The Delawarean., 1900-09-08
Reading in the First and Third
Grades.

Reading in the First and Third
Grades.
Reading is Thought -getting, there
fore the teacher who follows natures
methods uoes the best work.
'rhe child should learn printed and
written language in the same way in
(Which he learns oral, by initiating
Others.
Thought is the most important fac
tor in reading, then comes The sign
Only those words should be used
which the child Is thoroughly ac-
quainted with and the order should be
sentence. word, Letter After the
child fully unders, ands a number~of
words, he should be taught the Phonic
Word Method which will help him to
observe, to analyze, and to construct
words This method is an improvement
over the Word Me hod which culti-
vates memory only and compels The
child to be constantly depending on
the teacher for aid, whereas the Phon-
lie Method alone causes the child to
attach too much Importance to the
sounds or charac .ers which compose
the word, hence he blunders and loses
the most essential part in reading
thought.
The teacher need not be limited to
the words. in the lesson, nor should
she hesitate Ito teach any new words
to form her script reading lesson
providing the child thoroughly under.
stands the content of the word. The
proper place to develop word is in its
natural position in the sentence. Here
the child will most quickly learn its
form and use.
We should refer constantly to the
pictures in the reading books. Let the
children talk about them and
try to exercise thsir magma
tion Allow them few minutes to
get the thought out of the lesson, al
ways bearing in mind that reading is
not word-calling, but thought-getting.
Daily reviews are essential, so is in
dividual work necessary. Concert eX-
ercises are thing of the past. Inter
rupting scholar while he is reading
should not be done.
Language is taught to good advan-
tage in these lessons.
Objects must be shown to the pupils
whenever they can be obtained and
have the pupils tell stories about them
which the teacher should pu. ON
the blackboard and after class the lit
tie tots will be interested in learning
ito write, after The necessary instruc-
tions in this line of the work have
been given. This part of the reading
lesson-the writing-should be COM
menced the very first day of school,
on slate, on paper and on the black
board All States should be ruled and
The child required to do his very best.
not only in writing, but also in draw
ing, which trains The eye and hand,
and is form Of thought expression.
After six or eight weeks OF this
training the child is ready for the
chart or the primer. Several first
readers are necessary before urging
5he child to higher grade. Have
half dozen sets If possible
All new words should be put on the
blackboard, and after being pronounc-
ed, the definition should be given and
the word used in a sentence which the
child viii be expected to pronounce
and incorporate into a sentence of his
own making for the next Lesson.
Oral and written spelling are both
developed from the reading lesson.
Interesting stories read by the teacher
to the class are both amusing and in
structive. This is excellent for repro
duction work.
have found during my ten years of
experience as a teacher that one of the
most beneficial agents in producing
rapid results in learning, good dis
cipline and promoting happiness alike
to both teacher and pupils, is in hav-
ing number of reading books by diff
erent authors, which we call sup
Elementary reading.
The schoolroom is a perfect abode
of happiness when the teacher is
thoroughly i'm love with his work,
when the building is not so over
crowded so that he can do ample