The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1896-11-18
when Should a Child Begin tn
Study the Second Reader?
BY MISS EDNA BRIAN.

1t IN rather difficult undertak
ing to decide just how much act,
"ai brain work should be required
10 begin the Second Reader Grade
IN other words, just how much
work can be we'll performed in the
First Reader Grade. My mind is
thoroughly convinced Of tue fact
nat TWO years are required to do
thorough, thoughtful work in this
trade. Children of al unusually
receptive MUD, and docile, truth
ful spirit may be able to finish the
work in one year; but We must
lake our children as we find them
IN our Public Schools, and often
heir Qualifications are quite the
reverse of these. l do not mean
10 say that l like the idea IF keep.
ing u child in the First Read
CT two years; by no means.
LII one year, the text is 80
familiar to him that he can saw.
'Ann caught Rab," and ut the
~an'e time trace with his finger
words on an opposite page. Thu.
idea is for the child, not only to
'ble TO read the First Reader, but
f" read; rell any simple literature
l"tellisentIy.
| suppose it isn't in my province
20 say anything of tho different
methods for teaching children to
cad. My experience has been
hat tho word, and sentence meth.
vi is "A better means Of inspiring a
thoughtful reading than any other.
1t is positively surprising the lack
of Thoughtful work done in our
'chools. In classifying my Third
Grade a few days since, l asked
he class, "Wbat is Geography ="
One of the little girls replied very
promptly, photography is round
like ball' which sentiment WAS
echoed by the entire class. The
idea is not to make the teaching of
any lesson question of time. New.
er mind whether they have reach.
ed page ten or twenty, or whether
they are confined to the text or
not. The chief question is, do the
little ones thinki Give them time
to think, to do thorough thought
full work. If they are not able to
what they read and
are not interested in it, time is
lost in trying to obtain thought.
The teachers inventive powers
are often taxed to the utmost to
contrive lessons in reading to SO.
cure and hold the attention of the
little ones. flour schools would only
teach less, and put into the learners
life the knowledge it does teach!
First:-Then, l would say: The
ability to read intelligently any
simple literature should be re-
quirement to enter the Secoud
Grade.
Seeond:- Improvised language
lessons should he given in connec.
ton with the child's reading, or
in any manner the teacher prefers.
At all events, the child should be
able to express in his own simple
language, the substance of stories
read by his teacher. and to repro.
duce selections he himself has
read.
Third: The child should be able
to read script az intelligently and
readily as print. 1t should, of
course, be able to write. My Prim-
er Glass taught me a very valua-
BILE lesson, in my first weeks ex
perience. / was teaching them
the word "dog." AS | had no
charts, l used script ON the black
board. They learned it readily in
script. The next day 1 showed
them the printed word dog and 1t
took me some time to eradicate the
first impression-that the script
WAS not the only "dog." l think
it right to teach children things
by their right names. You give
them a sentence, tell them it's a
that every sentence be-
gins with capital letter. Teach
them to put the period at the close
of a sentence, and tell them it's
period.
Fourth:-The child shonld know
something ofthe elementary sounds.
ua obopld ho tanoht from tha h.