| The history of beginning reading instruction in the United States was analyzed by the dialectic approach, wherein each developmental step in the history of reading instruction was seen not only as a successor of its predecessor but also as a product of its predecessor.;Approaches to beginning reading instruction were divided into two major categories: the systemic and the naturalistic. The systemic approach is characterized by a formal structure in which a reader forms the core of instruction. Four readers, which played a dominant role in reading instruction for nearly 300 years, were examined. The four readers were The New England Primer, Webster's The American Spelling Book, McGuffey's Eclectic Readers, and Scott, Foresman's Curriculum Foundation Series.;The naturalistic approach is characterized by a child-centered emphasis based upon the belief that a child's natural learning needs to be stimulated and not structured. Exponents of naturalism studied included Rousseau, Pestalozzi, Parker, and Holt.;Themes addressed in the study were: (A) The role of the reader in reading instruction. (B) The development of the reader in terms of content, method, and values. (C) The marketing of readers, and (D) The impact of the countervailing naturalistic philosophy.;Major conclusions from the study were: (1) Changes in reading instruction were a product of socio-economic changes in American society and not a product of advances in the understanding of the process of reading. (2) The selection of a reading text and the reason for a single text's dominance of the nation's classrooms was a product of marketing techniques and not a product of a deliberate comparison of competing texts' espoused values, theories, methods or approaches. (3) The naturalistic approach has long existed as an alternative to the reader-oriented systemic approach. Naturalism has enjoyed only limited and experimental application in its pure form. However, as the belief that a reading text must be "teacher proof" has become diluted by experience, the principles of naturalism have influenced mainstream education. Child-oriented teacher education and the discretionary use of supplementary materials reflect recognition of the student's individuality and are consonant with the values of naturalism. |
