“Liushu（六书）” is a general term for the whole knowledge of an course about Chinese character in elementary education，which contains the source of pattern，reasons and rules of structure，relationship between different characters in a Chinese character cluster，and rules of using these characters to record Chinese language，etc. Based on all those knowledge，the teaching system of Chinese character but not a single style system has been found. In the past long time，the have been misunderstanding that “Liushu”（六书） represented six ways of character-maken，or six styles of character structure. The misunderstanding did not conform to initial fact of “Liushu”（六书）. In academic history of science of Chinese character，the study of “Liushu”（六书） came into being. But the study cannot be equated with “Liushu”（六书） itself. Because of misunderstanding，the study goes out of the scope of teaching. As a matter of fact，the selected points of knowledge and terms about “Liushu”（六书） are appropriate for elementary education requirement，its main value is in teaching，but not theorizing. If we want to correct mistakes in modern reading education，a possible solution may be to pick up “Liushu”（六书）.

“六書”出於教學語境，原指古代小學教育中的一門教學科目，“六書”之名是對該科目知識內容的概稱。“六書”的具體內容涉及漢字的形體來源、理據構造、類聚關係、用字法則等，構成漢字基礎知識的教學體系，但不是單一理論的類型系統。“六書”長期被看作六種造字方法或六種結構類型，這不符合“六書”的原始功能。學術史上的“六書學”不等於“六書”，它偏離了“六書”的教學目標。“六書”所選擇的知識要點和擬定的名目非常適合基礎教育的需要，“六書”的主要價值不在理論方面而在教學領域。現代的漢字教學存在諸多偏誤，回歸或借鑒傳統“六書”可能是一條很好的出路。

• 李運富(北京師範大學民俗典籍文字研究中心) | Li Yunfu