Teaching reading to subnormal pupils in the junior high school

Abstract

During 1938 and 1939, H has had about twenty-five visual training periods other than kinaesthetic and tactile methods in learning words, plus typewriting and reading from the Metron-O-Scope as well as books. He has definitely improved in his ability to fuse images at a distance but has failed to respond as others have in improving in focusing ability or in pursuit fixations. Is there some toxic condition? We have recommended a thorough physical examination during the summer, but have not received a report as yet. Although H has not progressed according to spelling tests, he has, however, made academic progress in other subjects during one school year as follows: Twenty-two months in silent reading: Eight months in oral reading. Fifteen months in arithmetic reasoning. Six months in arithmetic computation. Twelve months in English. Twenty-five months in history and geography. We feel that even though H has now reached high fifth grade according to standardized tests when a total score is concerned, we are handicapped in our teaching of this boy because of some factor which has not been disclosed as yet. These subjects, presenting a varied number of serious problems, are described with the hope that children with normal or above normal predictions for learning will in the future have sympathy, understanding, careful diagnoses, and clinical training.