1955 - Education

Education

Why Johnny Can't Read by Rudolf Flesch advocates the use of phonics (the sounds of letters) rather than whole words to teach reading. The book becomes a bestseller and will have wide influence.

The first air-conditioned U.S. public elementary school opens in October, but the Belaire School of San Angelo, Texas, will not be widely copied for many years even in warmer parts of the country, and U.S. public school will continue to close for several months each summer as they have since a predominantly rural economy required the help of school-age children, providing only about 180 days of education when schools in other countries provide about 240 days.

Educator Mary McLeod Bethune dies at Daytona Beach, Fla., May 18 at age 79; public-speaking teacher and author Dale Carnegie at New York November 1 at age 66.