Cooperative Study of Reading 



25 



ing the third grade. From the third to the sixth grade, how- 

 ever, progress is unusually rapid. Beyond the sixth grade 

 progress is distinctly irregular. Results of this type suggest 

 the need of frequent tests in reading. Undoubtedly the sec- 

 ond and third grades do not assume their full share of the 

 responsibility in securing rapid progress in reading. Altho 

 the results secured by the intermediate grades are commend- 

 able from several points of view, it is probable that these 

 results were secured at the expense of time and energy which 

 might have been devoted to other phases of school work. Fre- 

 quent measurements of progress in reading will reveal 

 whether or not the various grades are directing the appropri- 

 ate amount of time and energy to reading instruction. 



The data which were secured make it possible to study one 

 possible cause of the differences in the achievement of schools. 

 The cities which cooperated in this investigation were grouped 

 together on the basis of population to determine whether the 

 size of school system was an important factor in progress. 

 All cities were included in Group I which had a population 

 between 200 and 2,000, in Group II between 2,000 and 10,000, 

 and in Group III between 10,000 and 70,000. Inasmuch as the 

 number of cities included in each group is small, no final con- 

 clusions can be drawn in regard to the questions under con- 

 sideration. The results may indicate a general tendency. 

 Table III presents the average oral reading scores in each 

 grade above the first for Groups I, II, and III. The same 

 facts are presented in graphical form in Diagram 4. The 

 diagram shows that the average scores made by each of these 

 groups are similar to the average scores for Indiana. The 

 one noteworthy exception to this general similarity is found in 

 the seventh and eighth grades in Group III. This variation 

 is explained by the fact that results were secured from only 

 one school in these grades. In general it may be said that the 

 scores for the cities of Group II average highest, that the 

 scores for the cities of Group I average lowest, and that the 

 scores for the cities of Group III are intermediate. 



The facts revealed by the results of the oral reading tests 

 may be summarized as follows: (1) The average oral read- 

 ing scores for sixteen cities of Indiana are lower than the 

 scores in many other cities in which the tests have been given. 

 (2) The wide variation in the results secured in different 



