become educated? The choice can be made from half a million, but 1000 are considered basic. Complaints have come from businessmen, editors, even headmasters (all secondary) that reading (and spelling) are below par. Senior inspectors have denied this by reporting: “Reading and comprehension standards are higher.” But we read of hundreds of remedial classes —an apt name—operating under specialists. This treats the effect but not the cause.

Some principals and lecturers blame “social promotion” for lowered standards; others films, radio and TV. Fifteen years ago slow readers were numerous but few were found completely illiterate. Comment is that phonetic values have no meaning for today’s pupils who, while recognising “aeroplane” haven’t an ink: ling about building “pat” from “at” because “the alphabet is not taught.” One authority says that phonics should be taught only as needed. A teacher’s college lecturer described the playway system as learning without effort and that because there was no teaching of the alphabet a generation had grown up unable to read. But Dr. Durrell. said that the teaching of reading does not require a knowledge of the letters. Noah Webster said it was neccessary to begin with the elements of language and explain the. powers of the letters.

•Experts disagree about the causes of failure but, after blaming shortage of staff and changes of teachers, offer under-nourishment, nervous stomach, poor eyesight and even parental ignorance of the aims of modern education. Others say that “Avoidance of phonetic values casts reason aside and invites chaotic spelling and fumbling, reading.” Today’s problem is not that of speed (called by the department “the new catchphrase”) but complete inabiltiy to recognise the words. Reading And Spelling Reading includes the ability to recognise the words and, in its early stages, requires pronounciation. The aim of teaching reading is “the mastery of the mechanics of word-recognition,” and “independence in determining the pronounciation of new words.” When you prac-

tice reading you also practice spelling. How odd that reading by look-and-say is based on recognition of whole words but spelling on Syllables. The S-.R.A. Spelling Laboratory lays down three principles: Spelling is a*skill depending less on intelligence than comprehension does

English being 85 per cent phonetic, the approach to spelling should be phonetic Words should be pronounced syllable by syllable and not by individual letters Oral Reading One high school pupil said he had • never read aloud in his life. How the pendulum has swung! Once, to assess the quality of reading, inspectors heard every child read aloud. In the Auckland pamphlet, “Reading in the Primary School,” we find: “It is grossly unfair to ask a child who is all too aware of his incompetence as a reader to display his weakness in front of his peers.” Is oral reading to display ‘’improvement” not encouraged, because an omission from the list of 30 skills is “ability to pronounce what is read”? Guessing Game Reading by look-and-say has been likened to a guessing game. Dr. Flesch says reading is not taught at all; that children are taught to guess unknown words or wait

till teacher tells them. Professor Doi ch says: “When a child does not know a word, tell him.” Professor Bond says dues aid them on guessing a word as it is detrimental to spell or sound out the words because sounding-out interrupts the meaning. Another writer says: “If his first guess goes wrong he can guess again.” Our Education Department calls it “intelligent guessing.” But teachers of remedial classes say years of guessing makes their work difficult. Bright children have been known to substitute, without detection, in front of inspectors, known words for unknown.

Look-and-say has been called “a difficult, complicated, time-consuming, uninteresting, unserviceable exercise in visual recall.” Playway And Phonetics Oddly enough those who dislike the term are those who invented it back in 1937 when Dr. Susan Isaacs used the word “play” 28 times in one lecture to teachers. Pupils are expected to memorise whole words, as Chinese do with their 40,000 characters. Dr. Flesch says that mention of phonics arouses furious hostility, derision or icy silence. Yet some experts say bright pupils are good readers because of unusual phonic ability. Others declare phonics won’t work because English is only 85 per cent regular. The official viewpoint is that success depends on a thorough knowledge of both phonetic and structural analysis. ■

Dr. Spuss derides “controlled” words thinking it an insult for a child to receive through his ears 30,000 words but is allowed only 1000 through his eyes. Two authorities, Betts and Preston, state that phonic skills are crucial. Our Education Department offers strange advice: “Perhaps the most debated question of all is what about phonics? Phonics, like politics and religion, is a highly emotive word. In any discussion therefore it is wise to avoid the term altogether or else define very carefully just what is meant by the word.” Study notes by the department say the greatest cause of failure is teaching children to read books that are too difficult; but Lord Cobham said it is wrong to make work too easy because its true purpose is to acquire self-disci-pline. Can parents be blamed for not knowing whether feeding should be based on phonics, pictures, clues, contest, or intelligent guessing? (To be concluded on this page next month.)