The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1896-05-21
ENTHUSIASTICALLY
NOTES ABOUT SCHOOLS AND
THEIR MANAGEMENT.
The Pupil Should Be Trained Upon
the Line Of "Thought-GettinR" in
the First Reader-NormaI School At
tendance in Pennsylvania.
The First Reader Class.

We talk very much about our "chart
Glass;" we discuss glibly the WORD
method" the "phonic method" the
synthetic method" and in due time our
chart class becomes a first-reader class.
1t makes but little difference through
which pathway they have been led If
the teacher has been earnest, conscien-
tious and thorough in her work. Now
the pupils not only know many words
by sight, but have gained the power,
more or less, as the case may be, of
acquiring new words wherever they
ind them. When our pupils reach
this desirable goal we very often treat
them like the heroine of a novel, who
is "happy ever after" and that is the
end Of the story; we forget that this is
just the time when the greatest care
should be observed to avoid acquiring
bad habits. This is best done, not by
example, nor yet by precept, though
each plays it's part, but rather by a
certain development of the thought
which leads to it's natural expression.
To be sure, in our crowded school
rooms we cannot take much time for
developing a first-reader lesson, but a
little time thus spent gives large re-
turns.
If we can only make sure that no
pupil begins reading a sentence until
he has mastered the thought which it
contains, we can have but little trouble
to gain natural expression. The very
best way to do this in a limited time
is to call each sentence a story or a
question, then require the pupil first to
SCI it silently, and, looking off from
the text right into the teachers face,
tell the story or ask the question. A
very little practice will enable the pu-
pill to do this readily. In all this teach
accuracy. If a single word is mispro-
nounced, have it scanned again, and
''the story" told a second or eel a
third time. This plan cannot be adopt
ed without the pupil gaining the entire
thought conveyed. New words are
more readily learned when thus en-
bodied in a thought.
1t is a great help in language. If a
pupil is inclined to say MARY and the
baby is in the house." he will very
likely tell the story in that way, only
to be required to look again and see
that "are' is used instead of sis" Just
a moment taken to find out why "are'
is used instead of SIS" and the best
of language lessons is learned by the
whole class.
In the second reader of course the
sentences are longer, and not quite
the same plan car be followed, but if
one always requires the pupil to look
off the book before the end of each
sentence, it will develop the habit of
looking ahead and gaining the thought
before expressing it.
If the pupil has been trained upon
this line of thought getting in the
first reader, he will always hold to
the habit, unless, indeed, he is pushed
beyond his capacity into reading where
both words and thoughts are beyond
his comprehension. This is one of the
most serious catastrophes that can
happen to any pupil. If the thought is
beyond him, or the words so difficult
that he cannot grasp the thought, he
has no chance whatever of learning to
read, except par%rOt-fashion; and not
only this, but you place literature and
language development quite outside of
his horizon, for the two are or should
be, closely allied to the everyday read
ing lesson.-Western School Journal.