Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-18
rstand what they say for days to-

understand what they say for days to-
gether.
II often pity these youngsters because
they have double dose of school. AS soon
as they leave our classes in the afternoon
they have to go to 'chaider,' where a poor
old rabbi, down at heels and half-starved,
teaches them the Talmud. But as soon as
they get old enough to assert Themselves
they leave the 'chaider' alone and give up
most of the strict orthodoxy of their par
ents with it.
II have taught in a school where nearly
all the children were HungarianS. l found
them stupid and slow to become American
lied. The Italians are quicker, but no 9th
er foreign youngsters come near the alien
Jews for smartness, intelligence and de-
termination to adapt themselves to their
american environment"
School Libraries.
During the past year or two many new
schemes have been devised to hasten Lie
characterization of the children of the
alien. The best of them is the establish
ment OF class libraries in the schools. Lit
tie Isaac Mogalewsky takes a book home
and reads 1t aloud to the family, thereby
helping to Americanize his parents as weir
as h1mSelf. If he did not usually persist in
reaoing In his ,newly-acquired English he
would perform that task more effectually.
When the children return the books, the
teacners question them as to whether they
iiked them and what parts they liked par
tcularly,' said Charles F. Hartman. prin-
cipal of a school In the Jewish quarter
we ma out that in nearly every case the
BOOK mas been read aloud at home to the
FAMILY circle. The boy will always read IT
IN Engllsh-a language which his parents
understand only Slightly, if at all Some
lines ne VIII condescend to explain the
meaning afterward in Yiddish or German
put even If he doesn't his mother and
Iather are none the less proud and de-
nghied TO think that he-their son-can ac-
tuaay read out of a book in English more
easily than they can read their Yiddish
newspapers.
Inc younger. children are fondest Of
lazy taIes: but those in the upper classes
RIeiea history American history. They
splrlt OF the country, for they realize at a
very early age that they must become
inoroughly Americanized-thorou I'M
in life W 'oeeeeu
A World of Pleasure. ,,.-
The principals Of all the schools in the
foreign quarters of city heartily approve
OF the libraries. One principal has re-
ported: Our children are very poor Ex-
cepting the text books supplied by the
schools and an occasional gift by a teach
er. there is but little literature in the
homes, and the school library has enabled
them to find hitherto undiscovered and
unsuspected world of pleasure"
The books are literally read to pieces"
another teacher declared to the board Of
education. My school consists almost en-
tirely of foreigners, and the school library
introduces the children to the world Of
English books"
My scholars have told me that their
fathers and mothers, who are Of foreign
birth and cannot read, are willing to listen
to the fairy tales" wrote teacher in
Yiddish school. TT has especially been
brought to my notice that the children
love to read to their parents those stories
that have been previously told in the class.
On the alternate week. when books are not
given out, 1 permit children either to read
or relate to the class some story that has
been read at home This is an incentive to
those children who have no taste of their
own for reading"