Preparing to Read

September's Lessons for Beginners First Day of School Collections for Winter Study Desk Occupations

BELLE THOMAS Cook Co. Normal Englewood Ill. (NOTE-Words printed in small caps indicate those written upon the blackboard by the teacher.)

M

ONDAY, September third, 1895 has come; the schoolroom doors all over the land stand open, and the teachers are there ready to receive the thousands of children that come flocking in to begin their school life. No other month in the year will be so full of hard work and perplexing questions for the primary teacher.

As the experienced, thoughtful teacher looks into the upturned faces of these little people, she realizes that although they are strangers to her and her realm still they have already been studying for five or six years. She appreciates how much they bring with them from their home life that will directly aid them here. She knows from observation that genuine interest springs from self-activity and a never-ending round of need and immediate use. Because these characteristics are universally found in children she has planned her work so that their experiences in these first days in school will be only a continuation of their previous life and mode of study.

First must come examination, not for marks and per cents, but such a one as will enable her to have the school in working order as soon as possible; thus fifty or more must be sorted and grouped so that they may work together to the best advantage. Her only standard of excellence, at first, is the child's readiness to respond to her or to take part in these first exercises.

"I have a song, children, which I wish you to help me sing." Here she sings one stanza of the familiar song, “We are little soldier men," then stops to talk to them of the soldiers they have seen, the fife and drum they have heard, where they saw and heard them, etc. In this informal talk and attempt to teach song she has found several who are willing to take part; occasionally she asks a child for his name, this she notes down on paper. Fifteen or twenty minutes have passed, but in that time she has been able to select ten or twelve that have shown more willingness than the rest to talk; these she sends to her desk to watch a fish in a glass of water. All the direction we hear is, "I am coming to talk with you directly, then I shall want you to tell me something about that fish."

Turning to the others she says, "You may each draw for me a picture of something you have at home." Manilla paper cut in pieces 8 X 10 is distributed to the children, also lead pencils. Sɔme seem quite at home in the presence of such material and go to work immediately; others sit still and make no attempt to follow her directions.

As Miss C approaches the group at her table, some eagerly begin talking to her; just here comes their first lesson in hand-raising for permission to talk, a lesson that will have to be repeated again and again before it is learned.

The first step necessary in learning to read is to change the habit of thought-getting through the ear to the eye.

This new means of getting thought may be acquired almost as unconsciously as they learned to talk. At first no attempt is made to have the child learn the form of the word, nor is his attention directed to the letters or sounds comprised in the word. It is merely "talking with the crayon."

At every opportunity, whether in song, game, observation lesson or story the teacher makes use of this new mode of expression, writing a word or sentence here and there upon the board quickly and easily, writing these, too, when the child's interest or need for either word or sentence is greatest. Let him begin with seeing these written symbols as soon as he enters school. Do not expect him to remember every word written, but make the conditions for attention favorable and then have faith equal to that of the mother as she waited for him to learn to talk.

"This is what I see in the glass, what is it?" Their answer comes in a single word which she writes upon the board. John tell me what the fish can do. The fish can swim, is the reply. Arthur, tell me something else the fish can do. It can open and shut its mouth. Mabel may tell what she sees. It moves them things on its side. We call those FINS. Pointing to the word FISH, she asks for each to tell what it has. After several questions and replies we find upon her board the words FISH, SWIM, FINS, HEAD, EYES, MOUTH, TAIL, etc.

These words and sentences have been written with an ease equal to her use of the spoken form. Her one idea in writing in to have them form the habit from the beginning of having this written symbol become a part of the child's interpretation of the thought aroused through the obser

vation work.

This group is now given pencil and paper and told to draw a picture of the fish, also something they have at home. She waits a moment to see that all are at work then moves about among the others to examine their drawings. As she inspects this work she leads one and another to tell about what he has drawn. Some papers are covered with pictures, others have but little, and some nothing at all.

When this hurried inspection is ended she has the names of another ten. These form her second group; they are sent to the board to draw their pictures where all may see what they have previously told on paper for the teacher only.

Still twenty or more are left in their seats; so far these have said or done almost nothing. The others are busy and very soon she is telling this timid set of some birds she saw in a tree on her way to school. Her manner is so free from all self-consciousness and is so interested in what she is telling that she succeeds in breaking the barrier between them and herself and at last nearly all have ventured to take some part in this informal conversation. Throughout this exercise, as in the others, she continues her blackboard writing, using word or sentence as the occasion demands.

Now the work of those at the board is commented upon, and they are called to their seats. "Attention, company" is heard and all are ready again for another general exercise.

The song of the morning is rehearsed, and now all are ready to play soldier for they are to march in and out, up and down, the "left-overs" of last spring acting as leaders, full of responsibility because they are showing the others how.

Noon has come ; a tentative grading or grouping has been accomplished and the teacher has them seated ready for the work of the afternoon. These groups are not given any name or number that will indicate to the children the idea of higher and lower class, for many changes may be necessary before this fifty are finally adjusted, and if once they have the idea of promotion or "demotion" connected with changing from one group to the other the freedom necessary will be lost and the teacher find herself hampered at every step. There has been plenty of time given to this examination and re-seating, and yet it has been so mingled with general exercises and work with single groups that each child feels that he has had some personal attention.

As she makes ready to dismiss, group one is told that they are to make some boxes when they come back so will need

to bring rulers. Group three is asked to bring flowers, each child one of any kind that he can get.

Throughout this month group one will continue a series of lessons on Foods begun last spring; group two will study animals - their parts, function of parts, food, how obtained, relation to man, etc. As we cannot follow in this article each group in its special line of work, we will note particularly the lessons for the three younger groups in their study of plant life.

At this time of year, garden, grass-plot and road-side furnish abundant material for all. These growing plants are among the child's most familiar friends and the skilful teacher has a fine opportunity to lead the child to use his precious experience to the highest advantage in acquiring new skill and new modes of expression.

In the September outline for first grade Miss Cooke makes the following suggestions under the subject of science:

Science

First week-Children bring in plants from the garden. Examine them and find parts common to all,-root, stem, leaves, flower, fruit, seeds. Find uses of the root. Find part of each plant used for food by man or other animals. Find what animals are in the garden and what they are doing. Examine fruits and note what parts common to all. Classify them as to those which have seeds in pods, pulp, etc., as preparation for the study of seed distribution.

Second week - Select six trees, to be studied throughout the year,oak, willow, maple, ash-leaf maple, poplar, pine. Study September condition of each. Paint each. Compare leaves and buds. on each. Which gives the greatest shade? What makes shade? Which has the largest leaves? Greatest number of leaves? Each child will have from each tree a twig about a foot long. Are the leaves from the terminal or lateral buds? What animals found on each tree? Under it? What are they doing? Which leaves are used for homes of insects, and which for their food? Uses of trees. Third week-Study spectrum by means of a glass prism. Test and record each child's power to recognize or distinguish colors. Paint the spectrum. Classify fruits and note colors found in the ripe and unripe fruit. Reason? Field trip to gather September flowers. Sort as to color. Parts common to each of the flowers. Compare with garden plants.

Fourth week - Birds; kinds in the park. Color; use; sounds. What are they doing?

The subjects may change from week to week. No attempt is made to exhaust any one phase of the subject before another is taken, but she tries to leave the child in such an attitude towards the part studied so that when she comes to it again he will be eager for more. Again, the subjects from week to week are so related that the repetition necessary for the learning of these written symbols comes directly through his experience in observation without the old-time drill for form.

The first reading lessons are from the blackboard and are usually statements of their own observations. All written symbols should be functioned through immediate association and use. Surrounded with this atmosphere of written work, seeing it used so easily at every step, he not only learns to recognize words and sentences but very soon shows a desire to imitate the teacher, not to copy the words but to reproduce his own image in his desire to tell something with the crayon; here begins his work in spelling and written language. His first attempts are crude, but very soon he acquires a skill that enables him to write legibly and rapidly. Throughout this month the study of fruits affords excellent material for a series of lessons, their color, meaning of color, function of parts, relation to plant and flower, food value to man and animal, etc. Fruits for study-peach, plum, crab-apple and tomato.

They will need the foot rule throughout the year in all their mechanical drawing and making, hence the number work may begin with a study of this. The article in the April number of this paper-"Desk occupations," contains suggestions along the line of drawing and making. cutting of rectangular cards one inch by three or four to be used as dictionary cards, also paper slips one-half inch by one for marking specimen will afford occupation and lead them to careful measuring and drawing for exact work.

Another important feature for September work is the collecting of specimens for winter study. The youngest child even can take part in this. Seeds, seed pods, grains, pebbles, shells, bits of building stones, etc., may be brought in and cared for. Small envelopes, and boxes made by the

children will serve as receptacles for such material; bottles with large mouths for keeping such things as a ripe dandelion head and the open milk-weed pod before its seed have scattered. These will prove valuable in the study of distribution of seed. The gathering, arranging, and care of these specimens will arouse a keen interest among the children and when used later the interest will be increased because of the fact that they had part in making the collection.

The average child does not need print or phonics during this first month of school work, so we will leave these phases to discuss in another article.

The Hygiene Examination of the Future. Teacher (to applicant for admission)"Johnnie, have you got a certificate of vaccination for smallpox?" "Yes, sir."

"Have you been inoculated for croup?' "Yes, sir."

"Been treated with diphtheria serum?" "Yes, sir."

"Had your arm scratched with cholera bacilli?" "Yes sir."

"Have you a written guarantee that you are proof against whooping-cough, measles, mumps, scarlet fever and old age? "Yes, sir."

"Have you your own private drinking cup?" "Yes, sir."

"Do you promise not to exchange sponges with the boy next to you and never use any but your own pencil?" "Yes, sir."

"Will you agree to have your books fumigated with sulphur and sprinkle your clothes with chloride of lime once a week?" "Yes, sir."

The Method of the Future

She was a bright-faced, conscientious little teacher who spent her long vacations at summer institutes and dutifully accepted every rising educational theory. With all her heart she believed in the "new education," but that day she had been tried by numberless little annoyances which were capped by Matilda's mamma who called in person to request that her daughter, the dunce of the class, should not be excited to so great mental exertion. As the little teacher listened her spirit rose, and she replied to the fond mamma: "I think you need have little fear for Matilda's health. The work in this school is done on the most approved basis: all that is expected of the pupils is that they keep awake; the teacher does the rest. But there is no doubt methods will soon be devised for instilling facts hypodermically while the pupil sleeps." -School Physiology Journal

"Six years is a very short span of life. The little folks who enter school this month have been mothers' babies all their lives. They have done nothing but play so far, and it is hardly reasonable or fair not to introduce them into a work world gradually and naturally, instead of plunging them at once into a cold bath of restriction. Aside from this, to repeat what I have been trying to say in the preceding lines, until you have the love and good will of the child you cannot get his best work. We can gain this good will by meeting Six-year-old at least half way, and by following Nature, who is ever teaching us that her ways are best."

like those I saw in the bubbles I blew yesterday. See, there is red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. I have counted them and there are six. When I take the glass out of the sun they go away. They seem to be playing hide and seek with me." "Do you remember," Richard," asked mamma, "how we watched the sun go down from the window the other night? You said it looked just like a great ball of fire.

I told you that was what it really is.

That large ball of fire which we call the sun, has to make the light and heat for us.

He sends these to us in long narrow pieces, which we call rays.

I showed you a picture, not long ago of one of these rays, can you draw it?"

66

Yes, mother, it is very narrow and has little curved lines through it, something like waves."

"Now, Richard, these little waves are like some of our boys and girls.

Some are larger than others, some like to go slow, and some are always in a hurry.

The little waves which make up the red light are the largest and laziest.

When they start from the sun the red ones are always last.

Now the little violet waves are very frisky and always in a hurry, so away they run to the far end of the ray.

Now little orange, yellow, green, and blue, have to crowd in between the violet and red waves.

The largest waves have to stay behind, because they cannot run so fast as the smaller ones."

"But mamma, why do we not see these lovely colors all the time?"

"I will tell you, Richard. When these rays start from the sun they all try to run down to the earth at once.

If you put a three-cornered piece of glass between them and the earth, they spread out, and try to get through it and go on."

"How funny! I must go and find Myron and tell him what you have told me."

(This story was given by Miss Todd of Indianapolis to her children an advanced second year class. Prisms were first hung around the room so the sun would strike them. After three or four days of talking of the different colors and their arrangement the children were given colored pencils and paper and were told to make the picture of the bow as it appeared at the time on the wall and to arrange the colors as they were reflected through the prism. The teacher then wrote the story and gave it as a reading lesson. It was afterwards printed on a separate sheet by the press connected with the school building. This put it in convenient form for after use.- - ED.)

A Word to Country Teachers

T

A. C. SCAMMELL

'HE day of your arrival at the place where you are to teach will be the preface to your term's work. Let it be a very "taking" one.

Don't apoligize for coming to so small a town and say that you came to enjoy the scenery and to regain your health, for that is vacation privilege, not school work.

Be sure to leave your old hats and dresses at home. They would not be good enough to wear in that pretty hillside town. Against Nature's picturesque background they would be far more out of keeping than in the city with only dull brick walls for contrast. And don't, O don't put on a single "air" if you don't want to become an amusing object lesson. Laying aside then all girlish folly, and trying to put on the teacher's whole armor, you go to your new work, the first Monday in September.

Dingy-white walls, two pitted little boards instead of

comely blackboards, cobweb curtains at windows, and for the rest-O dear!! But what of it!

You look into the pleasant faces of your pupils, and know you have an army strong to help you, by and by. Nature's ready-made furnishings are just at hand. Before long, you may find that all this seeming hindrance may be your fortunate opening for nature study. The conservative parents do not believe in bringing this "waste work" into school hours. Suppose you give it a new name, too, and call it decoration of the school-room. Take long walks with your pupils to find what you want; the prettiest of autumn's work to press and mount for your school-room walls; curious woods for latticed window shades, easels, picture frames. Because the school-room is so sunny, you have the excuse, on hot September afternoons, to vacate it for the cool, shady hilltops near. There you can teach them to see, as you see, Nature's wonder pictures, to hear, as you hear, her music and her rhymes.

Your older boys may be often absent from school during the fall term for work. You may think that these frequent breaks lessen the interest in study, upset your plans, and make past labor for your pupils, of little avail, for field-work crowds out school-work. Maybe you are mistaken. Better believe that every truth those boys have learned, lies simmering somewhere in heart or brain, and will be ready for use by the time it is wanted. Through you, they have become acquainted with nature and her science teachings, and so, harvesting may be more educative than books. When the teacher does faithful work with the faithful scholar, these enforced absent days are like Sabbath rest, from which he returns to book with new energy and appetite. "The register looks dreadfully!" Yes, but since looks that can't be helped matter little do not fret about that. Probably your register will never rest among the town archives.

You make the same plaint that the teachers who came before you made, of pupils not well classed, and too many classes. Don't be tied to this precedent. Abolish the class system altogether if need be and generalize your work. Do all things tactfully, though. Two or three of your oldest, dullest pupils have made their slow way to Oceanica in . geography, and are ambitious to finish the book. Don't take away their self-respect, and remove their goal a year further off by putting them back with that class of bright twelveyear-olds. Let them sojourn in the South Sea Islands awhile; make their stay in Oceanica delightful, but let their own town, county or state, be the Mecca, to which they return by reviews once or twice a week. It may be advisable in all their studies, to let them remain in the highest class. For the younger pupils, combine. Make geography, for instance, an all-school study, avoiding the terms, class or division.

Thus, you can easily grade your school. You can lead the backward pupil who does his best, to feel that he is not so far behind the others.

So much work for so little salary! Yes, but with your four dollars a week and board, haven't you as wide a margin left as have some of your city sisters? You left home well supplied, to live among a generous people who have few artificial wants. You can easily learn to be content with such things as you have.

The parents do not visit your school except on the "last day." Another grievance! Then think of Mahomet and the mountain and be the mountain. Visit the parents, not once twice but so often that you seem like "own folks" to them. Your visiting them may be more gainful than their visits to you. Little disaffections dissolve in the social cup of tea. Liking you, they will be satisfied with your work.

The truth is trite, that country schools have graduated the best men and women. As you look over your human material, can you not assort it all, as excellent, good or fair.

Isn't it something to be thankful for, that your youthful twigs are bent aright, so that they do not need your constant straightening out, to incline them towards goodness?

And so we might go on, weighing the trials of country teachers with their compensating pleasures, and every time the pleasures will have the far more exceeding weight.