Castle Heights Military Academy - Yearbook (Lebanon, TN)

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SDEEDED READING AND SDEEEING AT CASTLE HEIGHTS Often it happens that a boy is sincere and hard-work- ing in his efforts to prepare his assignments, the indica- tions are that he wants to study and knows the proper procedure, aptitude tests indicate that he is of normal or even superior intelligence, yet he does not make pro- gress. What is the difficulty? Many times the answer will be the same, Bill does not know how to read. On the secondary level very little is being done about it because many school authorities insist that reading is a job for the elementary school, and if Bill and all the rest do not learn, they will never be good readers. As a result of tests made at Castle Heights the indi- cation was that about forty per cent of the cadet corps did not measure up to the standards of what a boy of his age and grade should do. This statement would be true, applied to any normal high school. As an individual case a boy may be best at oral read- ing. This condition would account, to some extent, for his being a slow silent reader-he can read no faster than his lips will move. Other boys find their greatest difficulty in oral reading. Such condition necessitates phonetic drill which also proves a great help in spelling. As a third type, there is the boy who reads a paragraph or a page and then has no idea of what he has read. He has to spend so much effort on the actual mechanics of reading that he has no attention left to apply to the contents of the material read. At Castle Heights nationally standardized reading tests are administered to the cadets to determine their rate, vocabulary, and comprehension of reading. If a boy shows any indication that poor reading is the cause of lack of proper or normal achievement, he is placed in a reading clinic for remedial work. There he is given addi- tional tests to determine whether or not his trouble is comprehension, rate of reading, knowledge of vocabu- lary, sentence meaning, paragraph comprehension, loca- tion of information, or remembrance of material read. He then is placed in a special reading class, which meets three times each week, and an attempt is made to help him overcome his difiiculties. In extreme cases, he may drop one of his academic subjects so that he may apply more time and energy to his remedial work. No actual grades are given in this reading work, but from time to time additional standardized tests are given to determine what progress is being made. Our experience has been that as a result of this con- centration of effort on reading, boys who have been failing work have often brought their grades to a place well above the minimum passing level. Typically the poor reader has never liked to read. Proper corrective measures have resulted in his learning how to read, read- ing of his own record, and liking the experience. Spelling. Nationally standardized spelling tests rec- ommended by the Educational Records Bureau are a part of the battery of tests given to cadets during the fall test- ing program. Cadets who have spelling deficiencies are placed in small classes that meet twice each week. Cadets are then issued a copy of the spelling book, The Self- Teaching Speller, edited by Dr. Wheeler, and the English Department uses this and other related materials to im- prove the spelling and vocabulary of each cadet. Cadeis improving their comprehension and reading rate by praciice on SRA Reading Accelerators. DR. WHEELER

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Purpose and Discipline. The military work in a good military school is sufficiently appreciated by the general public to need little explanation. It is, of course, a means to an end and not an end in itself. The proper military training teaches the boy to be orderly, prompt, neat in appearance, cour- teous in manner and respectful to authority. It teaches him self-reliance and self-control. It builds into his fibre the ingredients that go to make of him a real man. The military worlc at Castle Heights is helpful to every department in the Academy. Through it a boy develops character, as in no other way. The daily routine is planned with a view to giving the students sufficient time to per- form the duties required of them. One event follows another with quiet regularity. Boys learn to use their time wisely. An apprecia- tion of the value of leisure, as well as the value of concentration is developed. It has been found boys not only respond to the demands of the discipline but appreciate the necessity for it. The military school, in which a boy merely wears a uniform, slouches through a few drills, comes down to reveille half dressed, and addresses his superiors familiarly, throws away the advantages the civilian school might possess, and gains none of the advantages inherent in the military system. Hundreds of former Castle Heights cadets are today serving in all branches of the serv- ice. They and their country are profoundly appreciative of the years spent here, which enabled them to meet the national call for trained officers in its hour of peril. Anal the Castle Heights hay learns all this during the time when the hoy in high school and the civilian school is doing nothing. What are the requisites of a soldier? He must be physically ht, mentally alert, and morally straight. Unless he has these qual- ifications, it is impossible that he be a good soldier. The real military school Works day in and day out for the threefold development of spirit, mind, body. Its teaching directs the trained mind to function usefully through the developed hody. MILITARY TRAINING First Steps. The cadet's first test comes when he goes on sentinel duty. Definite responsibilities are laid on him. For the time being, even though he be only fourteen years old, he occupies a position where not even the Commandant may approach him except formally and with the utmost respect. He halts all who would cross his post, permitting none to pass until they have satisfied his challenge. The Senior Cap- tain is of less consequence, on that post and at that time, than he. When emergencies arise, he handles them. The preser- vation of discipline there is his, and his alone, unless he choose to summon the Corporal of the Guard, which he will 30