E.—2

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the child to independent action is still recognized. In the infants' departments, where too frequently the classes are too large for effective work, much individual reading is practised. Tlie conditions render it very difficult for this to be done in an entirely satisfactory manner, and grouping must, therefore, be adopted. At this stage it is most important that the teacher shall hear the child speak distinctly, in order that any defects may be noted for special treatment, and with this object in view oral work must receive due attention. In the standard classes comprehension is receiving greater attention, and the use of continuous readers and the extension of libraries are leading to a love of reading. A few teachers are doing good work in developing in their pupils an appreciation of literature, and we hope that this important matter will receive more general attention. Auckland District. Thanks to an awakening among teachers to the necessity of suitable class libraries, considerable progress has been made in this all-important subject. The elocutionary side is adequately met, while the institution in a few schools of small reading sections has given more practice in reading aloud to those most in need of this phase, without inflicting illimitable boredom on the rest of the class. We have found that a better appreciation of literature obtains than was previously the case. Generally speaking, reading is much better taught in the primer departments than it is in the middle and senior divisions of the school. Here too often modern methods of individual and group teaching give place to class teaching from the School Journal, with occasional lessons from a continuous reader. Fully one-half of the class thus sit idle and uninterested throughout the lesson. In Standards V and VI more often than not only one continuous reader is read during the year. So-called readers in history and geography are open to grave objection. Such books aim primarily at imparting information ; and even when information is imparted in the guise of a story children are quick to distinguish between the real and the sham. The child should be encouraged to regard reading as a pleasurable occupation ; he should read books for the sake of their contents. This is indeed the most effective means by which he can gain a liking for literature, can widen and arrange his ideas, and add to his stock of information. The teacher must, of course, exercise a general supervision over their reading, and it is desirable that he should have sufficient knowledge of each book in circulation in the class as to satisfy himself that an actual effort is being made to master its contents, and, secondly, to acquaint himself with the nature of the difficulties which the children are likely to encounter. The books chosen for individual reading should deal in the main with human action and with motives which can easily be understood ; the story element should predominate. It is recognized that reading aloud at least once or twice weekly, especially with the less proficient pupils, is necessary in order to correct mispronunciation of words, to secure clearness of utterance, and reasonable fluency but as a general rule pupils above ten years of age should be afforded frequent opportunities of reading silently for the purpose of study and pleasure. We desire to utter a word of warning here. Too many teachers fail to recognize that there is another aim in reading besides those just mentioned, and that is the transference of the author's thoughts to the reader's mind —in other words, comprehension of the reading-matter. Time and again one will listen to a reading lesson in which practically the whole of the period is devoted to the correct saying of words, little or no attention being given to the general import of the passages studied. Correct pronunciation and enunciation are in themselves important, especially in connection with speech-training ; but, seeing that reading aloud is very little required in post-school life compared with the vital necessity of cultivating the silent-reading habit, it appears to us that there is urgent necessity for training the pupils to acquire the thought-content of the reading-matter. It is comparatively easy to teach pupils to say words and to group them ; it requires much more skill to get them to comprehend what they read —much more concentration and effort on the part of both teacher and pupil are required. It does not follow that because a pupil reads a passage fluently and correctly, and with apparent intelligence, he therefore comprehends what he reads. Teachers should make certain that comprehension receives more attention. At a very early age, after the initial stages of oral reading (word-recognition) have been passed, various devices, so successfully resorted to by the best primer teachers, can be made use of to test a pupil's ability to understand what he reads. As he passes through the standards, exercises of increasing difficulty should constantly be set, so that by the time he becomes a candidate for a proficiency certificate he will have received a thorough training in searching out the thought-content of the reading-matter. A limited amount of oral reading, decreasing from year to year, accompanied by a large amount of silent reading, increasing from year to year, followed in general by some form of comprehension test, will do much to bring about a much-desired improvement. Speech-training. Taranaki District. The attention given to speech-training varies widely from school to school. In some cases it is praiseworthy, the pupils' enunciation being clear and pleasing. Too often, however, this very important aspect of education is neglected or is treated in a perfunctory manner, with consequences that leave much to be desired. The excellent pamphlet on speech-training recently issued by the Department has been supplied to every teacher in the education district, and good results may be expected during the current year. It is stressed that in all oral work clear and distinct enunciation should be insisted on.