The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1893-02-02
EDUCATIONAL
Department Devoted to the
Teachers of Cobb.
PRIMARY READING AND TEACHING,
A Good Reader is Made or Spoiled Dur.
ing the First Year in SchOOl..An
Interesting Article.

CONDENSED from a paper read at
Normal class, Marietta City Schools
by Miss Olive Faw, teacher of A.
Division, 1st Grade.
A good reader is made or spoiled
during the first year in school. In
teaching primary reading you are
laying the foundations for all subse-
quent education and the child 10
studying all subjects hereafter will
get most of his information from
books. So it is of the greatest i'm
portance that he be taught to read
we'll from the start. Teach child
to read and supply him with books
and if he has any ambition he can
educate himself.
Good reading is rare accomplish
ment. 1t is really astonishing how
few good readers there are, and the
reason of it is largely defective pri-
mary work. While this work is so
important, it is one of the most
difficult tasks that contronts the
teacher.
1t used to be thought that any
body who could read could teach
reading; that it required only the
scantiest education, and no special
training to teach in the primary
grades and, consequently, the pri-
mary teacher was poorly paid and
oftentimes did poor work.
The primary teacher requires Pc
culiar qualifications. Her education
should be broad and deep. The
more she knows, if she knows it
we'll, the better. Above all things,
she should know what she has to
teach and how to teach it. 1t is
equally important that she know
whom she has to teach. She needs
to be we'll acquainted With little
children. She must know how little
children think, and what they think;
what they like and what interests
them. She must study how they
advance from the known to the UNI
known-what is the mental action
and what are the stepsof mental
development? She ought to be able
to put herself in the place of the
pupil and see things as the child
sees them. There must be quick
and ready sympathy between teacher
and pupil or neither will do the best
work.
Teachers Of primary grades have
felt that the old methods were in
adequate, and they have introduced
some new methods, with marvellous
results. Long ago, when a child
was sent to school, it was given q
spelling-book, and nothing else, and
usually, two or three spelling-books
were literally "worn out" before il
began to read. In country schools,
have frequently found children
who had almost "been" Through
the spelling.book, without ever at
tempting to read at all. What was
| the object Of the old-time drill in
spelling, spelling, spelling? What,
but to prepare the pupils to read
and write !! But now, we say, and
| think wisely too, why waste all
that time upon the alphabet, and
spelling? Why not teach the child
reading and writing from the first?
Most intelligent and progressive
teachers agree thus far; but how
can we best do this? And here,
differences arise.
A number of different methods
are in use, and almost every..teacher
has his faYorite method, and is very
apt to think that his is the best and
only one. The wise teacher will
famiIiarize himself with all methods,
using chiefly the one that gives the
best results for him. But he will
avoid becoming an extremist in his
advocacy of any one. Let him use
the method as his helper. Above
all things, let him never become the
slave of the method.
fro RE CoNTINTTEn NEWT WEEP I