Reading in the 1930's or 1940's

[yvette37]

Hello,

Does anybody know how they used to teach reading in the 1930's or 1940's? or earlier for that matter. What did they use instead of the 'Synthetized Phonics'? I am quite curious about this.

Thank you

Yvette

If you look at the education of most (not ALL) leading novelists, poets, musicians they tend to have had a trad. education. It does not seem to stymie imagination, creativity but in some ways seems to respect that children can aim high and blossom.

Creative schools such as Summerhill, Dartington and London schools in the 1970s and 80s were fantastic for a minority of children, v. damaging for many.

There is nothing more didactic than learning whole words by sight

'There is nothing more didactic than learning whole words by sight'

Very good point. But the whole word approach relies on contextual meaning and effectively guessing meaning. Isn't this the opposite of the didactic phonic approach?

This whole debate upsets me. Children aren't taught to read by theories they're taught to read, (or not as the case may be) by people.

Well, phonics relies on guessing sounds too, so I guess the same argument applies there.

I don't think that is right. That is why the Head of Ofsted said that many teachers told him that they had not received effective training in synthetic phonics and that this had to be changed in order to increase the country's literacy standards. The resources, tools and methods are based on theories. These theories emanate from philosophers and child psychologist, like the great Piaget or from behaviourist models such as Skinner's.

But whole word also relies on children memorising lists of word by sight so is very much didactic.

There are studies that have shown that the number of people who are unable to read remains teh same under whole word or phonics. So at the end of the day, both ways probably work as well as they can. However, there aree people who are failed by both systems.

You can be taught to read by your mother who may not have been exposed to any literacy theories at all and in fact many children are so taught.

Agree mrz, whole word does contain elements of rote memory and didactic learning.

Phonics is the opposite of guessing.

There are studies that have shown that the number of people who are unable to read remains teh same under whole word or phonics.

I don't think there are.

I'll take me a while to dig it out but a phonics decoder was posted here which details consecutively iterating through the variations of sounds that combinations of letters might present in order to pronounce a word correctly. That is in fact guessing, assuming that you don't already know how to pronounce the word (and that your accent is not Scottish.)

That's not guessing, that's using knowledge to check possible alternatives, which are limited.

'There are studies that have shown that the number of people who are unable to read remains teh same under whole word or phonics.'

I linked to an article which stated that a few years ago, but I can't find it at the moment. Will try to google for it.

'Phonics is the opposite of guessing.'
I agree

Whole word demands more than an element of rote learning claig

Yes, I agree. But it also incorporates contextual guessing

What about countries where they've never used the whole word approach- can we still be moderately left wing even if we were just given the sounds of the alphabet and told to get on with it? And can we still be child centered? Or do I have to start smacking dcs and vote for Cameron?

I started infant school in the late 50s and phonics (of some sort) was taught then in reception (4-5 year olds) - some sort of whole class approach. Unfortunately, as I had learned to read before I went to school, I couldn't understand why I was being taught again and dreamed my way through those classes.
Probably explains my lack of success in life.

I don't think so, Feenie. If you don't know how achaean and Wymondham are pronounced then no amount of checking is going to help you.

'Or do I have to start smacking dcs and vote for Cameron?'

I don't advocate smacking your children, but voting for Cameron would be a wise choice.

If you don't know how achaean and Wymondham are pronounced then no amount of checking is going to help you.

Really? Which part of the word 'achaean' do you find problematic, learnandsay?

Aren't there examples of some words that can have two accepted pronounciations. I can't think of one now, but something like Shrewsbury, which some people pronounce as Shrowsbury?

Indeed - or Harewood. The Earl of Harewood called himself 'Har-wood', but the villagers who live there say 'Hair-wood'.

Exactly, or the actor Ray Winstone, who now prefers to pronounce the 'stone' part of his name.