The theocrat. [volume] (Zion City [i.e. Zion], Ill.) 1914-1949, 1919-06-14

chart a great deal, and the reading lessons
are developed from actual experiences in the
child's life and using the blackboard of ma
ture study, literature, history, plays and
games, handwork, music, ETC., to enrich his
experiences and ideas.
I'VE must not make reading formal or
mechanical exercise, but at the same time we
must give the child the necessary tools with
which he may overcome the difficulties of
mastering the printed and written page-for
it is indeed difficult to master the first steps
in reading. AS one writer has said: Take
for example, such word as blackboard 1t
consists of eight sounds and ten letters The
pupil must learn not only to recognize the
word in print and script and to know what
1t recalls, but must know it as made up of
elements of sound and these letters. In
English this difficulty is still further increas-
ed by the fact that the language is imper-
fectly phonetic and there are the silent let
ters.'
The child is able to overcome these diff
cultles by means of the tool which is called
phonics. The lesson in phonics, or the
science of sounds, is always carried on at
separate time from the actual reading
period. By and by, the child is able to put
his knowledge of phonics to use and is soon
able to master difficult words very easily,
and we usually read five or six books
through during Our school year.
Aside from reading, writing is taught, the
first lesson beginning with full arm move
ment and large form
On exhibit was profusion of cut out pic
lures arranged in all kinds of neat and origi-
nal designs. By spending hours in cutting
out pictures, the children are trained in OBJ
servat1on and accuracy. But this is one of
the last things. teachers would have per-
mltted during school hours twenty-five or
thirty years ago. Then, it was considered
a crime to draw picture during Books" !;
today, drawing constitutes very important
part of school work
The flags of almost all the world were in
cluded in the exhibit in this grade, each child
having made eight, including the Zion en-
blem. There were also cunning A B c.
books very neatly gotten up by the children,
IN which they displayed decided originality.
For instance, in one book, D was represent
ed by an advertising picture of Dutch
Cleanser, V by a .Victrola, P by cluster of
PanS1eS, etc.
There was also a bed of gay-colored tulips
set up in bin of real earth but the tulips
consisted of paper made with infinite care
by the fingers of the little first graders.
AS an example of crayon work, we found
large panoramic picture of an Indian
campfire in the forest. Scattered about
were tepees, each bearing its symbolic mark
lngs. Skins of animals were hung up to
dry, and Indians in bright colored blankets
roamed here and there The sunset the
evergreen trees and the ocean in the dis
lance formed an appropriate setting. This
picture, the teacher explained, was used in
connection with an historical story, read in
class, of early Indian life in America.
A cut out panorama of the Zion School
parade from the Tabernacle to the College
Building at the September opening, caught
the attention The color bearers, the Uni
formed Guard, the Band, the banner and all
the various departments were there in rugu-
lar order, while large picture of the Taber-
nacle at one end, the College Building at
,, the other, and Zion Home along the line of
march, made the scene realistic one
A Dutch village, with the characteris-
tics OF Holland landscape, was very pref
ty The details were true to life so far
as the little chaps had bee able to gather
their information canals, the sail
boats, the windmills, the COWS, the yellow
houses with red roofs and the cunning lit
tie Dutch boys and girls in their wooden
shoes and quaint costumes.
There were gardening scenes with hoes
rakes, spades, etc.; also many other inter
esting features, all calculated to keep the
children intensely interested, to train their
eyes, ears and hands and to store their
minds with fund of information.