Cooperative Study of Reading 



39 



4. The study of the records for Groups 1, II, and III 

 showed that small towns rank lowest in oral reading and in 

 rate and quality of silent reading, that small cities rank high- 

 est in oral reading and in quality of silent reading and rank 

 second in rate of silent reading, and that large cities rank 

 second in oral reading and quality of silent reading and high- 

 est in rate of silent reading. 



Recommendations 



It is the purpose of this section of the report to outline 

 a limited number of definite suggestions in regard to reading 

 instruction in the various grades. In order to direct attention 

 to the important stages in the acquisition of reading ability 

 and in order to center attention on specific problems in read- 

 ing instruction, the discussions which follow have been organ- 

 ized about the problems of the following periods: (1) the 

 initial periods in attaching meanings to printed words (first 

 grade) ; (2) the development of fundamental habits and asso- 

 ciations involved in fluent oral reading (second and third 

 grades) ; (3) the broadening of experience thru extensive 

 silent reading (fourth, fifth, and sixth grades) ; (4) the inde- 

 pendent application of reading ability to all phases of school 

 work (seventh and eighth grades). The discussions of the 

 problems of these periods will be very brief, but they will point 

 out some of the major issues in reading instruction in the 

 elementary school. 



The first grade is unquestionably an initial period in the 

 acquisition of reading ability. Since reading is primarily a 

 process of securing information or experience, attention 

 should be directed from the outset to the content of what is 

 read. Like every other highly developed art, reading has its 

 technique or skill side which must be developed effectively, 

 if the pupil is to utilize his reading time economically, intelli- 

 gently, and efficiently. The foregoing statements make it 

 clear that the problem of reading in the first grade is a unique 

 one inasmuch as the pupil must be introduced to reading exer- 

 cises before he has developed skill in the art of reading. First 

 grade teachers are confronted with the problem of presenting 

 interesting reading exercises which will stimulate pupils to 

 put forth effort to find out what is contained in the passages. 

 Only exercises which stimulate this type of activity are read- 



