Determining Reading Readiness of All First Grade Negro Children Entering Longview Public Schools

Author

Era Marie Moseley, Prairie View A&M College

Date of Award

8-1950

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Degree Discipline

Education

Abstract

A moot question with the general public is whether or not the child should be taught to read immediately upon entering school, or whether he should be given a period to develop reading readiness.

When a custom is fully entrenched in usage among a people, any attempt at change is combated. The change must permeate the thinking of the people as slowly and cautiously as the general idea was accepted. In Longview, the traditional idea remains that the chronological age of six is the correct time for a child to enter school, and that the chief function of grade one is to teach him to read. Any deviation from this practice is an inference that the child deprived of this privilege is inferior. This causes the parent to feel that his child is discriminated against. This in turn builds a feeling of injured pride, bringing pressure to bear on teachers, school administrators, and pupils, causing them to cling to the traditional custom, and disregard the established facts of child development.

Various other reasons such as lack of interest, lack of knowledge of the subject, too heavy teaching load, and inadequately trained teachers, all prevent the child from getting the necessary training before initial reading instruction is begun. Teachers are so concerned with teaching the three R's that only passing thoughts are given to preparing him for the instructions.

Science, as always, is first to question a fact established upon usage alone. The science of education has set up and carried on investigations to determine the nature and place of reading.¹ It is now generally conceded among those studying these factors that a period of reading readiness is a vital prerequisite to successful reading.²

This study is made mainly in the hope that teachers will do more in preparing the child for reading instructions especially in Longview Schools.

This study will Include only first-grade entrants in Longview Public Schools. The investigation was carried on for the first eighteen weeks of school (4.5 months). It is felt that this group and this duration of time will furnish sufficient evidence to justify any conclusions reached.

¹ Arthur I. Gates, The Improvement of Reading, p. 1

² Emmett A. Betts, Prevention and Correction of Reading Difficulties, p. 85.

Committee Chair/Advisor

A. C. Preston

Publisher

Prairie View A&M College

Rights

Date of Digitization

2-2-2022

Contributing Institution

John B Coleman Library

City of Publication

Prairie View

MIME Type

Application/PDF

Recommended Citation

Moseley, E. M. (1950). Determining Reading Readiness of All First Grade Negro Children Entering Longview Public Schools. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.pvamu.edu/pvamu-theses/1057