FAMILY READING by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 16, 1879

FAMILY READING.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

In the Review of Jan. 2, Bro. White recommends that every family of Seventh-day Adventists begin this month to spend an hour or so each evening reading aloud, each reading in turn while all listen. This is an excellent plan. Its results will be of priceless value to all who will adopt it.

1. This is the best way to become a good reader. 2. It will secure to the family a great amount of information that they would otherwise never get. 3. It will be a cheerful and pleasant way to spend the evening, and will furnish subjects upon which all can converse understandingly afterward.

Many among our people, not only the older persons, but young men and women, are poor readers. A large number of them have little opportunity to learn to read by going to school. I have learned from observation that the very best and shortest way to become a good reader is to read aloud a great deal. I know of several persons who have thus become fine readers without the aid of a teacher. They have done it simply by constant reading. Where there are several in the family, those who are listening can aid the reader by correcting him when they know that he does not read accurately.

As I am constantly traveling among our brethren, I observe that a vast amount of time is utterly thrown away by most families in idle conversation. Hours, long evenings, and sometimes whole days, are allowed to run to waste. Now, if Bro. White's suggestion could only be carried out, the families of our brethren might become intelligent in all points of present truth.

Brethren and sisters, let us take hold of this, and commence immediately. The volumes suggested are excellent to begin with, not only for the reason mentioned by Bro. White, but also from another fact, namely, that the words and style are simple and easy.

D. M. CANRIGHT.