The history of reading instruction can be divided into three major eras, Agricultural, Industrial, and Technological. Each era has its own approach to reading instruction based on what was happening in society at that time. It is important to understand the history of reading instruction in order to know where we have been and in what direction we are headed. As we go through the history of reading instruction it may seem as if we continuously revert to previous practices, but even as things change, we never go back to exactly what was.

 

“At any given time, and particularly during a period of transition in teaching practices as we are now passing through, it is not uncommon to find within a single school different teachers whose procedures exemplify the outstanding characteristics of several of the more recent movements.  Furthermore, one teacher may be using some of the techniques and materials associated with three of four different movements.  In either case it is advantageous that the teacher know about these movements and that she understand the one toward which she is primarily tending.”

-Nila Banton Smith, 1965