56 TEACHING SCIENCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

 1. To read by phrases instead of word by word recogni-
 tion.
 2. To make use of running heads and topic heads in their
 books.
 3. To develop the ability to select topic sentences and key
 words.
 4. To make special efforts to learn new words.
 Increase in the vocabulary may be aided by assisting students
to-try to infer the meaning of words from their context; by
using the dictionary and glossary for pronunciation, spelling,
and exact meanings; by fixing the meanings of words by their
frequent use in the expression of ideas; and by associating words
with the objects or concepts they represent.
 Assignments in the subject should be made in such ways that
students will be encouraged to read with definite purposes in
mind and so improve their reading ability. The teacher can
also help by pointing out and explaining the aids for study in
the books that are used. Many young people reach high school
unaware of the real benefits that are to be had from using the
table of contents, index, italics, darker print, headings, sub-
headings, footnotes, pronunciations, and other devices used to
make the texts more clear.
 Often there are difficulties in grasping content material in
the sciences because so many new concepts are encountered so
rapidly. For instance, in high school biology the student should
master 693 basic concepts; in physics 530; and 520 in chem-
istry.1 This may make reading for mastery a slow process as
compared with reading for pleasure. Reading laboratory direc-
tions involve special concentration which should be developed
by practice.
 In general, emphasis should be placed on reading for com-
prehension first. Subject matter in science is of the type that
does not lend itself to too rapid reading. Here a sentence often
contains words which are in themselves concepts. If the student
is to gain the full meaning of such a sentence, he must read at a
rate that will enable him to comprehend these concepts. As his
'The Technical Vocabulary, Louella Cole.