Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-26

"A far as possible parents should help
"A q child Go prepare school lessons In
the best and quickest way. In every
home, If at all possible, there should be
q study room where each and every
child has a place. In this room quiet
should prevail, of course. To study In
the dining room or sitting room where
grown people are discussing interesting
things and are moving from one place
% another Is almost an tmpossibil1ty
for a child.
There should be set time for pre-
paring lessons. In most homes 1t IS
most convenient after the evening meal,
but it would be better If some studying
were done just before the meal, thus
giving the children more chance TO
1oin the family circle in the evening.
Often the only intimate contact OF child
and father is in the evening, and the
child should not be prevented from en-
ioying this privilege. The fatner
chance to hear a lesson or add some
interesting fact to what the child has
learned Is an important phase OF nome
work.
For high school students an hour in
thu afternoon and an hour in the eve
ming is better than two hours OF
straight study. Social events should
come on Friday or Saturday evening,
as school days should be followed by
0lIiet evenings and long hours OF sleep
10 compensate for the physical and
mental activity Of school life. In the
preparation of home work child Is
learning habits Of obedience, loyalty
Giependability, neatneSS and punctual-
ity. Carefully done home study at
set time and under right conditions re-
suits not only in the immediate prog
ress Of the child but also develops
habits Of study that tend to eliminate
the difficulties of getting work done,
and affords Joy in the accomplish
r1ent.
Books for Nursery.
No nursery is complete without its
own little library. Children begin to
collect books long before they can read,
and the most valuable library to them
Is the one gradually built up from
books which come into their possession
as gifts from time to tine. Each OF
these books has value of its own as
a treasure which has been handled and
enjoyed many times, hence collection
Of old favoriteS will always have q
greater interest for child than shelf
fun of new books which as yet are not
loved for early associations.
Books make their first appeal to chill
dren through pictures which illustrate
the wonderful stories they have heard.
Selections from children's ANIMALS, AMI
NAL books and story books, which every
book store has on sale, make valuable
additions to the library and encourage
children to perSevere in making head
way with their reading. Books about
animals appeal to all children and serve
a useful purpose in arousing their inter-
est in natural history and in inducing
them to be kind to their dumb friends.
A wise selection Of nature stories, COM
h VHu a
trees, win add greatly to the value OF
Q child's library.
Poetry suitable for child to commit
30 memory should not be forgotten.
Robert Louis Stevenson's "a Child's
Garden of Verses" with its beautiful
illustrations by modern artists, is an
illustration Of the type OF volume which
Il likely to inspire an appreciation OF
verse at an early age. A children's en-
cyclopedia and q good collection of
VeEas, such as 1.-THE Children's Golden
Treasury OF Verse;" are volumes which
aEe Indispensable.
When Q child has overcome the diff
Guilty Of learning to read, additional
shelves VIII be required to accommodate
the rapidly increasing collection. When
putting up shelves which are to hold
the childrens treasures. the bottom
shelf, which will be used by the small
est children, should be low enough for
O child between the ages Of 2 and 3
years TO reach easily. It will not only
afford him pleasure to have access to
his own book shelf, but the very act
Of returning his brightly colored book
to its proper place, instead Of leaving
It carelesSly around anywhere, will re-
suit in q respect which will help in de-
veloping consideration for books.
When reading story aloud to chill
dren, we should remember that In order
% reach child's spirit of appreciation
We must have a sympathy 60 broad
that 1t responds to every bit of feeling
ia the story. We would then think,
act, feel and live our story. We would
then love the story and love TO tell it.
To really reach a child we must tell
the story as a child would tell it, only
with improvements. We then would
entirely satisfy the childS point of
view. SO many readers fail to appeal
70 the child because the story chosen
does not satisfy the tastes, instincts
and interests Of the child at that par
ticular age.
A ch1ld'S speaking vocabulary de-
ponds so much upon the language i'm
pressions that he receives that if he
constantly hears "tootsie" for foot,
~moo-moo" for COW, or told" for cold,
be viii establish for himself diction
and form that may take years to cor
rect. Not only will his vocabulary be-
come warped, but his first use Of the
English language will be in the form
Of Incorrect speech. Then, too, child
Who Is allowed to go to school with the