The Art of Reading' is not merely the mechanical and correct pronunciation of words; it is also a thought-getting device. It is necessary, therefore, to have standardized tests by means of which the Reading Ability of a school-going child in a certain language can be measured with a certain degree of reliability and validity. Such tests prove very useful to teachers entrusted with the work of teaching the art of reading. Tests for measuring the silent reading ability of school-going children exist for English language; but no such test existed for Gujarati language. The work of devising and standardizing a test of silent reading ability in Gujarati was therefore found very important and useful. Such a type of work is of immense help for the teaching and development of Gujarati language.
By the end of 1952, I undertook for my Ph. D. thesis the problem of devising and standardizing a test for measuring silent reading ability in Gujarati for classes VIII to XI of the secondary schools in Gujarat. The work was very laborious, time-consuming and highly statistical in nature; I could finish it only by the end of 1958. After its completion, the work was submitted to the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda for the award of Ph.D. degree. It was approved for the award of Ph. D. degree in 1960. This book on 'Silent Reading Tests in Gujarati for Classes VIII to XI' incorporates the main points and results of my Ph.D. thesis.
The work was done in the Faculty of Education and Psychology of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda under the guidance of Professor T. K. N. Menon, the then Dean of the Faculty of Education and Psychology, and Professor N. M. Bhatt, Head of the Department of Statistics in the M. S. University. Shri T. P. Lele, Reader in Educational Research has given me a considerable amount of help and guidance in beginning, developing and completing this work. But for useful suggestions, valuable guidance, kind and sympathetic attitude, encouraging inspiration and timely help which I received from these three eminent teachers, the work would not have been finished. I take this opportunity of expressing my feelings of gratitude to them all.
I am very much indebted to the authorities of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda for recommending to the University Grants Commission the publication of this work and also to the University Grants Commission for the financial help given for publishing the work. I very sincerely thank Dr. C. S. Patel, the Vice-Chancellor of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, for taking keen interest in this work and also for the favour of writing a fore word to this work.
My heartfelt thanks are also due to Dr. M. S. Patel, Dean of the Faculty of Education and Psychology for giving various kinds of help at various stages of this work and also to Shri R. J. Patel, Manager of the M. S. University Press for giving necessary and timely help in the printing of this work.
J. A. Bhagatwala
Sarvajanik College of Education,
Athwa Lines, Surat.
February, 1966
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