UBUSHERS 
 
Class^ V% \S15 
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 COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 
 
LEARNING TO READ 
 
LEARNING TO READ 
 
 SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS OF 
 YOUNG CHILDREN 
 
 BY 
 
 SARAH LOUISE ARNOLD 
 
 FORMERLY SUPERVISOR OF SCHOOLS, BOSTON, MASS.; AUTHOR OF 
 " STEPPING STONES TO LITERATURE," " VVAYMARKS," ETC. 
 
 j7 
 
 SILVER, BURDETT AND COMPANY 
 
 NEW YORK BOSTON CHICAGO 
 
v^'P 
 
 Stepping ^tonejs to Literature^ 
 
 A UNIQUE SERIES OP READEKS UPON A NEW PLAN. 
 
 By SARAH LOUISE ARNOLD, formerly Supervisor of Boston Schools, 
 and CHARLES B. GILBERT, Superintendent of Rochester Schools. 
 
 A FIRST READER (128 pp., over 153 illustrations, including 8 color pages, reproductions of 
 
 masterpieces, and choice text cuts). Price, 30 cents. 
 A SECOND READER (160 pp., over 100 illustrations, including 8 color pages, reproductions 
 
 of famous paintings and choice originals). Price, 40 cents. 
 A THIRD READER (224 pp., illustrated with reproductions of famous paintings, portraits of 
 
 authors, and choice original cuts). Price, 50 cents. 
 A FOURTH READER (320 pp., illustrated with reproductions of masterpieces, portraits of 
 
 authors, and appropriate originals). Price, 60 cents. 
 A READER FOR FIFTH GRADES (320 pp., illustrated with reproductions of famous 
 
 paintings, and with numerous original cuts). Price, 60 cents. 
 A READER FOR SIXTH GRADES (320 pp., with illustrations from original drawings and 
 
 famous paintings, and containing an unusual number of spirited poems). Price, 60 cents. 
 A READER FOR SEVENTH GRADES (320 pp., illustrated with portraits of authors and 
 
 their homes, etc., and devoted to American literature). Price, 60 cents. 
 A READER FOR HIGHER GRADES (336 pp., illustrated with originals, portraits, and fine 
 
 reproductions, and devoted to English literature). Price, 60 cents. 
 A FIFTH READER (495 pp. Especially prepared for schools desiring a Five-Reader Series. 
 
 Fully illustrated). Price, 75 cents. 
 
 SILVER, BURDETT AND COMPANY, Publishers, 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 BOSTON. 
 
 CHICAGO. 
 
 Copyright, 1899, 1903, 
 
 uV Silver, buedett and company. 
 
 THE LIbRAKY OF 
 CONGRESS. 
 
 Two Copies Received 
 
 M.AR 3 1903 
 
 . Copyright tntty 
 CLASSOL* XXc. No. 
 COPY B. 
 
GREETING. 
 
 To Teachers of Lit fie Children: 
 
 This little book is an outcome of schoolroom experience^ and its 
 " excuse for beiiig " arises from an earnest desire to le?id a hand 
 to fellow-workers in a common cause. No sleight-of-hand or trick 
 of the trade can serve as a patent and all-sufficient device in teach- 
 ing reading. Hard work a7td ready wit, together with knowledge 
 of child-lif and love of teaching, — these must make the way to 
 success. But a study of the experience of others may throw some 
 light on the path of the young learner, — a path difficult enough 
 at best in the early days. These hints and suggestions will filfil 
 their mission if they s'erve, even in slight degree, to answer the 
 questions and solve the problems of the young teacher, whose privi- 
 lege it is to lead her children into the Promised Land of Books. 
 These pages are written in such hope, and go forth with cordial 
 greeting to all whom they can serve. 
 
 SARAH LOUISE ARNOLD. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 Letter to Teachers 3 
 
 Chapter 
 
 I. How I Learned to Read. Hugh MUIev 7 
 
 II. The Art of Reading 13 
 
 III. The First Year in Reading .31 
 
 I v. Language Lessons, as an Aid to Reading 67 
 
 V. Illustrative Lessons 77 
 
 Tlie Cow. First Grade 77 
 
 The Oak. First Grade 81 
 
 The Blacksmith. Second Grade 83 
 
 The Rain. Second Grade 84 
 
 Bird Life. First Grade 86 
 
 The Builders. Third Grade 88 
 
 Little Bell. Third Grade 90 
 
LEARNING TO READ 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 HOW I LEARNED TO READ. 
 
 From " Mij Schools and Schoolmasters." — Hugh Miller, 
 
 I HAD been sent, previous to my father's death, to a dame's school, 
 where I was taught to pronounce my letters to such effect in the 
 old Scottish mode, that still, when I attempt spelling a word aloud, 
 which is not often, — for I tind the process a perilous one, — the art'.s, 
 and ee's, and w/i's, and raiCs, return upon me, and I have to translate 
 them, with no little hesitation as I go along, into the more modish 
 sounds. A knowledge of the letters themselves I had already ac- 
 quired by studying the signposts of the place, — rare works of art, 
 that excited my utmost admiration, with jugs, and glasses, and bottles, 
 and ships, and loaves 'ef bread upon them ; all of which could, as the 
 artist intended, be actually recognized. During my sixth year, I spelt 
 my way, under the dame, through the Shorter Catechism, the Proverbs, 
 and the New Testament, and then entered upon her highest form, as a 
 member of the Bible Class ; but all the wiiile, the process of acquiring 
 learning had been a dark one, which I slowly mastered, in humble con- 
 f dence in the awful wisdom of the schoolmistress, not knowing whither 
 it tended, — when at once my mind awoke to the meaning of that most 
 delightful of all narratives, the story of Joseph. Was there ever 
 such a discovery made before ! I actually found out for myself, that 
 the art of reading is the art of finding stories in books, and from that 
 moment reading became one of the most delightful of my amusements. 
 
LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 I began by getting into a corner at the dismissal of the school, and 
 there conning over to myself the ncAV-found story of Joseph ; nor did 
 one perusal serve ; the other Scripture stories followed, — in especial, 
 the story of Samson and the Philistines, of David and Goliath, of the 
 prophets Elijah and Elislia ; and after that came the New Testament 
 stories and parables. Assisted by my uncles, I began to collect a library 
 in a box of birch-bark about nine inches square, which I found quite 
 large enough to contain a great many immortal works, — " Jack 
 the Giant-killer," and "Jack and the Bean-Stalk," and the "Yellow 
 Dwarf," and " Blue Beard," and " Sinbad the Sailor," and " Beauty and 
 the Beast," and " Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp," with several- 
 other of resembling character. 
 
 Those intolerable nuisances, the usef id-knowledge books, had not 
 yet arisen, like tenebrious stars, on the educational horizon, to darken 
 the world, and shed their blighting influence on the opening intellect 
 of the "youthhood" ; and so, from my rudimental books — books that 
 made themselves truly such by their thorough assimilation with the 
 rudimental mind — I passed on, without being conscious of break or 
 line of division, to books on which the learned are content to write 
 commentaries and dissertations, but which I found to be quite as nice 
 children's books as an}^ of the others. Old Homer wrote admirably 
 for little folk, especially in the " Odyssey " ; a copy of which, in the 
 only true translation extant, — for, judging from its surpassing interest 
 and the wrath of critics, such I hold that of Pope to be, — I found in 
 the house of a neighbor. Next came the " Iliad " ; not, however, in a 
 complete copy, but represented b}^ four of the six volumes of Bernard 
 Lintot. With what power, and at how early an age, true genius im- 
 presses ! I saw, even at this immature period, that no writer could 
 cast a javelin with half the force of Homer. The missiles went whiz- 
 zing athwart his pages ; and I could see the momentary gleam of the 
 steel, ere it buried itself deep in brass and bull-hide. I next suc- 
 ceeded in discovering for myself a child's book,' of not less interest 
 than even the " Iliad," which might, I was told, be read on Sabbaths, 
 
HOW I LEARNED TO READ. 
 
 in a magnificent old edition of " Pilgrim's Progress," printed on coarse, 
 whity-brown paper, and charged with numerous woodcuts, each of 
 which occupied an entire page, that, on principles of economy, bore 
 letterpress on the other side. And such delightful prints as these were ! 
 It must have been some such volume that sat for its portrait to Words- 
 worth, and which he so exquisitely describes as 
 
 " Profuse in garniture of wooden cuts, 
 Strange and uncoutli ; dire faces, figures dire, 
 Sharp-kneed, sharp-elbowed, and lean-ankled, too, 
 With long and ghastly shanks, — forms, which, once seen, 
 Could never be forgotten." 
 
 In process of time, I had devoured, besides these genial works, 
 " Robinson Crusoe," " Gulliver's Travels," " Ambrose on Angels," the 
 judgment chapter in Howie's " Scotch Worthies," Byron's " Narrative," 
 and the " Adventures of Philip Quarll," with a good many other adven- 
 tures and voyages, real and fictitious, part of a very miscellaneous collec- 
 tion of books made by my father. It was a melancholy little library to 
 which I had fallen heir. Most of the missing volumes had been with 
 the master aboard the vessel when he perished. Of an early edition 
 of Cook's "Voyages," all the volumes were now absent save the 
 first ; and a very tantalizing romance in four volumes, Mrs, Ratcliff's 
 "Mysteries of Udolpho," was represented by only the earlier two. 
 Small as the collection was it contained some rare books, — among the 
 rest, a curious little volume entitled, "The Miracles of Nature and 
 Art," to which we find Dr. Johnson referring in one of the dialogues 
 chronicled by Bos well, as scarce even in his day, and which had been 
 published, he said, some time in the seventeenth century by a bookseller 
 whose shop hung perched on Old London Bridge, between sky and 
 water. It contained, too, the only copy I ever saw of the " Memoirs of 
 a Protestant condemned to the Galleys of France for his Religion," — 
 a work interesting from the circumstance that, though it bore another 
 name on its title-page, it had been translated from the French for a few 
 guineas by poor Goldsmith in his days of obscure literary drudgery, 
 
10 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 and exhibited the peculiar excellences of his style. The collection 
 boasted beside, of a very curious old book, illustrated by very uncouth 
 plates, that detailed the perils and sufferings of an English sailor who 
 had spent his best years of life as a slave in Morocco. It had its 
 volumes of sound theology, too, and of stiff controversy, — Flavel's 
 " Works," and Henry's " Commentary," and Hutchinson on the " Lesser 
 Prophets," and a very old treatise on the " Revelation," with the title- 
 oage away, and blind Jameson's volume on the " Hierarchy," with first 
 editions of "Naphthali," " The Cloud of Witnesses," and " The Hind let 
 Loose." But with these, solid authors I did not venture to grapple 
 until long after this time. Of the works of fact and incident which it 
 contained, those of the voyagers were my especial favorites. I perused 
 with avidity the voyages of Anson, Drake, Raleigh, Dampier, and 
 Captain Woods Rogers, and my mind became so filled with concep- 
 tions of what was to be seen and done in foreign parts, that I wished 
 myself big enough to be a sailor, that I might go and see coral islands 
 and burning mountains, and hunt wild beasts and fight battles. 
 
Part I. 
 THE ART OF READING. 
 
i^art I. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 THE ART OF READING.^ 
 
 BEFORE planning her lessons in reading, the teacher will do well 
 to review her own experience in reading, or to scan the diffi- 
 culties which she has encountered in teaching other classes. A brief 
 analysis of her experiences, both as a pupil and as a teacher, will 
 reveal distinct lines of achievement in learning to read. These are 
 illustrated in any act of reading. 
 
 " The old familial' sights of ours 
 Took marvelous shapes. Strange domes and towers 
 Rose up where sty and corncrib stood, 
 Or garden wall, or belt of wood. 
 The bridle post an old man sat, 
 With loose-flung coat and high-cocked hat. 
 The wellciirl) had a Chinese roof, 
 And even the tall sweep, high aloof, 
 In its slant splendor seemed to tell 
 Of Pisa's leaning miracle." 
 
 To read, — that is, to get the meaning of these lines, or, if one 
 reads aloud, to get and to give the meaning. One who truly reads 
 " Snow-Bound " learns to see the scenes which Whittier so beauti- 
 fully describes ; to see them as he saw them, with tender affection, 
 and to interpret the deeper meaning of the lines of " homely toil and 
 destiny obscure." Manifestly this involves much. On the surface, 
 and first attracting the attention of the teacher, appears the obvious 
 
 1 From « Reading : How to Teach It." — S. L. A. 
 
14 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 necessity of knowing the words at sight. Familiarity with the forms 
 of the words used is indispensable to reading. This involves know- 
 ing the sounds of the words, while the power to pronounce new words 
 readily calls for knowledge of the laws of English pronunciation. 
 
 In the minds of too many teachers of little children, such mastery 
 of word pronunciation is held as reading. But this is a grievous error, 
 which leads to narrow and mechanical work, and obscures the high 
 purpose of real reading. Reference to the definition of reading, and 
 a study of the selection from " Snow-Bound," will show us the proper 
 value of this achievement, and its relation to true reading. The words 
 are the vehicle of thought, a means to an end. Their mastery is in- 
 dispensable to reading, but the reader must compass, not the single 
 word-speaking, but the meaning of the related words which express 
 tlie author's thought. Knowledge of the meaning of the words used, 
 and especiall}' the meaning of the words as Whittier uses them, is 
 necessary to a clear understanding of the poem. The reader who would 
 understand the poem must know something of farm life — the sty and 
 the corncrib, the garden wall, the wellcurb, the sweep, and the other 
 accessories of the farm which Whittier names or describes. Plainly, 
 too, his knowledge must extend further — to a Chinese roof, and Pisa's 
 leaning miracle. To such knowledge, observation of common life must 
 minister, coupled with the study of books and pictures. In other 
 words, the reader interprets Whittier's " Snow-Bound " by virtue of 
 his own experience, reenforced by the experience of others as written 
 down in books, or pictured with brush or pen. To the formal word 
 mastery, then, must be added study of the meaning of new words, or 
 recalling such experience as explains the old. The content, as well as 
 the form, of the word must be studied. 
 
 Added to such study, is the general training which gives us power 
 to picture the unknown, interpreting a new scene through its relation 
 to our old experience. The ready and trained imagination easily 
 
THE ART OF READING 15 
 
 pictures the scene which the words conjure before the mind — makes 
 real the homestead, snowbound and comfort-filled. Reading may be 
 so taught as to develop this power, which takes hold on things un- 
 seen. No careful teaching of reading omits this. 
 
 Here then are different phases of teaching reading : — mastery of 
 the words, as to form and sound ; explanation of the meaning of new 
 words, througli observation or reaxliug ; lessons which tend to develop 
 power of imagination. 
 
 The young child, who leaves his home and his play to enter upon 
 the life of the schoolroom, finds a new world awaiting him, with mani- 
 fold new experiences. Hitherto he has romped and rambled to his 
 heart's content. All his friends and playmates have in turn been his 
 teachers, albeit theirs has been an unconscious tuition. His lessons 
 have been in the line of liis desires, or suggested by his natural en- 
 vironment. Longfellow pictures the little Hiawatha in the arms of 
 his first teacher, the loving old Nokomis — 
 
 " At the door on Summer evenings 
 Sat the little Hiawatha, 
 Heard the whispering of the pine trees, 
 Heard the lapping of the water — 
 Sounds of music, words of wonder ; — 
 Saw the moon rise from the water, 
 Kippling, rounding from the water, 
 Saw the flecks and shadows on it, 
 Whispered, ' What is that, Nokomis ? ' 
 And the good Nokomis answered — " 
 
 The moon, the rainbow in the heaven, the Milky Way, the firefly, the 
 owl and owlet, the beaver, the rabbit, the squirrel — these saluted the 
 baby boy, and awakened his interest. "What is that?" he cried, 
 with eager question. " And the good Nokomis answered." The little 
 
LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 Hiawatha "learned of every bird its language." He was taught, not 
 by old Nokomis alone, but by bird and beast, flower and field. 
 
 So with every child who enters the schoolroom upon that fateful 
 first Monday in September. He brings with him, not an empty head, 
 but a mind stored with the memories of varied experiences. Just as 
 the little Hiawatha gazed, pondered, questioned, learned — so this child 
 has seen, has heard, has questioned, has thought, has acted. What 
 he brings to school, who can tell? What has he seen and heard? 
 What has he liked and desired? What has he questioned and learned? 
 How little we know of this unwritten history ! And yet it determines 
 the net result of all our teaching. For nothing which we attempt 
 to teach finds lodgment in the child mind unless it is linked with some 
 past experience, and awakens actual interest. Much of our reiterated 
 instruction falls upon deaf ears, fails utterly to awaken the dormant 
 interest, because it is ill chosen. We must know something about the 
 life of the children before we can wisely teach them. 
 
 The thoughtful teacher remembers this ti-uth and directs her work 
 accordingly. Instead of rushing with lieadlong zeal into the routine 
 of reading, writing, and number — under the impulsion of the Course 
 of Study, and the memory of classes Avhich failed to "pass" — she 
 makes haste slowly, and devotes the first days of the term to lessons 
 which help to reveal the experience of the children. Observation of 
 and talks about common things ; conversations which lead the children 
 to tell what they can do, or like to do ; story telling ; picture drawing ; 
 — tliese afford opportunity for expression, and serve to show the 
 teacher something of her pupils' attainments, and the line of their 
 interests as well. Meanwhile, they are becoming accustomed to the 
 schoolroom routine, and so emerge from the period in which they gazed, 
 dazed and dumb, at the many marvels with which this new school 
 world is crowded. They come to know the teacher as their friend, 
 and they become free and confident in her presence. Thus the true 
 
 1 
 
THE ART OF READING. 17 
 
 atmosphere of the schoolroom is created — the only atmosphere in 
 which wholesome and natural teaching and learning can thrive. 
 
 This is not a prodigal misuse of time. It is the part of thrift 
 to so spend in the beginning, for the returns are evident in the ease 
 and readiness with which pupils and teacher afterward work together 
 — - the value of every lesson being enhanced by the mutual good will 
 and understanding. 
 
 The school differs from the home and the kindergarten in that its 
 allotted tasks are evidently determined by a motive and plan outside 
 the child's comprehension. In many cases this must be so. The 
 lessons which involve the mastery of the symbols used in reading, 
 writing and number, or the drill and practice necessary to attain skill 
 in music or drawing or writing, have no self-evident goal for the child. 
 So many lines, so many letters, so many problems, he attempts, because 
 the teacher says so, and in his new universe the teacher is supreme. 
 At home he has always chosen more or less ; so, too, in the kinder- 
 garten his interest and choice determined the story or the game or 
 the topic of conversation. He has delighted in building houses, model- 
 ing balls, weaving mats, playing games — and all, so far as he knew, 
 for his own immediate pleasure and accomplishment. Other results, 
 to him unknown, were of course secured. He builded better than 
 he knew. But in every case he rejoiced in some immediate accom- 
 plishment which he desired. 
 
 In too many cases the decreed exercises of the school are meaning- 
 less and purposeless to the beginner. Such exercises easily degenerate 
 into dull and fruitless routine, indifferent and profitless to teacher and 
 pupil alike. To arouse desire and awaken conscious motive is the 
 teacher's most important work, and in teaching reading it should re- 
 ceive first consideration. She, therefore, after securing such freedom 
 
 2 
 
18 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 and cooperation as promise a fertile soil for her seed-planting, calls 
 the children about her to explain the purpose of the lessons which will 
 fill their days. 
 
 Perhaps she reads to them a story which they like, a new story which 
 they have never heard. When she reaches the interesting climax she 
 pauses to say, " I haven't time to read the rest of the story now. How 
 I wish you could read ! Then you might take the book and read the 
 story yourselves. Would you not like to learn to read, so that you 
 could read stories like these ? " 
 
 In Hugh Miller's graphic description of his childhood experience in 
 reading, this element of purpose and desire is strongly emphasized. 
 " The process of learning and acquiring had been a dark one," he says, 
 recalling his struggles with letters and syllables. He " slowly mas- 
 tered " these " in humble confidence in the awful wisdom of the school- 
 mistress, not knowing whither it tended," — when (as a member of the 
 Bible Class — "in the highest form ") his mind "awoke to the meaning 
 of that most delightful of all narratives, the story of Joseph. Was there 
 ever such a discovei'y made before? " 
 
 Such testimony might be repeated a thousand times over, by our pu- 
 pils of to-day — if they were able to describe their common experience. 
 
 It was the first vision of the goal that gave meaning, motive, and 
 conscious gladness to Hugh Miller's study. Such motive and such 
 meaning should pervade the earliest lessons in reading, and should be 
 consciously recognized by pupil as well as teacher. We repeat then : 
 the teacher's first effort, after becoming acquainted with her children, 
 is to awaken this conscious desire to read, and to secure intelligent 
 cooperation in her exercises. 
 
 One teacher suggests writing upon the board some sentence which 
 has been whispered to her by the children, and then calling an older 
 child from another room to read the secret. This is done again and 
 again, until tlie children are eager to share the power which their com- 
 
THE ART OF READING. 
 
 19 
 
 rade possesses, and turn gladly to the tasks required of them, that they 
 may the sooner reach their goal. 
 
 There is a wide difference between such teaching and the routine 
 drill which does not enlist the child's desire. The enthusiastic bicy- 
 clist would smile if asked to exchange his morning ride to the city for 
 an houi''s exercise upon a fixed " bicycle exerciser " in the back hall. 
 Nor could the most skilful pedagogue convince him that the exercise 
 involved in making the wheel go round is as valuable as the spin which 
 carries him to his destination, through the fresh morning air, along 
 roads bordered with flowered fields. Yet the contrast is no more 
 marked than that between the task of the syllable-pronouncer, who 
 obediently performs his meaningless labor, and that of the child who, 
 with conscious and earnest desire, sets himself to learn to read. 
 
 In order to give some sense of immediate achievement, the first 
 lessons should be in sentences, expressing thoughts in which the chil- 
 dren are interested. 
 
 This is Kate. 
 Kate can read. 
 Kate has a book. 
 Read to me, Kate. 
 Kate can read. 
 I can read, too. 
 Kate has a book. 
 I have a book, too. 
 See Kate's book ! 
 See my book ! 
 
 Kate has a doll. 
 
 I have a doll, too. 
 
 Kate has a kitty. 
 
 I have a dog. 
 
 Kate likes her doll. 
 
 I like my dog. 
 
 See my dog ! 
 
 See Kate's little kitty ! 
 
 Come, little Kitty. 
 
 Come to me, Kitty. 
 
20 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 The object of these preparatory lessons is to give some consciousness 
 of the i:)urpose of reading, and some sense of achievement. The sen- 
 tences are tlie children's, obtained in a conversation concerning Kate, 
 who is an older pupil, or some pictured child. The sentence is the 
 unit, and is read by the teacher. The children repeat the sentence 
 after her reading. 
 
 Of course these first efforts are not reading. They simply represent 
 the children's memory of the teacher's words and tone. Often, when 
 asked to read alone, the child dashes at the wrong sentence with his 
 pointer, which vainly wanders in search of the right one. But just as 
 tlie frequent observation of the loved story in the picture book not only 
 fixes the words in their order, but enables the young listener to find 
 some of them upon the page, so, by repetition of these first sentences, 
 the words are at last held in the mind, and are recognized in new places 
 and under new relations. The attentive eye will recognize the new 
 words, first in their wonted place in the sentence, then when isolated. 
 At first the words selected for repetition and recognition are those which 
 present fewest difticulties. Not by any means the shortest words — as 
 a, is, too — but the meaningful words, the nouns, and adjectives, and 
 verbs which denote action. Kate, book, doll, dog, kitty — these are 
 the first and easiest, in the lessons written above. Later, see and likes, 
 with can read. Later still, I have, this is — while is and a will not 
 be emphasized as units until the eyes have been trained to distinguish 
 more readily, and the words have become familiar through constant 
 repetition. 
 
 Such lessons should continue for several weeks, introducing the 
 various dear and oft-seen objects of the child's environment, and the 
 actions with which he has long been familiar. Tlie sentences should be 
 worth reading, and grouped in coherent paragraphs. Drill in recog- 
 nizing the words should follow the sentence reading, in every day's 
 lesson. 
 
THE ART OF READING. 21 
 
 When the children can recognize at sight a vocabulary of one hundred 
 or two hundred words, they should begin to compare them, and to j^lace 
 in groups those which are alike in sound. For example : book, look, 
 and brook, are known, — red and fed, cat, hat, and pat — Fan, ran, 
 can, and Dan. Placed in lists, their similarity is evident. 
 
 book 
 
 fed 
 
 cat 
 
 Fan 
 
 . look 
 
 red 
 
 hat 
 
 ran 
 
 brook 
 took 
 
 bed 
 
 pat 
 sat 
 
 can 
 Dan 
 
 7nan 
 
 Some one volunteers to increase the list, adding took, bed, sat, and 
 man. Here is the beginning of the analysis of words into their sounds, 
 and with this lesson a new feature appears in our word study. 
 
 Such lessons in sentence reading as have been suggested, if continued 
 long enough and with sufficient discretion on the part of the teacher, 
 might enable a class to read independently — for, even without the 
 teacher's direction, obvious likenesses and differences in words are 
 noted by the children, and rules are deduced therefrom. But the 
 mastery of a large vocabulary is readily secured only through attention 
 to the common laws of pronunciation, and familiarity with the sound 
 units. Thus far every word has been presented as a new unit. Now 
 the children should learn that these words are like many others in form, 
 and that the pronunciation of one serves as a key to the many. Know- 
 ing book, all monosyllables ending in ook can at once enter their vocab- 
 ulary of recognizable words ; knowing Fan, all monosyllables with the 
 an ending are known. The missing factor is the knowledge . of the 
 sounds of the separate letters, which are initials in these group words — 
 m-an F-an c-an r-an t-an p-an. At this juncture these sounds 
 should be taught. 
 
22 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 There has been some question among teachers as to the time for 
 teaching sounds of the letters. It is wise to defer this teaching until 
 the children have acquired some little facility in reading, and under- 
 stand its purpose, that their work may not be approached from the 
 mechanical side solely. Again, the vocabulary which the children 
 already know reveals the groups of similar words and suggests the wis- 
 dom of analysis and classification. And further, the too early attempt 
 to study the lists of similar words and to select and emphasize them for 
 use in reading, drives the children at once to their most difficult task. 
 It is much easier to recognize Hiawatha and arrow, because they are 
 long and different, and seem hard, than to name promptly the elusive 
 can, ran, and tan, which seem so easy and yet are so nearly alike as to 
 be formidable obstacles to the success of the untrained observer. The 
 climax of objection is reached when we cite the tendency to make sen- 
 tences solely for the sake of using certain words, thus destroying the 
 element of thought value in the sentence. " Does the fat rat see the 
 cat on the mat ? " is far more difficult for a child than is " Hiawatha 
 lived in a wigwam with old Nokomis " — for the reasons above named. 
 
 The mastery of words is an essential element in learning to read. 
 Our common mistake is, not that we do such work too well, but that 
 we make it the final aim of the reading lesson, and lead the children to 
 feel that they can read when they are merely able to pronounce words. 
 Perhaps lack of careful attention to the form of words is quite as serious 
 a mistake, for it results in carelessness in reading. 
 
 The study of form and of sound should be associated, but attention 
 to sound alone should precede any attempt to master the form as sug- 
 gesting sound. Children should be taught to recognize and to distin- 
 guish sounds, to repeat them accurately, to speak them distinctly, before 
 they are taught to copy the single characters which represent these 
 sounds. To hear, to repeat, to compare, to distinguish sounds, should 
 be the order of the instruction. 
 
 1 
 
THE ART OF READING. 23 
 
 Careless speech and indistinct articulation often arise from imperfect 
 hearing, or indifferent attention to what is said. Children should be 
 trained in the early lessons to hear, and to repeat, exactly what is said. 
 The repetition is a test of the child's hearing. Begin with short sen- 
 tences. Speak them clearly, in a moderate voice, requiring tiie children 
 to repeat after once hearing. Gradually increase the length of sentence, 
 but do not increase the volume of voice ; speak distinctly, and expect 
 the children to be attentive enough to hear an ordinary tone ; teach 
 them to respond in the same tone, with clear articulation. Continue 
 this exercise until a long sentence can be accurately returned ; then 
 pronounce lists of words beginning with letters which demand careful 
 articulation. When these have been mastered, draw attention to ini- 
 tial sounds, and then to the letters which represent them. Work Avith 
 these until every letter suggests its sounds to the pupils, whether in a 
 new 01' in a familiar word. With little children, the sound should be 
 taught first in connection with initial letters always. A successful 
 device consists in allowing each pupil to represent a certain sound. If 
 the sound is the initial sound in his own name, it will be easy for the 
 children to remember. Thus — John can always suggest the sound of 
 j, Mary the sound of m, Peter the sound of p, and so on. A class of 
 children aided in this way will master the sounds of the letters in a 
 very short time. 
 
 Having learned, through the initials, the sounds which various letters 
 represent, the next step will be to analyze phonosyllables into their 
 sounds. Select first those containing short vowels, in order to avoid 
 the difficulty of the silent letter. The preliminary di-ill with the initials 
 will have made this step an easy one to take. 
 
 Whenever a type word is represented, as — black, for example, the 
 children should be taught to suggest other words which rhyme with the 
 pattern, as — crack, back, lack, etc. If in every such case the com- 
 mon element is studied and mastered, in a few weeks the children will 
 
24 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 become j)ossessors of a large vocabulary, whose basis is the few common 
 words which they have studied. Every type word will stand for a list 
 of words similar in form. 
 
 This study of sounds should continue through at least the first five 
 school years. After analyzing any word into its separate sounds, the 
 children should be required to name other known words which resem- 
 ble the one studied. This Avill tend to a habit of classification which 
 will recall the known word, which helps the student to master the 
 new one. 
 
 Diacritical marks are a help in mastering new words, if the key 
 words have been studied in connection with the marks. They are 
 needed also in consulting the dictionary for pronunciation. They 
 should be taught only when necessary to the pronunciation. In 
 older classes, after the use of the dictionary becomes necessary, a com- 
 plete list should be mastered. It is a mistake to insist upon diacritical 
 marking when the children can pronounce accurately without. I 
 remember hearing a teacher chide a pupil for reading a sentence before 
 she had time to mark the vowels, but, since the child could and did 
 read without such help, the marking was evidently unnecessary. It 
 serves as a means to an end, and should be dispensed with when the 
 end can be reached Avithout such artificial aid. 
 
 As a matter of fact, every child refers a new word back to a similar 
 word with which he has become familiar. Thus — black, once mas- 
 tered, serves as a key to tack, crack, quack, etc. The only elements 
 in these words are the final element ack and the initial sounds. If a 
 child hesitates with a new word, help him to refer at once to the type 
 word which he has already mastered. Instead of pronouncing the new 
 word for him, insist upon liis using for himself his own stock of knowl- 
 edge. Help him only where he cannot help himself. If he forms the 
 habit of referring the unknown to the kindred known, he will become 
 independent in study. For example — to a six-years-old child the word 
 
THE ART OF READING. 26 
 
 blacksmith may, at first sight, appear formidable. Separated into 
 its parts and referred to the simple words already mastered, the child 
 conquers the newcomer, and adds it to his list of servants. He is 
 endowed with new strength, because he has mastered something which 
 seemed to him hard. Such conquests, often repeated, lead to strength 
 and independence. In many cases, it is wise to leave a child to wrestle 
 with a word which at first sight he fails to master. Of course this 
 process is unwise if he has no experience to which he can refer for help. 
 Guess-work will never take the place of thought, and a child should 
 not be driven to guess at the pronunciation, but everj^ attempt should 
 be based upon something whicli he has been taught in former lessons. 
 Such practice will lead to thoughtful self-help. 
 
 This work may be facilitated by many devices. We have seen 
 classes hunting for new words beginning with a given sound, as eagerly 
 as if they were playing hide and seek. Or with the utmost enjoyment 
 they have made lists of words .beginning with chosen sounds ; or 
 matched pairs of words which rhymed. But their most valuable 
 exercise is that in which the old familiar word of their first vocabulary 
 is made the key which unlocks the new. 
 
 Now, when a new word is presented, the teacher no longer pro- 
 nounces it for the children, but asks instead, " What word helps you to 
 pronounce it ? " Bright is not a new word, because the children know 
 light, remember the sound of br, and put their two bits of knowledge 
 together to meet the new emergency. They do for themselves what 
 the teacher has heretofore done for them. 
 
 A most helpful form of word study, which is suitable for desk work, is 
 making lists of words containing the same sound. It strengthens the 
 liabit of classification, and helps in spelling and in the recognition of 
 new words. 
 
 The most difficult work for children appears in words which are spelled 
 alike and pronounced differently, or in words pronounced alike and 
 
^6 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 spelled differently, or in the various equivalents of tlie same sound which 
 our language affords. Chair, their, wfleu^ etd/ sugg^t the problems 
 of this nature. This work should be introduced not" earlier than the 
 third or fourth year. It should come in connection with the spell- 
 ing lesson, and not with the reading. The mastery of these diffi- 
 culties in English spelling doubtless requires many months of careful 
 teaching. 
 
 It must not be forgotten that children are hindered and not helped 
 by any attempt to spell by sound, words which are unique in spelling. 
 Through, for example, should be learned by sigJit,,and not by sound. 
 Beautiful, tongue, physique — may illustrate this group. The eye, 
 and not tlie car, nuist be depended upon in the mastery of such words. 
 Care should be taken to develop the habit of accurate attention through 
 the eye as well as the ear. Any attempt to mark the sounds in these 
 words increases the labor without increasing facility. If the teacher 
 makes a careful classification of the ordinary words which frequently 
 recur in the reading lesson, she will discover the class which must be 
 mastered by sight. Out of the remainder she can make lists which 
 include the ordinary type sounds. The study of these lists will reduce 
 the labor of word master}^ to its minimum, and the habit of comparison 
 developed through this study will go far to make the children inde- 
 pendent in the pronunciation of new words. 
 
 For diacritical marks and correct pronunciation, the teacher is 
 referred to the standard dictionaries. It should not be forgotten that 
 the teacher's pronunciation is a guide to the pupil. She needs a qiii(;lv 
 ear and the careful judgment which will render her a safe guide. 
 The familiar rule should direct her practice. AVhen in doubt, consult 
 the dictionary. 
 
 Note the value of this word mastery. The pupil fast becomes inde- 
 pendent of the teacher, and ready to master the page for himself. 
 Note, also, that this power becomes his in proportion to the teacher's 
 
THE ART OF READING. 27 
 
 purpose to make him self-helpful, aud her skill in finding the connect- 
 ing' link between the new knowledge and the old. 
 
 It is self-evident that this plan can be pursued only when the words 
 are amenable to common phonic laws. Cough, and its congeners, 
 should be named as new wholes. So with all words which follow no 
 rule, and must be pronounced by substitution. No time should be lost 
 by attempting a method which has no excuse for being, in such cases. 
 In its place, as a help to the mastery of groups of kindred words, it is 
 invaluable. Out of place, it is bad. 
 
 Two elements of learning to read have been presented here : 
 sentence reading and word mastery. Of the study of the meaning of 
 the words and the development of the power of imagination we shall 
 sj)eak elsewhere. 
 
Part 11. 
 
 THE FIRST YEAR IN READING. 
 SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS. 
 
^avt 11. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE FIRST YEAR IN READING. 
 Suggestions to Teachers. 
 
 THE FIRST LESSON WITH THE BOOK. 
 
 l" 
 
 IT is assumed that the teacher 
 whose chiss is undertaking the 
 initial lessons in reading has already '^ 
 prepared the way for the book, '•ms 
 by language lessons and by ^^^iw. 
 reading from the blackboard. The 
 children have gained some idea of 
 the purpose of reading, and can already 
 read a number of simple sentences 
 which have been written upon 
 
 the board or paper. Now comes r ^ 
 
 If 
 the happ3^ day when the book is 
 
 placed in their hands. 
 
 Tills should be considered by both 
 teacher and pupil a most eventful day. 
 When Mrs. Wesley taught her children 
 their letters, she dressed them in their best 
 clothes, and they sat in state, in happy antici- 
 pation of the great event. Doubtless their rapid 
 
33 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 acquisition of the alphabet was largely due to the deep impi-essiou 
 which the mother thus made upon them. Commonplace as the routine 
 lesson may appear to the teacher, she should not forget that the first 
 study of the book opens the door into book-land for tlie children. 
 She should make the day a happy one, and emphasize this new be- 
 ginning which points so hopefully to future achievement. 
 
 The class awaits the distribution of the new books with eager antici- 
 pation. A few words from the teacher suggest to the children the value 
 of the book, the care which should be exercised in handling it, the 
 virtue of clean hands, the objection to marks and blots, curled edges 
 and torn j)ages. But when the treasures are once in the hands of 
 the pupils, she allows them to turn the pages at their own sweet will, 
 to look at the pictures, and to express their delight in their new posses- 
 sion. Perhaps she calls the little ones about her and shows them how to 
 open and to hold the book, how to turn the page, how to find new pages. 
 She talks with them about some of the pictures in which they are inter- 
 ested, and then bids them search for words which they already know. 
 
 It is much more difficult for little children to read from the printed 
 page, meanwhile holding the book and " keeping their j^lace," than 
 to read the same sentence from the board as it has just appeared 
 beneath the teacher's crayon. It is the part of wisdom, therefore, 
 to acquaint the children with the few words upon the first pages 
 of the book, before they are introduced to these pages. Until the 
 manipulation of the book becomes easy, and the pupils have learned 
 to find and to follow the lines upon the page, the sentences should 
 present the least possible difficulty in themselves. It is supposed, 
 then, that the children who take the First Reader into their hands 
 have already read from the board the sentences found upon the first 
 ten pages, at least, and know the words and phrases which are included 
 in these sentences. If this is the case, they will read all that is found 
 upon these pages in the first two or three days after the book is given 
 them. 
 
THE FIRST YEAR IN READING. 33 
 
 IT. 
 
 THE FIRST VOCABULARY. 
 
 The first twenty-four pages of the First Reader of " Stepping Stones 
 to Literature " contain lessons which are intended to be mastered by 
 the chikben with the help of the teacher, by the so-called " word and 
 sentence " method, without any attempt at phonic analysis. The rea- 
 sons for this mode of proceeding have been given in the previous 
 chapter. During these lessons, therefore, the children will acquire 
 little power to master new words independently. Their attention has 
 not yet been called to the structure of the individual word. Stress has 
 been laid, and intentionally, upon the meaning of the word, the form 
 of the sentence, and the thought expressed by it. It may be a simple 
 matter to present to children a dozen things at once, but it does not 
 follow that they understand everything which is presented to them. 
 The writer has seen so much difficulty in reading that arose from the 
 child's complete misconception of the object of reading, so much crude, 
 helpless, and blundering work due to the complete lack of meaning 
 in the exercise, that she has come to firmly believe that the first and 
 most important duty of the teacher of reading is to emphasize its one 
 aim — thought-getting. To this end, she is willing even to lose time 
 (or seem to lose time) in the first few weeks of the child's school life, 
 in the effort to give a clear conception of this i:)urpose, rather than 
 to fix in the mind of botli pupil and teacher, as a goal, the power 
 of word pronouncing. 
 
 Therefore, no attempt lias been made to select for the vocabulary 
 of these first pages words which are alike in sound. Nouns have been 
 chosen for their intrinsic interest. They name familiar objects which 
 all children like ; the verbs, as far as possible, express action ; the 
 adjectives are descriptive. The forms of the words are varied. It 
 
 3 
 
LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 is easier to distinguish words wliich are markedly different from one 
 another than to recognize those which present slight differences merely. 
 Do you like bread and milk, Fan ? is easier to read than Does the 
 fat cat see the rat on the mat ? Furthermore, to insist upon a 
 phonic vocahulary, at this stage, would so limit the range of sentences 
 as to make the lessons mechanical, and largely eliminate any free 
 expression of thought. 
 
 The words used, however, are such as will serve in the future 
 as type words, in the various phonic lists which the children must 
 learn. The study of phonics is simply postponed, that it may be 
 subordinate to the chief end in reading, and the teacher is asked to 
 use these first pages without effort to emphasize that phase of word 
 mastery. That will come later, in its rightful place. Meanwhile, 
 the child is unconsciously mastering a vocabulary which will serve 
 as a basis for his classification and analysis, later. 
 
 III. 
 
 THE FIRST SERIES OF LESSONS. 
 
 These lessons deal Avith familiar objects and interests, — Kate, Ben, 
 Fan, Kitty, the cup, the ball, bread and milk. The sentences are 
 simple. The illustrations are clear and attractive, and will serve well 
 as a basis of conversation. Every sentence which occurs in tlie lessons 
 may be readily secured in a natural conversation with the children. 
 
 Who is this ? 
 
 This is Kate. 
 
 Who is this ? 
 
 This is Ben. 
 
 And who is this ? 
 
 This is Fan. 
 
THE FIRST YEAR IN READING. 35 
 
 One who observes little children as they look at their picture-books, 
 will discover that their sentences are a simple and natural enu- 
 meration of the objects in the picture. The introductory sentences, 
 therefore, follow the line of least resistance. This is should be 
 one of the least difficult forms for the initial sentences. ■ 
 
 See is next in difficulty. It recognizes a hearer. See Kitty, Ben, 
 
 see Kitty. Then a conversation about little Kate secures from the 
 
 children the sentences : 
 
 Kate likes Kitty. 
 
 Kate likes Ben. 
 
 Kate likes Fan. 
 
 The conversations should be carried on in the ordinary speaking 
 voice, with cheery tones. The reading, on the child's part, is thus far 
 a repetition of the sentences which form a part of the conversation. 
 It is essential that conversational tones should be secured from the 
 beginning. The attempt to sound and decipher every word of the 
 first sentences places the emphasis upon each separate word, and causes 
 the slow, expressionless, machine-like reading with which we are all 
 familiar. The drill upon the separate words may come afterward ; 
 but at first it is better to let the pupil imitate the easy rendering of 
 the sentences until he is accustomed to the easy and fluent movement 
 of the sentence. After this movement has been secured with a few 
 simple sentences, he may be set to dig out a few sentences made up of 
 familiar words. There will not be, at this stage, so much danger of 
 fixing the slow and stumbling habit of speech. 
 
 Page eight presents a scene full of action. The picture may easily 
 be made the basis of a dozen lessons upon the blackboard. 
 
 See Ben ! See the kitty ! See Kate ! See the ball ! 
 
 What is Ben doing ? What is Kitty doing ? Do you think Ben 
 will get the ball? Will Kitty get it? 
 
 How fast Ben runs ! How fast Kitty runs ! Can t/ou run ? 
 
36 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 Tell me noAv what Ben can do. 
 
 Ben can run. 
 
 What can Kitty do ? ' 
 
 Kitty can run. 
 
 Here is Kate, too. I wonder if she can run. 
 
 Can Kate run ? 
 
 Can Fan run ? 
 
 Tell Ben to run. 
 Run, Ben! 
 
 Tell Kitty to run. 
 
 Run, Kitty, run ! 
 
 Now the cliiklren may study out the next long sentence : Ben and 
 Kitty like to run. 
 
 It will be well, after the conversation and the first reading of the 
 separate sentences, to have each child read the entire lesson. The 
 questions and statements afford opportunity for a variety of natural 
 inflections. 
 
 Page nine introduces the ball and the cup. The familiar this 
 appears in a new place in the sentence. Every teacher knows the 
 difficulty which the children find in recognizing a familiar word 
 where the initial changes from tlie capital to the small letter, and vice 
 versa. The word-study should include enough drill to make the 
 change evident to the children. 
 
 Page ten introduces a really diificult word, — the pronoun you. 
 Now the conversation is most effective. 
 
 Can you see Fan ? Tell her so. 
 
 I see you, Fan. 
 
 The ^ expression " cannot fail to be good, if the child naturally 
 addresses Fan and Ben. 
 
 Ben, can you see Fan ? 
 Fan, can you see Ben? 
 
THE FIRST YEAR IN READING 37 
 
 Page eleven repeats the thought of page eiglit, introducing the new 
 words get and good. Nearly all the sentences are addressed to Ben, 
 who should be foremost in the imagination of the child as he is read- 
 ing. If he really talks to Ben, he will read easily and well. 
 
 Page twelve introduces a new word expressing action — jump. 
 Such words are easy. But the pronoun my is more difficult. It 
 should be taught in connection with nouns. 
 
 Whose pencil is this ? 
 
 My pencil. 
 
 Whose book is this ? 
 
 This is my book. ' 
 
 After enough oral practice to emphasize the meaning of the word, 
 it may be tauglit in connection with the lesson. 
 
 Me is easily added to the vocabulary in connection with the lesson 
 
 on page thirteen. 
 
 I like Fan, and Fan likes me. 
 I like Kitty, and Kitty likes me. 
 I like Ben, and Ben likes me. 
 
 The word should not be made emphatic. 
 
 Of, and, and to occur on the next pages. Great care should be 
 taken to prevent the false emphasis which comes from presenting these 
 words as isolated wholes. They never appear without other words ; 
 they should alwaj^s be taught in phrases. (The rendering should 
 be " bread-and-milk," not "bread, — and, — milk"; " good-to-eat," 
 not "good, — to, — eat") 
 
 Page sixteen presents a pleasing form of review for drill on the 
 vocabular}^ required. Every child should master every word now. 
 
 Whatever book or lesson is used at this stage, the teacher should 
 supplement it by rapid and varied lessons upon the board. These 
 have the added value of appearing newly made before the eyes of 
 the children. The freshness always adds to the interest. 
 
38 
 
 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 If the lessons are presented upon the board before the children 
 attempt to read them from the book, abundant repetition may be pro- 
 vided which will help to fix the words in mind. Such word lessons 
 are indispensable to the early teaching of reading. They afford oppor- 
 tunity for frequent repetition, with variety. Any book lesson in per- 
 manent form is quickly memorized by the children, and a sentence 
 once memorized is useless as a test. 
 
 Ben is a good dog. 
 
 I like Ben and Ben likes me. 
 
 See Ben rnn ! See him run ! 
 
 Run, Ben ! Get the ball. 
 
 He can get the ball. 
 
 Ben likes to run and jump. 
 
 Ben and I can run and jump. 
 
THE FIRST YEAR IN READING. 39 
 
 IV. 
 
 SILENT READING. 
 
 On page twenty-four occurs an exercise whose object is not simply 
 to test the chiklren's perception of the thought, but to help them 
 to realize that the chief object of reading is to enable them to get 
 the meaning of the sentences. Their answers should be spoken in 
 sentences. 
 
 Kitty can jump. 
 Ben can run. 
 Kate can read. 
 ' Fan eats grass. 
 Ben eats meat. 
 Baby likes to play. 
 I like to play ball. 
 Kate likes to read. 
 
 Multiply these exercises. Write the questions upon slips of paper, 
 distribute them to the children, and ask tliem to read the question 
 and to give the answer in turn. Such an exercise affords variety 
 which is alwa3's pleasing to children, and, further, serves as a test 
 of their power to get the meaning of the question. The questions 
 may also serve to introduce new words into the children's reading 
 vocabulary. 
 
 The following lisf will suggest a variety of questions : 
 
 Have you a ball ? 
 Is your ball little ? 
 
40 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 Where is your ball '? 
 
 Do you like to play ball 1 
 
 Can Ben play ball '? 
 
 Do you like dogs ? 
 
 Have you a dog ? 
 
 Does your dog like to play 1 
 
 Can you run ? 
 
 Do you like to run? 
 
 Can Ben jump ? 
 
 Does Ben like to jump ] 
 
 Does Fan like Ben? 
 
 Can Fan play with Ben? 
 
 Does Fan Hke Kitty 1 
 
 Can Kitty play with the ball ? 
 
 Does Baby like bread and milk ? 
 
 Can Baby eat bread '? 
 
 Can Baby drink milk 1 
 
 Can Baby see Fan 1 
 
 Is Fan good to the baby 1 
 
 Is old Fan in the held ? 
 
 Can you run in the field ? 
 
 Can you play in the field ? 
 
 Do you like to play in the field ? 
 
THE FIRST YEAR IN READING. 41 
 
 Can you play in the brook 1 
 
 Do you like to play in tlie brook 1 
 
 01(1 Fan drinks from the brook. 
 
 Can you drink water from the brook ? 
 
 Do you see Fan and Baby ? 
 
 Do you see Ned 1 
 
 Can Ned play ball ? 
 
 Has Ned a good ball ? 
 
 Does Ned like to play with Ben 1 
 
 Can Ned milk Fan ? 
 
 Can you find Ned's ball ? 
 
 Is Ned's ball like your ball ] 
 
 V. 
 
 SENTENCES TO BE COMPLETED. 
 
 On page eighteen, a new exercise is introduced wliicli may be made 
 veiy profitable. Obviously, no one can fill the blanks in the sentences 
 without first being able to pronounce the written words and give their 
 meaning. Such exercises, then, serve as a test of the children's mastery 
 of the wprds used, and also afford a pleasing variety for seat work. 
 The exercise seems like a game to the children, and they enter into it 
 with the spirit of play. Cards, or slips, upon which such broken sen- 
 tences are written, may be made very useful, both for seat work and for 
 varying tlie class exercise in reading. 
 
42 
 
 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 Types of incomplete sentences to he completed hy the children 
 
 Baby old Fan. 
 
 Fan gives to Baby. 
 
 Fan water. 
 
 Baby lias a ball. 
 
 Ned plays in tlie . 
 
 He likes to play . 
 
 Ben is doo:. 
 
 He can and . 
 
 Our Kate Ben. 
 
 Kate likes 
 Kate can - 
 
 and 
 
 I like to drink 
 
 Fan eats . 
 
 Kate eats and 
 
 Kitty eats . 
 
 Ben likes — 
 
 and 
 
 Ned can play 
 
 Fan is a cow 
 
THE FIRST YEAR IN READING. 43 
 
 VI. 
 
 DIFFICULT WORDS. 
 
 The words which really hinder the children in tlieir reading, are the 
 little words having no appreciable meaning to the yonng learners. 
 Prepositions, conjunctions, interjections, copulative verbs, articles and 
 expletives are necessary links in the sentence, but are difficult to master 
 as units. These words sliould be taught in connection with the nouns 
 or verbs with which they are associated in llie sentence. Constant 
 repetition makes them familiar. After they are recognized with some 
 ease and readiness, lists should be made upon the board, and at the 
 period of word study these lists should be repeated by the children 
 until immediate recognition and accuracy in pronunciation are assured. 
 The common mistake is to suppose that the longer the word, the more 
 difficult the mastery. The teacher's experience, however, goes to jjrove 
 that it is the little word which causes stund)ling and prevents clear 
 recognition of the thought. The teacher should carefully note the 
 words which occasion stumbling, and, having selected those wliich fre- 
 quently recur in the reading lessons and therefore must necessarily be 
 learned, should give time to drill upon this selected list. A chart may 
 be prepared, and a daily repetition required, or the lists may be placed 
 upon cards, which are distributed to the children to be used in a variety 
 of ways, as tlie teacher may direct. The point is, that, while these 
 seemingly unimportant words are without emphasis in the reading, they 
 should receive particular attention in the word study and drill, so that 
 the ordinary stumbling and hesitation may be prevented. 
 
44 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 VII. 
 
 THE BEGINNING OF PHONICS. 
 
 On page twenty-five, lessons upon the sounds of the letters make their 
 appearance. Reference to the chapter upon The Art of Reading 
 will show the relation of these lessons to the other exercises in reading. 
 It is time now for the children to know the sounds of the letters, that 
 they may help themselves in the pronunciation of new words. The 
 device which has been adopted to aid them in this exercise is partly old 
 and partly new. Pages 25, 26, 27, and 28 contain a child's table of 
 reference. The letters are arranged in alphabetical order. With each 
 letter appears a word chosen because that letter indicates its initial 
 sound. In pronouncing a word, the child must first make the sound 
 for which the letter stands. The short sounds of the vowels have been 
 used because they occur most frequently in the child's early vocabulary 
 in reading. The pictures have been placed beside the word to add 
 interest, and to help the children in their first rendering of the word. 
 Nouns have been chosen, in every instance. Tlie words in this list are 
 not intended to be sounded by the children. Their phonic analysis 
 will extend in this case only to the initial letter. 
 
 The pupils should be drilled upon this list until they can give the 
 sound of every letter without reference to the table. Should they fail 
 to give the proper sound in their later work, they should be refei'red to 
 the table to find it, tlius beginning self-help in the use of books. The 
 teacher wlio adopts a different vocabulaiy for the early lessons may 
 make a table which will be more helpful to herself, but the writer is 
 convinced that sucli help at this stage is very valuable. Its worth 
 appears in proportion as the children are made to depend" upon them- 
 selves in their exercises, and to refer to the table when they need help. 
 The sounding or phonic analysis of words which admit of such analysis, 
 
THE FIRST YEAR IN READING. 
 
 45 
 
 should become a part of their exercise in word study at this stage, 
 and the children should be urged to use their new knowledge in 
 pronouncing new words, depending as far as possible upon themselves, 
 and asking the teacher's aid only as a last resort. 
 
 Sounds of the Letters. 
 
 apple ] baby 
 
 a A \ b B 
 
 c C 
 
 cup 
 
 fy-X\ 
 
 do 
 
 (Y 
 
 (1 D 
 
 e E 
 
 
 fish 
 
 f F 
 
46 LEARNING TO REAC 
 
 VIII. 
 
 THE USE OF RHYMES. 
 
 Pages thirty and fifty-one introduce exercises in word study in 
 which the rhyme is called into service. Observation of children's early 
 use of picture books teaches us that many young readers learn to recog- 
 nize words tlirough their place in the rhyme. Who does not remember 
 reading the rhymed story to the eager child-listener, who followed the 
 words upon the page with liis index finger, and named aloud each word 
 at the end of the line ? It was not long before he could recognize all 
 the rhymed words at the end of the line, and, later, he became able to 
 name prominent words in the line, reciting from memory, and pointing 
 to the words in order, as lie recited. The writer has often made use of 
 this natural tendency of the children, in teaching classes to read, and 
 has found that many words which would otherwise seem difficult to 
 learn, are easily acquired and added to the child's reading vocabulary if 
 they are found in memorized rhymes. The device is mechanical, of 
 course. It simply makes use of something which the child likes to do, 
 and turns it to account in the acquisition of the early vocabulary. 
 
 On page thirty, appears the familiar rhyme : 
 
 One, two, three, four, five, 
 
 I caught a hare ahve. 
 Six, seven, eight, nine, ten, 
 
 I let him go again. 
 
 Most of the children have already memorized this nursery jingle. If 
 they have not, it will be quickly committed to memory. After they 
 know it — not lefore — let them point to the words as they read them, 
 one by one ; then ask them to find the words, skipping about, without 
 
THE FIRST YEAR IN READING-. 47 
 
 regard to order ; recognize the same words upon the top or bottom of 
 the page, and afterwards require them in their busy work to write the 
 words beside the corresponding figures. Most of the words will recur 
 frequently in the child's reading ; the others need not be emphasized 
 until their recurrence makes this necessary. The figures should be 
 utilized at once in finding the pages of the Reader. 
 
 On page fifty-one, the exercise is carried farther. The well-known 
 rhyme, "Jack and Jill," appears, with appropriate illustration. The 
 children are supposed to have memorized the rhyme before attempting 
 the word study. Having memorized it, they find the different words in 
 the rhyme, from their position, naming tliem one by one. After they 
 can readily find them, new words are introduced which rhyme with the 
 words found in the lesson. Here is an occasion for turning back to the 
 alphabetical list, in order to discover the sound of the initial letter. 
 The child who knows the word Jill and knows the alphabetical sounds, 
 ought to be able to pronounce fill for himself. Tell ought to be easily 
 conquered by the child who knows fell ; let is pronounced easily after 
 get is known ; lame is easy after came is mastered, and so on. 
 
 The exercise is intended to be suggestive of a type of word study 
 which is always fraught with interest to the children. Teachers will 
 note that the words which are made useful in the rhymes are the so- 
 called type-words which appear as representatives of a family, or class 
 of words. Tumbling and after are ignored, but went stands for the 
 group which includes bent — sent — dent — lent — pent — rent — tent 
 — scent, etc. and therefore is an acquisition not to be despised. It is 
 hoped that the teacher will make frequent use of such exercises, placing 
 upon the board the familiar nursery rhymes, and underlining the words 
 which may serve the children as indicated in this exercise. 
 
 It should perhaps be said that these two pages afford material for 
 several lessons, and that the teacher should not attempt to complete the 
 indicated study at one period. 
 
48 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 IX. 
 
 READING AND DRAWING. 
 
 Any exercise which gives reality to the thought in the sentence 
 is an aid in teaching reading. The picture which illustrates the story 
 serves this purpose. Teachers are urged, therefore, to encourage a, free 
 use of the ]:)encil in illustrating sentences. Children are ordinarily 
 very ready to express their thoughts with a pencil, and their drawings 
 may be made very helpful to the teacher. They reveal the child's 
 notion of the thought in the sentence, and often show his mistaken 
 ideas, thus giving the teacher an opportunity to correct them. They 
 are a fair indication, too, of the pupil's real interest, and always de- 
 serve the teacher's careful study. Whenever the lesson will afford 
 such opportunity, the children should be encouraged to draw the 
 picture suggested to them by the sentence. 
 
 Old Fan is in the field. 
 My ball is under the table. 
 Baby has a cup of milk. 
 Kitty likes to play with Ben. 
 Jack and Jill went up the hill. 
 The mother hen has five chickens. 
 Our house is a farmhouse. 
 Jack can draw a load of hay. 
 I like to ride on the hay. 
 Ben can swim in the water. 
 
THE FIRST YEAR IN READING. 49 
 
 The robin has a nest in the tree. 
 
 Ned found the robin's nest. 
 
 Mary had a little lamb. 
 
 It followed her to school one day. 
 
 The little flower grows in the field 
 
 The little fish swims in the sea. 
 
 The bear lives in the w^oods. 
 
 Jack can sail a boat. 
 
 The boat sails on the water. 
 
 Jack's home is near the sea. 
 
 Mary's lamb eats from her hand. 
 
 After a limited vocabulary has been mastered, the teacher can make 
 frequent use of such exercises, for silent reading at the desks, the 
 children reading the sentences to themselves and drawing the pictures 
 which they represent. They invarial)ly enjoy such exercises, and the 
 pencil interpretation is often more satisfactory than the oral reading. 
 
 X. 
 
 GROUPS OF SIMILAR WORDS. 
 
 The teacher should employ the words of the lesson to extend the 
 vocabulary. Smile becomes smiles by the addition of s ; speak 
 becomes speaks ; take becomes takes, and hand is changed to hands. 
 Let sucli exercises in word drill be multiplied until the children 
 become able to pronounce a group of related words, after having 
 the single one presented to them. All regular plurals can be taught 
 
50 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 in this way, after the singular has been presented : so with the various 
 derivatives which occur in adjective or verb forms. Walk, walks, 
 walking, sidewalk ; speak, speaks, speaker, speaking, — may serve to 
 suggest the possibilities of this exercise. 
 
 As far as possible, the exercises in word study which are intended to 
 increase the vocabulary should be referred back to the known words 
 which occur in the reading lessons, so that the children may be enabled 
 to use those words as the key to the other groups, and to search in the 
 present treasure for the word which will unlock the new sentence to 
 them. This habit of working for themselves, of depending upon them- 
 selves, is invaluable, and it should be developed, even at the expense 
 of seemingly slow progress in the beginning. To pronounce a word 
 for the child is quicker work than to help him pronounce it for himself, 
 but it is not serviceable for the next lesson ; while the power acquired 
 by his own doing makes him master of countless pages. 
 
 Throughout the book, occasional lessons in word study have been 
 suggested, whenever a list of words has been given with endings like 
 a representative found in the lesson. These are simply typical, and it 
 is well to use other words in the same way. Whenever the children 
 build such lists in independent exercises, without the immediate 
 direction of the teacher, they should read tliem afterward, in order that 
 slie may judge whether the work has been done intelligently. The 
 exercise is much more valuable when it is thus tested. 
 
 All primary teachers know that the words of, it, if, from, who, 
 there, and their kindred, are often obscurely or carelessly pronounced 
 by the young readers. These should be made a subject of frequent 
 and careful drill. All teachers of beginners are also familiar with 
 the difficulty presented when the capital is introduced in a word which 
 has been hitherto one beginning with the small letter. An excellent 
 exercise to overcome this difficulty is a drill in writing, beginning the 
 words in both ways. First begin with the small letter, and tlien with 
 
THE FIRST YEAR IN READING. 51 
 
 the capital. Inasmuch as any Avord may present this difficulty when 
 it occurs at the beginning of a sentence, the trouble is a frequent one, 
 and such drill will go far to remove it. 
 
 Page sixty-two and others present lists of rhymes. It will be under- 
 stood that many of these words will never appear in the vocabulary 
 of the lessons. These exercises are intended merely for word study. 
 
 XI. 
 
 LANGUAGE LESSONS WITH READING. 
 
 In another chapter, the relation of the language lessons to the read- 
 ing lessons is discussed at some length. The lesson upon page 38 
 presents an opportunity for an observation lesson which will serve 
 to increase the interest in the reading, and will, furthermore, supply 
 material for many reading lessons. Obviously, a talk upon birds will 
 bring to the minds of the children whatever knowledge they have 
 gained on the subject, and will show the teacher whether any pupils 
 are unprepared for the lesson. These lessons were intended both for 
 the children who know the robin and for those who do not, but in the 
 latter case the preparatory lessons should be given in which the children 
 do observe the robin, the nest, and the egg, or approach this as nearly 
 as possible. Several primary teachers whom the writer has known 
 well ire accustomed to take their pupils into the woods to observe the 
 birds. Where this is impossible, the English sparrow is omnipresent 
 and can serve as a type for the city bird life. The children watch the 
 sparrow : tell how large he is ; what his color is ; what he can do ; what 
 they have seen him do; where he builds his nest ; how he builds it; of 
 what material he makes it ; how he feeds his little birds ; how they beg 
 for food ; Avhat the sparrows have for breakfast ; what they use instead 
 of knife, fork, spoon, and plate; how the sparrow's home differs from the 
 
52 
 
 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 home of the chiklreu, etc. Such observation lessons give the children 
 a fund of material for expression, and the lessons upon the board are 
 very valuable at this time. All the knowledge gained in regard to the 
 sparrow will serve to interest them in regard to the robin, whose 
 picture is presented on page thii'ty-eight (as well as on page forty-two) 
 and who returns again and again to speak for himself. 
 
 Such a preparation for the 
 lesson will help the pupils 
 to enter upon the reading 
 with zest and interest. 
 Their questions will be real 
 questions, and the answers 
 will tell what they know is 
 true. Not the least profit- 
 able element in the exercise 
 will be the sympathy with 
 , bird life which is developed 
 by the preliminary lessons, 
 and continued in the read- 
 ing. Already the children 
 are beginning to read some- 
 thing which has a message 
 for them, and they enter upon it with a spirit which is entirely different 
 from that which accompanies the reading of lessons that are made 
 purely for tlie sake of including the words of their past vocabulary. 
 
 The teacher will find it profitable to let two children read the text 
 that is written in the form of a dialogue. Thus, on page thirty-eight, 
 one child may read all that the robin says, another child answering 
 the question. The children will enjoy the play, and the exercise will 
 help them to imagine more closely the picture which the text suggests. 
 The sentences will become more real through this impersonation. The 
 
THE FIRST YEAR IN READING. 53 
 
 lesson on page thirty-nine can be read in the same way. Such use 
 of the dialogue leads not only to clearer comprehension of the thought, 
 but also to natural and easy expression. 
 
 XII. 
 
 THE SUBJECTS OF THE LESSONS. 
 
 Reference was made in the preceding section to the language lesson 
 which should accompswiy the reading. It will be noted that the sub- 
 jects of the lessons thus far have been those with which nearly all 
 children are familiar. The cat, the dog, the horse, the cow, the bird, 
 the baby, are friends near and dear to most children. They have been 
 purf)osely selected because of their inherent interest, as the children 
 already know these old friends and like to talk about them. 
 
 Page forty introduces the home, with the brother and sister, and 
 the flowers, and leads the cliildren to a comparison between their 
 home and the liome of the birds ; the mother love which they know, 
 and the love which the bird mother shows for her children. A wise 
 teacher will make much of this exercise. 
 
 On page fifty-eight the well known story of Mary and her little 
 lamb appears. This is intended to be used in the same manner as tlie 
 nursery rhymes which have preceded. Some of the words, as lingered 
 and eager, do not reappear in the children's vocabulary. They are 
 necessary for this reading merely. The lesson is not intended to be 
 read before memorizing, but to be memorized before reading. The 
 exercise serves purely as an exercise in word study. Such Avords as 
 lingered and eager should be dropped out of the drill exercise as soon 
 as they have served their purpose in this lesson. 
 
 The exercise on page sixty employs the vocabulary which has been 
 acquired by means of the rhyme. This lesson should be extended 
 by the teacher. 
 
54 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 XIII. 
 
 THE STUDY OF PICTURES. 
 
 Observe the series of lessons which speak of the different homes of 
 different children. Here is an opportunity for language lessons, illus- 
 trated by pictures which will give the children some notion of the 
 lives of other children. The boy who lives by the sea, the one who 
 lives on the farm, and the child whose home is m the city, are con- 
 trasted, and their occupations are suggested. Pictures which are 
 drawn from nature, or which interpret life under these varying con- 
 ditions, should -be brought to the class, to help the pupils to get more 
 from their reading. Pictures of the farmhouse, of farmyards and the 
 animals to be found there ; pictures of men plowing, or sowing, or 
 reaping; scenes in the meadow, in the woods, on the hill, by the 
 brook, — all these serve as material for both language and reading 
 lessons, at this stage. If the teacher is fortunate enough to have a 
 large number of First Readers at hand, so that she can secure this 
 material without making it, here is opportunity to use them wisely. 
 But the best possible material is that which she makes upon the board 
 at the time of the little children's expressed interest in the subject 
 they have been discussing. Just such lessons should help to interpret 
 the fisherman's life, and the life of the boy in the city ; but the central 
 thought in them all is the thought of the home. 
 
 After these lessons, the children should be taught to sing " Home, 
 Sweet Home." One stanza of the song has been inserted on page forty- 
 five under the picture of the old homestead, in order to give them an 
 opportunity to see in print the words which they are accustomed to recite, 
 and to find some words which are already their familiar acquaintance. 
 Later, this selection may be used as the nursery rhymes have been. 
 
THE FIRST YEAR IN READING. 55 
 
 but it will be helpful even if it simply serves as an exercise in finding 
 the familiar forms. 
 
 The wise teacher will make good use of the picture which represents 
 the old home. — What could children do if they lived in a home like 
 that? What could they plaj'? What would they see? How is this 
 home different from tlieir home ? 
 
 Many of the pictures in the book have been prepared^ not simply to 
 illust'-^t'^ the lesson in hand, but with the thought of such study. If 
 other pictures are not at liand, the teacher may turn from page to page 
 in the book to find pictures that illustrate farm life, and life by the sea 
 or in the woodso 
 
 XIV. 
 
 STUDY OF OCCUPATIONS. 
 
 The kindergarten wisely directs the attention of children to the 
 occupations of men and women in the world about them. They visit 
 the blacksmith, the farmer, the carpenter, watch them at work, and 
 afterwards imitate them in their plays and games. Such observation 
 and plays have a direct effect upon the child's imagination and upon his 
 language as well. He masters the vocabulary which describes what 
 he sees ; he pictures scenes which are like those which he has visited. 
 
 The First Reader introduces the farmer, the miller, the fislierman, 
 the churner, the blacksmith. The reading lessons should be supple- 
 mented by observation, by conversation, and by language lessons. 
 Pictures may take the place of field lessons when it is impossible 
 to have the observation of real life, but it should be remembered 
 that every thoughtful observation of outside life will reenforce the 
 reading, and help the children to realize tliat books are written to 
 teacli tliem, and to help them to understaud what they see. The 
 stronger the relation of the child's experience to his text in reading, 
 
56 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 the more helpful will the other lessons become. Fortunately, the 
 "field lesson" is growing in favor. It is not unusual for teachers 
 to accompany their children to the field, the farm, or the workshop, 
 to acquaint them with the objects about wliicli they are studying. 
 This is to the children a most attractive feature of the school pro- 
 gramme. They look forward to it with eager interest. The difficulties 
 in the way disappear as the teacher organizes the walk or the visit, 
 taking the children with her, in groups, after school, or arranging a 
 Saturday Avalk for the entire class. Mothers and sisters are ready to 
 help if the class is large. Sacli lessons are imperative in primary 
 grades ; they enforce, in a marked degree, the lessons of the text. 
 
 On page sixty-one, the children begin the reading of lessons upon 
 the sun. They are glad in the sunshine, and they talk about the 
 gifts of the sun ; they know they are happier when it is sunny than 
 when it is cloudy, dark, and dismal. Their smiles are like sunshine ; 
 they give thanks for the sunshine, and strive to be sunny and glad, 
 to play that they are sunbeams. In tliis connection, a copy of Sir 
 Joshua Reynolds' beautiful picture is introduced. The faces which 
 are here pictured are so lovely that even the children realize how a 
 child's face serves to make tlie world beautiful. 
 
 Page seventy-four gives the children who have been reading of 
 making sunshine, the song of the earth full of music, with its sun- 
 shine. This poem should be read to them until it is memorized. It 
 is intended as a memory gem, to be taught in the ordinary way, and 
 to help to emphasize the thought which the preceding lessons should 
 have given. With singing birds and glad sunshine there should be 
 happy cliildren to make tlie world com})lete. The teacher, if slie 
 chooses, may use the exercise for word study, after the memorizing ; 
 but, if the lessons have been taught in the spirit which the subjects sug- 
 gest, enough will have been gained if the poem is simply memorized. 
 
THE FIRST YEAR IN READING. 57 
 
 Later in the year, the chiklren may return to it and read it for 
 themselves. It is introduced at this juncture because of its helpful 
 meaning. 
 
 XV. 
 
 THE VOWELS. 
 
 On page sixty-seven, the long sounds of the vowels are introduced. 
 Hitherto, stress has been laid upon the short sounds simply because 
 tliey occur more frequently in the early reading, and because the long 
 sound introduces the difficult silent letter. Now the children have 
 had sufficient experience to distinguish between the different sounds, 
 and to name the long sound and conquer the difficulties involved in 
 the use of silent letters in their phonic analysis. The device whicli 
 has been used to help them memorize the vowels is very like that 
 which was employed in the alphabetical word list. The initial letters 
 of the names of five girls are the vowels in full. A for Ada, E for 
 Eva, I for Ida, O for Ora, U for Una. The initial sound of these 
 words is the long sound of the corresponding vowel. The illustra- 
 tions which accompany the lesson are an attractive feature of the 
 page. After reading this page, the pupils may include in their word 
 study exercises in finding vowels, and in marking them as either long 
 or short. 
 
 The exercise upon page eighty-two suggests a form of word study 
 for the children. Words which contain the same vowel sound are 
 collected in the lists. The power to make these lists indicates some 
 degree of comprehension of phonic analysis. 
 
58 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 XYI. 
 
 GOOD LITERATURE. 
 
 On page sixty-eight, appears one of Robert Louis Stevenson's charm- 
 ing child poems. All children are merry at the thought of the good 
 cow who gives them cream to eat with apple tart, but no child will 
 dream how much he is getting when he memorizes the words of the 
 poem. Here he begins to read for himself something which is included 
 in good literatui-e. A plea for such reading has been made elsewhere. 
 Teachers are everywhere recognizing its value. The vocabulary of 
 the Reader if carefully collated would serve to show that the hope 
 of preparing the children to read good literature has governed the 
 selections in the book, from beginning to end. 
 
 Nor will the vocabulary alone tell the story. The fashion of a 
 sentence may be crude and heavy, even if the words are well chosen. 
 But the graceful phrases of Stevenson's poems are not too difficult for 
 children, and the simple sentences of the First Reader, or of the lesson 
 upon the board, may be expressed in graceful fashion and poetical 
 phrase, and still be entirely within the comprehension of the child. 
 Upon page seventy-one, are written two sentences which all lovers 
 of literature like to recall, and yet they are simple enough for the 
 children's reading. In succeeding lessons, the brook appears and re- 
 appears, thus making ready for Tennyson's " Song of the Brook." It 
 should be read to the children after these lessons have been read by 
 them. It is to be hoped that the teacher who uses this book will read 
 to the children from the best of books, and help them to realize that 
 their mastery of the simple lessons is an open sesame to these golden 
 fields. 
 
THE FIRST YEAR IN READING 59 
 
 XVII. 
 
 SCRIPT LESSONS. 
 
 The Script Lessons wliich are distributed through the book are 
 intended to afford occupation for the study period. They are written 
 with clear and graceful type, and place an excellent copy before the 
 children. On page one hundred and six, the charming verses of Mary 
 Mapes Dodge are written in script. They are worthy of frequent 
 copying. 
 
 LMTcrdj /7TU>Vuyur, JhAjMhj/ \\jyhJiJnAjJaj ! 
 S^joAxxAV OMyw ttVu mruu 'Xkaaju , 
 
 WAvatj rvYUAAb oj AroxiAJ/ d/y ? 
 
 J (y Jmj aJ MAMjdj oJ oj JxjlAj , Aju^ M^^ , 
 
 \\j AaWw oaAaj aamu ruAyw, 
 W^ oAjyuhd.OA^dj aAjy(M,ojnAj oA/yiM,amAj oAjyiM, 
 
 LlmAj VnxLb) w-roatj jJrvu rrruAJiXj ojy. 
 
 Mary Mapes Dodge. 
 
 Permission of the Century Co. 
 Publislitirs 0/ " St. Nicholas." 
 
60 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 XVIII. 
 
 THE FABLE. 
 
 Fables and folk stories are always attractive to children. No other 
 form of story is so popular. This has ever been the case, as the 
 long life of the Fable testifies. Some of the best known fables 
 have been put into simple language for the readers of this book, an 
 attempt having been made to render them in conversational style, so 
 that there may be variety in reading as well as interest in the story. 
 The moral has been put in the form of a proverb wlien possible. In 
 the fables, it has been thought well to sacrifice the teacher's ordi- 
 nary standard of the vocabulary to the interest of the story and the 
 style of expression. A number of new words appear in the fables. 
 To omit them, or to substitute familiar and easy ones, would lower 
 the standard of expression. It is believed that the children will find 
 the fables worth mastering as they are written. Into these stoiies some 
 expressions and phrases are introduced which purposely assume a 
 figurative form. It is- time for the children to begin such reading. 
 The language of literature is different from the language of conversa- 
 tion, and will ever be. The hare ran like the wind, is more diffi- 
 cult to master than The hare ran fast, but it is worth all it costs. 
 
 The folk story of the " Mouse in the oven spinning blue wool" has 
 ever been a favorite with children. The repetition it, a delight to 
 them. Here we make amends in full for the hard work in the fable ; 
 for the words of the mouse, in the story, are repeated over and over 
 again. What is the secret of the children's delight in this story? 
 The teacher who answers this question will know how to clioose read- 
 ing for her pupils. 
 
THE FIRST YEAR IN READING. 61 
 
 XIX. 
 
 THE MISSION OF THE PICTURE. 
 
 In preparing this series of books, no effort has been spared to secure 
 reprocluctions of the best pictures that children like; yet it may 
 happen that so great emphasis is laid upon the reading of the text 
 that the mission of the picture will be forgotten. Within the First 
 Reader are included Millet's " Churner," and "Feeding the Birds," 
 Meyer von Bremen's "Little Nurse," and Sir Joshua Reynolds' 
 " Angels' Heads." The children should talk about the pictures, tell 
 what they see in them and how they like them, recur to them again 
 and again as they turn the pages of the book, the teacher never passing 
 them without some comment upon their beauty. 
 
 U})on page 105, the subject of the lesson is the Mother, whom the 
 children love better than any one else. 
 
 She is the best mother in the world. 
 
 Her smile is like sunshine. 
 
 She is busy from morning till night. 
 
 It is mother who tells us stories. 
 
 It is mother who sings sweet songs to us. 
 
 It is mother who loves us. 
 
 And we love mother with all our hearts. 
 
THE FIRST YEAR IN READING. 63 
 
 If the teacher succeeds in making the children feel as they ought 
 to feel when they read this lesson, and when they repeat ^ " Hundreds 
 of stars in the j)retty sky," — they will be quite ready to interpret 
 the picture of the artist. The three children sit in the open door 
 of the cottage ; the mother with the bowl in her lap leans forward 
 to feed her children with the wooden spoon. How intent they are, 
 as they eagerly wait for the coming food ! The little one in the 
 middle leans forward for her portion ; the others await their turn in 
 eager confidence. How good the mother is, and how the children love 
 her ! How she loves the children ! Why does the artist call the 
 picture " Feeding the Birds " ? The child who can read the lesson 
 can read the picture. 
 
 Just as this picture shows mother life, the "Churner" represents 
 the sturdy homeliness of the worker, at her common task. The child 
 who reads the lesson can thank Elsie for making the yellow butter. 
 He begins to think of the many hands that are working for him, and 
 to look upon the honest laborer with honest respect. Some such feeling 
 the study of the picture will add to his lesson ; and if the teacher 
 stops to tell the children of the artist's choice of subject and his reason 
 for so choosing, their thoughts will recur to tlie lesson in days to come, 
 and the picture will grow in meaning as the children grow in experience. 
 Do not omit the study of the picture. 
 
 1 See page 105, First Eeader. 
 
► 
 
 Part III. 
 
 LANGUAGE LESSONS AS AN AID TO 
 READING. 
 
pan III. 
 
 i 
 
 LANGUAGE LESSONS AS AN AID TO READING. 
 STUDY OF THE MEANING OF WORDS. 
 
 IN the preceding chapters, reference has been made to the fact that 
 the child's experience largely determines his interpretation of the 
 reading lesson. All teachers Avill readily recall incidents in their own 
 class-work which will illustrate this truth. The child who has never 
 seen the ocean, whose life, perhaps, has been spent in the mountains, 
 will find it difficult to picture the scenes which are described in the 
 story of " The Leak in the Dike." The mountain walls to which he 
 has been accustomed are very different from the low level fields which 
 the little Dutch boy has known. The wideness of the sea, its tides, 
 its mighty strength, are notions which may be entirel}^ strange to him. 
 So, also, any child who lives in an inland village or town, needs some 
 helper to make plain to him the poems and stories which describe 
 the life of the sea. " The Wreck of the Hesperus " is written in a 
 
68 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 foreign tongue to him whose imagination has never depicted the raging 
 waves, the cruel rocks, the pebbly beach, the bitter storm, and the 
 shattered ship. As we read the poem, every word is filled with mean- 
 ing because our associations have enriched our lives with varied experi- 
 ences. We have walked on the beach, have climbed over the rocks, 
 have watched the vessel slowly sinking from sight below the distant 
 horizon, have waited for the steady advance of the incoming tide, and 
 heard the restless waters beating upon the steadfast rocks. We have 
 seen the stately vessels riding upon the still waters of the bay, or 
 tossing upon the waves of the outer ocean. We have talked with the 
 sailors, and know something of their sturdy lives, and the fearful 
 dangers to which they are exposed. We know boys and girls who 
 have sailed with their fathers on long voyages. All this knowledge 
 illuminates the poem, and fills it with meaning for us. Bereft of 
 this experience, we should fail to catch the beauty of the poet's de- 
 scription or to read his meaning in the familiar lines. It requires 
 some effort of the imagination to enable us to conceive how little 
 Emerson's snowstorm would say to us if our eyes had never beheld 
 the gathering storm, " announced by all the trumpets of the sky." 
 Bryant's " Fringed Gentian " is written for those whose eyes have 
 delighted in the exquisite beauty of the autumn blossom. " The 
 Death of the Flowers " must be interpreted by him who knows the 
 windflower and the violet, the aster and the golden rod. The 
 perfect picture of June, in Lowell's " Vision of Sir Launfal," is visible 
 only to him whose eyes have seen the buttercup catching " tiie sun 
 in its chalice " and whose ears have been attuned to the music of the 
 bird whose " illumined being " overruns " with the deluge of summer 
 it receives." 
 
 The experience of the children is akin to our own. Whatever they 
 read is interpreted by what they have seen and heard and felt. Many 
 a word which seems to us so simple and common that we pass it un- 
 
LANGUAGE LESSONS AS AN AID TO READING. 69 
 
 challenged in our teaching, stands apart from all experience in the 
 children's lives, calls up no notions in their minds, fails altogether 
 to contribute to the meaning of the story which they are reading. 
 However simple the lesson may be, the word which represents no idea 
 to the child, is a stumbling-block and hinders the thought getting. 
 It is utterly idle to insist upon the mere repetition of the word which 
 serves in no degree to enlighten the child. The teacher who attempts 
 to explain its meaning may contribute little to his enlightenment. 
 The explanation is often given in terms which are quite as unintelligi- 
 ble as the original word. One bit of experience is worth a thousand, 
 explanations. A summer day in the country does more to interpret 
 Lowell's picture of the day in June than would a hundred folios on 
 the subject if the reader had never seen the fields and the flowers. 
 Just so, the child who is to read about the chicken, the cow, the 
 tortoise, the oak, the violet, the frost, must gain his insight through 
 sight. Lessons which supply the experience to those who have never 
 had it, or which recall the forgotten experience so that it illumines the 
 text, are legitimate reading lessons. Indeed, they are indispensable. 
 
 It is therefore the duty of the teacher to discover in what lines the 
 child is ignorant, and to help him to increase his knowledge therein. 
 This increase must come through actual seeing and doing on his part, 
 as has been said. Observation lessons whose object is to lead the 
 children to new knowledge, are not only useful in developing facility 
 in expression and keenness in observing, but also in 23reparing the 
 pupils to read the pages in which these objects are described. If the 
 object which figures in the lesson is unattainable as well as unknown, 
 the pictm^e may suffice. If this is not to be secured, the teacher's 
 explanation may be made to suffice — as a last resort. 
 
 It should not be forgotten, however, that the child's doing is much 
 more potent than the teacher's telling — nor that the description which 
 seems clear to the teacher may be obscure to the child. " What are the 
 
70 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 ornaments in the room ? " questioned a pupil just learning the language. 
 " Oh, the knickknacks," replied the teacher. The pupil was quite as 
 much in the dark as before his question. The explanation must be 
 couched in terms of the learner's experience, and must take full account 
 of his limitations. If this simple principle were always followed, much 
 of the misdirected energy and the consequent tedium of the schoolroom 
 would be spared. 
 
 Applying this principle to the work with the little children, we 
 shall conclude that lessons on things must contribute to the power to 
 interpret the words which represent thought and experience. Lan- 
 guage lessons, observation lessons, field lessons, etc. will become 
 familiar features in the series of lessons which aim to teach children to 
 read. 
 
 In the primary Readers which this manual accompanies, the objects 
 described are. selected with reference to the interests of ordinary 
 children, as they have been carefully studied. The further purpose has 
 been to interest children in their environment, in nature and human 
 nature. A running glance will discover the lines which have been 
 chosen, and the kind of contributing lessons which are desirable. The 
 following lists name forms of animal and plant life, natural forces, and 
 minerals, to which reference is made in the primary Readers, with 
 allusions to the common occupations of men. 
 
LANGUAGE LESSONS AS AN AID TO READING. 
 
 71 
 
 
 ANIMALS. 
 
 
 
 FIRST 
 
 READER. 
 
 
 dog 
 
 robin 
 
 OX 
 
 tortoise 
 
 cow 
 
 bluebird 
 
 lamb 
 
 fish 
 
 cat 
 
 oriole 
 
 sheep 
 
 hare 
 
 mouse 
 
 eggs 
 
 wool 
 
 shells 
 
 hen 
 
 goat 
 
 squirrel 
 
 bee 
 
 chickens 
 
 horse 
 
 fox 
 
 butterfly 
 
 
 SECONI 
 
 ) READER. 
 
 
 goose 
 
 sparrows 
 
 stag 
 
 trout 
 
 turkey 
 
 blue jay 
 
 hound 
 
 quail 
 
 crow 
 
 kid 
 
 rabbit 
 
 flies 
 
 eagle 
 
 wolf 
 
 donkey 
 
 ant 
 
 crane 
 
 bear 
 
 frog 
 
 grasshopper 
 
 dove 
 
 lion 
 
 turtle 
 
 sponges 
 
 
 THIRD 
 
 READER. 
 
 
 pigeons 
 
 crow 
 
 curlew 
 
 salmon 
 
 woodpecker 
 
 raven 
 
 sandpiper 
 
 beetle 
 
 swallows 
 
 wren 
 
 toads 
 
 spaniel 
 
 blackbird 
 
 duck 
 
 vipers 
 
 hedgehog 
 
72 
 
 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 
 PLANT LIFE. 
 
 I 
 
 
 FIRST READER. 
 
 
 tree 
 
 elm 
 
 windflowe] 
 
 L^ corn 
 
 bush 
 
 oak 
 
 violet 
 
 berries 
 
 apples 
 
 acorn 
 
 rose 
 
 ears 
 
 brandies 
 
 pussy willow asters 
 
 branches 
 
 roots 
 
 stem 
 
 dandelion 
 
 leaves 
 
 maple 
 
 roots 
 
 lily 
 
 wheat 
 
 
 SECOND READER. 
 
 
 grapes 
 
 bramble 
 
 beans 
 
 hawthorn 
 
 blueberries 
 
 weeds 
 
 peas 
 
 cedar 
 
 fig 
 
 nuts 
 
 lettuce 
 
 daisies 
 
 raisins 
 
 peanuts 
 
 radishes 
 
 columbhie 
 
 chestnut 
 
 liazel 
 
 fir tree 
 
 elder-bloom 
 
 
 THIRD READER. 
 
 
 olive trees 
 
 marigolds 
 
 mornino;-o;lories flax 
 
 birch 
 
 tulips 
 
 anemone 
 
 spices 
 
 tamarack 
 
 peonies 
 
 fern 
 
 cucumber 
 
 holly 
 
 poppy 
 
 beeches 
 
 onions 
 
 sycamore 
 
 hyacinth 
 
 burdock 
 
 potatoes 
 
LANGUAGE LESSONS AS AN AID TO READING. 
 
 73 
 
 OCCUPATIONS. 
 
 FIRST READER. 
 
 farming churning spinning blacksmith 
 
 SECOND READER. 
 
 fishing 
 
 threshhig 
 
 fuller 
 
 autlior 
 
 weaving 
 
 shearing 
 
 soldier 
 
 artist 
 
 mowinp; 
 
 sexton 
 
 statesman 
 
 charcoal-burner 
 
 woodman 
 ditcher 
 
 THIRD READER. 
 
 gleaner 
 tailor 
 
 engineer 
 miller 
 
 sailor 
 merchant 
 
 sun 
 sky 
 clouds 
 
 NATURAL PHENOMENA. 
 
 FIRST READER. 
 
 rainbow rain 
 
 stars snow 
 
 showers dewdrops 
 
 wind 
 
 northwind 
 
 sunshine 
 
74 
 
 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 
 ] 
 
 3ECOND READER. 
 
 
 moon 
 
 hail 
 
 Jack Frost 
 
 mountain 
 
 dawn 
 
 icicles 
 
 summer 
 
 hill 
 
 night 
 
 lake 
 
 winter 
 
 valley 
 
 reflection in the water 
 
 storm 
 
 THIRD READER. 
 
 echo freshet 
 
 fountain 
 
 gold pearls 
 
 MINERALS, 
 coal salt 
 
 diamonds 
 
 It is not expected that the teacher's pLan will include an exliaustive 
 study of all the facts and objects suggested. But it is absolutely neces- 
 sary that the children should have some clear and general notion of the 
 meaning of the words used, so that their reading will be intelligent, the 
 words truly representing ideas to their minds. The accompanying 
 lessons are intended to suggest and illustrate types of lessons which 
 should accompany lessons in reading, whenever the pupil's knowledge 
 is so limited as to hinder the process of thought getting. It should not 
 be forgotten that the teacher must be the best judge as to the best selec- 
 tion of subjects for her own class. Further, the teacher will recognize 
 that any of these lessons may serve to reenforce her teaching in lan- 
 guage, drawing, or nature study, as well as reading. 
 
Paet IV. 
 
 ILLUSTRATIVE LESSONS. 
 
 OBSERVATION, LANGUAGE, AND PREPARATION FOR 
 
 READING. 
 
^att IV, 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 LESSON UPON THE COW. 
 
 'T~^0 precede or accompany Reading Lessons which refer to the cow. 
 ^ {in lowest grades) . 
 
 I. Find out what the children know about the cow. 
 
 Every new lesson should be built upon, and fastened to, the child's 
 past experience. If the children have no knowledge of cows, we must 
 
78 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 introduce the subject accordingly. If they have always known them, 
 the lesson will be merely a review, because the foundation will have 
 been prepared. If the children live in the country and know the 
 common animals, proceed at once to definite questions which will 
 arrange their knowledge and help them to express it. 
 
 Where have you seen cows? What do you know about them, — 
 their size, color, the head, ears, legs, feet, tail? 
 
 How large are they, as compared with the horse, dog, cat ? 
 
 Compare the covering with that of the horse, dog, cat. Compare the 
 parts with the corresponding parts of those animals. 
 
 Describe the horns. Why do cows have horns ? What use do they 
 make of them ? 
 
 Describe the ears. Where are they? Does the cow move them? 
 (The ears of the dog, cat, cow, horse are movable ; ours are not. 
 Why?) 
 
 Compare the cow's nose and mouth with those of the cat or the 
 horse. 
 
 Does any one know anything about the cow's teeth? What does she 
 eat ? What kind of teeth does she need ? 
 
 Tell the children about the chewing of the cud. 
 
 Of what use to the cow is the long tail with its brush at the end ? 
 Who has seen her use it ? Would a short tail serve as well ? 
 
 Who knows anything about the cow's foot ? Who can draw a picture 
 of the cow's footprint? 
 
 Of what use are cows to us ? What does the cow give to us ? 
 
 How should cows be cared for? What kind of stall, what kind of 
 bed, what food, water, pasture, should they have ? Describe a pasture 
 you would like if you were a cow. 
 
 How ought we to treat animals? Is it right to forget their wants 
 when we have the care of them? 
 
ILLUSTRATIVE LESSONS. 79 
 
 Every lesson upon animals should help the children to realize more 
 fully their obligation to properly care for them. Sympathy for animal 
 life ought to be develoijed through the reading and language lessons. 
 Interest in animal life is always present in children. The questions 
 above suggested cannot be answered at once, by any ordinary class of 
 children. Many who are familiar with cows in general will be unable 
 to answer the definite questions. The questions will lead them to a 
 more careful observation, after which they can report in another lesson. 
 Sometimes the questions may be distributed, different groups of children 
 being held responsible for the answers to certain ones. 
 
 II. Direct outside observation in order to get new knowledge. 
 
 It is entirely feasible, in many schoolrooms, to make the cow the sub- 
 ject of a field lesson. The children may be taken, in groups, to a farm- 
 yard, a pasture, or a stable, where a cow may be observed and studied. 
 Such lessons have ceased to be formidable, since they have become so 
 common. The need of such visits is revealed by the children's vague 
 answers. Nothing but definite observation of the real thing will open 
 their eyes, and make the words in their lesson full of meaning. 
 
 There are many city children who have never seen a cow. If it is 
 impossible to show them a real cow, excellent pictures should be sub- 
 stituted. Many of the questions suggested could be answered by .pic- 
 tures. It must be remembered, however, that the picture tells to us, 
 who have seen the real thing, much more than it tells to a child, who 
 has never had that experience. It is not strange that a child who has 
 never seen a real cow should imagine that animal to be six inches long, 
 the size of the cow which he has known from pictures in the lesson. 
 Emphasize the fact of the size. Allude to the picture as a picture only. 
 Have the children show by their hands how high a cow would be, how 
 long, how wide its head, etc. By such means, help to vivify the mental 
 picture which is suggested to the child by the lesson. If the pictures 
 are the only avenues through which the children learn about the cow, 
 
80 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 do not attempt to give as much information as would naturally be asso- 
 ciated with the real observation lesson. Remember that the amount of 
 knowledge which the chikl gains is not proportioned to the number of 
 facts enumerated by the teacher. He will intelligently appropriate 
 those which his observation and thought have helped him to understand. 
 As has been said before, this truth determines the value of the reading 
 lesson to the child, and necessitates the associated lessons which supple- 
 ment his ex2:)erience and enable him to bring to the lesson a mind fur- 
 nished with appropriate ideas. 
 
 III. Tell the children simple facts which they cannot find out for 
 tliemselves. 
 
 There are many facts associated with the cow which the children 
 can know only through others : the use of tlie horns, of the bones, the 
 hair, etc.; the manufactures; tlie reason for the cud-chewing; — the 
 making of butter and cheese. The writer has known classrooms 
 in which milk was skimmed, the cream churned into butter, and the 
 butter eaten by the children. The quantity, of course, was small, but 
 the process was very real and very interesting. This happened recently 
 in a kindergarten in the city. There were only three children in the 
 class who had ever seen a cow. It is hardly necessary to say that 
 the lesson followed a visit to that animal. 
 
 IV. Reenforce the lessons by stories. 
 
 Stories al)out cows, or descriptions of certain animals, perhaps the 
 pets which we have known, will add interest to the lessons. 
 
 V. Collect pictures of cows, for comparison and description. 
 
 In almost any district the children will be able to help in making 
 collections of pictures which illustrate the language and reading lesson. 
 These pictures can be obtained from newspapers, magazines, adver- 
 tisements, and various other sources. Every child who helps to swell 
 the collection will feel an added interest in it. The collection will be 
 valuable in proportion as it is carefully arranged and thoughtfully 
 
ILLUSTRATIVE LESSONS. 81 
 
 used by the teacher. If the cards are neatly mounted upon separate 
 sheets which contain the name of the contributor, and distributed 
 imongst the children for observation and comparison, it will prove 
 really helpful. Through the comparison of the different pictures, many 
 facts will be developed, suggested by the children's comments or 
 questions. Such teachhig will be sure to fit the needs of the children. 
 These suggestions will be modified and arranged by any teacher who 
 desires to use them. They may help to point the way for those who 
 are not entirely familiar with this phase of their work. 
 
 II. 
 
 LESSON UPON THE OAK. 
 
 As in the lesson upon the cow, the teacher's first object should be 
 to discover what the children already know. Nearly all children, 
 even those living in cities or towns, have some opportunity to see 
 and study trees, and their attention should be carefully directed to 
 those about them. 
 
 Have you ever seen an oak tree? Where was it growing? How 
 tall was it? (Compare with a man, a horse, a house; with other trees.) 
 
 What do you remember about the size of its trunk ? About the bark, 
 about the leaves, about the fruit ? 
 
 Bring to the class acorns, leaves, or, in blossom time, bring blossoms. 
 
 What is the use of the blossom, the leaf, the acorn ? 
 
 Draw them. 
 
 Plant an acorn and see wliat comes of it. 
 
 (Patient and continued observation.) 
 
 Of what use is the oak tree to us? (Do not forget that beauty as 
 well as manufacturing is to be considered.) 
 
 Name articles made of oak. 
 
 6 
 
82 
 
 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 1 
 
 Bring specimens of the wood. 
 
 The older jDupils can draw the tree. 
 
 Tell the children abont the Charter Oak. 
 
 Take them, if possible, to a field, or wood or park or street where 
 they can see an oak growing. 
 
 Refer to the lesson some weeks afterwards, in order to lead to con- 
 tinued observation of the tree in different stag-es. 
 
 Do not feel that it is necessary to do all which the lesson suggests 
 with every class, but be sure that the children have some actual 
 knowledge of an actual oak tree. 
 
ILLUSTRATIVE LESSONS. 83 
 
 III. 
 
 LESSONS UPON OCCUPATIONS. 
 
 Frequent reference is made, in all literature, to the occupations of 
 men. Even if this were not the case, a knowledge of these occupations 
 is necessary to even a fair education. Every child should have some 
 intelligent knowledge of the work of the farmer, the miller, the car- 
 penter, the bricklayer, the engineer, the miner, the merchant. But, be 
 this as it may, the pages of the school Reader, will demand some knowl- 
 edge of the every day occupations of men. 
 
 Children are naturally interested in the occupations of their neigh- 
 bors. They like to see things made. They like to know why certain 
 effects come from certain causes. Nothing could be more fruitful than 
 a visit to a blacksmith shop, a new house that is being built, a sewer 
 that is being dug, a cellar that is being laid ; to a ropewalk, to a mine, 
 to a quarry, whei'e real men are engaged in real work. The natural 
 interest of children in these subjects is evidenced by their desire to 
 " play " the miller, the farmer, the driver, the boatman, etc. We do 
 well when we build upon this natural interest. " The Village Black- 
 smith " is a familiar poem based upon a common experience. As has 
 been said, the children who know something about the work of the 
 blacksmith will enjoy and understand the poem as no others can. Ask 
 them to go to a blacksmith and then to report ; or go with a class of 
 children, and help them to observe and question. The blacksmith Avill 
 be courteous and generous if he is courteously requested to give his aid 
 to the children. Prepare them for the lesson by a preliminary talk 
 about the blacksmith, his work, the need of his work ; his tools, the 
 material with which he works, the sources from which iron is obtained, 
 the process by which steel is made. Having prepared the children to 
 observe, assign questions or topics upon which they are to report : the 
 
84 
 
 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 anvil, the forge, the sledge, the bellows, the horseshoe, etc. Upon 
 their return from the visit, allow the different pupils to tell what 
 they have seen. After the general conversation, insist upon an orderly 
 description. 
 
 Kindred lessons may be given upon the other occupations suggested. 
 In many cases stories can be told or read, which Avill reenforce the 
 observation. It nuist not be forgotten that one result of the lessons 
 should be a sincere respect for honest toil, and a pride in the ability to 
 do honest work well. It is hardly necessary to say that the visit to the 
 blacksmith's shop will reenforce the reading, and that a study of Long- 
 fellow's poem will, in turn, make the visit more valuable. The lan- 
 guage lesson will help the reading lesson because it adds interest; it 
 will also help the lesson as literature, because it gives fuller power of 
 interpretation and corresponding appreciation of the poem. All these 
 lessons will be made more valuable by the use of collections of pictures. 
 
 RAIN. 
 
 FOR SECOND GRADE. 
 
 Observation during a rain. 
 
 What is rain ? 
 
 Where does it come from? 
 
ILLUSTRATIVE LESSONS. 85 
 
 How did it get there ? 
 
 Experiment later, if the children become interested in the question. 
 Do not answer it for them now. Let them question and think. 
 
 Upon which windows does it fall ? 
 
 Why not upon the opposite windows? 
 
 Where does it go? 
 
 What good will it do ? 
 
 Think what the rain does for the trees. How do you know? 
 
 What does it do for the birds ? How do you know ? 
 
 What does it do for the flowers ? How do you know ? 
 
 What does it do for you ? 
 
 If no rain were to fall for three months, Avhat would happen to the 
 flowers, to the grass, to the gardens, to the brooks? 
 
 Would it make any dilTerence to you ? 
 
 Experiment : — 
 
 Breathe upon the cold glass. Show condensed vapor. 
 
 Boil water : collect vapor on cold surface. 
 
 Recall vapor on windows. 
 
 Recall clothes drying. 
 
 Recall windows on washing day. 
 
 Explain how fine particles of water are carried through the air, unite 
 so as to be seen when cold, — in breath, on windows, in clouds, in fog. 
 
 Explain how rainfall is caused. 
 
 Read " Children of the Clouds." 
 
 Memorize " Is it Raining, Little Flower ? " 
 
 Read to the children " A Rainy Day " {Longfellow). 
 
 Tell the story of the drop of water in its journey from ocean to ocean 
 again. 
 
 Ask them to reproduce the story. 
 
86 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 IV. 
 
 LESSONS ON BIRD LIFE. 
 
 The study of birds has become so common a feature of school work, 
 that suggestions on the subject may be trite and superfluous. For 
 those teachers who have not yet attempted such study, the folhjwing 
 practical suggestions may be helpful. 
 
 All children are interested in animal life, but few city children have 
 more than a vague )iotion of the habits and characteristics of the 
 animals of wldch they read. Not long ago the writer chanced to hear 
 a class of primary cliihh-en reading about the hen. The exercise was 
 hesitating, the reading dubious. Upon questioning, it was found that 
 but three children in the class had ever seen a live hen, and in two of 
 these cases the hen was " nailed up in a box in the market." One child 
 only had seen a hen walking about, and that was in " Tim Jones's alley." 
 Obviously the sentences which had seemed so luminous to the teacher 
 were dark to the children. 
 
 Such experiences are not confined to city children. Wide experience 
 has discovered many a country child whose eyes have never been truly 
 opened to the life about him. It is safe to assume that any class of 
 little children will profit by any lesson which increases their interest 
 in the bird world, and opens their eyes to see new beauties and their 
 minds to receive new pictures, and which incidentally explains the 
 pages that otherwise are meaningless. 
 
 For such preliminary study, the best beginning is the observation of 
 some caged bird, which can be kept within reach for awhile. A canary, 
 a parrot, a dove, a hen, a duck, will behave well in the schoolroom, may 
 be cared for by the pupils, and studied for several days, and will serve 
 as a center from which new investigations may radiate, or as a type to 
 which all new bird-knowledge may be referred. The canary or parrot 
 
ILLUSTRATIVE LESSONS. 87 
 
 can be brought in its own house. For the others a dwelling place may 
 be extemporized. A box frame may be built, open on all sides, and 
 covered with coarse wire netting, or, better, with fencing. Or the one 
 side may be removed from a wooden box of suitable size, and netting be 
 substituted for it. The children should be able to watch the bird as 
 it eats, drinks, walks or flies about, and should be allowed at first to 
 observe without the restriction of question or recitation. 
 
 The conversation of the pupils, their exclamations and questions, 
 will reveal the best line of approach to the subject. It will be found 
 that their chief interest centers in the actions of the bird. " See him 
 eat ! " '^ How fast he turns the seed ! " " See the shells fly ! " " How 
 he spatters the water ! " " Oh, he 's washing himself 1 " Such are the 
 free comments of the children. 
 
 Let these determine the first lesson. 
 
 You have been watching the canary, what have you seen him do ? 
 What can he do that you do ? What can he do that you cannot do ? 
 
 These questions cannot be answered without actual knowledge. If 
 the replies are written upon the board, it will be discovered that tlie 
 children have added definitely to their store of knowledge, and likewise 
 to their vocabulary. 
 
 Another conversation may compare the cat and the canary, the cow 
 and the canary, or (a very different exercise) may note the resemblances 
 and differences between the canary and other birds with which the 
 children are somewhat familiar. This comparison leads to observation 
 of the structure, to naming and describing the parts of the canary. 
 
 " The canary can fly because he has wings. We have no wings 
 but we have arms. The cat has no wings but she has two fore-legs." 
 So the comparison proceeds to head, eyes, bill, feet, until the children 
 are ready to describe the bird in clear and appropriate language. 
 
 Another talk compares the habits of the bird with those of the cat 
 and dog, and leads to descriptions of the nests, the eggs, the home habits 
 
8S LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 of the bird with the rearing of the young. The lessons j)repare for the 
 reading, to be sure, but this value is incidental only, as compared with 
 the evident interest and the growing power of the children in thinking, 
 seeing, and saying. 
 
 It would be interesting to keep a record of the words used, or needed, 
 by the children in such lessons, to collect them afterwards, and to dis- 
 cover what proportion of the list of words is included in the ordinary 
 stock vocabulary of elementary readers. Such a study would reveal 
 to any intelligent teacher the close relation between experience and 
 reading, and would fully justify the plan of work outlined in these 
 pages. 
 
 It may be well to add in passing that such a series of lessons serves 
 as a basis to which all related lessons may be referred. When the 
 children read about the oriole or the robin, he is compared with the 
 canary, and the old lesson explains and reenforces the new. The value 
 of such lessons depends upon the teacher's recognition of this relation. 
 The children need not know the skeleton of her plan, but she must 
 know the end from the beginning. 
 
 V. 
 
 STUDY OF "THE BUILDERS." — LONGFELLOW, 
 
 Preparation for the Poem. 
 
 If the readers are young children, it would be well to prepare for 
 the reading of the poem by a lesson upon the material building. It is 
 possible that the carpenters and masons are already at work in the 
 immediate neighborhood of the schoolhouse. The children have been 
 interested in watching the digging of the cellar, the laying of the 
 foundation stone, the fixing of the frame in position, the laying 
 of the walls. A little questioning and observation will lead them 
 
ILLUSTRATIVE LESSONS. 89 
 
 to see how necessary it is to the strength of tlie building that 
 every part be well shaped and firmly placed. There may be unfortu- 
 nate examples in their neighborhood which show the folly of dishonest 
 building. They may easily be led to realize what harm may result 
 from slighting any piece of work, or falsely covering any weakness. 
 Anecdotes are abundant to illustrate this : the bridge which gives way 
 beneath the weight of the passing train, carrying hundreds to death; 
 the dam which has weak timber, yielding to the pressure of the 
 freshet; the elevator which falls with its precicnis load. These point 
 to building which was insecure and treacherous. For the other side of 
 the picture, we turn to the old cathedrals, showing the children the 
 beautiful spires, the exquisite carving, and telling them how they 
 have endured through the ages because their builders did honest 
 work. 
 
 Such a lesson prepares for the interpretation of the poem, which' 
 turns our thought to the building which we are shaping with our to- 
 days and yesterdays. The lessons of the unstable wall, the falling 
 bridge, as well as the grace and strength of the cathedral, serve now 
 as a parallel for the poet's teaching, and the inevitable result to others 
 is seen as well as felt Avhen we read of the " broken stairways, Avhere 
 the feet stumble as they seek to climb." After such lessons, every 
 line is filled witli meaning as the children read and re-read the 
 inspiring poem. Then it is time to memorize every line, but especially 
 the two stanzas, — 
 
 " In the elder clays of art, 
 
 Builders wrought with greatest care 
 Each minute and unseen part ; 
 For the gods see everywhere. 
 
 " Let us do our work as well, 
 
 Both the unseen and the seen : 
 Make the house, where gods may dwell. 
 Beautiful, entire, and clean." 
 
90 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 It is not necessary to preach while teaching tliis poem. The lesson 
 impresses itself upon the children if they are rightly prepared for it. 
 They will make their own application, but we should not forget that 
 a valuable lesson like this is not measured by ease in recitation or 
 accuracy in reading. If, in the days to come, the memory of the poet's 
 words shall give strength in the hour of temptation, or incite to honest 
 work when the hand inclines to careless shirking, the lesson will have 
 counted for good. In selecting the poems for our children, and in 
 directing their reading, such hope should guide our choice. The words 
 of the poem or the story will recur again and again when the memory 
 of the schoolroom has faded. We should be assured that the minds of 
 our pupils are furnished with thoughts worth remembering. " What- 
 soever things are lovely, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things 
 are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, 
 think on these things." 
 
 VI. 
 
 STUDY OF A POEM. 
 
 Illustrative Lesson. 
 LITTLE BELL. 
 
 Piped the blackbird on the beechwood spray, 
 " Pretty maid, slow wandering this way. 
 
 What 's your name ? " quoth he, — 
 "What's your name? Oh, stop, and straight unfold, 
 Pretty maid, with showery curls of gold ! " 
 
 " Little Bell," said she. 
 
 Little Bell sat down beneath the rocks, 
 Tossed aside her gleaming golden locks. 
 
ILLUSTRATIVE LESSONS. 
 
 91 
 
 "•Bonny bird," quoth she, 
 " Sing me your best song, before I go." 
 " Here 's the very finest song I know, 
 
 Little Bell," said he. 
 
 And the blackbird piped ; you never heard 
 Half so gay a song from any bird, — 
 
 Full of quips and wiles, 
 Now so round and rich, now soft and slow, 
 
 Dimpled o'er with smiles. 
 
 And the while the bonny bird did pour 
 His full heart out freely, o'er and o'er, 
 
 'Neath the morning skies. 
 In the little childish heart below 
 All the sweetness seemed to gr(^w and grow, 
 And shine forth in happy overflow 
 From the blue, bright eyes. 
 
 Down the dell she tripped, and through the glade 
 Peeped the squirrel from the hazel shade. 
 
 And from out the tree 
 Swung, and leaped, and frolicked, void of fear. 
 While bold blackbird piped, that all might hear, 
 
 " Little Bell ! " piped he. 
 
 Little Bell sat down amid the fern : 
 " Squirrel, squirrel, to your task return ; 
 Bring me nuts," quoth she. 
 
92 
 
 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 Up, away, the frisky squirrel hies, — 
 Golden wood lights glancing in his eyes, — 
 
 And adown the tree 
 Great ripe nuts, kissed brown by July sun, 
 In the little lap dropped, one by one. 
 Hark ! how blackbird pipes to see the fun ! 
 
 " Happy Bell ! " pi})es he. 
 
 Little Bell looked up and down the glade: 
 "" Squirrel, squirrel, if you 're not afraid, 
 
 Come and share with me ! " 
 Down came squirrel, eager for his fare, — 
 Down came bonny blackbird, I declare ! 
 Little Bell gave each his honest share ; 
 
 Ah, the merry three ! 
 
 And the while these frolic playmates twain 
 Piped and frisked from bough to bough again, 
 
 'Neath tlie morning skies. 
 In the little childish heart below 
 All the sweetness seemed to grow and grow. 
 And shine out in happy overflow 
 
 From her blue, bright eyes. 
 
 By her snow-white cot, at close of day, 
 Knelt sweet Bell, with folded palms, to pray: 
 
 Very calm and clear 
 Rose the praying voice, to where, unseen, 
 Jn blue heaven, an angel shape serene 
 
 Paused awhile to hear. 
 
ILLUSTRATIVE LESIONS. 
 
 93 
 
 " What good child is this," the angel said, 
 " That, with happy heart, beside her bed 
 
 Prays so lovingly ? " 
 Low and soft, — oh ! very low and soft, 
 Crooned the blackbird in the orchard croft, 
 
 " Bell, dear Bell ! " crooned he. 
 
 " Whom God's creatures love," the angel fair 
 Murmured, " God doth bless with angels' care ; 
 
 Child, thy bed shall be 
 Folded safe from harm. Love, deep and kind. 
 Shall watch around, and leave good gifts behind, 
 
 Little Bell, for thee." 
 
 Thomas Westwood. 
 
 The poem selected for this lesson is suitable for use in third, fourth, 
 or fifth grades, although even younger children enjoy hearing it read. 
 Such children would, however, find difficulty in a detailed study, such 
 as is suggested in this exercise. The poem may be used simply as a 
 reading lesson, or it may be read, studied, and memorized by the 
 pupils as a language exercise. The various advantages of the study 
 
94 ^ LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 are indicated in the following suggestions, which are intended to 
 indicate merely some of the different modes of treatment -which may 
 be attempted in language teaching. 
 
 The Thought in the Poem. 
 
 As in all lessons, the children should read the entire poem or hear it 
 read before any detailed study is attempted. This is done in order that 
 the poem may be presented to them as a whole, giving its thought or 
 telling its message. After such reading, every stanza and every word 
 will assume its rightful place in the description of the story. Other- 
 wise, given separately, the words lose the meaning which they are in- 
 tended to convey. A poem, like a picture, should be presented as a 
 whole, and never dissected, in the first lesson. 
 
 It is wise, sometimes, to read and to re-read without note or 
 comment ; then to lay aside the book and leave the children to recall 
 the story, and to accustom themselves to its pictures. At the next 
 lesson, the teacher may question, — following out any of tJie suggested 
 lines of work. 
 
 The important motive is to get the message which the author in- 
 tended to give us in the poem. Everything else must be subordinate 
 to this purpose. Any supplementary teaching which draws the atten- 
 tion away from the poem, creating a separate center of interest, is 
 in excess. All illustration and explanation should be intended simply 
 to throw light upon the poem, making the pictures more vivid and the 
 message more i)lain. 
 
 The thought in this poem is very evident, even to the children. In 
 the first stanza the blackbird on the beechwood spray introduces us to 
 the pretty maid, slow wandering his way. She is little Bell. Sitting 
 down beneath the rocks, she asks the blackbird for his best song. The 
 bonny bird pours his full heart out freely, while in the little childish 
 heart below, all the sweetness seems to grow and grow, and shine forth 
 
ILLUSTRATIVE LESSONS. 95 
 
 in liappy overflow from the blue, bright eyes. Tlie squirrel swings and 
 leaps and frolics in the glade, and at the child's bidding drops down 
 great ripe nuts into her lap. The blackbird pipes to see tlie fun. The 
 child shares her treasures with the squirrel and the bird, and again the 
 poet tells us 
 
 " 111 the little childish heart below 
 All the sweetness seemed to grow and grow, 
 And shine out in happy overflow 
 
 From her blue, bright eyes." 
 
 When, at close of day, the child kneels to pray beside her snow- 
 white cot, an angel pauses to hear, and asks what good child prays 
 so lovingly beside her bed. The blackbird answers from the orchard 
 croft, '• Bell, dear Bell ! " " Whom God's creatures love, God doth 
 bless with angels' care," the angel murmured. 
 
 " Child, thy bed shall be 
 Folded safe from harm. Love, deep and kind. 
 Shall watch around, and leave good gifts behind, 
 Little Bell, for thee." 
 
 Even the little children sense the meaning of the poem. They have 
 already learned that love wins love, and makes friends, and they feel 
 it to be both natural and just that tlie loving little Bell shall be shielded 
 from all harm, and sheltered by loving thought. The older children 
 may be reminded of Sidney Lanier's poem, '' How Love Sought for 
 Hell," — failing to find it because wherever his presence came there 
 were kindness and light. The little ones are reminded that the mirror 
 gives back smile for smile, and frown for frown. It is hardly necessary 
 to point the moral and adorn the tale. The poet has repeated in the 
 selfsame words the lines which show how the child grew in sweetness 
 as she played so lovingly with her woodland friends. For many classes 
 
LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 it would be enough to talk of the poem until the children were pos- 
 sessed of this thought, or rather this feeling, and then leave it to do 
 its own work. In this case, however, the poem serves as a text for the 
 lesson, and we shall consider other phases. 
 
 PREPARATION FOR THE READING. 
 
 The Pictures in the Poem. 
 
 The poem takes us at once to the woods where the blackbird pipes 
 on the beechwood spray. We see the rocks, the dell, the glade, the 
 trees, the hazel shade, and are made acquainted with the blackbird and 
 the squirrel. Plainly, the setting of the poem is clearest to those 
 children who themselves have played in the woods ; who have heard 
 the blackbird sing, and have seen the squirrel leap from bough to 
 bough. The beechwood spray, the hazel shade, the dell, the glade, the 
 fern, are already familiar to such children, and need no lesson to intro- 
 duce them. But if the tenement house, the narrow alley, the brick 
 walls and the iioisy street have been the familiar surroundings of the 
 children, and if the country seems as far away to them as Paradise, the 
 poem is written in a foreign tongue. With such children, other lessons 
 are necessary before any such selection is read or memorized. These 
 lessons may not be given at the time of the reading ; far better not : 
 but they should precede the reading in the teacher's plan, and the young 
 reader should enter upon this lesson equipped with some knowledge 
 of the bird, the squirrel, and the woods. In another chapter, something 
 has been said of the necessity of such teaching, and of the way in which 
 such lessons may be conducted. The suggestion is made here simply 
 to emphasize this truth, — that observation of nature is essential to the 
 interpretation of literature. 
 
ILLUSTRATIVE LESSONS. 97 
 
 The Study of the Vocabulary of the Poem. 
 
 Although the pupils may be prepared by their out-of-door experience 
 to understand the i:)oem, nevertheless they will be met by a new diffi- 
 culty in the reading. The language of literature differs from that 
 to which they have been accustomed in conversation. The tendency 
 of our school readers and children's books is often to remove such 
 difficulties from the path of the children. The lessons are expressed 
 in words already familiar to them, and in colloquial forms. While this 
 practice renders the first lessons in reading easy, it makes the entrance 
 to literature difficult. Many expressions are entirely foreign to the 
 child's ear, and therefore unintelligible, even when the story is attrac- 
 tive. The poem which we are using for illustration contains many 
 words and phrases which the children have not met in their ordinary 
 reading. These must be explained and their meaning made familiar 
 to the children. '^ ' What 's your name ? ' qiLoth he ; " " stop, and 
 straight unfold;'' ''■ shower >/ ciwh oi gold;" " ^Zmmm(/ golden locks ; " 
 " bonni/ bird ; " " blackbird jnjJed ; " " dell ; " " glade ; " " hazel shade ; " 
 " void of fear ; " " hies ; " " golden wood lights ; " " ndoivn the tree ; " 
 " playmates twain ; " '' an angel shape ; " " crooned the blackbird in the 
 orchard croft,'" are some of these. 
 
 It may not be necessary nor wise in most classes to study all these 
 expressions minutely, but they should become plain to the children 
 so that they may plainly speak the message of the poem, and present 
 no difficulty if met elsewhere. So with the figurative expressions: 
 "The bird did pour his full heart out freely;" "the sweetness did 
 shine forth in happy overflow ; " " Thy bed shall be folded safe from 
 harm ; " " stop, and straight unfold." 
 
 There is no reason why the young readers should not come to realize 
 the picture in these figurative expressions, to compare their several 
 Avords with the figure which the poet has used, and to begin to sense 
 
 7 
 
98 LEARNING TO READ. 
 
 the difference between plain, straightforward speech and the pictured 
 verses of the poet. Such study, however simple, will help the chil- 
 dren to some appreciation of the beauty of expression, which is one 
 charm of literature. 
 
 From what has been said, it will be rightly judged that the poem 
 affords a basis of several lessons, all of value in different directions. 
 It may not be wise to make a detailed and careful study of every 
 j)oem which is read or memorized by the children, but some teaching 
 in the lines suggested is indispensable to intelligent reading on the 
 part of the children. The phrases which are so familiar to us often 
 suggest very curious ideas to the children. Their peculiar interpreta- 
 tion is shown when they draw pictures to represent the scenes of a 
 poem or story. In a certain school, the teacher read a story to the 
 children containing the expression, "his mother gave him leave to go." 
 The child drew the mother in the act of presenting a leaf to the boy. 
 " Fret-work," said the boy who read " Sir Launfal " for the first time, 
 " Fret-work is work that makes you fret ; " wliile the child who 
 drew the picture of the hare and the tortoise represented a turtle and 
 a boy witli bushy hair. Reference has been made elsewhere to the kid 
 on the roof of the house which was pictured as a little boy, and the 
 writer remembers the pictures which were drawn by children in illus- 
 tration of the above poem, representing the angels with webbed feet.^ 
 These items are intended simply to suggest that the child's crude 
 notion is often very different from the meaning which the word or 
 phrase conveys to us. Detailed study often reveals his error to us, 
 if we bend a listening ear to his question or comment. We should be 
 grateful for the frank question or the crude remark which betrays the 
 child's mistake, and should be careful to secui-e such confidence and 
 
 ^ The illustrative lessons in this chapter are taken from "Reading: How to Teach it," a 
 complete manual prepared by Miss Arnold and published by this house. 
 
ILLUSTRATIVE LESSONS. 99 
 
 freedom in our classes as will enable us to discover what the children 
 are really thinking. 
 
 After the reading and discussion of the poem, the children may 
 memorize it. At this juncture, it is wise for the teacher to read it to 
 the children again and again, in order that they may get some notion 
 of the proper reading. This will not be necessary in all classes, but 
 where the children are accustomed to dull or monotonous reading, some 
 outside standard is necessary. The children's recitation will incline to 
 adopt the virtues of the teacher's reading. Let us not forget that the 
 faults will be imitated, too. 
 
 If after such study and such memorizing, the words of the j)oem 
 appear now and then in the children's conversation or writing, let us 
 rejoice, for this means not simply that new words have been added 
 to the vocabulary, but that the child has a new conception of the beauty 
 of thought as well as of speech. 
 
 L.ofC. 
 
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