The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1896-12-02
ADVANCED READING.
BY I. J. VAUGHAN.


"When does the child know thu
lesson 7" The following outline
may be used as a criterion. The
pupil must be able
!. 10 tell the story In the child.
own language.
2. 10 use any word in the lesson
IN a sentence of its own.
3. To recognize every word at a
glance and to pronounce it correct
ly and distinctly.
4. To deliver with a natural
speech.
When pupil learns a lesson
with such an outline, he doesn't
need to go over it second time,
l wonder what per cent of the
schools of Louisiana have their
pupils learn the lesson with such
ain end in yiew7 A very small pei
cent, I am afraid. But, the mum.
Der of difficulties the teacher has
to encounter is infinite. Take, for
Instance, a class of boys and girls
in the Fifth Reader. Some OF
them are in this reader because
they belong there. 1t may he that
three-fourths of the class are quick
III learning ieadiug, while the 9th.
or fourth are rather slow ant Civ.
Ell toypronounce words wrong, and
i'll fact, do not know their lessons
IN they should, but are kept in the
Fifth Reader class becauae, in the
other branches of studies they are
equal and i'll some instances super.
ior to their classmates. Now, the
three f0ur:hs Of the class spoken
If above, know the lesson accord
ing to the outline given-tbe o: or
fourth is just a little short of the
mark.
Some say put them with the
Fourth Reader class. But they
are in way superior to this grade;
they do better work in their other
studies and are more advanced
thsn the Fourth Reader. What is
to be donef Must We keep the
bright ones of the class back in
order that the slow ones may have
more time to learn the lesson
This is serions question with me
ard | have devoted a great deal of
thought and study to it, but 30 Ear
have not been ahle to solve it sat-
isfactoriiy to myself.
II you notice, stated in my out
line, that the child should he able
first TO tell the lesson. / put this
first because the pupil should first
get the thoughts contained in the
Lesson. The lesson, in other
words, should be studied as a
whole, 40 rs to get a general idea
of what it is about, no attention
being paid to the way of express
ing the thoughts or the words used
in the book. We all know from
personal experience that thoughts
come before expression, ideas be
fore words. The first days study
of the reading lesson could be very
profitably devoted to discussions
about the general thoughts con.
tanned in the lesson. Let the chill.
dlea write the story in their own
language.
On the second day We may ex.
anime the lesson more in detail,
that il, the meaning of certain par
agraphs and sentences that may
be obscure. Then We come to M
examination of the meaning Of the
harder words-words that they
may not have a thorough knowl
edge of. Now, difficulty that
have encountered is to have the
children ;learn the meaning of the
words. 1t is q good plan to make
list of the more difficult words
Have them first look up the mean
| ing of the words in y Dictionary
Let me say here, by way of paren
thesis, that every child in the
Fourth aud Fifth Readers should
have a Dictionary in their desks
for reference, if the school is moi
able to have large unabridged OF
International in The school room
After writing q list Of words, with
d definition they have looked vi
and thoroughly understand, have
them write sentences using thes.
same words correctly. In looking
up and writing the definition Of