The Necessary Mental Age for Beginning Reading

Abstract

For some time the problem of determining the optimum or necessary mental-age level at which reading can be successfully introduced has been under investigation. Recently statements have been made, in books written primarily for professional workers, which imply that this problem is fairly well solved. For example, Harrison states, "It has been found that in order to make any progress in reading a child must have attained a mental age of at least six years and that a mental age of six and one-half years more nearly insures success.'" Betts also states, "An analysis of reading-readiness or aptitude tests shows the following factors to be significant for success with the typical first-grade reading program: (a) a mental age of at least six and one-half years ..... "3 These statements and most others appearing in professional books imply, more specifically, that success with typical first-grade reading programs requires a stipulated mental age, six and a half years being the age usually given. These statements may be correct, although a critical analysis of some of the experiments would cause some persons to doubt the validity of stipulating so definite a level. The fact remains, however, that it has by no means been proved as yet that a mental age of six and a half years is a proper minimum to prescribe for learning to read by all school methods, or organizations, or all types of teaching skill and procedures. It is quite conceivable -indeed the evidence in general tends now definitely to show--that the crucial mental-age level will vary with the materials; the type 1 For most of the statistical work involved in this article the author is indebted to the services of workers in United States Works Progress Administration Project No. 6063-C. 2 M. Lucile Harrison, Reading Readiness, p. 6. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1936. 3 Emmett Albert Betts, The Prevention and Correction of Reading Difficulties, pp. 24-25. Evanston, Illinois: Row, Peterson & Co., 1936.