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Open immigrant policy in place
KQED Up until 1882, there was an open immigrant policy, which meant that immigrants were not charged or required to pass examinations to enter the United States. This lead to many people entering the U.S. possibly illiterate in their own language, and more than likely illiterate in English. -
The Stars
Jane and Ann Taylor created a collection of poems called Rhymes for the Nursery for children to read in the early 1800's to help stray them away from adult literature.
One of these poems is called "The Stars" which would later become known as "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star: -
Tales of Shakespeare
Charles and Mary Lamb retold the plots of Shakespeares for children. In the early 1800's, children tended to read adult literacy because childrens book were not an option. -
Webster's Spelling Book reached 5 million copies sold.
The History of Reading pg. 250 This still popular and effective, Webster's Speller, teaches spelling and syllables. The main focus of teaching when using this book, was on memorizing the syllabary. This helped to keep the true sounds of syllables. -
Sequoyah's Syllabary
Sequoyah Museum Sequoyah and his daughter created and introduced a set of symbols that could be translated into words to teach to the Cherokee people, promoting literacy among the tribe. -
Keagy's Pestalozzian primer
The History of Reading pg. 250First reader contained "thinking lessons" and beginners' lessons for beginning readers. -
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Elocution Era
A form of whole word methods were used with teachers pronouncing unknown words for their students. There was a large focus on elocution and reading for meaning with proper elocutionary style. Students memorized the stories in their Readers and recited them aloud as a class. - -
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Phonics vs. Whole Word
Starting around 1830, the great debate of phonics vs whole language began. They began to experiement introducing whole words with pictures and concrete experiences, starting with the whole language then going to the parts of reading if needed.
Phonics advocates believe that you start with the basics, breaking the written language down into small and simple components. Reading the Past -
Cobb's Reader
The History of Reading pg. 251This reader began to appeal to children by using stories and information about animals in their lessons. This "American" reader, supported by the patriotism of fairly newfound freedom from England, began to decrease the use of the standard English reader, which was commonly used at the time. -
Horace Mann elected as Secretary of Massachusetts Board of Education
Using this position, Mann started the Common School Movement, ensuring that every child could receive a basic education funded by local taxes. PBS Biography -
Horace Mann- establishment of the first Normal Schools in Massachusetts.
PBS
A Normal School was a school created to train and educate future teachers, like us! -
Frederick Douglass escaped slavery
Every Man Able to ReadSlave owners were worried that, being educated in literacy, slaves would build up the courage to run away and find their freedom. Therefore, slaves were rarely allowed to learn to read and write. Frederick Douglass, having been taught to read a write, fulfilled his owner's foretelling that, "if you learn him now to read, he'll want to know how to write, this accomplished, he'll be running away with himself." Unlike many unfortunate slaves, he was able to gain his freedom through literacy. -
McGuffey's Speller
The History of Reading pg. 252
McGuffey's Spelling book taught the alphabet, what we consider "hunks and chunks", different parts of words, whole words, as well as morals in each lesson. They were the first textbooks in America made to become progressively more challenging throughout the series. (Read a lesson from the text if possible.) -
The Word Builder
The History of Reading pg. 252
This was the first book in the National Series of readers. -
Hornbook
Towards the middle of the 1800's, hornbooks were still being used. These "books" were wooden paddles that had the Alphabet on them, both capital and lowercase, vowels, as well as the Lords Prayer. History of Reading Instruction -
"The Problem of Learning to Read"
J.M.D. Meiklejohn published “The Problem of Learning to Read,” advocating teaching regularly spelled words first and introducing exceptions later. -
Senator Lodge's Literacy Bill
Immigration to the United States
Congress passed his bill, stating that immigrants must be able to read 40 words in any language in order to enter the country. However, President Grover Cleveland vetoed the bill, as it went against traditional American values of freedom to come to a better life. It finally became a law in 1917.
