Literacy levels
Sir,—l remember a visit to our school two years ago by some Teachers’ College students, all prospective English teachers. Amongst other things, they were shown how the school’s computers were being used to help pupils with reading comprehension, vocabulary, spelling and punctuation. When they each tried a program of remedial vocabulary exercises for third and fourth formers, a significant number of the students abandoned their efforts with obvious mortification at their ignorance. This was not a matter of an “inadequate testing procedure” or “heavy reliance on personal judgment” (Steve May, July 16). It was a case of gross ignorance at a fundamental level of the students’ main teaching subject. I am no longer surprised when junior pupils sometimes tell me that the elementary errors of usage I correct in their essays were actually taught to them at primary or intermediate school.—Yours, etc., . RONALD J. STEVENS, English teacher, Hornby High School. July 19, 1986.
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Press, 21 July 1986, Page 20
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155Literacy levels Press, 21 July 1986, Page 20
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