THE SILENT READERS BY WILLIAM D. LEWIS, A.M., Pd.D. DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION AND ALBERT LINDSAY ROWLAND, A.M., Ph.D. DIRECTOR BUREAU OF TEACHER TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION, DEPARTMENT OF Copyright, 1920, by THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY Entered at Stationers' Hall, London PRESS OF THE JOHN C WINSTON COMPANY PHILADELPHIA, PA., U. 8. A. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this series. This series of readers is definitely designed to provide working material for the development of efficient "silent reading". It is not planned to compete with the many excellent series of readers now available. The authors believe that it will efficiently supplement the wellnigh universal school practice of conducting all reading lessons aloud. Oral reading not sufficient. In the majority of classes the pupils are all supplied with the same text. One pupil reads aloud while the others are supposed to follow his reading silently. When he has finished his portion of the text, the teacher or the pupils make corrections of his pronunciation or phrasing, and the teacher may ask questions or add comments or explanations. The incentive to adequate expression by the reader is lacking because his classmates all have the text before them; it is natural for the hearers to read on ahead of the oral reader if the material is of interest; and it is perfectly easy for them to gaze absently at the book while employing their minds with matters wholly unrelated to the class exercise. Perhaps most important of all, reading aloud is an experience of rare occurrence outside the classroom, while silent reading is a universal daily experience for all but the illiterate. The mechanics of reading are fairly well mastered in the third-some authorities say the second-grade. Some oral reading is doubtless desirable beyond these grades, but the relative amount should diminish rapidly. Experts have recognized the importance of silent reading for many years. Briggs and Coffman showed its value in their book, "Reading in Public Schools," published in 1908. Studies in this field have been made by Gray, Starch, Judd, Courtis, Monroe, Kelly, and many others. They have made no attempt to deny that oral reading has a place in the curriculum, but have merely pointed out that from the third grade (iii) |