ug)^13 ? 1 Ube xantverstts of Gbtcaao (Lopy 2. — SCIENTIFIC DETERMINATION OF THE CON- TENT OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COURSE IN READING A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND LITERATURE IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION BY WILLIS LEMON UHL Private Edition, Distributed By THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO LIBRARIES CHICAGO, ILLINOIS Reprinted from University of Wisconsin Studies in the Social Sciences and History, Number 4 Zbe 'dniversitg of Cblcago SCIENTIFIC DETERMINATION OF THE CON- TENT OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COURSE IN READING A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND LITERATURE IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION BY WILLIS LEMON UHL Private Edition, Distributed By THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO LIBRARIES CHICAGO, ILLINOIS Reprinted from University of Wisconsin Studies in the Social Sciences and History, Number 4 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HISTORY NUMBER 4 SCIENTIFIC DETERMINATION OF THE CONTENT OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COURSE IN READING BY WILLIS LEMON UHL ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF EDUCATION MADISON 1921 - A. 1. H- I CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. Introductory Statement 5 II. Method, Procedure, and Character of the Data 8 III. General Results of the First and Second Question- naires — Widely Used Reading Selections 24 IV. The Qualities of Reading Selections 36 V. The Elimination of Undesirable Reading Selec- tions 60 VI. The Detection of Superior Reading Selections. ... 17 VII. Informational Material for the Course in Reading 90 VIII. The Relation of Reading Selections to the Grading in Various Schools 102 IX. The Placement of Reading Selections 108 X. Summary and Conclusions 147 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT Elementary school reading has been criticized adversely on several grounds. (1) It has been said that the content is too limited in many courses of study. (2) It is said that material which is over-mature in content and form is attempted, thus entailing the expenditure of much time in analysis and explanation. It is alleged in this connection that a more care- ful grading would enable the pupils to read and to enjoy more material than is now read. (3) The over-maturity of con- tent and the consequent need for explanation render silent reading difficult if not impossible. (4) Many selections are read and re-read or presented in different versions. This pro- cedure, it is held, leads not only to a waste of time but also to a loss of interest of pupils. (5) It is said that many series of readers are compiled with a view to giving drill upon certain difficulties or exemplifying literary forms, and that readers thus organized provide much material which is unde- sirable for school use. Such criticisms together with a desire to remedy existing conditions led to the present investigation. Purpose of the Present Investigation The series of investigations reported in the following chap- ters was undertaken, therefore, for the purpose of studying the content of elementary school reading courses and with a view to formulating plans for improving it. This general pur- pose includes three minor ones, each of which will be consid- ered in detail : first, the elimination of unsuitable reading ma- terial ; second, the detection of superior reading material ; and, third, the accurate placement of this superior material. The Outcomes of Elementary School Reading Inasmuch as the course in reading is a part of the necessary training of students in all other school courses, instruction in the art of reading leads to a wide variety of outcomes. The 6 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES following formulation of outcomes is presented in anticipation of analyses of reading material now in use and the comments of teachers and pupils upon this material. This formulation is introduced here because the determination of the content itself depends largely upon the character of the desirable out- comes. 1. Mastery of the Mechanics of Reading. The mastery of the mechanics of reading includes (1) the automatization of rapid word recognition in oral and silent reading and the correct pronunciation of words occurring singly or in pas- sages; (2) the development of expressional processes such as proper inflection, pitch, and tone; (3) the development of skill in different kinds of reading, as careful reading, cursory read- ing, and reading for purposes of reference: (4) the enlarge- ment of the reading vocabulary so as to include the ability to read (a) informational non-literary material such as news- papers, popular science books, easy biography and travel, and first-year high school books, and (b) belles lettres. 2. Ability in Interpretation. Ability in interpretation includes the ability (1) to understand the content of passages read; (2) to analyze what is read; (3) to select the points of interest in reading matter; (4) to assume the author's point of view; and (5) to apply the content to situations other than those presented in the material read. 3. The Development of General Culture. This general outcome includes (1) the cultivation of ability to enjoy what is read ; (2) training in further pursuance of thoughts sug- gested by the selections read; (3) an acquaintance with a va- riety of literature — (a) literary masterpieces to be enjoyed and to serve as standards of literary taste and (b) informa- tional literature dealing with current affairs, scientific inven- tions, biography, etc. ; and (4) practice in dealing with prob- lems involving nature, interesting action, character study, mo- rality, and other social matters. Means for Attaining the Outcomes 1. Means for Attaining Mastery of the Mechanics of Reading. In the lowest grades, readers have been care- INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT 7 fully constructed so that each lesson presents only a few new words. Certain readers are criticized for restricting too great- ly their content in order to ensure a simple vocabulary. Other readers, when offering more varied and interesting content, are criticized for presenting too many new words in each lesson. In order to avoid both difficulties, cumulative stories provid- ing drill have more recently been used. Drill upon the ex- pressional factors of reading greatly influenced the content of older readers ; teachers even now refer to certain selections as contributing especially to the development of effective oral expression. The development of skill in silent reading re- quires that a large amount of material of different types be provided. A closely related demand calls for a variety of ma- terial for practice in careful reading, cursory reading, and read- ing for purposes of consultation. 2. Means for Developing Ability in Interpretation. The development of ability in interpretation requires content which presents problems, interesting situations, or points of view pro- viding opportunities for the activity of pupils in selecting, ana- lyzing, and making applications. The selection entitled The King of the Golden River is an example of material which offers training in these aspects of interpretation. When this story is used in the later grades, the activities of the characters are within the pupils' understanding, and, after analytical study, are found to exemplify the author's attitude toward such traits as selfishness, adventure, and kindness. 3. Means for the Development of General Culture. Gen- eral culture requires ( 1 ) selections embodying qualities which add to pupils' interests; (2) selections having a wide range of application; (3) selections possessing literary merit; (4) se- lections containing interesting information; (5) selections in which there are opportunities to apply the content so as to ra- tionalize emotions toward moral situations, and selections por- traying social situations which foster (a) the discussion of such qualities as faithfulness, kindness, and sympathy, or (b) cooperative activities such as dramatization and constructive work, and (c) selections which suggest other interesting prob- lems. CHAPTER II METHOD, PROCEDURE, AND CHARACTER OF THE DATA Up to the present time, several methods of selecting subject matter for the elementary school course in reading have been followed. A method commonly used is that in which the com- piler of a series of readers chooses the content upon the basis of personal interests and standards of value. A similar method is that in which a city superintendent in cooperation with one or more teachers selects material upon the basis of it's apparent interest and worth and the teaching value as de- termined by ordinary experience in a single school or in a few schools. Another method is that employed by persons who have carefully tried out for a period of years a large number of reading selections with a view to selecting the most suc- cessful ones. The published statements accompanying the various readers now in use imply that one of these methods or a combination of them has been followed. Definite formu- lations of standards do not appear to have been made. These empirical methods by their emphasis upon certain reading selections and the gradual rejection and elimination of others have led to a rough standardization of reading ma- terial. The criticisms at the beginning of Chapter I show, however, that limitations in the application of these methods exist. One limitation is the tendency to overemphasize sub- ject matter, instead of giving sufficient consideration to the interests and maturity of pupils. Criticisms of the results of using these methods show that data from a large number of school systems are needed in order to formulate legitimate standards for choosing reading material. These data should indicate (1) the range of selections now in use; (2) the degree of success of these selections; and (3) the reasons for success or lack of success. METHOD, PROCEDURE AND CHARACTER 9 The Method of This Investigation. Two methods have been followed in this investigation : first, reactions have been obtained directly from teachers and pupils upon selections read in school ; and, second, these reactions have been studied with a view to formulating plans for selecting and standardizing the material of the reading course. Instead of accepting the judgments of a few teachers or of experts more or less closely associated with teaching, we have thus drawn upon the ex- perience of a representative number of teachers actively en- gaged in administering the reading course. From them we have learned what material is now in use and also their judg- ments of the success of this material. The Procedure. The following outline shows the form of procedure followed in obtaining the reactions from teachers and pupils to reading matter : 1. Reactions to basal reading matter. a. From teachers. Questionnaire I: Analytical questions on the content of basal readers. Questionnaire II: Classified lists of titles of selections sent to teachers for their comments. b. From pupils. Representative selections- presented directly to pupils. Pupils' interest in the selections measured by asking them to state whether they liked or disliked each se- lection and why. Pupils' comprehension of the selections measured by questions on the selections read. 2. Reactions to new informational literature. a. From teachers. Questionnaire sent to teachers who had used this liter- ature. b. From pupils. Informational selections presented to pupils with the request that they state whether they liked or disliked them and why. Character of the Data (1) Teachers' Judgments on Standard Selections. Ques- tionnaire I. An attempt was made so to present the first questionnaire that teachers would judge both the grading and the general character of the selections reported on. In order 10 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES to keep the teachers within the bounds of their actual experi- ence and yet give them a fairly free hand in naming selec- tions, they were asked to report on the readers most used in their grades. The questionnaire follows : To the Teacher: Fill out the blanks carefully. Return to Super- intendent's office by October 10th. City School Grade Name the one reader used most frequently in your grade Name selections in this reader which prove most successful for use in your grade as outlined below. Name the selection more than once if necessary. 1. Name two selections which pupils ask to re-read most. What reasons do they give for their choice? a. Title Reason for choice b. Title Reason for choice 2. Name two selections which the pupils discuss most enthusi- astically. Name the point of special interest in each. a. Title Point of interest b. Title Point of interest 3. Name the selection most effective in stimulating pupils to do Independent thinking. Give reason. Title Reason Name the selections in this reader proving most unsatisfactory for your use in your grade as outlined below. 1. Name two selections which your pupils say they dislike. What reasons do they give? a. Title Reason for dislike b. Title Reason for dislike 2. Name two selections about which you are unable to provoke discussion. State cause of difficulty. a. Title Cause of difficulty b. Title Cause of difficulty 3. Name one selection which the pupils cannot understand be- cause the content is too mature. 4. Name the selection with which you secure poorest results. Why? Title Reason for choice Signature This questionnaire was sent in September, 1915, to cities the superintendents of which had previously indicated a will- ingness to cooperate in the investigation. These cities were selected as representative of conditions in the country as a METHOD, PROCEDURE AND CHARACTER 11 whole. 1 The superintendents were asked to distribute cards bearing the questionnaire to teachers upon whose judgment in such matters reliance could be placed. Replies were received from 2,253 teachers from 80 cities located in 25 states and the District of Columbia. Table I shows the number and distri- bution of teachers responding for each grade. TABLE I. THE RESPONSES TO THE FIRST QUESTIONNAIRE. The Number and Distribution of Cities From Which Responses Were Received and of Teachers Who Responded Grades I Cities 40 Teachers . . . 184 The following copy of one of the teachers' responses is a fair sample of the returns (Baldwin and Bender Reader, Grade V) : 1. Two selections which the pupils ask to re-read most. The Sportsman. — They like to play or act it. The Finding of Mabon. — Because it is about knights. 2. Two selections which the pupils discuss most enthusiastically, together with the point of special interest in each. The Story of Bucephalus. — Alexander's success. The Choosing of Greyfell. — Testing the horses. II III IV V VI VII VIII Total 75 72 80 67 55 70 68 80 361 327 376 327 185 261 232 2253 1. The following cities took part in the first questionnaire: Akron, O.; Altoona, Pa.; Ann Arbor, Mich.; Athens, O. ; Bangor, Me.; Battle Creek, Mich.; Brockton, Mass.; Burlington, la.; Butte, Mont.; Calumet, Mich.; Canton, O.; Cedar Rapids, la.; Charleston. S. C. ; Cincinnati, O.; Cleveland, O. ; Clinton, Mass.; Columbus, Ga. ; Columbus, O.; Creston. la.; Davenport, la.; Decatur, 111.; Des Moines, la.; Dubuque, la.; East Chi- cago, Ind. ; Elgin, 111.; Elmira, N. Y.; Erie, N. T. ; Evansville, Ind.; Flint, Mich.; Hammond, Ind.; Harrisburg, Pa.; Holland, Mich.; Huntington, Ind.; Hutchinson, Kans.; Iowa City, la.; Indiana Harbor, Ind.; Jack- son, Mich.; Jamestown, N. Y.; Johnstown, Pa.; Joplin, Mo.; Kingston, N. Y. ; Lafayette, Ind.; Lancaster, Pa.; Lansing, Mich.; La Salle, 111.; Lewiston, Me.; Lexington, Ky. ; Logansport, Ind.; Louisville, Ky.; Manchester, N. H. ; Marquette, Mich.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Mishawaka, Ind.; Montclair, N. J.; Muncie, Ind.; Muskegon, Mich.; New Britain, Conn.; Newton, Mass.; Niagara Falls, N. Y. ; North Platte, Neb.; Ogden, Utah; Phoenix, Ariz.; Port Huron, Mich.; Pueblo, Colo.; Reno, Nev.; Richmond, Ind.; Rochester, N. Y. ; Saginaw, (East and West) Mich.; St. Joseph, Mo.; South Bend, Ind.; Spokane, Wash.; Springfield, O.; Springfield, Mass.; Syracuse, N. Y. ; Topeka, Kans.; Troy, N. Y.; Vin- cennes, Ind.; Wallingford, Conn.; Washington, D. C; and Wichita, Kans. 12 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES 3; The selection which is most effective in stimulating inde- pendent thinking. Who Is the Happiest Man? — Moral lessons must be reached by the children's own thought. 4. The selection which is most satisfactory from every point of view. The Finding of Maoon. — Good moral lesson, interesting, and children like to play it. 1. Two selections which the pupils say they dislike and their reasons. Elisabeth Eliza's Piano. — Stupid people. The Kettle and the Cricket. — Not enough action. 2. Two selections about which discussion cannot be provoked. A Happy Boy and His Playmate. — Too simple for this grade. The Kettle and the Cricket. — Children do not understand it. 3. One selection which cannot be understood on account of over- maturity of thought. Not any. 4. Name the selection with which you secure the poorest results. Eyes and No Eyes. — Speeches too long and not enough char- acter. After the returns from the first questionnaire had been tabulated, it was found that many standard selections had been named by large numbers of teachers. The questions were so worded, however, that selections with outstanding good or bad qualities were most likely to be mentioned. Also, the men- tioning of a selection depended upon its occurrence in a reader. Consequently, many standard selections were mentioned only a few times. In order to obtain more judgments on these standard selections, and judgments of many teachers of each of the successive grades on the same material, another ques- tionnaire was prepared. Questionnaire II. The second questionnaire, which was sent in February, 1917, was based largely on the results of the first. It consisted of titles of selections arranged in lists of about fifty for each of the eight grades. In order to obtain a uniform terminology, a descriptive list of desirable and un- desirable terms used in the responses to Questionnaire I was included with the directions for judging the selections. The choice of selections to be submitted in the second ques- tionnaire was determined on the basis of several considera- METHOD, PROCEDURE AND CHARACTER 13 tions. Although close agreement existed in Questionnaire I upon some selections, there was either disagreement or a pau- city of responses upon other widely used selections. The sec- ond questionnaire was planned with a view to obtaining (1) confirmatory evidence upon certain selections which the earlier questionnaire had indicated as either desirable or undesirable the lists were not as representative of inferior as of superior selections; (2) more ample comments upon selections regard- ing which the responses to Questionnaire I were divided ; and (3) judgments upon standard selections which were seldom or never mentioned in Questionnaire I. The descriptive list of qualities together with other directions was as follows : DIRECTIONS FOR JUDGING READING SELECTIONS 1. On the following page is a list of selections which are widely used in your grade. The Committee on Economy of Time is desirous of securing the judgments of a large number of teachers with refer- ence to each selection. 2. Rank, by numbering from one to fifteen in order of merit, the fifteen selections which you regard as being the best ones for use in your grade. Do this independently of the following work. 3. Below is a list of qualities which are to be used by you in giving your estimate of each of the selections. (You will need to write only the italicized part of the quality.) 4. Below each selection with which you are familiar write the names of qualities which you consider as being uppermost in the selection. Be as specific as possible. When you name more than one quality in describing a single selection name the most im- portant quality first. 5. On the back of the next sheet make more detailed analyses of two selections with reference to your own grade. Use the selec- tion which the pupils like best and the one which they dislike most. In these analyses use the following terms or other ones to designate the qualities which make the selections desirable or undesirable for your grade. Return the sheet by March 10. Keep this sheet. Desibable Qualities 1. Interesting because of humor; variety of style or of material; dramatic, that is, exciting; interesting action, though not exciting; interesting repetition as in tales for lower grades; portrayal of home life or child life; personification; interesting people described or taking part in the action; interesting problems for class discus- 14 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES sion; or because the story is well told. (State which of these qua! ities makes the selection interesting to your pupils.) 2. Within grasp because of the familiar subject matter, the dic- tion, the form of expression, or easy content. (State which.) 3. A story of adventure, knighthood, romance, or heroism. (Stat« which.) 4. A valuable lesson for your grade because it cultivates expres- sion in oral reading; enlarges vocabulary by giving new words which are within grasp of the pupil; stimulates thought on account of interesting information or character study; presents good moral teaching; imagination stimulated. (State which.) 5. Rhythm or rhyme particularly attractive or because your pupiia like rhythm or rhyme. (State which.) 6. Festival element as in Christmas selections. 7. Nature — the selection is good for use in nature study. 8. Dramatization — appropriate for dramatizing. 9. Animal play or about animals. (State which.) 10. Fairy element, magic, or supernatural. (State which.) 11. Faithfulness, kindness, or sympathy portrayed. (State which.) Undesirable Qualities 1. Too mature because of hard words, hard or unfamiliar subject matter, too abstract material, hard symbolism. (State which.) 2. Uninteresting because it has no story; too much repetition; is too long; not well told; unreal; too childish; monotonous ; because poetry is disliked by your pupils; pupils are tired of it; scrappy, not enough of the story is told; characters disliked; or too didactic. (State which.) 3. Moral teaching bad or moral too obvious. (State which.) 4. Too sad or too depressing for pupils to enjoy. (State which.) The second questionnaire was sent to the cities which had cooperated in the first. Replies were received from 741 teach- ers in 49 cities located in 16 states and the District of Colum- bia. The following table shows the number and distribution of replies : TABLE II. THE RESPONSES TO THE SECOND QUESTIONNAIRE The Number and Distribution of Cities From Which Responses Were Received and of Teachers Who Responded Grades I Cities 46 Teachers 95 II III IV V VI VII VIII Total 48 47 46 48 43 44 46 49 98 93 93 100 87 87 88 741 METHOD, PROCEDURE AND CHARACTER 15 In spite of the heavy demands made by this questionnaire, it was carefully treated by the teachers who responded. A large number of teachers copied the lists of selections to give themselves space for detailed comments on each selection. The most elaborate report consisted of eighteen pages of typewrit- ten material ; the briefest contained short comments on at least ten or twelve selections. The following copy of one of the reports shows the character of the most common type of re- sponses (Grade II) : COMMENTS Dramatic, interesting repetition, personi- fication. Interesting problems, imagination, adven- ture, nature. Interesting humor, cultivates expression. SELECTIONS Lambikin Robinson Crusoe Hans in Luck Town Mouse and Field Mouse Piping Down the Valleys Wild The Hare and the Tortoise Sleeping Beauty Who Has Seen the Wind? I Saw a Ship a-Sailing Phaethon The Bell of Atri The Three Bears Little Red Riding Hood The Magpie's Lesson Dick Whittington and His Cat The Three Little Pigs Androclus and the Lion East o' the Sun and West o' the Moon The Old Woman Who Found a Sixpence Within grasp, familiar subject matter, about animals. Hard symbolism. Dramatization, good morals. Imagination, nature. Easy content, rhythm. Child life, cultivates expression. Imagination, good moral, character study. Cultivates expression, kindness, good moral. Personification, dramatization, imagina- tion. Dramatic, personification, imagination. About nature, cultivates expression. Adventure, character study, good moral. Dramatic, interesting repetition, personi- fication, dramatization. Stimulates thought, interesting informa- tion, faithfulness, about animals. Fairy element, good moral. Interesting repetition, interesting action, easy content. 16 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES The Flag The Bremen Band Kluge Else Titty Mouse and Tatty Mouse The Fox and the Crow The Pied Piper of Hamelin Henny Penny The Swing (Stevenson) My Shadow The Ugly Duckling Sweet and Low The Village Blacksmith How Mrs. White Hen Helped Rose Cinderella Belling the Cat The Little Red Hen Three Billy Ooats Gruff Billy Binks The Golden Touch Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp The Ant and the Grasshopper The Doll's Thanksgiving Dinner Dramatic, rhythm. Personification, dramatization. Interesting repetition. Personification, good moral. Supernatural, imagination, dramatization. Interesting repetition, personification, dra- matization. Child life, interesting action, rhythm. Child life, cultivates expression, rhythm. Good moral, interesting action. Home life, imagination, rhythm. Too mature — hard words. Personification, cultivates expression, good moral. Fairy element, imagination, good moral. Personification, dramatic, cultivates ex- pression. Personification, dramatization. Personification, dramatization, cultivates expression. Too mature — hard words. Magic. Magic, imagination. Nature, good moral. Festival element, child life, kindness. In addition to such carefully written responses as the fore- going, further evidence of the teachers' care is found in the more detailed analyses of the best and the poorest selections which were made. Two of the most frequently mentioned se- lections from Grade III were analyzed as follows: RoMnson Crusoe was the first choice of most third-grade children. Its charm lies perhaps in its vivid realism. The child lives and feels Robinson Crusoe's struggles and triumphs — his process of get- ting fire, shelter, food, and clothing forms a romance of interest and thrill to every child. The story serves as a stepping stone to geography and world his- tory. It correlates with the handwork a third grade child can do — METHOD, PROCEDURE AND CHARACTER 17 weaving, modeling, and drawing. It can be accompanied by other literature that emphasizes the spirit of adventure, as Sinbad the Sailor, Columbus, and Hiawatha, — literature with more artistic value perhaps than Defoe's homely, forceful style. It opens an easy avenue of self-expression in language work. It is easy reading — within the word-concept and imaginative grasp of the child. Daffy-doicn-dilly is liked the least by most pupils. It is old-fash- ioned, too long, and too didactic. The characters are uninteresting and disagreeable. It is not childlike, presenting rather an adult's viewpoint. Instead of emphasizing the joy of work, it presents a depressing, joy-killing theory that toil is found even in pleasure — and that to the children of the third grade. The care with which both questionnaires were treated to- gether with the large number of responses adds greatly to the weight of the judgments. They were apparently from the more careful teachers of representative cities. Consequently, there seem to be adequate data upon these representative se- lections so far as the teachers are concerned. (2) Pupils' Reactions to Standard Selections. In order to get a different kind of data, the third part of this study was made in 1918 and 1919. This consisted of the presentation of selections directly to pupils and was carried on in four differ- ent schools. These schools were chosen because of the differ- ences in the character of the pupils. One is the University of Chicago Elementary School (School U) ; the other three are public schools in Evanston, Illinois (Schools A, B, and C). Table III shows the number and distribution of pupils who participated. The Evanston schools are located in three very different neighborhoods and may be classified fairly accurately as follows : School A, attended by pupils of the middle class ; School B, by pupils having access to home libraries, oppor- tunities for wholesome recreation, and ample financial means ; and School C, by pupils of the poorer classes with many for- eigners and negroes recently from the South. Pupils of Grades I and II were not used in this part of the investigation because of their inability to write their reactions. References to the schools throughout this study will be by letter as just designated. 18 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES TABLE III The Distribution of Pupils in the Four Schools Which Cooper- ated in the Study of Reading Material Schools Number of Pupils per Grade Grades III IV V VI VII VIII T'l Evanston Public A 56 18 18 42 32 36 44 73 215 B 50 C University of Chi- cago Elementary School U 38 30 37 28 26 34 17 172 92 Total for all grades 92 110 68 65 104 90 529 The selections presented to the 529 pupils were chosen be- cause of their use in nearly every city responding to either questionnaire, the variety of appeals to children as stated by teachers, and their common use in more than one grade. In order to provide a uniform appearance of these representative selections, they were printed in seventy-page booklets. With the exception of the selection entitled Douglas and Randolph, the prose selections were re-adapted for this use. In making these adaptations, the different versions were carefully studied to enable the writer to render the selections in a form closely similar to the versions found in standard readers. Before presenting these selections to the pupils, the teachers were consulted and told the nature of the problem and of the work already done. It was explained that a sufficient number of teachers' judgments had been obtained and that at this time only pupils' judgments were desired. The following form shows the names of the selections used and the grades in which the pupils read them : Grades in which used are checked (v) SELECTIONS III IV V VI VII VIII The Leak in the Dike v v v Excelsior v v v v v v Phaethon v v v The Village Blacksmith v v v v The Ugly Duckling v v v The Barefoot Boy - v v v v v METHOD, PROCEDURE AND CHARACTER 19 Dick Whittington and His Cat v v v v - - Abou Ben Adhem - - v v v v Cosette v v v - - - The Wreck of the Hesperus v v v v v v Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp v v v v v - Paul Revere' 's Ride - v v v v v The Wonderful One-hoss Shay - - - v v v The Gettysburg Address - - - v v v The Chambered Nautilus - - - v v v Douglas and Randolph - - v v v v Baron Munchausen Tales - - v v v v Marco Bozzaris - - - v v v Christmas at the CratchUs" - v v v v v What Constitutes a State - - - v v v The following copy of the directions to teachers shows the manner of conducting this portion of the investigation : PLAN FOR THE STUDY OF READING SELECTIONS This study of reading selections is being made in order to supple- ment the judgments of a large number of teachers who have already reported upon them. It is desired, therefore, that the real likes and dislikes of pupils be shown in the responses. Before beginning their reading, the children should have the general plan and pur- pose told to them in words about as follows: One of the teachers at Northwestern University is anxious to find out just what kind of stories and poems children like. He has already asked many hundreds of teachers about this. The teachers made out their lists from the readers which the chil- dren used. There may be many others which were not included, but these could not be judged because they were not in the readers which the children used. This teacher from Northwestern has gathered together the selections receiving a large number of votes and had them printed in this little volume. You may each have a copy to read over. Perhaps you may recall having read some of them before. If so, re-read to refresh your memory. Later you may tell on paper which ones you like best and why; also which ones you like least and why. Be very frank in expressing your opinions, because you can help most by describing fully and truly your likes and dislikes. 1. Ask pupils to read the selections for their grade without aid or discussion. All reading is to be done at school. 2. After the reading has been done, ask the pupils to state on paper whether they liked or disliked each of the selections and why. Ask them to be as definite in replies as possible. The pupils should have their books for this work. 20 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES 3. Have a brief class discussion of the selections or parts of selections which seem most in need of such discussion. 4. Ask the pupils to write responses to the mimeographed questions. Ask them to reply as briefly as possible. After the pupils finish their replies to each of the selections, ask them to state again whether or not they liked the selection. The pupils should have the books before them for all of the exercises. All of the work is to be done in school. If they want to use dictionaries of their own accord allow them to do so. The purpose here is merely to find out what the pupils can do with these selections. In the class discussions as directed under 3, try to avoid influencing the pupils' judgments. As shown by the copy of directions to teachers, the pupils passed judgment on the selections as soon as they read them silently. Following this first judgment, there was a short dis- cussion period devoted to questions which the pupils raised; that is, teachers were asked to take as little part as possible in this discussion. The pupils then, with the booklets open before them, wrote their answers to comprehension questions upon the selections. Following is a copy of the judgments of a girl of Grade VII in School A. It is a fair sample of the responses of that school. The pupils of School U gave longer responses ; those of School C, shorter. SELECTIONS COMMENTS Excelsior Dislike. Because for two reasons, first I don't understand it, second its object is not the kind I like. The Barefoot Boy Like it because it's full of fun and country life. Abou Ben Adhem Dislike it because I don't understand it. The Wreck of the Hesperus Like because it shows daring and is exciting. Aladdin Like because it's different and shows selfish- ness and unselfishness. Paul Revere's Ride Like because it's exciting and a good turn. The One-hoss Shay Like because it's funny and interesting. The Gettysburg Address Dislike because I've heard it so many times and it is uninteresting. The Chambered Nautilus Like because it shows beauty and describes well. METHOD, PROCEDURE AND CHARACTER 21 Douglas and Randolph Like because it shows fighting in it and shows bravery and how certain people stick to a thing. Baron Munchausen Like because it shows when people brag they get beaten. Christmas at the Cratchits' Dislike because I've heard it so many times and is same as many other stories. What Constitutes a State Dislike because not any real object. The lists of questions used to test comprehension were ar- ranged so that for every four or five relatively easy questions there was one of greater difficulty. This plan served to keep the percentages for individual pupils about the same for the long lists of questions as for the short ones. The answers were marked either "Right" or "Wrong." Although the teach- ers were asked to have their pupils state again when answering the questions whether or not they liked the selections, only one class as a whole did this. Informational Reading Selections Up to this point in the investigation, all the judgments and tests dealt with traditional literature. As a result, very few in- formational selections were mentioned. Instead, the selections mentioned were characterized by teachers as possessing literary style and general appeal. Present-day interest in informational material led to an inquiry into pupils' interests in such literature and the results attained by using it. The material in this test was drawn from a set of informa- tional selections published by the United States Bureau of Edu- cation in the Community and National Life Series. 2 Fifty-nine teachers who had used the selections in this form were asked to state their opinions of them. The following directions were *Judd, C. H., and Marshall, L. C. : Community Leaflet No. 18, March 1, 1918. Bureau of Education, Washington, D. C. The selections used are the following : Before Coins were Made, by Katherine McLaughlin ; Minting of Coins and Paper Money, by Ruth Reticker ; and Money in the Community and the Home, by Edwin A. Kirkpatrlck. 22 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES printed on the form sent to them in 1919. Copies of the form were distributed to teachers by their superintendents who, after time had been allowed for filling in the blanks, collected and returned them. DIRECTIONS SENT TO TEACHERS FOR JUDGMENTS ON INFORMATIONAL SELECTIONS OF THE COMMUNITY LIFE SERIES Please indicate in the columns headed "Grade Actually Tried" the grade or grades where you personally used the lesson named in the preceding column. (For this purpose call the first grade of the high school the ninth grade, and so on.) Rate the exercise in the column headed "Degree of Success" so as to indicate your judgment of how the particular lesson suc- ceeded, using letters defined as follows: A=highly satisfactory and understood by pupils. B=usable but not excellent. C=poor. D=complete failure. In the column headed "Grade Recommended," put a figure giving your judgment as to grade for which the lesson is appropriate. In the column for remarks, indicate in a word or two for each exercise which you rate A or D the chief characteristics which con- tributed to the result. Notes on others will also be welcome. The method of using this material with the eighty-two pupils of School A who reported on it was the same as for the stand- ard selections except that the comprehension questions were omitted. The reactions to this literature will be treated in de- tail in Chapter VII. Summary This chapter calls attention to earlier methods of selecting content and presents criticisms of these methods. The method and procedure of the present investigation were devised to de- rive facts from the experience of teachers and pupils in many school systems. The representative character of the schools re- porting and the care with which the responses were written lead to the belief that the data give a reliable index of the atti- tude of the teachers of this country toward the content of the reading course. This statement is supported also by the fact that the teachers who reported were highly selected. In the METHOD, PROCEDURE AND CHARACTER 23 first place, the superintendents of a large number of schools, though not necessarily the best ones, were asked to cooperate in the investigation. To this request, only superintendents who were willing to add to their regular duties are likely to have responded. Their interest in the problem is thus indicated. Later, when copies of the questionnaires were sent to the su- perintendents, the request was made that the copies be distrib- uted to teachers "upon whose judgment in such matters reliance could be placed." Besides enlisting able teachers, this plan tended still further to eliminate persons who might have been uninterested in the investigation. The responses of the pupils who took direct part in the investigation were obtained through the cooperation of teachers who volunteered to undertake the work. The frank, serious statements of the pupils indicate that they also made their judgments carefully. CHAPTER III GENERAL RESULTS OF THE FIRST AND SECOND QUESTIONNAIRES— WIDELY USED READING SELECTIONS The purpose of this chapter is to show the range of reading material now in use. In carrying out this purpose, samplings are made of the selections mentioned by teachers in the re- sponses to the questionnaires, together with a summary of the comments made. The Range of Selections Mentioned in Questionnaires I AND II RESPONSES TO QUESTIONNAIRE I The Number of Selections Catalogued from Teachers' Re- sponses to Questionnaire I. In Questionnaire I selections were catalogued from readers some of which are widely used while others are used only within a single state. Consequent- ly, many of the selections mentioned are found only in the re- sponses from a single city or state while others recur in re- ports from widely separated cities. That is, the range of widely used selections for each of the grades is about as great as the range of widely used readers permits. Table IV shows the number of responses received per selec- tion in Questionnaire I. It shows that in Grade I, 630 selec- tions were mentioned less than 5 times each; that 25 were mentioned more than 5 times but less than 10 times, and so on. Table V contains lists of the selections mentioned 10 or more times in the first questionnaire and the percentages of favorable responses. The Agreement Shown Between Teachers' Evaluations of Reading Selections. Table V shows that close agree- ment regarding the value of much reading matter exists among those who administer it. For example, The Gingerbread Boy was reported 33 times and favorably in each case, while Rose, GENERAL RESULTS FIRST, SECOND QUESTIONNAIRES 25 TABLE IV The Frequencies with Which Different Selections Were Men- tioned in Each Grade in Questionnaire I Tlie Number of Selections thus Mentioned Number of times Grades Various Selections Were Mentioned I II III IV V VI VII VJII 1-4 630 964 807 618 824 461 612 581 5-9 25 16 59 71 36 25 26 14 10-19 17 26 28 52 23 25 29 14 20-29 3 14 12 14 6 4 7 3 30-39 2 5 3 7 7 2 2 2 40-49 4 2 1 V 4 50-59 1 1 2 1 1 1 3 60-100 677 2 1 1 2 3 j 2 Total. __ 1,032 913 766 901 518 680 623 Number mentioned five or more times___ 47 68 106 148 77 57 68 42 Daisy, and Lily was reported 15 times and in all cases unfavor- ably. Similar cases are found in each of the grade lists : some selections are favored by all teachers reporting them while others are disliked by all. Still other selections, as The Vision of Sir Launfal in Grade VIII, are variously valued : this se- lection is reported as the best in the readers used by 15 teach- ers and the poorest by 6 (Elson and Cyr readers, respectively). In all grades, however, nearly every selection reported was either favored by 85 per cent or more of the teachers or judged adversely by 85 per cent or more. Teachers' Classifications of Reading Selections in Ques- tionnaire I. The analytical questions of the first question- naire led teachers to classify roughly many of the selections which they mentioned. As examples of teachers' classifica- tions, The Gingerbread Boy is mentioned by 20 teachers as one which pupils often ask to re-read, and Santa Claus by 13 and 12 teachers, respectively, as one which pupils frequently ask to re-read and as one which pupils discuss freely. The third question, which asked for the names of selections which pro- voke independent thought, led teachers frequently to mention selections which pupils also ask to re-read. Of the 38 selec- 26 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES tions referred to 5 or more times as valuable for stimulating independent thought, 21 are also mentioned as often or oftener because pupils ask to re-read them. Furthermore, of these 38 selections, 24 are mentioned 5 times or more because pupils discuss them enthusiastically. These, together with additional similar cases, show that selections which are sufficiently out- standing to be frequently mentioned for the cultivation of in- dependent thought are usually valued also for other reasons. Classifications of undesirable selections were made in the responses to the questions asking for the names of selections which pupils say they dislike and about which teachers can arouse no discussion. An example of such cases is the f ourth- TABLE V List of Selections Mentioned Ten or More Times in Questionnaire I and the Percentage of Favorable Responses Fre- Selections quency Gingerbread Boy 33 Little Red Hen 33 Little Boy Blue 22 Three Little Pigs 17 Christmas Story 14 Cinderella 14 The Squirrels 13 Playing in Snow 12 Who Is It? Santa Claus? 10 Christmas Morning .... 10 Grade I Pet Pet favor- Pre- favor- able Selections quency able 100 My Dream 10 100 100 Santa Claus 28 96 100 The Caterpillar 30 93 100 The Bee 18 67 100 The Star 11 46 100 Clever Jackal 11 27 100 Old Woman and Pig 11 27 100 The White Lily 17 12 100 Rose, Daisy, and Lily. . 15 100 How Mrs. White Hen Helped Rose 38 Mr. and Mrs. Leghorn to the Rescue 20 Cinderella 20 Epaminondas and His Aunt 20 Dick Whittington and His Cat 17 The Robbers 16 Old Woman and Her Six- pence 14 Grade II Queer Chickens 15 80 100 Drowning of Mr. Leg- horn 16 75 100 The Proud Crow 11 73 100 James Watt 27 63 The Cat and the Birds. 13 62 100 The Bell of Atri 15 60 The Starving of Mrs. 100 Leghorn 14 57 100 Who Is the Strongest?. 35 49 How the Bean Got Its 100 Seam 20 45 GENERAL RESULTS FIRST, SECOND QUESTIONNAIRES 27 TABLE V— Continued Pet Fre- favor- Selections quency able Columbus 13 100 Three Little Pigs 12 100 Ruff's Adventure 12 100 Three Billy Goats 12 100 Clever Jackal 12 100 Nathan and the Bear. . . 11 100 The Little Steam Engine 10 100 The Three Bears 52 98 Lambikin 42 98 The Bremen Band 40 98 Robinson Crusoe 34 97 The Pied Piper 34 94 Little Red Riding Hood . 40 93 When the Little Boy Ran Away 27 93 The Little Red Hen 13 92 Billy Binks 83 89 The Ant and the Mouse. 25 88 The Wolf and the Kid. . 23 87 Careful Hans 12 83 Hans the Shepherd Boy. 11 82 Golden Cups 22 Robinson Crusoe 21 The Leak in the Dike.. 14 Aladdin and the Lamp. . 14 St. George and the Dragon 14 David the Sling er 14 Irene the Idle 12 Story of Columbus .... 12 Androclus and the Lion 11 Hans the Shepherd Boy. 10 Hans Who Made the Princess Laugh 10 The Tar Baby 74 The Knights of the Sil- ver Shield 32 The Fairy Wand 27 Washington's Boyhood. . 19 The Wishing Gate 43 Black Beauty 29 The Skylark's Spurs ... 14 Fre- Selections quency The Giant of Brandbeg- gar's Hall 24 Belling the Cat 47 The Magpie's Lesson. . . 62 The Foolish Weather- cock 20 Sinbad the Sailor 20 Jackal and Lion 12 Why Ravens Croak 10 The Leaf's Journey .... 29 Who Became King .... 10 Victor and the Sea-Gull. 10 Ama, the Sun Fairy ... 10 Vndine 10 Sweet and Low 10 Ulysses and the Bag of Winds 14 The Little Brook 33 Discontent 28 An Evening at Home . . 36 Blanche and Her Aunt. 16 Pet. favor- able Grade III 100 The Peddler's Pack 100 The Sleeping Beauty . . . 100 The Sprite of the Mill. . 100 Burning of the Rice Fields 100 The Boy Who Hated 100 Trees 100 Wynken, Blynken, and 100 Nod 100 The Ugly Duckling . . . 100 Hercules and His La- bors 100 Columbus and His Son. 97 Daffy-down-dilly ... The Proud King 97 The Endless Tale 96 The Corn Story 95 The Barefoot Boy 93 The Czar and the Angel 93 The Mad Tea Party ... 93 The Wind and the Moon 44 40 37 35 25 25 20 11 10 10 10 10 10 7 6 4 83 82 76 12 75 17 71 11 64 56 61 15 60 14 50 15 40 14 36 23 31 11 36 10 20 34 12 21 5 20 5 28 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES TABLE V— Continued Fre Selections quency The Knights of the Sil- ver Shield 34 The Bell of Atri 21 The Brownies 10 Cinderella 27 The Bremen Band 26 Benjy in Beastland .... 13 How Little Cedric Be- came a Knight 51 Florinda 33 William Tell 27 Out to Old Aunt Mary's 25 The Little Acadian .... 24 Roland the Noble Knight 23 Tilly's Christmas 22 A Boy Hero 16 Tom, Dick and Harry.. 16 Maggie's Visit to the Gypsies 14 The Magic Prison 13 The Leak in the Dike . . 12 Willie Boy 12 The Tillage Blacksmith 11 Snow-white and Rose-red 11 The First Thanksgiving 10 A True Story about Leo. 10 Robert of Lincoln 10 Dust Under the Rug... 10 Beowulf, the Brave Prince 25 The Pied Piper 23 Cosette 100 Baby Sylvester 17 Aladdin 54 Dick Whittington 15 Paul Revere 's Ride 13 Robinson Crusoe 12 History of Tip-Top 12 The Broken Floicer-pot. 20 Inchcape Rock 16 Arthur's First Night at Pet favor- able 91 91 90 85 85 85 Fre- Selections quency The Flying Trunk 40 The Maple 22 The Crow 16 The Crab and the Moon 15 The Cricket on the Hearth 12 Climbing Up the Hill. . . 11 Pet favor- able 3 Grade IV The Ugly Duckling .... 100 The Nurnberg Stove... 100 Sleeping Beauty 100 Queen Alice 100 Tom the Chimney Sweep 100 King Alfred 100 Little Charley 100 A Strange Visitant .... 100 The Snow Image 100 Tom the Water Baby . The Spartan Three-Hun- 100 dred 100 Sir Isaac Neivton 100 The Emperor's New 100 Cloak 100 The Discontented Pen- 100 dulum 100 Water Babies 100 The House in Bid well 100 Street 100 The Heart of the Bruce Who Brought the Oood 96 News 96 The Declaration of Inde- 94 pendence 94 Nuremburg 93 The Day Is Done 93 The Song of the Sower. 92 Baron Munchausen 92 Boyhood in the South . . 92 Little Nell 90 Nathaniel Hawthorne . . 88 Last Lesson in French. . The Whistle 17 14 13 15 30 28 12 15 28 11 30 11 65 64 62 53 50 50 42 40 36 36 16 31 16 25 13 23 13 23 18 22 20 18 13 15 21 14 11 10 10 10 13 8 37 5 36 5 20 5 19 5 18 5 30 4 GENERAL RESULTS FIRST, SECOND QUESTIONNAIRES 29 TABLE V— Continued Pet. Fre- fa > .- Selections quency able Rugby 30 87 The Wishing-gate 34 85 A Brave Boy's Adventure 18 83 Prince Ahmed 11 82 Hans Clodhopper 16 81 Our First Naval Hero . . 10 80 Sigurd 10 80 Christmas at the Cratch- its' 12 75 Brought to Trial 17 71 The Golden Fleece 20 70 Nurnberg Stove 62 Robin Hood 25 Maggie's Visit 24 Ulysses at the Cyclops. 12 How Little Cedric Be- came a Knight 12 The Leak in the Dike. . 12 William Tell 11 Beautiful Joe 11 King of the Golden River 11 A Brave Boy 10 The Simple Old Man.. 10 Nuremburg 31 Patrasche 54 The Sportsman 16 Legend of Sleepy Hollow 14 Horatius at the Bridge. 26 Giant and Pygmies 25 The Archery Contest . . 13 Robinson Crusoe 31 Cosette 20 Tom the Chimney Sweep 10 The Soldier's Reprieve. 10 Aladdin 18 The Man Without a Country 32 Joan of Arc 17 Hiawatha 19 Pet. Fre- favor- Selections quency able The Argonauts 48 The Factory Boy 22 A Letter to His Son 17 Literary Biographies . . 16 Duty 18 Language 15 Timothy's Incarnation. . 14 The Sunken Treasure . . 11 Child's Dream of Star. . 11 Printing 10 Grade V 100 The Pygmies 100 The Golden Touch 100 The Pied Piper 100 Arabian Nights The Fate of the Indians 100 Darius Green 100 Caleb and Bertha 100 A Boy's Diving Trip 100 Boston Massacre 100 Pandora's Box 100 Order for a Picture 100 Paradise of Children . . 97 The Great Stone Face. . 95 Destruction of Pompeii. 94 Titania and Obcron .... 93 Capturing the Wild 92 Horse 92 Industry 92 The Blessings of Pov- 90 erty 90 Glimpses of the Great 90 Commoner 90 Lying 89 Da7tiel O'Connell Hatto the Hermit 88 Sleep 88 The Whistle 84 Reverie of Poor Susan . . 10 80 66 79 14 79 40 78 13 77 16 75 14 71 14 71 10 70 14 64 11 64 15 47 35 40 11 36 44 4 25 4 27 20 19 15 14 14 13 12 11 Kentucky Belle Grade VI 24 100 Legend of Sleepy Hollow 21 91 30 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES TABLE V— Continued Fre- quency . . 14 Selections Bishop and Convict .... Legend of Bregenz .... 13 The Courtship of Miles Standish 12 Gulliver's Travels 12 Sir Kenneth and the Flag 11 Midget, the Return Horse 10 Tom and Maggie 10 Robin Hood 10 The Simple Old Man... 10 King of Golden River . . 56 The Pied Piper 16 Christmas at the Cratch- its' 20 Rip Van Winkle 39 Pet favor- Fre- able Selections auency 100 The Barefoot Boy 11 100 William Tell 11 Horatius at the Bridge. 31 100 Robinson Crusoe 14 100 Story of Ulysses 20 The Revenge 12 100 Story of Achilles 15 Snowbound 16 100 Little Daffy-down-dilly. 10 100 Death of Socrates 100 Fairyland of Science . . 100 The Contest Between the 97 Man and the Cannon. 94 Highest Aristocracy 13 Good Books 12 93 Bobolink 10 92 Something About Books 10 11 10 11 Pet favor- able 91 91 90 86 85 85 53 50 30 18 10 Marco Bozzaris Legend of the Moor's Legacy The Prisoner of Chillon Snowbound Tribute to a Dog Christmas at the Cratch- its' Charley Legend of Sleepy Hollow Fitz-James and Roder- ick Dhu Rip Van Winkle Mr. Pickwick's Slide. . . Patrasche William Tell Horatius at the Bridge. The Courtship of Miles Standish King Arthur Stories . . . Destruction of Pompeii. The Great Stone Face. . Evangeline King of Golden River. . Grade VII 15 100 Sword and Scimitar . . . The Vision of Sir Laun- 13 100 fal 12 100 The Contented Man 10 100 Herve Riel 10 100 Skeleton in Armor Passing of Arthur 58 97 The Mystery of Life . . . 57 97 A Rill from the Town 98 95 Pump The Chambered Nautilus 21 95 Cranford (Selections).. 20 95 Island of the Fay 16 94 Early Conquests 15 93 Wealth 15 93 What a Good History 12 92 Should Contain Character of Columbus 74 91 Character of Washing- 68 91 ton 16 88 Fall of the House of 31 87 Usher 28 86 What Constitutes a State 18 83 Genius and Industry . . 13 69 25 48 13 46 12 42 11 27 10 20 26 19 26 19 11 18 10 10 19 19 16 15 15 14 13 12 12 GENERAL RESULTS FIRST, SECOND QUESTIONNAIRES 31 TABLE V— Concluded Pet. „_ .Pet. Fre- favor- Pre- favor- Selections quency able Selections ... a 7 U€n -i Cy > able A Julius Caesar 21 81 Moral Rights of Animals 12 Escape of Queen Mary. 14 79 Rhocus 10 Tales of a Grandfather . 25 72 Grade VIII The Man Without a Enoch Arden 21 81 Country 53 100 Merchant of Venice 40 80 Julius Caesar 36 100 Herve Riel 13 77 The Prairie Fire 22 100 Snowbound 59 76 The Courtship of Miles The Lady of the Lake. . 38 76 Standish 19 100 Stories of King Arthur. 12 75 The Heritage 15 100 The Vision of Sir Horatius at the Bridge. 15 100 Launfal 79 71 Raleigh's Coat 11 100 Lady of Shalott 15 67 Sohrab and Rustum 10 100 The Sketch Booh 12 58 Christmas at the The Descent into the Cratchits' 53 91 Maelstrom 47 53 Building of the Ship... . 11 91 Gray's Elegy 15 53 Evangeline 84 88 Thanatopsis 21 14 The Great Stone Face.. 50 88 Munera Pulveris 19 5 Paul Reveres Ride 50 87 The Renunciation 15 The Legend of Sleepy Wisdom and Prudence.. 11 Hollow 41 85 grade selection The Argonauts. The request for the names of over-mature selections led teachers to mention many pas- sages a few times each, while certain passages, as Franklin's The Whistle, were mentioned oftener for over-maturity than for any other undesirable characteristic. The more specific qualities named by teachers are discussed in the next chapter. Responses to Questionnaire II Table VI shows the character of the data obtained in the responses to Questionnaire II. Lack of space forbids includ- ing in this table the data for all the selections judged. This sampling of the responses shows agreement among the teach- ers. In all grades, from 45 to 78 per cent of the selections are favored by 85 per cent or more of the teachers who judged them. In Grade I, 11 selections were reported upon favor- ably by all who judged them. The responses to the second questionnaire revealed evi- dences of a character inadequately shown in the earlier re- 82 UNIVERSITY OP WISCONSIN STUDIES sponses. In the first place, the responses verified in several ways those of the first questionnaire. Selections which had been favorably mentioned by the teachers responding to the first questionnaire were again reported upon favorably. For example, in the responses for Grade I, The Gingerbread Boy, The Three Little Pigs, and The Christmas Story (Aldine) were mentioned by 33, 17, and 10 teachers respectively in Questionnaire I, all of the teachers reporting favorably upon them. In the second questionnaire, the same selections were reported upon by 87, 82, and 61 teachers respectively, and again all reported favorably. Likewise, selections upon which dis- agreement was shown in Questionnaire I were disagreed upon by the teachers responding to Questionnaire II. The com- ments on The Great Stone Face illustrate this type of verifica- tion. There are also cases in which close agreement exists upon the inferiority of a selection. The poem Nuremburg, for example, is in disfavor with all excepting 3 per cent and 17 per cent respectively of the teachers who judged it in the first and second questionnaires. Furthermore, the second questionnaire cleared up many doubtful cases, as that of The Barefoot Boy. In the first questionnaire, this selection made a very exceptional gain from Grade III to Grade IV — from 20 per cent of the teachers fa- voring it in one grade to 86 per cent favoring it in the next (less than ten teachers judged it in either grade). In the second questionnaire, however, this selection was judged by the teachers of Grades IV to VIII inclusive and responses from 40 to 69 teachers per grade obtained. Here, consistent gains were made throughout the intermediate grades, thus con- firming the suspicion that the exceptional gain made in Ques- tionnaire I was due largely to the small number of teachers judging the selection. Likewise Abou Ben Adhem showed an unusual gain from Grade IV to Grade V in Questionnaire I, but a more thorough canvass of teachers as afforded by the second questionnaire indicated that the teachers in the first gave it too high a rating. Such cases as those just cited re- sulted from the small numbers of teachers judging the selec- tions in the first questionnaire. GENERAL RESULTS FIRST, SECOND QUESTIONNAIRES 33 DO m w g a (h O a fc b 5 <) a « o fe g - a H 2 O H K Ph H w a H «1 fc H W a a a u 3 o a U fc Ed a w S H H h a O fe g «4 H O a S f H K o O a o bJ H to H fc 5 * a «n ASBg[ raq^qa auiitqa Pio; 1PM IBJOJ\[ A^lEtf hoi^bz aan^B^j; 'ssanpnix 'ain^uaApy aoniriH suiaiqoad UOI^OB aiq^JOABj Aonanbaj^ COWNNnHINH It-H I I I OiT— I h cn cn th i— i i-H OOO CD I ico «o ooeoi t-H CT> SO Tfi oj rSi rf£ f< « k^ " -^ ss s: o -^ -^ f<=: c -is r- 03 a> So 34 UNIVERSITY OP WISCONSIN STUDIES In the third place, the second questionnaire elicited com- ments upon standard selections which were seldom or never mentioned in the first. As examples, Paul Revere was re- ported upon only twice in Grade VIII in the first question- naire, while teachers of Grades III to VIII reported upon it in the second, and Horatius at the Bridge which was reported upon 12 and 15 times, respectively, in Grades VII and VIII was judged 52 and 42 times, respectively, in the second. Recurrences of Selections in Different Grades Many reading selections recur in different grades. Exam- ples of recurrence found in Questionnaire I are Cinderella in Grades I to III, Dick Whittington in Grades II to IV, The Barefoot Boy in III to VI, Aladdin in I to V, Horatius at the Bridge in IV to VIII, and different versions of The Pied Piper in II to VII. These cases of recurrence raise the question of the correct placement of reading selections which is treated in Chapter IX. This investigation has led to the collecting of experiential data pointing to the grades in which some selections ordinarily become appropriate. For example, Dick Whittington is not ordinarily judged as appropriate until Grade III, although the pupils of several succeeding grades are interested in this tale. Other examples occur in Table V and again in the tables of Chapter IX. These experiential data should be interpreted as showing only how early and not how late these selections may be used. Summary This chapter presents the judgments of teachers upon a large body of reading material now in general use. These teachers who administer this material assert that many very undesirable as well as many highly desirable selections have become estab- lished in the reading course. The data show that many selec- tions are used in two or more grades. Several problems arise out of these data and discussions: (1) the determination of standards for eliminating undesirable selections ; (2) the formulation of bases for detecting superior GENERAL RESULTS FIRST, SECOND QUESTIONNAIRES 35 selections; (3) the grading of selections so as to avoid (a) over-maturity or under-maturity of reading material and (b) too extensive duplications in different grades. Attention has been called to teachers' agreement upon the desirability of flexible placement for many selections. Before these prob- lems can be adequately considered, a detailed study of the qualities of reading selections must be made. Such a study is undertaken in the following chapter. CHAPTER IV THE QUALITIES OF READING SELECTIONS The terms used by teachers to characterize reading selec tions are descriptive rather than analytical. In the first ques- tionnaire, teachers used whatever terms they happened to choose ; in the second, they used defined terms drawn from a classified list. Pupils' use of terms was restricted only by the selections presented to them and the terms at their disposal. The purpose of this chapter is to show the frequency and to discuss the importance of the qualities of reading selections as indicated by the terms used by teachers and pupils. Undesirable Qualities General Discussion of Tables and Diagrams. Table VII shows the names and percentages of frequency of the unde- sirable qualities mentioned in both questionnaires. In addi- tion to these undesirable qualities, several others were men- tioned in the first questionnaire. The most important of these is uninteresting, which attains percentages ranging from 19 to 46 for the eight grades. In the second questionnaire this term does not occur because it was subsumed under others. 1 One per cent of the teachers of Grades V to VIII stated that their pupils dislike poetry. But dislike of poetry is omitted from the table of qualities because evidence shows clearly that the popular notion of this dislike is based upon pupils' dislike either of certain poems or of poems which are not well taught. One other quality, lack of content, was mentioned by 2 per cent of the teachers of Grades I and II. The selections thus described are alleged to provide merely for "word drill" ; all of these comments are made upon the same series of readers. The quality too mature occurs less frequently in the second questionnaire than in the first because the teachers in respond- iSee Chapter II for directions to teachers. QUALITIES OF READING SELECTIONS ■il ing to the second stated the reasons for over-maturity by using such terms as hard words, unfamiliar subject matter, abstract, and hard symbolism. TABLE VII The Frequency of Each Undesibable Quality Shown in Percent- AGES FOB THE DlFFEBENT GRADES IN THE TWO QUESTIONNATBES* Qualities Too mature Hard words Unfamiliar sub ject matter... Too long Abstract or hard symbolism __ Too sad Tired of it No story, lacks action- Scrappy Too child- ish Un- real Too didactic- Characters disliked _. Monoto- nous Bad moral teaching.. Not well told Grades V VI VII VIII 199 148 221 170 116 140 136 131 33 92 39 77 19 49 16 38 13 57 17 64 8 51 8 39 6 23 10 24 5 22 6 17 9 88 10 107 3 90 4 88 5 26 4 44 3 52 5 61 3 14 3 14 2 13 1 5 19 14 20 21 8 19 4 15 3 4 8 25 9 18 1 2 1 2 2 6 3 5 3 3 4 6 7 44 8 21 2 4 2 2 2 6 2 5 3 5 2 6 2 52 3 17 1 4 1 2 1 5 2 6 1 47 2 14 1 3 1 3 "The percentages were derived by using- the numbers of teachers t P i e e r S | r s a t d h e e a d S iv t \so e r S s. and the t0tal fre « uencfes of the reYpectiv^q^an" 38 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES Table VIII shows the relative frequencies of the terms by which both pupils and teachers characterize unsatisfactory se- lections. In this table, three terms of Table VII are omitted. These terms, bad moral teaching, characters disliked, and too didactic are seldom used and never more than twice in the com- ments on a given selection even in Questionnaire II. Some of the qualities included in Table VII are not common in the first questionnaire, but recur frequently when suggested to teachers in the second. For example, 16 teachers report that The Wreck of the Hesperus is too sad in Grade III ; relatively large numbers reported similarly on The Prisoner of Chillon, The Fall of the House of Usher, and Thanatopsis in the later grades. The recurrence of the use of the term too sad in com- ments upon a few selections is in contrast with the sporadic occurrence of the terms which have been omitted from Table VIII. The terms not well told and scrappy are included here because the style of certain selections in certain series of read- ers seems to limit the success of these selections. Diagrams I and II show in graphic form the data of Table VIII. Table IX shows the relative frequencies of terms used in characterizing the most unsatisfactory selections. The data here shown from the second questionnaire refer to the analyses of the selections which the pupils say "they dislike most." Detailed Discussion of Each of the Undesirable Qualities. Too mature; abstract; hard zvords. The diagrams emphasize the prevalence of the quality too mature, and show conclusive- ly that teachers regard much reading material as over-mature for their classes. Detailed analyses are made in the next chapter of such selections. Unfamiliar subject matter. Closely related to over-matur- ity of selections is the pupils' unfamiliarity with subject mat- ter. The tables show that the term unfamiliar subject matter is frequently used by teachers of all grades. Teachers make this criticism of Paid Revere' s Ride for Grade IV ; here, one may well excuse them from the labor of adding sufficient con- tent 10 prepare their pupils for this selection, because it is in advance of the work in United States history and is written in a style suitable for older pupils. Analogous comments QUALITIES OP READING SELECTIONS 89 TABLE VIII The Relative Frequencies of the Most Important Undesirable Qualities in the Teachers' Responses to Questionnaires I and II* Ques- Qualities tion- Grades naire I II III IV V VI VII VIII Too ( I 60 60 61 62 65 65 66 73 mature ( II 25 28 30 30 28 28 28 26 Hard ( I 15 13 11 10 10 11 11 9 words l II 13 15 18 19 18 13 10 8 Unfamiliar sub-j I 6 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 jeet matter—/ II 6 9 10 10 11 11 10 9 Abstract or hard \ I 1 2 3 4 3 3 2 2 symbolism ] II 9 10 12 16 17 18 17 19 No story, j I 5 6 6 6 6 5 5 2 lacks action__] II 6 4 2 2 3 3 3 3 Un- j I 2 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 real / II 6 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 Too j I 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 long l II 9 6 5 5 4 4 4 4 Scrappy j I 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 II 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Too j I 1 1 2 1 1 2 3 sad / II 3 4 3 5 5 10 13 Too child- j I 2 2 2 3 2 1 1 ish { II 6 6 5 3 5 10 10 Tired J I 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 of it I II 3 4 4 3 3 2 1 Monoto- j I 2 2 1 1 1 1 nous I II 13 8 5 2 1 1 1 Not well f I 1 2 2 2 1 1 told 1 II 1 1 1 1 1 1 *The relative frequencies were derived by using- the sums of the frequencies of these qualities for each of the grades as divisors and the frequencies of the respective qualities as bases. 40 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES TABLE IX The Relative Frequencies of Undesirable Qualities in Judgments Upon the Most Undesirable Selections. Based Upon the Judg- ments of the Teachers Who Responded to Both Questionnaires* Ques- Qualities tion- Grades naire I II III IV V VI VII VIII Too S I 42 48 74 56 58 78 65 72 mature \ II 13 15 16 12 9 5 7 9 Hard S I 30 15 4 21 19 14 16 5 words _ ] II 14 15 17 18 19 19 15 13 Unfamiliar sub-i I 4 7 3 7 6 8 ject matter__] II 12 12 12 13 13 14 13 14 Abstract or hardy I II 3 13 3 19 21 2 24 ?, symbolism —\ 5 6 9 26 No story, j I 9 15 10 6 12 7 5 12 lacks action__{ II 8 8 8 9 9 11 10 11 Un- ( I 4 1 3 5 1 1 6 real ( II 7 7 g 9 10 g 6 4 Too ( I II 1 14 2 12 g 1 7 1 long \ 5 4 4 4 Scrappy C I II 2 3 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 Too f I II .__ _. 1 5 5 1 5 3 11 1 sad \ 6 9 12 Too child- f I II 1 1 __ __ 1 3 v ish { 3 2 2 2 2 Tired f I II 4 3 of it I 4 4 3 3 ? 1 Monoto- ( I II 1 10 3 7 1 3 nous { 5 4 3 3 3 Not well f I II 2 6 5 6 5 4 1 1 told. j 3 1 2 1 •The relative frequencies were derived as in Table "VII. could be made with reference to using either The Prisoner of Chillon or Marmion and Douglas in the intermediate grades. Too childish. At the other extreme, a few selections are regarded as too childish. Such selections vary in number from grade to grade, but there are about as many for Grade I as for Grade VIII. The most common cause for the criticism is the duplication of the content of readers used in different grades. Some selections are doubly unfortunate in this re- spect. Of those on which data have been collected, The Pied Piper and Hiawatha are noteworthy. These selections not QUALITIES OP READING SELECTIONS 41 Qualities Too mature Unfamiliar subject mat- ter ,abs tract, and hard symbolism No story, lacks action, unreal, too long, too sad, scrappy, too child- ish, tired of it, mono- tonous, not well told Diagram I. The relative frequencies of the most important desir- able qualities in Questionnaire I. Based on Table VII. Combinations are here made in order to emphasize the frequency of the use of terms denoting over-maturity of subject matter. Qualities Too mature Unfamiliar subject mat- ter, abstract, and hard symbolism Ho story, lacks action, unreal, too long, too sad, scrappy, too child- ish, tired of it mono- tonous, not well told Diagram II. The relative frequencies of the most important un- desirable qualities in Questionnaire II. Based on Table VII. Com- binations are made as in Diagram I. 42 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES only appear in many readers but are rendered in various forms so that when the poems are finally used many pupils either regard them as too childish or are already tired of them. No story. The terms no story and lacks action are elicited from both teachers and pupils in the case of such selections as Gray's Elegy, The Chambered Nautilus, and Abou Ben Adhem. Pupils' additional comments on Abou Ben Adhem include the following (Grades VII and VIII, School A) : "too serious", "dry", "not much adventure and exciting things." Similar comments occur in pupils' statements about The Cham- bered Nautilus: "I can see no scheme or story in this although the descriptions are beautiful", and "dislike because not ad- venturous." Monotonous. The term monotonous is dependent upon the same literary form that gives rise to the term interesting repe- tition, namely, the cumulative arrangements used to ensure drill during the early grades. Some selections, as The Three Bears, possess content of sufficient interest to avoid this adverse criti- cism and are, therefore, commended for their interesting repe- tition. Other selections, as The Endless Tale, have enough interesting content to avoid adverse comments from only a part of the teachers. There seem, consequently, to be two ways of avoiding monotony and at the same time securing drill during these grades: (1) the avoidance of repetition unless the subject matter is of great interest, and (2) the use of de- vices employed to make drill periods interesting — games, for example, in which flash cards are used for drilling on difficult or new words. The relative frequency of the term monotonous decreases from grade to grade, thus paralleling the course of interesting repetition, as shown in Table XII. Unreal. The term unreal was used by many teachers, but was not often applied to any one selection. No selection of the list for Grade I was so described by more than one teacher in the second questionnaire. Two selections, Baron Mun- chausen and The Fall of the House of Usher were so regarded by a much higher percentage of the teachers of the later grades. We find, however, that only about 20 per cent of the pupils regard the Munchausen tales as too unreal while a much QUALITIES OF READING SELECTIONS 43 higher percentage find them interesting just because they are "nonsensical", "untrue", or "impossible." Too sad. Certain selections, as Thanatopsis and Gray's Elegy, are responsible for the greater part of the use of the term too sad. Some additional selections, unless very care- fully presented, also leave an undesirable impression of sad- ness with pupils. The comments of older pupils indicate, how- ever, that the poem entitled The Wreck of the Hesperus is a favorite because it does arouse a feeling of sadness. Here also the teacher may control the appeal and turn an undesir- able effect into a desirable one by emphasizing one aspect of the poem rather than another. Not well told. Literary form affects the success of scores of selections, some of which will be analyzed in later chap- ters. The comparison of teachers' reactions to different ver- sions of the same stories is, however, inconclusive on this point because selections having sufficient merit to gain a place in more than one series of readers are usually interesting enough to counteract a poor rendering. There are, neverthe- less, a few selections which are favorites only with teachers using certain versions. For example, in Questionnaire I, The Gingerbread Boy is mentioned from one to sixteen times, re- spectively, by teachers reporting upon the versions found in six different readers. This selection is mentioned by all the eleven teachers reporting on the Riverside readers, but only once by the ten teachers using another series. An additional example, the selection entitled The Clever Jackal, is discussed in the next chapter. Two matters probably control this select- ive process: (1) the attractiveness of the version and (2) the relative attractiveness of other selections in the same reader. The comments regarding the teachers' responsibility for the success of reading matter are made because of the writer's firm belief that although method and content are separable as- pects of the problem of teaching reading, they are often re- solved into a single complex aspect. It is suggested that, if superior teaching were exhibited, many of the undesirable qualities would diminish materially. 44 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES TABLE X The Frequency of Each Desirable Quality Shown in Percentages for the Two Questionnaires* Group I. (Qualities which make a selection intrinsically interesting) Ques- Qualities tion- Grades naire I II III IV V VI VII VIII Interesting ( I 23 20 17 17 20 20 22 23 action / II 270 271 237 197 180 215 228 238 Interesting \ I 7 11 22 29 34 26 20 13 characters j II 33 48 66 83 83 96 113 140 Interesting i I 17 15 14 13 15 16 18 17 problems 1 II 45 58 64 65 64 72 81 90 Interesting | I 12 18 29 33 33 34 33 30 information.-? II 19 35 37 31 40 54 70 71 Interesting j I 10 6 3 repetition / II 346 238 113 29 15 12 12 8 Humor j I 16 25 30 26 30 34 32 20 II 163 174 163 166 179 182 222 206 Home j I 3 2 1 3 5 5 4 4 life ( II 41 30 28 25 44 58 78 84 Child ( I 12 11 14 13 13 8 5 2 life I II 90 94 120 141 135 94 55 44 Character \ I 2 3 4 5 9 13 16 study 7 II 42 68 111 134 163 188 218 233 Dramatic \ I 16 19 26 30 36 32 27 17 action / II 225 230 226 195 181 188 222 240 Heroism j I 2 5 9 12 14 14 12 10 II I 10 8 ! 164 1 217 2 223 2 216 3 227 4 216 Romance \ 4 II I 13 1 16 4 15 5 21 6 37 4 63 7 85 8 100 Knight- j 9 hood I II I 50 24 45 24 50 23 53 17 63 13 64 Kind- ( 11 16 7 ness | II 185 215 254 238 227 173 172 154 Nature \ I 25 20 13 9 7 5 4 2 II I 192 29 147 26 110 22 83 15 121 13 134 8 168 6 170 Dramati- J 4 zation / II 246 198 144 88 74 65 66 70 Personifica- j I 3 3 3 1 1 tion / II 188 122 87 40 33 28 28 27 About animals 1 or animal j I 23 24 25 22 19 11 6 1 play 1 II 244 211 183 103 84 44 42 25 Fairy element 1 or supernat- j I 12 18 21 22 16 12 7 4 ural 1 II 228 313 321 321 319 185 109 80 Festival J I 24 15 5 2 3 3 1 1 element ( II 84 46 27 36 53 57 54 53 •The percentages were derived by using the number of teachers per grade as bases and the total frequencies of the respective qualities as divisors. QUALITIES OP READING SELECTIONS 45 Group II. (Qualities commonly mentioned along with desirable results of teaching). Qualities Moral Patri- otism Cultivates imagination. Stimulates thought Cultivates expression __ Enlarges vocabulary— Ques- tion- naire I II I II I II I II I II I II 1 22 254 1 23 13 130 2 50 5 128 3 58 II 36 299 2 17 14 141 2 28 4 133 2 61 III 54 306 4 15 14 144 4 43 4 105 1 64 Grades IV V VI VII VIII 55 62 52 35 28 253 252 293 323 333 6 7 6 8 8 16 29 45 72 86 17 17 14 8 3 139 131 125 128 131 6 7 7 8 9 39 66 71 84 79 3 4 3 2 1 72 81 106 127 129 2 2 1 1 50 58 68 73 67 Group III. (Qualities which are dependent upon literary merit). Well told.. Rhyme Rhythm Diction easy- Content easy- Variety Familiar sub- ject matter ( I 5 8 12 15 17 15 16 ) II 85 103 126 132 150 174 207 ( I 7 5 4 3 4 3 2 ) II 124 103 81 74 81 89 79 ( I 4 3 2 2 2 1 1 ) II 226 217 182 156 179 195 231 ( I 3 3 4 4 5 4 4 \ 11 16 18 16 17 26 40 64 ( 1 45 37 30 25 24 19 19 1 II 115 116 115 112 119 118 123 \ I 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 ) II 19 20 21 14 17 18 20 \ I 9 9 8 6 4 2 1 -1 ! II 134 103 73 42 49 57 69 16 233 "~66~ 1 234 3 82 14 128 17 "73" Desirable Qualities The frequencies with which each desirable quality was men- tioned in the questionnaires are shown in Tables X and XI. These qualities have been divided into three somewhat arbi- trarily defined groups. Group I contains qualities tending to make a selection intrinsically interesting to pupils; Group II, qualities commonly mentioned in connection with the desirable results of teaching; and Group III, qualities depending chiefly upon the literary merits of the selections. These groups are discussed in consecutive order in the following pages. Table XI shows the relative frequencies of the qualities 46 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES which seem to be the determinants of pupils' interests in read- ing selections. Although some of these qualities occur no oftener than other qualities, their presence in the comments on practically every desirable selection indicates that they and not other qualities determine the interest. Diction, rhyme, moral value, and degree of difficulty need to be considered, but both teachers and pupils agree that the qualities catalogued in Table XI govern the merit of reading matter. For example, a selec- tion with excellent diction may be referred to as "mere words" ; or, one having excellent moral teachings be "too didactic" or have "too obvious" a moral. If instead of looking for didactic qualities in a standard reading selection, one looks for the qualities of Group I, the moral and other important values will, teachers contend, be more impressively taught than if di- dactic qualities determine desirability. Another reason for designating certain qualities as determinants is that the selec- tions judged to be the "best" in the respective lists in the sec- ond questionnaire have been found to exemplify these quali- ties to a marked degree, while the selections judged to be the "poorest" almost without exception fail to do so. In answer to the possible objection that the qualities here regarded as de- terminants merely aid in teaching or cater to the superficial desires of pupils, it may be said, first, that no critics of reading matter object to the presence of any of these qualities and, second, that a careful study shows that the finest examples of literary achievement abound with these characteristics rather than with merely formal qualities. The determinants refer then to attributes of good literature and, at the same time, to attributes of content by means of which didactic or other formal results may be most readily attained. The grouping of qualities under eleven terms in Table XI conceals very little so far as either teachers' estimates of pupils' interests or the interests of teachers themselves are concerned. Diagram III shows graphically the data for Questionnaire II as shown in Table XI. The high percentage of teachers naming each quality when judging a large and representative group of selections gives value to the relative frequencies of the qualities shown in this diagram. The diagram emphasizes QUALITIES OF READING SELECTIONS 47 Qualities Dramatic ac- tion, adventure and heroic Interesting act ion Kumor Fairy and supernatural Interesting characters % etc. Interesting problems, char- acter study Kindness and faithfulness Animals and personlf icat io-k Dramatization Interesting repetition Interesting information □ Diagram III. The relative frequencies of the moat important de- sirable qualities in Questionnaire II. Based on Table XI. 48 UNIVERSITY OP WISCONSIN STUDIES TABLE XI The Relative Frequencies of the Most Important Desirable Quali- ties Based Upon the Judgments of Teachers Who Responded to Both Questionnaires* Ques- Qualities tion- Grades naire Dramatic ac- I II III IV V VI VII VIII tion, adven- 1 ture, and I 7 9 15 20 23 23 19 19 heroic 1 II 14 19 23 27 28 28 28 28 Interesting ac- f tion (not \ I 8 8 9 10 10 9 11 14 dramatic) ___l II 11 11 9 9 8 10 11 12 Humor _ j I II 10 7 13 6 11 6 9 7 9 8 12 10 14 11 10 10 Fairy and \ I 7 7 8 7 6 5 3 2 supernatural _| II 9 13 13 14 11 9 5 5 Interesting characters, J home life, or 1 I 16 12 13 13 16 14 19 13 child life 1 II 7 6 8 12 14 14 13 13 Interesting problems andl character I 8 7 6 6 7 10 14 20 study 1 II 3 5 7 8 10 11 13 14 Kindness and ( I 6 8 10 9 8 6 4 4 faithfulness __/ II 8 9 10 10 10 8 9 8 About animals, [ animal play, J or personifi- I 13 14 9 8 7 4 2 1 cation _ J II 16 13 10 6 5 3 3 3 Dramatization, [ availability \ I 13 10 7 6 5 3 2 2 for __ | II 10 8 7 4 3 3 3 3 Interesting \ I 5 3 1 repetition j II 14 9 5 1 1 1 1 1 Interesting j I 7 9 11 12 9 14 12 15 information _| II 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 •The relative frequencies were derived as in Tables VIII and IX. the desirability of providing selections portraying action of a dramatic or otherwise interesting character. Qualities Which Make Reading Selections Intrin- sically Interesting Interesting Repetition; Interesting Problems. Diagram IV shows the shifting of interest from grade to grade. Inter- esting repetition, for example, passes from the third place in QUALITIES OF READING SELECTIONS 4» Grade I to the fifth in Grade II ; thence nearly to the last place where it remains. In contrast with this is the course of inter- esting problems, which moves from next to the last place in the list to the second position in Grade VIII. While cumula- tive tales with their interesting repetition are used only in the early grades, the subject matter of all grades admits of raising problems, as, for example, questions dealing with character study. The data show, therefore, that at present the relative importance of these and other qualities varies from grade to grade. The extent to which this variation is due to the char- acter of the subject matter now used or to the possibility of arousing the child's interests in any other subject matter is not shown. Diagram V shows in another way the frequency changes of important qualities which vary from grade to grade. Interesting Action. Interesting action is the best guaran- tee of success for a selection. A passage may be as success- ful with simple non-dramatic action as with action of a dra- matic or adventurous character. Among the most successful selections, however, are many which exemplify both types of action, as The Pied Piper and Dick Whittington. The fre- quency of terms which can be subsumed under interesting ac- tion shows that if a selection is not to be greatly enlivened by the teacher, it must possess qualities of action. Furthermore, this quality is often accompanied by other desirable qualities such as interesting characters, home life, and child life, as in Cosette, Dick Whittington, and How Cedric Became a Knight. The success of these passages attests the desirability of such combinations of appeal. Table XII contains data upon the selections designated as the "best" in the responses to Questionnaire II. 2 The small number of these selections probably accounts for the irregu- larities of the table but, at any rate, there is a striking simi- larity to the more general results shown in Table XL The importance of action throughout the grades, of interesting repetition and animal play in the early grades, and the increas- ing prominence of interesting problems, interesting characters, •The selections designated as the "best" are shown in Table XVII of Chapter VI. 50 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES en H P < O « W 5 o m o ^ W i— i H S 03 S M 3 K a 5 w 3 f C «- 3 _ ^ 3 »H fa K 3 cd cd a S3 Cd - Q§ b -3 jo cd 60S ■& d ? 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O 0>3 a ° 5 cd be a a £ 3 4) 03 y oj iS ■- 2 OJ 3 4-1 CO BjB ►M CJ bO a 0) *-> w a a a c N QUALITIES OF READING SELECTIONS 51 TABLE XII The Relative Frequencies of the Most Important Desirable Quali- ties in the "Best" Selections in Questionnaire II* Qualities Grades Dramatic action, adven- ture, and heroic Interesting action 'not dramatic) Humor Fairy element or supernatural Interesting characters, home life, and child life Interesting problems and character study- Kindness and faithful- ness About animals, animal play, and personifica- tion Dramatization, availability for Interesting repetition.. Interesting information I ; II 19 22 13 12 3 7 3 2 16 18 11 4 9 5 6 13 12 7 2 ; III IV V 24 24 23 12 7 13 5 13 4 6 6 7 11 14 17 9 12 14 10 13 11 8 5 3 8 3 3 5 5 3 3 VI VII VIII 22 10 18 12 6 9 9 10 10 8 7 4 18 20 22 15 16 17 7 6 6 2 1 1 5 1 6 6 4 6 6 ~/ The u rela MY e frequencies were derived by dividing the frequencies or each quality by the total frequencies of all qualities for each re- spective grade. and interesting information show that the general results may be depended upon as guides to the best selections. Animals, Animal Play, and Personification. In the early grades, stories of animal play are important. Such stories are supplanted in the intermediate grades by Black Beauty, Pa- trasche the Dog of Flanders, and the like. Although animal stories are favorites, too few of them appear in the readers used in the later grades to give the quality about animals great importance. Dramatization. Dramatization is important throughout the grades. Such selections as The Pied Piper are suitable for dramatization in any of the grades in which they are used. The Courtship of Miles Standish and The Merchant of Venice are often used for this purpose in the upper grades. Fairy Element and Supernatural. The fairy story is very important in Grades II to V. Tables XI and XIII indicate 52 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES differentiations made in the use of the terms fairy and super- natural in the different grades. Such stories as The Shoemaker and the Elves and Rip Van Winkle illustrate this differentia- tion. The pupils' reactions show clearly that interest in fairy tales does not end with the passing of the intermediate grades. Indeed, a high percentage of grammar grade pupils profess enjoyment in the tale of Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp. The results indicate that a failure to use such tales in the later grades should not be attributed to a lack of interest in fairies or the supernatural. Kindness, Faithfulness, and Loyalty. Kindness and faithfulness are frequently used in connection with other quali- ties. For example, the faithfulness of Patrasche and the kind- ness of the stranger in Cosette enhance the interest of pupils in selections which are interesting even apart from the pres- ence of these qualities. Humor. Humor is an important quality throughout the grades. Only occassionaly does one find both teachers and pupils who look askance at material which exemplifies this quality. Such persons either fail to see anything humorous in such selections as The One-hoss Shay and the Adventures of Baron Munchausen or regard them as "silly." Interesting Information. The older reading selections containing informational material are especially unfortunate in all of the grades. The reason for this lack of interest in these selections is obvious if one bears in mind the attributes of popular selections. There is, however, no evidence that well-graded informational material is not interesting. Indeed, the popularity of the Community Life Leaflets is as great as that of any other selections upon which data have been col- lected. The quality interesting information has importance also in such selections as The Leak in the Dike: teachers sup- ply additional information about Holland and report that they succeed very well so far as interest is concerned. Qualities Commonly Mentioned Along With the Desirable Results of Teaching Moral; Cultivation of Imagination. Among qualities mentioned along with desirable results of teaching the moral QUALITIES OF READING SELECTIONS 53 500 400 Fairy and supernatural Id r, 3oc\ zoo u 3 u u u. \oo GRADES • 2 3 4-5678 500 l Animals and _]»rsonification 400 Grades i 234-5678 Dr mat ixat ion Grapes i 234-5678 5oo 4-oo 3oo 2oo loo — i v / \ / k 7 V L / ai Idrenture _ id heroism.. Grapes I a 3 4- 5 6 7 8 500 4oo r ui a£oo o ul Interesting _. problems w W E-" OJIl^BUI OOJj SpjOAl pj^H pes ooj. KSTSft Pio; IPM reioj\[ ssanpntx ojn^naApy jouinu uoi^Buuojni noipra saa^o'BJBqD suiaiqojd siidnd 9pei£) DQ OrtCO I Tfco^oo CO T— I 1— no 1— I t— Tjl IClOIOr-lTtiOOt^COCOCOCOOOCMO co eo oo t^Ttii rji lO lO l~- lO CO OS ^ Tf l^ Tf 1 HfcEHPLlEHfcE-lpLHEH&fcfcE-HpLHE-HfcEHfc - t > B t >>B t > El PS 56 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES 8jn}T3UI ooj. SpiOM pJBfj pBS OOX Xsb3 CQQOO pi OS CO OS CO rHOO iocoeocMrf > >£ > p ► > p »s A. s ?s> » i i w >z ii it M 1 1 ICM 1 1 — < a B 1 1 1 1— 1 1 1 CO p ICOCOCOIO'H Ed Q 05 3 M Ph K2i IrHlOCOTfCO 1 tO to t— 1 CM t> Ph E3 £c? 1 CM CM t— 1 1 i—i 02 a fc ^ 1 IOCM 1 1 Q ft a 1 IOCO 1 1 1 1 i—l II Ed 3 s i^ as ot~-co B HH ICM to to thhic ^ Ed i_|CM 1 1— i i i i i Ed — M < >a i co i i i i H fa & rt 1 1 1 O© 1 o o CO u a 1 1 1010 I i i 1 1— i i Ed H H CO C3 PS << a ICM 1 IOOCN W Ed e Ph ICM 1 1 "HHtO a IO lOl-H© 3 h-T 1 CO If-rHT" £ Ed PS . IO IO IO a IO IO IO ^ fc 1 1— 1 1 1—1 1 1— 1 o o £ as i i i i co co i i i i to R 3 EH 02 >B co to i i r>- cm H w Ed ED ■*f i i ro to rn O a . 1 1 1 1 IO PS o a 1 1 1 1 IO 1 1 1 1 1 1—1 fa < te £ 3 US 1 1 1 ll-H a Ed Ph co i i i i to Ph o £~j cm -h i i i i i 02 — CO hC i— i i i i i i E3 Ed PS IO 1 1 1 1 1 t- — 1 I 1 I I Ph Ed Q ►d fc C9 Ed w fa o YK C a tSfcN^t^j •66 UNIVERSITY OP WISCONSIN STUDIES Analysis of Undesirable Reading Selections In order to show more fully the reasons for the unsatisfac- tory character of the subject matter discussed in this chapter, analyses of several selections have been made. The Whistle. Our analysis begins with a selection which has for several generations been found in readers and has given rise to one of our popular sayings. This selection, The Whistle, by Benjamin Franklin, was mentioned unfavorably thirty-seven times in the first questionnaire for Grades IV and V and favor- ably only once. Excepting two fifth-grade teachers who say that their pupils are tired of it, all refer only to its hard words and over-maturity. It is contained in substantially the same form so far as content is concerned in books four and five of two widely used series of readers and in the fifth book of an- other series published for use in a single state. In looking for difficult words, one finds in a fifth-grade ver- sion the following expressions which might be new or trouble- some for many pupils : directly, voluntary, vexation, reflection, chagrin, ambitious, court favor, sacrificing, levees, popularity, political bustles, benevolent, accumulating, man of pleasure, audible, corporeal, sensations, appearance, equipages, and con- tracts debts. In the version intended for Grade IV, only a few of these expressions remain : directly is changed to at once; voluntary is omitted; reflection is changed to thought of it; chagrin is changed to shame; ambitious, sacrificing, court favor, levees, popularity, and political bustles are avoided by omitting the sentences containing them ; accumulating is chang- ed to heaping up. The sentence reading, "When I see a man of pleasure, sacrificing every laudable improvement of mind or of his fortune, to mere corporeal sensations," etc., is changed to "When I see a man neglecting the improvement of his mind, wasting his fortune," etc. The remainder of the difficult ex- pressions are avoided in the fourth-grade book by omitting two other sentences. In the use of the fifth-grade selection, approximately twenty expressions would need explanation to pupils of that grade. Assuming that a few words should be added to the pupils' vo- ELIMINATION OF UNDESIRABLE READING SELECTIONS 67 cabulary, we might argue that this list is not too long. Here, however, we meet with another difficulty, namely, the sentence structure. The second sentence of the fifth-grade version reads as follows : "I went directly to a shop where they sold toys for children, and being charmed with the sound of a whistle that I met by the way in the hands of another boy, I voluntarily offered and gave all my money for one." The fourth-grade version divides and otherwise simplifies this sentence. This involved style persists throughout the fifth-grade version. The fifth-grade pupils are thus confronted with examples and applications drawn from adult life, by many difficult words, and many difficult sentence constructions. The closest observers of pupils of this grade, namely, the teachers, report that the pupils do not react favorably to the anecdote in this form. The Island of the Fay. Two selections from Poe appear among those which seventh-grade teachers find unsuitable for teaching purposes. The excerpt from The Fall of the House of Usher is referred to in every case in connection with one of the older series of readers. The Island of the Fay as found in one of the newer series of readers is mentioned by nineteen teachers, all of whom judged it adversely. The reasons for such judgment are as follows : lacks action, unreal, unfamil- iar subject matter, hard words, and over-maturity. An analysis of this selection shows clearly the source of some of the difficulties. The demands made upon the imagination are not beyond the powers of many pupils of this age, but, as commonly taught in this grade, they are beyond the reach of most of the pupils. That is to say, such a selection as this re- quires a careful assignment — such an assignment as it is not always possible to arrange, or else a well-conducted "study lesson." The pupil who, without such preparation, begins read- ing this passage is supposed to pass suddenly from his school world into a very unreal situation. Only those pupils who can readily follow a writer upon one of his "lonely journeyings amid a far distant region of mountain locked within mountain, and sad rivers and melancholy tarns writhing or sleeping with- in all" — only such pupils are able to place themselves in the attitude needed for the appreciation of the story. The brief 68 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES introduction to the scene straightway described contains several phrases which are of slight if any significance to one who can- not readily imagine the appearance of hidden mountains, sad rivers, and writhing tarns. These references constitute for most pupils unfamiliar subject matter and need more than mere explanatory treatment. Such explanatory treatment is prob- ably necessary, but it needs to be supplemented or preceded by an emotional preparation. This emotional preparation would place the pupils in possession of an attitude which many of them may at some time in their lives have assumed while con- templating a situation which was in certain of its aspects simi- lar to Poe's imaginary islet. The possibility of such a prepara- tion is, it seems, a measure of the probable success of this se- lection with the average class. The probability of such a treat- ment by the teacher in a given school can be judged by the superintendent or the principal. Several things may prevent teachers from giving such a preparation : lack of personal interest in the passage, lack of time for their own prepara- tion or for presentation, or lack of ability to inspire interest in such a situation. Also, the suggestions given in manuals for the teaching of such passages as this do not usually lead one to think of anything except the explanation of meanings. At this point we approach the problem of method, which is not the problem of our investigation. Capturing the Wild Horse. The lack of movement might be suggested as another fault of the selection just analyzed. That the presence of movement does not, however, ensure interest is shown by an analysis of the fifth-grade selection en- titled Capturing the Wild Horse 2 . Instead, the fault through- out this passage seems to be that it deals with a type of imagi- nation to which a careful preparatory appeal must be made if the selection is to be successful. This selection contains "action," is well told, and tells about a hunting expedition involving large game. It is, notwithstanding these good qualities, judged as a poor teaching selection by ninety-six per cent of the teachers who mention it. The reasons assigned for such judgments are two : hard words and over-maturity. 2 From Washington Irving's A Tour on the Prairies. ELIMINATION OF UNDESIRABLE READING SELECTIONS 69 All the references to the tale are to the version contained in one of the newer readers. In criticizing this selection, we may analyze it and also com- pare it with successful ones. In the reader containing the selection, there is, immediately following it, a well-selected list of twenty-seven words for the study of pronunciation and of thirty-eight words and phrases for the study of meanings. The tale is approximately four pages in length. There is, there- fore, according to the editor's judgment, an average of about twenty difficult words or phrases per page. There are thirty- five lines per page. One questions whether pupils should be asked to read material which averages more than one major difficulty per sentence as this does. The question is the more troublesome when one notes that the selection contains no "childish" material which would prevent its use being post- poned. The words and phrases listed for special study vary in difficulty, but there are many which would tax severely an eighth-grade pupil. The adventure here reported is one in which only adults par- ticipate. No references are made to children. The adventure is not one about which fifth-grade pupils are likely to have clear notions. Many children have, however, contemplated a solitary existence in the midst of many natural and artifi- cial goods such as surrounded Robinson Crusoe when he was shipwrecked on foreign seas. Crusoe's adventures are replete with the things children do or about which they have had many discussions and thoughts. The capturing of a wild horse might be made equally interesting by approaching it with a consider- ation of so interesting a project as getting wild horses for a circus or for riding. The selection does not contain such refer- ences to a familiar background as run through the account of Robinson Crusoe. The tale of the capture of the wild horse may be compared with another favorite tale. Such a tale is the Story of Robin Hood which also appears in the reader containing the account of the wild horse. In spite of many difficult words or new words such as abbey, jousts, Justiciar, and tryst, the Story of Robin Hood is named as a favorite selection. Reasons given 70 UNIVERSITY OP WISCONSIN STUDIES for the popularity of this story are that it portrays adventure involving the child life of Little John, knighthood, heroism, and kindness, and raises interesting problems such as questions regarding group loyalty and kindness to the weak and the poor. The Capturing of the Wild Horse is handicapped by a lack of such appeals. Capturing wild horses and training them to perform marvelous feats would give the narrative a human appeal. Such interests as it caters to come later in children's development, but even then tales of Rip or Ichabod with their play upon human shortcomings and superstitions are much more certain of a favorable hearing. Pupils care very little about the outcome of the wild horse hunt; a selection which does not compel the reader to finish it must always take its chances with school pupils as it has to with the general read- ing public. A few persons will finish fine literary selections partially for the literary merit; teachers' judgments indicate, however, that school pupils will not appreciate literature better as a result of having read passages in which attention flags as it does in this selection. What Constitutes a State. The poem entitled What Con- stitutes a State has been unfavorably received by teachers. The criticisms indicate that the selection is too mature, too didac- tic, and that it contains symbolism and words which are too difficult. Pupils made similar criticisms and also showed by their answers to questions that the passage is too difficult for them. Reasons for the difficulties mentioned are found in nearly every line of the poem. Such phrases as labored mound, moated gate, turrets crozvned, broad armed ports, laughing at the storm, spangled courts, and perfume to pride occur in lines two to eight at the rate of two per line. These examples of difficult words and difficult symbolism show that a great deal of explanation is needed to enable pupils to understand merely the opening lines. The following questions were asked of the pupils in order to test their comprehension of such phrases as those just quoted : How do rich navies laugh "at the storm"? What is meant by the "state's collected will"? ELIMINATION OF UNDESIRABLE READING SELECTIONS 71 The first of these questions was answered correctly by the following percentages of pupils of Grades VI, VII, and VIII, respectively : 50 per cent, 48 per cent, and 54 per cent ; the second question, by the following percentages : 21 per cent, 58 per cent, and 28 per cent. Avoidance of this passage is recommended by many teachers, while less than 50 per cent of the pupils of Grades VI and VII enjoy or understand it. Thanatopsis. Bryant's Thanatopsis is so widely used and is disliked by so many teachers that it deserves analysis. Over- maturity, abstractness, and sadness are its alleged defects. The well-known opening of this selection exemplifies the undesir- able qualities. First, the sentence order is very unusual. Second, there are several difficult phrases, as Nature's "various language," "communion," and "her visible forms." These phrases conceal the antecedent of "him" in the first line, and confuse the pupil by difficult content and style. The second sentence begins with the brooding thought of the "last bitter hour," and "sad images of stern agony," phrases which, in the opinion of some teachers, had better pass un- explained. The next sentence warns the reader that the "Earth that nourished thee, shall claim thy growth, to be resolved to earth again." These lines are also quite out of keeping with the things which teachers find interesting to pupils. There are, of course, pupils and teachers who are not averse to these dis- mal forebodings. Unless, however, a supervisor has strong reasons for believing that an extraordinarily large percentage of his teachers belong to the group favorable to the poem, he should heed the warning of about 50 per cent of the teachers who find it unsatisfactory. The Fairyland of Science. An informational selection giving difficulty to sixth-grade teachers is The Fairyland of Science. An analysis of it shows a number of faults. First, pupils of Grade VI may secretly enjoy fairy tales, but the clear reference of the title to a childish type of appeal is not con- ducive to interest. The next unfavorable suggestion comes in the first sentence, where the reader is reminded of the com- mon impression that science is "a bundle of dry facts." The next sentence announces the author's attempt to prove that 72 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES this common belief is incorrect. The really interesting mater- ial of this selection is further burdened with subsequent refer- ences to fairyland: "Tell me, why do you love fairy land? What is its character?" etc. This style which is believed to be suitable for children just because it employs references which fit pupils of Grades II to IV gives the impression that the selection is "written down" for children. If there is any- thing which pupils of Grade VI desire to escape, it is the sug- gestion that they are still children. Sixth-grade pupils' judg- ments show that the tale of Aladdin is very interesting to them, although many add that they are "pretty old for fairy tales." In The Fairyland of Science, however, the pupils are told that "wherever they wander," when old as well as when young, these fairies — fabrications for little folk — will follow them. In contrast with the lack of success of this selection is the success of other informational material which is written in a virile unpatronizing style 3 . The Crow. One of the most unsuccessful selections in the newer readers is an adaptation of one of John Burroughs' essays, and is entitled The Crow. This nature-study selection is mentioned sixteen times in the responses to the first ques- tionnaire and each time unfavorably. Its alleged faults are over-maturity and lack of story or action. An analysis of this passage in comparison with a favorite for the same grade shows that the diction of the two selec- tions is about alike in difficulty. In the first paragraph of The Crow, the pupils would need a little help in understanding the phrase, "the air of a lord of the soil." Beyond this, few phrases or words require explanation to the average third- grade class. The selection does not deal with abstractions. The subject matter can be readily understood by pupils. The content presented about the crow's life consists of the following : leaving meat near a window for a crow ; the crow carrying the meat away; the crow lighting on the ground and beginning to eat; a fellow-crow coming near; a struggle ex- pected but avoided; the first crow making a "gesture" and * See Chapter VTI for an account of the success of other informational literature. ELIMINATION OF UNDESIRABLE READING SELECTIONS 73 flying away without the meat; the second crow flying to the meat and starting to eat ; the return of the first crow ; division and carrying away of the meat. The second part of the selec- tion continues: the crow's attitude toward a trap; trying to feed a crow by placing meat on the branch of a tree; a care- ful investigation for three days by two crows ; a portion of meat eaten on the third day ; the position of the meat changed to a fork in the tree and later to the ground ; "but they grew more and more afraid of it" ; a dog carrying away the meat ; and finally the crow quitting the tree. Although similar attempts to feed birds are made by many children in winter, the selection is uninteresting. Nothing un- usual happens, or rather the lack of action in at least two places is the most unusual characteristic of this passage. The ending gives a particularly strong impression of a desire to finish the narrative: "Finally, the dog carried off the bone, and the crows stopped visiting the tree." Such an ending is in marked contrast with the closing of the successful story of the Knights of the Silver Shield which follows the selection under discussion in the reader. In this account of knights, the "golden star" was, at the end of the battle, "still shining," and the lord of the castle addressed the knights as follows: "Sir Roland has fought and won the hardest battle of all to- day." It is noteworthy that Sir Roland did not lay down his shield for some straggler to find, but that a definite objective was attained, and, with the portrayal of a feeling of victory, this superior selection closes. These comments and compari- sons indicate the reasons for the teachers' criticism of the lack of action in The Crow. The Clever Jackal. Despite children's keen interest in animal play, we find among the least liked selections one en- titled The Clever Jackal. The version always referred to in the responses to the first questionnaire is in one of the newest series of readers and has three attractive illustrations. Criti- cisms of the selection are as follows : over-mature, hard words, unfamiliar subject matter, unreal, monotonous, too long, and portrays bad morals. 74 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES The length and monotony are incidental faults inherent in this particular selection; favorite selections as The Three Bears and Three Billy Goats Gruff are no shorter and contain no less repetition. The difference between The Clever Jackal and the favorite selections is that the latter are interesting and, there- fore, neither too long nor monotonous. The story of the jackal runs as follows : A jackal lived near a river to which he went to find some crabs for his dinner. He put his paw into the water to catch a crab, "And snap ! a big Alligator had the paw in his mouth." From this time on the alligator tried to capture the clever animal, but always the jackal was wiser. At last, the jackal came home one day and found the alligator. Instead of trying to overcome his mortal enemy by combat the jackal piled wood in front of the door and burned the house and along with it the alligator. The alleged portrayal of bad morals consists of the deceit practiced on the alligator. For example, when the jackal's paw was caught, he laughed at the alligator for mistaking for a jackal's paw the reeds growing in the river : "So the Alligator opened his mouth and let the little jackal go." Both animals are involved in trickery: the one in order to capture and the other to avoid being captured. Without being prudish, one can detect underhanded diplomacy in the tale. The un familiarity of subject matter is probably due to pu- pils' common ignorance of river and alligator scenes. Also, over-maturity of content is found in the crafty plans for cap- turing and remaining free. Children who have difficulty with the general setting will encounter more difficulty when they try to follow these plans. Rose, Daisy, and Lily. The first-grade selection entitled Rose, Daisy, and Lily is disliked by all the teachers who men- tion it. Lack of action, hard words, and over-maturity are its faults. This three-page selection consists of (1) a description of Rose, Daisy, and Lily growing side by side in a beautiful garden and (2) a conversation about where they spent the win- ter excepting that Daisy, in the spring, does not know where she was. ELIMINATION OF UNDESIRABLE READING SELECTIONS 75 Lack of action is an obvious characteristic of this selection. Action might readily be introduced by an animated introduc- tion, by correlated nature study, or by dramatization. Hard words are found in several lines : Daisy, beautiful, garden, these, alone, flowers, around, none, bright-eyed, winter, white, indeed, asleep, awake, shining, brightly, felt, melting, violet, blossoming, and leaves. Drill upon the following words is pro- vided by a word list which precedes the lesson : these, felt, melt- ing, would, sun, none, and indeed. The other words just cited occur in earlier selections in the reader or are preceded by words upon the same bases : blossoming is preceded by blos- som, around by round, etc. The context of nearly all these words is familiar to the pupils. The only new word which may not have been used is indeed. The teachers' criticism seems, therefore, to result from the lack of drill upon the words as they occur in the reader or the lack of interesting content which might carry pupils over otherwise difficult passages. The content of this selection presents objects of nature in a personified form : flowers are growing in company with their friends and have their periods of rest and of blossoming. Such tales are supposed to be interesting to children. If a selection is unsatisfactory after meeting these requirements, the difficulty may result from the large amount of teaching necessary for its success. In this respect, this selection is well prepared for by three preceding selections upon similar matter which ensure familiarity. The flowers themselves would be interesting to children. The conversation of the flowers is not difficult to follow. Lack of interesting action, hard words, and over- maturity of content as alleged against this selection may be due to a lack of enthusiasm on the part of teachers; at any rate, the teachers do not report success. An analysis of unsatisfactory selections with reference to the presentation of the optimal number of new words per page or per lesson has not been attempted in the present in- vestigation. Such an analysis would involve a tabulation of the words presented in both basal and supplementary readers and is obviously impossible with the kind of data at hand. A more important reason for avoiding such an analysis is that 76 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES hard or new words present difficulties according to pupils' in- terest in the material read, and not merely in proportion to their number. Hard words frequently constitute only an in- cidental difficulty. Evidence of this fact may be seen by com- paring the difficulty of the words contained in the superior selections analyzed in the following chapter with the words contained in the inferior selections analyzed in the present chapter. A sufficient number of inferior selections have been dis- cussed in detail to illustrate the meaning of the term "unde- sirable reading selections." These analyses lead to the follow- ing conclusions regarding the material which teachers and pupils designate as undesirable. Conclusions Only in exceptional cases can teachers interest their pupils in the selections judged undesirable. Teachers agree with regard to the undesirability of these selections. These selections require explanation and analysis by the teachers, and therefore necessitate slow reading in class, make silent reading difficult if not impossible, and lead to verbalism and formalism as a result of attempts to force conceptions of adults upon children insufficiently prepared for them. In view of the great mass of valuable literature which pupils can understand and would probably enjoy, the use of undesir- able material in elementary schools cannot be defended upon the basis of social demands or the lack of an adequate amount of desirable material. CHAPTER VI THE DETECTION OF SUPERIOR READING SELECTIONS In the questionnaires and the direct investigation of pupils, many evidences of the outstanding qualities of superior read- ing selections appear. The purpose of this chapter is to for- mulate norms for use in detecting superior reading matter. To this end data from teachers and pupils are presented after which several representative superior selections are analyzed. Evidences of Desirability Shown by Statements of Teachers and Pupils The Most Desirable Selections for Each Grade. Atten- tion was called in Chapter IV to the variations in the fre- quencies of qualities from grade to grade and to the qualities which seem to be the determinants of superiority. The inter- est of children in these qualities depends so largely upon the form of material read that one hesitates to say that pupils of any grade will be uninterested in selections possessing these qualities. For there are, as examples, animal stories and stories of animal play which are favorites in the lower grades, as Patrasche is in the intermediate and Muir's Stickeen in later grades. Likewise with interesting repetition, adults are attracted by repetition such as that found in some of Poe's poems and in certain famous orations. Furthermore, pupils of Grade I are interested in information applicable to their activities. The discussion of qualities, therefore, leads to the question of availability of types of reading matter of suitable difficulty. The qualities whose frequencies are high through- out the grades are interesting action and character, adventure, humor, easy content, easy diction, and portrayal of the super- natural and of kindness, faithfulness, and loyalty. The persis- tent frequencies of these qualities indicate that superior selec- 78 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES tions for any grade possess them. The large frequencies of easy or familiar emphasize the fact that over-maturity of read- ing matter is very common. In Table XVII are catalogued selections judged superior by either teachers or pupils or both. These lists show typical selections to which a large number of reactions have been ob- tained. The arbitrary standard of superiority set up before making this table admits only the selections favored by 90 per cent or more of the teachers judging them and both favored and comprehended by 80 per cent or more of the pupils who reported upon them. This standard admits practically all se- lections which stood high in either of the questionnaires. Some selections have been placed in only the grades where the high- est percentage of favorable judgments were obtained although high percentages were also obtained in other grades ; that is, selections were placed in the grades in which there was evi- dence of their being from every point of view most superior. A significant value of Table XVII appears when it is studied in connection with Table V of Chapter III. Such a comparison shows that wide use of many selections antedates by several grades the grade in which those selections are superior accord- ing to the standard here set up. For example, Paul Revere 's Ride is superior in Grades VII and VIII, although it is used in Grade IV. Similarly, The Barefoot Boy is used in Grades III to VIII in spite of the fact that it does not rise to the standard of superiority until Grade VII. Other selections show similar misplacements and will be discussed in Chapter IX. Comparative Opinions of Teachers and Pupils. Table XVIII indicates close agreement between teachers and pupils. The percentage of teachers favoring a selection usually exceeds that of the pupils because the pupils passed their judgments before class study while teachers passed theirs afterwards. DETECTION OF SUPERIOR READING SELECTIONS 79 The Gingerbread Boy The Three Bears The Three Little Pigs Three Billy Goats Gruff The Boy and the Goat The Little Red Hen Cinderella Little Boy Blue The Elves and the Shoemaker The Lion and the Mouse Henny Penny How Patty Gave Thanks The Pancake The Crow and the Pitcher The Little Steam Engine The Hare and the Tortoise Tom and the Wind Johnny Cake Tom, Tom the Piper's Son The Bremen Band Christmas Morning TABLE XVII Superior Selections for All Grades* Grade I The Old Woman and Her Pig Lambikin Sing a Song of Sixpence The Clouds What Does Little Birdie Say The Swing My Dream My Shadow The North Wind Our Flag The Star The Squirrels The Little Plant Playing in the Snow Snowbirds Snowflakes Santa Claus Who Is It? Santa Claus? The Night Before Christmas The Caterpillar Grade II The Bremen Band The Three Bears The Three Little Pigs Cinderella Three Billy Goats Gruff Little Red Riding Hood How Mrs. White Hen Helped Rose Lambikin Epaminondas and His Auntie The Robbers The Crow and the Pitcher Androclus and the Lion The Magpie's Lesson The Hare and the Tortoise Town Mouse and Field Mouse The Old Woman and Her Sixpence Jackal and Alligator Hans in Luck When the Little Boy Ran Away The Little Red Hen Ruff's Adventure Columbus Nathan and the Bear Who Became King Mr. and Mrs. Leghorn to the Rescue The Doll's Thanksgiving Dinner The Ant and the Grasshopper Belling the Cat The Golden Touch My Shadow The Swing Our Flag I Saw a Ship a-Sailing Who Has Seen the Wind? Sleeping Beauty Henny Penny Billy Binks 80 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES Grade III The Tar Baby Robinson Crusoe The Leak in the Dike Hans the Shepherd Boy The Wishing Gate Dick Whittington and His Cat Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp The Elves and the Shoemaker The Golden Cups The 'Bell of Atri William Tell The Golden Touch Sleeping Beauty Knights of the Silver Shield Knights of the Silver Arrows Grade Knights of the Silver SJiield Knights of the Silver Arrow How Cedric Became a Knight Florinda Black Beauty Dick Whittington and His Cat The Little Post-boy Maggie Visits the Gypsies Beowulf, the Brave Prince William Tell The Little Acadian Robert of Lincoln Roland the Noble Knight Out to Old Aunt Mary's Tillie's Christmas The Fairy Wand Washington's Boyhood David the Slinger St. George and the Dragon Brownies and the Cook Irene the Idle Hans Who Made the Princess Laugh The Three Wishes Pandora's Box Wynken, Blynken, and Nod The Boy, the Bees, and the British Black Beauty The Skylark's Spurs The Brownies IV Tom, Dick, and Harry The Wishing Gate Patrasche The Brave Boy's Adventure A Boy Hero The Magic Prison Snow White and Rose Red The First Thanksgiving A True Story About Leo The Twelve Months Alexander and Bucephalus Inchcape Rock The History of Tip-Top Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp Grade V Robin Hood The Nurnberg Stove The King of the Golden River Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp Hiawatha Maggie Visits the Gypsies Arabian Nights (Selections) The Leak in the Dike How Cedric Became a Knight Robinson Crusoe Ulysses at the Cyclops William Tell Beautiful Joe A Brave Boy The Simple Old Man The Village Blacksmith Gulliver's Travels Tom the Chimney Sweep The Archery Contest The Sportsman Cosette DETECTION OF SUPERIOR READING SELECTIONS 81 Grade VI The King of the Golden River Kentucky Belle Hiawatha The Legend of Bregenz The Bishop and the Convict Sir Kenneth and the Flag Gulliver's Travels Midget, the Return Horse Tom and Maggie Rip Van Winkle The Courtship of Miles Standish Evangeline Snowbound The Day Is Done King Robert of Sicily The Man Without a Country King Arthur Stories The Barefoot Boy Paul Revere's Ride The Pied Piper of Hamelin How They Brought the Good News William Tell Evangeline Snowbound Paul Revere's Ride The Barefoot Boy The Man Without a Country Rip Van Winkle The Legend of Sleepy Hollow The One-hoss Shay Christmas at the Cratchits' The Courtship of Miles Standish Birds of Killingworth The Heritage Raleigh's Coat Mr. Pickwick's Slide The Splendor Falls The Sandpiper The Daffodil The Revenge Robin Hood The Simple Old Man Birds of Killingworth The Arrow and the Song The Sandpiper William Tell The Pied Piper of Hamelin Horatius at the Bridge Christmas at the Cratchits' Grade VII The Legend of the Moor's Legacy Horatius at the Bridge Christmas at the Cratchits' To a Waterfowl The Sandpiper The Death of Baldur Marmion and Douglas Mr. Pickwick's Slide Birds of Killingworth Before Coins Were Made The Minting of Coins Paper Money Money in the Home and the Community Grade VIII Marmion and Douglas Oh Captain, My Captain How I Killed a Bear A-hunting of the Deer The Gettysburg Address The Prairie Fire Herve Riel The Building of the Ship The Great Stone Face Julius Caesar The Skeleton in Armor The Cricket on the Hearth Randolph and Douglas Before Coins Were Made The Minting of Coins Paper Money Money in the Home and the Community •Selections mentioned favorably by less than ninety per cent of the teachers judging them are excluded from this table. These selections were judged by representative numbers of teachers in one or both of the questionnaires. Some of the selections in the lists for Grades III to VIII were also judged by pupils. 82 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES A p 1 IO> 1 i IONNO ft i i as t i loooooai ii i i 1 1— i i 1 - 1 i i co i i i moo o oo 3 1-1 i i as i i i osaso as >C? II III T— 1 »— i 1 1 1 1 1 1 IO 1 1 a 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1—1 1 1 p 1 1 O 1 ITtiCOCNCD ft i i o i i i air- ao co 1 1 H 1 1 1 »h »— i — i HH i 1 1— i i i i cdon as ^o? i i as i i 101005 0s ii i i i i—i 1— 1 iiiiiiiii r-— Gf i i i i i i i i i as 3 1 ft 1 f— 1~— 1 1 l— ' i— i i ■"# co i i i r*- i i O i asas i i i as t i as VI i— i i i i—i ■ t i i i 1 1— a i i as i i i i i i as FH p as r- i loco i t '"^ O ft asas i i as as i i i oo i— i as t-- i i too i i i c i~ 1 ia,E-,e>c> a bni* ax} ■u cS C u ^ rt « 9 ° o 7o 5o loo 9o 10 * -T o 7o v/> 6o 5o loo 9o Seo o 7o #6o 5o loo 9o ui 8o w _ o lo 5o Th e Boi "■""" ,» a**' *"^ -- ""^ 1 1 5 *> GftAOES D ou 7 glos <* -* * Comprehension loo 9o g8o o 70 60 50 Contprehens ton Dick Whlttington ond his Cat 100 9o = ; 1- r *- — "J -* 5o 5 G P?A( 3E5 4 IOO 9o — t 2 a, — 1 70 w 60 50 GRAPES i 1 — \f&A ss^ •3 I GP AD ES 4 " The Village Blocksmitn loo **> g8o §70 *60 — — t =4 "* 5 V Grades 4- 50 -1-'- loo a! * 80 50 IOO §80 60 50 1 — 1 — 1 1 --r" | ■: J G RA DES 4 b Phoethon loo 870 *6o 5o --" 5 GR AO £S 4 The Ugly Duckling 3 GRADES The WrecK of the Hesperus 80 7o w 60 °, 5o i*- *4o 30 5 G.R AC te 4 80 =- S 50 *4© 3o •j 5 G« *A( >Ci s 4 Diagram VII. Comparison of interest in and comprehension of cer- tain selections as shown by the responses of pupils of two schools within the same school system. ( equals School B; equals School C.) 106 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES TABLE XXIV Correlations Between Different Schools in Interest Grades Schools III ABC IV ABC V u c VI u c VII A U C VIII A C A .__ .90 .96 .90 .__ .86 .93 .86 ___ ___ .90 .76 .90 .__ .69 .76 .69 .80 .71 _._ .95 B C U .88 .70 ___ .881 .70 .71 .71 .95 .80 .71 TABLE XXV Correlations Between Different Schools in Comprehension Grades Schools III ABC IV ABC V u c VI u c VII A U C VIII A C A — .89 .87 .89 ___ .85 .87 .85 — ___ .95 .89 .95 .88 .89 .88 ___ .82 .93 .88 B C U .80 1 .80 .80 .80 .93 .77 .82 .77 .88 variability in the grading of the pupils 'of two schools. It is, however, quite unnecessary to go outside a single school sys- tem to find great differences between schools. Indeed, the differences between the two schools of the same system repre- sented in Diagram VII are as marked as those between schools of different systems. Here we find that in only one case, that of the very easy selection entitled The Ugly Duckling, do the fourth-grade pupils of School C comprehend reading material as well as the third-grade pupils of School B. In their com- prehension of each of the other selections the two schools re- main about two grades apart. Tables XXIV and XXV show the correlation between pupils' comprehension scores and in- terest ratings in different schools. The character and amount of preparation of pupils for read- ing a selection are dependent upon the locality in the case of only a few selections. Among these selections are some deal- ing with nature-study. A reading course cannot be regarded as satisfactory unless it provides proper preparation of pupils READING SELECTIONS AND STANDARDS OF GRADING 107 for such passages. The dependence of pupils' interest upon their comprehension as shown in the following chapter justi- fies a flexible placement of reading material. The only alterna- tive lies in the solution of the difficulties of presenting reading material to the pupils who ordinarily find it very difficult and, therefore, very uninteresting. Conclusions Differences exist among pupils in interests and compre- hension of reading material. Except in a very few cases, differences are due to varia- tions in the abilities of pupils to comprehend reading matter rather than to variations in interests in matter which is un- derstood. So far as interests are concerned, variations do not war- rant different kinds of literary material for different localities. Local differences may require a different approach to and presentation of reading selections which, in themselves, lack a ready-made appeal. When different schools vary in comprehension so that the pupils classified in a given grade are consistently two or more grades apart in comprehension, radical measures should be taken to ensure a flexible grading of material or an improve- ment of teaching or both. CHAPTER IX THE PLACEMENT OF READING SELECTIONS In Chapter II several traditional methods of selecting ma- terial for reading were catalogued. These methods have led to the use of many standard passages by pupils several grades apart. The purpose of this chapter is to formulate standards for placing passages in the grades where they can be used with optimal benefit. Teachers' Statements Regarding the Placement of Reading Selections The Range of Placement of Certain Selections. Tables XXVI and XXVII show teachers' judgments upon the place- ment of selections used in several different grades. Some of these selections are used in different versions in different grades. The Pied Piper of Hamelin, for example, in prose or verse occurs in Grades II to VII, as shown by the first questionnaire. Some selections, as The Ugly Duckling and The Village Black- smith, recur from grade to grade until pupils tire of them. The reports show that children read and re-read certain selections instead of extending their acquaintance with literature. Selections Which Gain in Favor from Grade to Grade. Another matter shown by Tables XXVI and XXVII is that many selections gain in favor in later grades. In the case of selections written in many versions of varying difficulty, we can draw only general conclusions. Among such selections, Aladdin is increasingly popular from Grades III to V ; this fact may be due to either or both of two reasons : the versions in the more advanced readers may be more effectively written than those in the primary readers, or the pupils of the later grades may be able to appreciate better the story itself. In the case of The Village Blacksmith and The Barefoot Boy, there is a distinct gain in the percentages of teachers who favor substantially the same versions. Many other selections rise THE PLACEMENT OF READING SELECTIONS 109 TABLE XXVI Teachers' Reactions Regarding the Placement of Selections Now in General Use* Selections Ques- tion- naire Grades in which judged and percentages of responses favorable Sleeping ( IT I 81 85 91 II 67 96 97 98 98 94 88 97 79 III 82 99 86 IV 62 V VI VII VIII Beauty { 7 Saw a Ship f a-Saxling ....,( Larribi- f 85 97 100 96 100 48 55 The Pied Piper J of Hamelin . . . \ Robinson \ 96 97 92 92 33 85 41 100 75 21 36 64 80 94 79 97 90 93 80 94 66 60 82 40 57 92 86 68 93 66 13 58 94 94 86 93 100 90 88 The Sand- j 90 62 92 94 78 74 33 80 90 88 83 90 77 11 18 Cricket on the j 93 100 100 87 87 Rip Van \ 93 Winkle ( 67 98 The Great j 88 Stone Face. . .[ 96 The Snow j Image / 75 92 96 94 95 94 27 80 51 48 14 36 100 46 100 93 84 Horatius at f 100 the Bridge . . . \ 98 Lochin- j var } 98 The Legend of C 85 Sleepy Hollow\ 100 Thf Skeleton in ( 50 Armor ( 92 Elegy ( 53 (Gray) | 44 The Vision of \ 7? Sir Launfal. . .} 57 91 Thana- C 14 topsis | 57 The Prisoner of f Chillon | 36 53 58 The Man With-i 88 63 100 out a Country.) 97 •The percentages teachers responding of favorable responses are based on the number of for each of the grades. 110 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES TABLE XXVII Teachers' and Pupils' Reactions Regarding the Placement of the Selections Presented to Pupils* Selections Ques- tion- naire or Pupils Grades in which judged and percentages of responses favorable The Leak in OT I II III IV 100 99 96 38 37 V 100 99 99 60 38 VI VII VIII the Dike \\ QII [Pupils 1 QI Excelsior -!| QII ■Pnnils 100 97 47 88 69 39 25 86 65 66 r QI QII Pupils QI QII "Pnnils 79 97 61 100 94 91 69 83 85 86 75 68 93 99 91 63 97 67 100 97 97 The Village Blacksmith ..-J 64 80 88 62 91 90 20 69 94 97 80 81 The Ualv f ^T Duckling < QII Pupils QI QII Pupils QI QII Pupils QII Pupils QI OTT 90 85 94 81 The Barefoot f 91 96 87 91 100 93 99 Dich Whitting- f ton and His \ 71 100 87 100 97 89 Cat [ 88 89 52 90 84 Aoou Ben ( f 53 55 55 94 66 80 [Pupils The Wreck of ( QII the Hesperus. I Pupils Aladdin and His(\ QI Wonderful i\ QII 75 31 52 100 95 86 90 66 93 97 87 92 83 64 71 90 98 93 74 85 78 60 68 79 84 81 Paul Revere's f QI Ride \\ OTT 77 76 97 92 96 94 95 1 'Pupils 100 •The percentages of favorable responses are based on the numbers of teachers or pupils judging: the selections in the different grades. THE PLACEMENT OF READING SELECTIONS 111 TABLE XXVII— (Continued) Selections Ques- ! tion- naire or Pupils Grades in which judged and percentages of responses favorable The One-hoss f I The Gettysburg f Address < Aaaress .....< QI QII Pupils QI QII Pupils QI QII Pupils QI QII Pupils QI QII Pupils QI QII Pupils QT QII Pupils QI QII Pupils I II III IV V 100 91 VI VII VIII 100 94 67 100 76 96 82 72 81 92 82 18 83 34 72 88 89 100 82 The Chambered f 88 Nautilus -1 30 31 93 I 34 Douglas and Randolvh . . . A V | 59 70 78 70 98 Baron Miinchau- f sen Tales ... J 54 69 76 74 84 100 84 86 97 99 86 74 44 1 84 f Marco Bozzaris.l 97 1 81 100 73 81 84 86 92 84 84 97 90 84 90 Christmas at the Cratchits\\ 98 1 90 What Consti- f tutes a State. \ 97 1 31 55 in favor from grade to grade. This is shown in Tables XXVIII and XXIX. When one finds these selections placed far earlier than the grade in which they find greatest favor, he may well question the grading of a course of study unless unusual conditions on the part of either the teacher or the pupils justify the placement. Selections Which Decline in Favor from Grade to Grade. Other selections rise to a maximal percentage of teachers favoring them and then gradually decline as shown in Table XXX. Decline in favor occurs less frequently than rise in favor because many selections are attempted long before they begin to be appropriate, while few are used after they become too easy. Among the few clear cases of this sort is The Ugly 112 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES Duckling which is usually more popular in Grade III than in Grade IV. In the second questionnaire, the percentage of teachers favoring this selection declines from 90 per cent in Grade III to 83 per cent in Grade IV. The pupils' favorable judgments on this selection show a corresponding decline from 90 per cent to 85 per cent for the same grades. Picciola de- clines similarly from 94 per cent in Grade V to 77 per cent in Grade VII. There is evidence that the same conditions hold also for The Little Match Girl which is judged as too immature by 20 per cent of the teachers in Grade V ; likewise, Hiawatha declines from 97 per cent in Grade V to 86 per cent in Grade VI where 6 per cent of the teachers criticise its immaturity. Agreement of Teachers Regarding the Need for Flexibil- ity of Placement. If some teachers agree on the suitability of a selection for one grade, others agree on its suitability foi one or two adjacent grades. As examples of this extended agreement, Rip Van Winkle, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and Horatius at the Bridge are agreed upon as suitable for Grades VII and VIII, with a strong probability of success in Grade VI. In very few cases do we find single grades as the outstanding positions in which selections are successful. Consequently, a general principle of placement may be ad- duced, that is, if a selection is highly desirable for any given grade, it is likely to be a favorite in at least one adjacent grade. The placement of a selection in one particular grade will depend on some additional consideration other than its possible value from the grade teachers' point of view ; such considerations, for example, as the academic standards in a given school, the social value of the selection, or its relation to other school work. The Relation Between Comprehension and Interest of Pupils. The correlations between pupils' comprehension and interest for each grade and for all grades taken together are either "marked" or "high." Before discussing these cor- relations, several exceptional cases will be discussed. 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Hi •a -.Pa J» © S~^ , "3^ IB « S to to o S.gsftis S SO 5Q o h to S to © «* e-e 1* O to ojft, to - " to 2 ■w © o £ oo g sa'-S ■* lle-S scqQS© s o> .£ to to 05 -g i .£,£ to °> S>§ to <» 2 *2» OSS to "^ © Oo to s». bJD-c2 C C 03 til Hz 5s.-„ S"SJS sl§ SS=S Q £ 03 » bo o s * 9 1-ltH fa s £S ■M * 03 c 02 O a 8 ^ to"^ to to to S 1 " 3 S3 • §§,85 etas to>> ;^« SS& ?> to •g to (a -O « to OS * to e^ £ S to totq ..8 & « S egg O) o s 5°I *© » © ~*' s ® »s Si ■ 2 to S 5 *2 ~ « s ft* si » s 6tJ* 146 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES Comments upon the Standards Set Up and Conclusions of the Chapter In order to facilitate the attainment of the desirable results advocated throughout this study, a set of standards for judging reading selections is presented as an improvement upon tradi- tional bases for determining the placement of reading matter now in use. While many of the selections are used in several different grades, a large number are especially valuable for only one or two grades. Errors in the placement of selections in school readers and courses of study are usually in the direc- tion of over-maturity. Good teaching can be depended on to increase interest ten per cent or more in most selections. High correlations between teachers' and pupils' reactions warrant a weighting of qualities on the basis of teachers' re- actions to representative selections. The reading matter on which a large number of teachers reported did not include any informational literature except the traditional. The weightings of qualities in the set of stand- ards do not apply directly to such material as that discussed in Chapter VII, although such literature receives a high rating when judged by the standards for other good literature. The standards set up must possess flexibility because the amount of time to be devoted to a selection and the responsive- ness or academic standard of a class may change a selection from the "easy" rating to the "difficult," and vice versa. In order to use the standards effectively, one must become thoroughly familiar with the style and content of several of the selections of each degree of difficulty and interest for each of the school grades. The standards may be used in judging not only reading matter now in use, but also matter proposed for use. When used for the latter purpose, the standards constitute a tenta- tive scale for evaluating reading selections. CHAPTER X SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS The purposes of this concluding chapter are (1) to review the aims and methods of the present investigation, (2) to sum- marize the results obtained, (3) to call attention to the guid- ing principles already formulated, and (4) to add final con- clusions. Aims and Methods of This Investigation. At the be- ginning of this investigation, a three-fold aim was set up, namely, the collection and organization of data which would make possible the detection and elimination of undesirable reading selections, the detection of superior selections, and the correct placement of these superior selections. In order to es- tablish a working basis, the desirable outcomes of the course in reading were formulated together with a statement of the means for attaining them. In the pursuance of this project, several methods of procedure have been employed in order to obtain first-hand reactions from both pupils and teachers. These forms of procedure include two questionnaires sent to carefully selected teachers for their reactions to standard reading material and one questionnaire also sent to teachers for their reactions to new informational selections. Pupils' reactions to representative selections were obtained by direct presentation of them to pupils of Grades III to VIII. Summarization of Results. The present investigation has led to the accumulation of teachers' judgments upon a very large number of selections found in basal readers. Many teachers report that much of this material is unsatisfactory for the grades in which it is used. The most prevalent un- desirable quality of reading material reported is its over-ma- turity. As evidence of this over-maturity, there are not only the testimonies of teachers of lower grades to the effect that many selections are too difficult for their grades but also the 148 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES testimonies of teachers of higher grades that the same selec- tions are successful when used in these higher grades. In addition to selections which are undesirable because of their over-maturity are selections undesirable because they lack ac- tion or a plot, or because they are unreal, depressing, monoto- nous, or not well told. Selections possessing these undesirable qualities are also said to be too long or scrappy. A few selec- tions are unsatisfactory in certain grades because the pupils have outgrown or become tired of them. A detailed treat- ment of undesirable qualities is contained in Chapter IV. Although most standard selections are now established within two or three grades, variability still exists in the place- ment of much reading matter. Among selections which are variously placed, are superior passages possessing wide ranges of appeal. These ranges of appeal render them available for use in more than one grade. Such selections often begin to be satisfactory in one grade and thereafter rise or continue in favor from grade to grade. Evidence has been cited to show that many of these superior passages are unsatisfactory in some of the lower grades in which they are used. In these cases our data show the beginning but not the end of satisfac- tory use. Other selections rise in teachers' ratings but also, within the elementary grades, decline. Variabilities in the success of selections in different schools indicate that variabilities in academic standards rather than in population are responsible for this success or the lack of it. Clear evidence of this fact is found in the responses of pupils of the different schools cooperating in this investigation. Al- though great differences exist in the character of the popula- tion represented by these schools, the pupils do not show dif- ferences in interest in the control of the passages read if provision is made for the ability to comprehend the content. This means that moderately difficult or difficult selections may properly be presented to pupils of one grade in one school, while pupils in other schools may not be ready for them until at least one or two grades later. When different schools vary so greatly that pupils regularly classified in a given grade are consistently one or two grades apart in comprehension, differ- SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 149 ences in the selections read are necessary unless radical meas- ures are taken for the improvement of teaching in the more backward schools. In view of the fact that pupils shift from school to school, changes in gradation of material for different localities are attended with administrative difficulties. These difficulties are believed to warrant less consideration than the fact that pupils in many schools derive little benefit from se- lections which are suitable for pupils of their grades in other schools. Teachers in widely separated cities agree upon the undesir- ability of certain selections and the desirability of others. Evi- dences from pupils' responses support the teachers in their objections to many undesirable selections. The selections to which teachers most frequently object are those which require careful analysis by teachers and, therefore, necessitate slow reading, make silent reading difficult if not impossible until after class study, and lead to verbalism. A few teachers cling to these selections with the avowed purpose of inculcating moral principles. Most teachers, however, agree that attempts to force adult conceptions upon children insufficiently prepared to receive such conceptions are futile. Selections which are satisfactory to both teachers and pupils are abundant. The varied kinds of satisfactory material to- gether with its abundance remove the necessity for using ma- terial which is agreed upon as unsatisfactory. The character- istics of satisfactory selections are set forth in the formula- tion of standards in the preceding chapter. A careful study of our data on traditional informational literature throws light upon the lack of interest of either pupils or teachers in the informational literature now available in readers. Newer informational literature, however, as dis- cussed in Chapter VII finds favor with both pupils and teach- ers and provides content which has ample social justification. The success of this material emphasizes the importance as well as the desirability of having such literature written for pupils' use by experts and not culled from larger masterpieces or writ- ten for adults. Extensive additions of such material to the elementary reading course might be accompanied by an in- 150 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES crease instead of a decrease in the amount of general litera- ture read if the whole course were more carefully graded, be- cause such a gradation would eliminate the necessity for spend- ing large amounts of time explaining over-mature selections. Setting Up Standards and Guiding Principles for Select- ing Reading Matter. The problem attacked in the present investigation is chiefly one of setting up standards for select- ing and placing reading matter. By reason of the long ex- perience of teachers with a large number of selections, our problem is the more readily solved. The evaluations of this existent and loosely organized body of reading matter indicate both the degree of the pupils' comprehension and of teachers' and pupils' interests, because they are regarded as basic in the selection and placement of material. At this point, the question arises whether or not passages which are interesting to pupils are, at the same time, appro- priate for use in the attainment of the ultimate values of the reading course. In answer to this question, carefully selected teachers give an unequivocal reply that the ultimate values are more readily attained by the use of interesting material than by the use of uninteresting material. This reply comes from teachers who have used both interesting and uninteresting ma- terial and are, therefore, able to speak authoritatively. The nature of the replies of teachers to this question of at- taining ultimate values by using interesting material may be analyzed with reference to the outcomes set up in Chapter 1. First, the mastery of the mechanics of reading is said by teach- ers to result from the use of interesting material. Mastery of the mechanics of reading as analyzed in Chapter I consists partly of attaining a favorable attitude toward what is read. This attitude, in turn, necessitates both understanding and in- terest upon the pupils' part and leads to expressive oral read- ing or to formation of habits which ultimately make expressive or efficient silent reading possible. Also, in order to progress in reading, the pupil must grow in the ability to recognize words automatically. Here again interesting reading material is said to facilitate the development of appropriate processes SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 151 by reason of the concomitant increase in the desire of the pupil to get the meaning from the printed page. Second, teachers assert that ability in interpreting the printed page is facilitated by the use of interesting content. Here, as in the development of the mechanics of reading, a favorable attitude is necessary. That is, the reader should be able tem- porarily to assume the author's point of view and must under- stand the content of the passage read. Also, the willingness of the pupil to analyze the content and apply it to situations other than those presented in the material read depends upon his interest in the passage. The content of the course in read- ing must present problems, interesting situations, or points of view which provide for the activity of the pupil in selecting, analyzing, and making application. Such activity is, in the opinion of teachers, provided by the selections designated as superior and placed accordingly in the formulated set of stand- ards. Third, the development of general culture as presented in Chapter I is primarily dependent upon a certain type of exer- cise, namely, pleasurable activity in reading. Obviously, such pleasurable activity can result only in case the material read is interesting to the reader. In the development of general culture and ability in inter- pretation, there is no necessary objection to the use of passages which require careful explanation and presentation. There is, however, in the accumulated statements of teachers, strong evidence that, to be satisfactory, reading matter must be care- fully graded in both mechanics and content, and that the diffi- culties must be presented less abruptly than they are in certain current series of readers. Teachers as now prepared and with present-day facilities as to time for teaching reading, the num- ber of pupils in classes, and individual differences of pupils are practically unanimous in asking that makers of readers take cognizance of schools as they are and select content accord- ingly. In the case of the compiler, there is an attempt to de- velop speedily an appreciation for fine literature and also speedily to extend greatly the pupil's familiarity with litera- ture. In the case of the teacher, there is an attempt to teach 152 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS her pupils as they advance day by day. On the one hand, the compiler is, the teachers imply, inclined toward the logical organization of the subject matter; on the other hand, teachers are compelled to cope with the psychological development of pupils. In order to bring the two points of view together, — the ideal of the compiler and the practical attitude of the teacher — there needs to be a broader range of literature organ- ized with specific reference to the psychological problems of the teacher, including the slowly developing ability of her pupils. Without commenting on the advance already made in this di- rection, we have presented evidence upon the present status of the content of readers. This evidence is unequivocal in the demand for still further advance in the increase in the amount of reading material and its more careful selection and organ- ization. These considerations have led to the formulation of the standards presented in the preceding chapter. In taking cog- nizance of teachers' and pupils' interests, these standards are, therefore, believed to possess psychological values which have been wanting in the plans of certain compilers of readers. While these directly practical matters have been held in mind, the ultimate values of the course in reading have not been overlooked. Flexibility in the placement of reading selections is provided in the formulated standards in accordance with the responses of teachers and pupils. The ratings of the selections in suc- cessive grades indicate their probable interest and difficulty. This feature of the standards will enable persons who desire some easy and also some difficult matter in the course of a single year to make use of the collected judgments of the par- ticipants in this investigation and will also aid in the selection of material adapted to pupils whose academic standing is rela- tively low or high for their grades. Based, as they are, on the experience of persons directly engaged in administering the course in reading, the standards of judgment are offered as a guide in the selection and place- ment of the content of the course. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 021 775 134 2