What the Schools Teach and Might Teach | Page 4

50 other cities[A] are shown in the
following table:
TABLE 1.--TIME GIVEN TO READING AND LITERATURE
===================================================
===== | Hours per year | Per cent of grade time
|-----------------------|------------------------ Grade | Cleveland | 50 cities |
Cleveland | 50 cities -------------------------------------------------------- 1 |
317 | 266 | 43 | 31 2 | 317 | 235 | 36 | 26 3 | 279 | 188 | 32 | 21 4 | 196 |
153 | 22 | 16 5 | 161 | 126 | 18 | 13 6 | 136 | 117 | 15 | 12 7 | 152 | 98 | 17 |
10 8 | 152 | 97 | 17 | 10

===================================================
===== Total | 1710 | 1280 | 25 | 17
--------------------------------------------------------
During the course of his school life, each pupil who finishes the
elementary grades in Cleveland receives 1710 hours of recitation and
directed study in reading as against an average of 1280 hours in
progressive cities in general. This is an excess of 430 hours, or 34 per
cent. The annual cost of teaching reading being about $600,000, this
represents an excess annual investment in this subject of some
$150,000. Whether or not this excess investment in reading is justified
depends, of course, upon the way the time is used. If the city is aiming
only at the usual mastery of the mechanics of reading and the usual
introductory acquaintance with simple works of literary art, it appears
that Cleveland is using more time and labor than other cities consider
needful. If, on the other hand, this city is using the excess time for
widely diversified reading chosen for its content value in revealing the
great fields of history, industry, applied science, manners and customs
in other lands, travel, exploration, inventions, biography, etc., and in
fixing life-long habits of intelligent reading, then it is possible that it is
just this excess time that produces the largest educational returns upon
the investment.
[Footnote A: Henry W. Holmes, "Time Distribution by Subjects and
Grades in Representative Cities." In the Fourteenth Year Book of the
National Society for the Study of Education,
Part I, 1915. University
of Chicago Press.]
It would seem, however, from a careful study of the actual work and an
examination of the printed documents, that the chief purpose of
teaching reading in this city is, to use the terminology of its latest
manual, "easy expressive oral reading in rich, well-modulated tone." It
is true that other aims are mentioned, such as enlargement of
vocabulary, word-study, understanding of expressions and allusions,
acquaintance with the leading authors, appreciation of "beautiful
expressions," etc. Properly emphasized, each of these purposes is valid;
but there are other equally valid ends to be achieved through proper
choice of the reading-content that are not mentioned. There is here no

criticism of the purposes long accepted, but of the apparent failure to
recognize other equally important ones. The character of the
reading-content is referred to only in the recommendation that in
certain grades it should relate to the seasons and to special occasions.
Even in reference to the supplementary reading, where content should
be the first concern, the only statement of purpose is that "children
should read for the joy of it." Unfortunately, this mistaken emphasis is
not at all uncommon among the schools of the nation. How one reads
has received an undue amount of attention; what one reads in the
school courses must and will receive an increasingly large share of time
and thought, in the new evaluation. The use of interesting and valuable
books for other educational purposes at the same time that they are
used for drill in the mechanics of reading is coming more and more to
be recognized as an improved mode of procedure. The mechanical side
of reading is not thereby neglected. It is given its proper function and
relation, and can therefore be better taught.
So far as one can see, Cleveland is attempting in the reading work little
more than the traditional thing. The thirty-four per cent excess time
may be justified by the city on the theory that the schools are
commissioned to get the work done one-third better than in the average
city. The reading tests made by the Survey fail to reveal any such
superiority. The city appears to be getting no better than average
results.
Certainly people should read well and effectively in all ways in which
they will be called upon to read in their adult affairs. For the most part
this means reading for ideas, suggestions, and information in
connection with the things involved in their several callings; in
connection with their civic problems; for recreation; and for such
general social enlightenment as comes from newspapers, magazines,
and books. Most reading will be for the content. It is desirable that the