9 ov & mv mov v g • Tours emmiss атричнот очагомила положнитай питать SPECIMEN No, 1.-Auburn (N. Y.) Prison School. No. 31927. The first attempt at writing his name by an illiterate Italian, 28 years of age. I see six pencils. What do you see? my arm is on the desk. : my hand is on my head. Your hand is on your head. you have my book. SPECIMEN No. 2.-Written by the same man (No. 31927) nine months later. In the meantime he had attended school one hour a day. II. SING SING PRISON SCHOOL. By J. R. CROWLEY, Head teacher, In the Sing Sing Prison school to-day-March 25, 1913-there are registered 338 men. These represent 20 different nationalities and 12 subdivisions. Of the total number, 49 per cent are Italian, 23 per cent American (which includes 10 per cent American negroes), 8 per cent Jews of various nations, 5 per cent Russians, 4 per cent Austrians, 2 per cent Germans, 1 per cent Polish, and the remaining 8 per cent are made up of many other nationalities. The age of the men in school varies from four men (boys) who are but 16 years to one man who is 64 years of age. The average age of all men in school at this time is 29.8 years. Educationally the school attendance is divided or classified into four grades, called standards.1 The outline and daily program for the first week of these two standards as here given will convey a more exact idea of the work being done. STANDARD ONE. Syllabus outline.-Learning to speak, recognize at sight, spell, and write 200 words; drill in pronunciation; the reading based on the words learned; copying sentences; the use of numbers to 100. Directions to teachers.—These directions are the head teacher's aims, ideas, and methods regarding the particular standard of work and cover each topic of the course of study for each week of a four months' term. Oral English speech, word study, drill, pronunciation, reading, writing, spelling, number work, cell study, etc., are among the topics treated in these directions. I quote one to convey the scope of the work: "The drill in pronunciation should have for its object the clear, correct sounding of the words taught. These words, written on the board or on slips of paper to be handed to the men, should be pronounced by the teacher and then by each member of the class. "Th, Ch, J. R, L, W, T, the aspirated H, final syllables such as 'ed' and 'ing' are some of the consonant sounds that will be found to give difficulty to the pupils of different nationalities, and special drill should be given on them, as well as the vowel sounds or any sound found to be difficult to a nationality or a class." DAILY PROGRAM. Standard 1. Room A. Week ending Monday. 60 Teacher to consult the outline of the course of study and the guide thereto. The lesson of to-day should be oral, the teacher being careful to pronounce all the words clearly and distinctly. Endeavor to have each pupil stand before the class and give his name, number, cell, shop, etc., and have each write this upon the blackboard. It should be first written by the teacher, after which it should be copied many times by the pupil. 1 The extent of illiteracy in this prison accounts for the fact that but four standards are covered. Men have to be dropped to make room for others.—A. C. H. Tuesday. Teacher to devote the period to the teaching of the small and large (capital) letters of the alphabet. Give each pupil sufficient opportunity for practice at the board; at the same time the others of the class may be 60 writing on paper. Give cell lessons No. 1 and No. 2 with sufficient instruction so that the members of the class will know exactly what and how you expect them to do this work. Wednesday. €9 Teach the words of lesson No. 1; viz, "pencil, cap, book, is, have, this, box, a, I, the, that." Give practice in oral and written spelling, pronunciation, and in the meaning of the words. Give cell lesson No. 3 with an extra sheet of paper for additional copy writing. The lessons Nos. 1 and 2 should be collected, studied, corrected, and returned. Thursday. The work of cell lesson No. 4 should be written on the board by the pupils as many times as the space will allow. It should be written on the rotary blackboard and taught to the class, after which individuals should 60 be sent to the board to copy; others to write at the desk. Friday. 60 Give cell lesson No. 4 with proper instructions. Emphasize the writing and insist that it be as nearly perfect as possible. Drill in spelling, pronunciation, and reading. Teach the planotype lesson No. 1, first from the board as script, next from the rotary blackboard as print, and then from the sheets supplied. Each man should read the script, print, and planotype lessons before the class. Show objects, and use motions where possible. Give cell lesson No. 5 with proper instructions, in order that the class may return the lesson written just as you would have them do it. Saturday. Use cell lesson No. 6 as a reading lesson for the class. Let each man read, then give planotype lessons for a review of the reading. Be particular in the pronunciation and enunciation of the words. Drill on recogni60 tion of words, spelling, the meaning of the words, and their proper formation upon the board and with pencil. Secure for file work a copy of the name, number, cell, written with ink on the file paper. Textbooks. No textbook is to be used in the first standard. The cell lessons and the planotype sheet lessons supplied, if saved by the men, are easily fastened together, making a book of their own. This should be encouraged by the teacher. The teacher should preserve carefully all cell lessons written by the class, and those should be arranged in alphabetical order and filed in the cupboard in the room. STANDARD TWO. Syllabus outline: Working vocabulary increased to 500 words; the use of the capital letter, period, and question mark; sentence writing and writing from dictation; the use of numbers to 1,000, with special emphasis on addition and sub traction; reading The First Book for Non-English Speaking People; cell lessons from the reading text. Directions to teachers: These are similar to those of the first standard, but modified to conform to the work of the second standard. DAILY PROGRAM. Standard 2. Room C. Week ending Monday. 60 Teach the 14 words of lesson 1 by having them nicely written on the board, from which they will be taught by the teacher, pronounced, used in sentences, and copied as a spelling lesson by the class. Lesson 1 to be read before the class by each pupil. Give paper, and require lesson 1 to be written as a cell lesson, giving directions as to just how you expect the work done. Tuesday. 60 Repeat Monday's teaching, adding the 7 new words of lesson 2. Send the class to the board and have them write as many of these words as they can remember. Writing on paper from dictation the 14 words learned. Read lessons 1 and 2. Give directions for cell lesson No. 2. Wednesday. 60 Add the 2 new words of lesson 3 to the list of words learned; drill on pronunciation, recognition, use in oral sentence, and writing from memory the 23 words. Read lessons 1, 2, and 3. Give definite directions for cell lesson 3. Thursday. Supply the class with file paper and require reading lesson No. 4 to 40 be neatly and carefully written with ink. Accept none but the best work, and report poor work before the class leaves the room. 20 Friday. Drill on list of 23 words learned. Pronunciation, recognition, spelling, use. Use the method of Monday in teaching the 14 new words of lesson 5. 60 Give much practice in writing on the board. Read lessons 4 and 5. Require as cell lesson 4 a copy of reading lesson No. 5. Saturday. 60 Supply the class with paper and then dictate the 36 words learned during the week. Collect these papers and require these same 36 words to be written from memory. Cause each pupil to stand before the class and read his list of words, the class checking such words as they have and adding those not on the list. Continue until each pupil has a complete list of 36 words. Review reading of lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Textbooks. 1. Class book: First Book for Non-English Speaking People. 2. Cell book: First Book for Non-English Speaking People. Cell lessons: Require one cell lesson each day. Give such definite direction and lively attention to this work that the very best results may be obtained. Make a point to insist on good writing. The above is a general outline of the work that is being done from day to day in this strange school, composed entirely of men old in years but young in English educational attainments, men of many nations, men of many tongues, men many of whom have been absolutely illiterate all their lives, men who while they may claim to have college degrees in foreign lands are illiterate |