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Salient. Official Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 41 No. 26. October 2 1978

Reading

Reading

According to the report, reading provisions are now much wider, richer and more appropriate than they used to be, and "standards in reading are at least as good as they ever were" (p.25). Average and above average students do well and have better levels of achievement than their predecessors. Many of the below average readers had a significantly retarded level of language development when they entered school. Their rate of progress is slower than the more advanced students, but when materials match abilities the results are generally reasonable.

The trend for the least advanced in develop at a [unclear: lessen] rate than others is common to a number of fields, and must be counted one of the major problems of the present system. In relation to this, the report notes that, "At the primary level, some teachers are over-emphasising the recognition of words, and in the lower streams of secondary schools, too much emphasis is placed on interpreting factual material. A more balanced approach to the teaching of reading for understanding and pleasure would achieve better results" (p 26). In other words, the sort of approach demanded by back, to basics proponents has proven to be unsatisfactory.

The report lists 22 major developments in reading. These include:
  • A better balance in the way reading is approached, the range of materials used and the way reading is related to either subjects, Teachers are now using a combination of approaches and materials.
  • A marked increase in the range of books students read, and more teacher encouragement for students to read for recreation, use libraries, etc.
  • More in-service training, long term in-service courses for "resource" teachers who will train and help other teachers in their schools.
  • Some extra tuition for slow developers, expansion of remedial reading programmes and refinement of methods for identifying reading problems.

The report says, "All these developments mean that schools and teachers are better equipped to teach reading then ever before" (p32).