"S Primary Reading II MARY F. HALL Supervisor Primary Schools Milwaukee HALL we use the word, or the sentence method?" has been a question frequently asked of the writer. The answer has invariably been, "Use both together." If prompt and fluent enunciation of mere words were the thing chiefly desired in reading, then the word or the phonic method would be best; but if the essential thing about the art of reading is the evolution of power to trace the relationship of ideas as the eye scans the words of the sentence, then the word and sentence methods become important, as the words associated in the text both signify ideas and indicate their relationships. "Why not begin with the phonic method?" is another question that is frequently asked. Here, as well as anywhere, some brief statements concerning the phonic method may be used. The phonic method does place emphasis upon what has been called "the powers of the letters," and thus enables a child to accumulate readily a large stock of words. It is unfortunately true, however, that the child does not so much need at first, the power of recognizing many words at sight as he needs to connect the words that he knows with some clear notion, that the word when seen may suggest its meaning instantly to the mind. If his attention is fixed upon the phonic elements, it simply is "tithing, mint, anise, and tithing, mint, anise, and cummin," and neglecting that far weightier matter of word content and word relationships. He is accumulating bricks and other building stores without any recognized plan of construction work; for the word as used with other words, which shade and modify its meaning, in construction is the vital thing. The accumulation of words in the "ăn family," or the "at family," is simply an accumulation of stores to no end, as much of this material not being used, eventually becomes rubbish. The words which the child knows should be known in use use in reading, rather than in tabulation according to sound. The child will read eventually, as we all do, nearly all the words that he is to read phonically; and he will do it sooner or later whether or not he receives training in this respect. The work of the teacher is to recognize the "true psychologic moment" when the child needs help, and to give it wisely. If the child learns the word hat each letter of the word, as indicating a certain sound, has, of necessity made a certain impression on his mind whether or not there was any phonic drill. Some days later, in the course of his reading, he has, perhaps, the word mat. This word, unconsciously to him, strengthens the impression made by the at. With the repetition of similar words, there comes a time when a child pronounces at sight, a word that he never saw before, as pat, with perfect confidence. He has seen pin pen and pan, and he has seen at in hat, mat, fat and other words, and seeing pat, he says it with little consciousness of effort. Thus we all learned to read. We learned a few words, and then we applied certain things we had, perhaps unconsciously, learned about these words to new forms. The work of the school is to take hold of this tendency at the proper time and assist the child to do early, and more certainly, what he must do later in learning to read. The time to do it, in harmony with the leading idea of reading, is when he has acquired some words in use, and can read them fluently and understandingly as they are used in sequence. He now needs a larger stock of words, and with the need for a larger supply, the teacher will find that the learner already begins to draw conclusions from his experience and to apply what he has thus learned to new word forms. Comparing at this time, words that are alike in sound has a meaning to the child, because the work has to do with familiar words within the circle of his experience. This is a very difficult thing from a false —and to the child meaningless, because premature, association of words according to some sound. The mode of doing phonic work is so well known, and so often illustrated in educational papers and by advocates of the phonic method, that any thing concerning it here would be superfluous. Only the relationship of phonic work to reading and the time when it should be taken is here touched upon. One very important thing in this connection, and one that cannot be too strongly stated, is the need to attend constantly to the habits of enunciation that the children are forming. If children do not correctly enunciate certain sounds, it will be found ordinarily that the reasons of such failure are simple and easily found. I A defect may exist in the vocal organs. This is, however, a case for the surgeon, not for the teacher. But it is the duty of the teacher not to mistake the case. The fact that a child does not utter some sounds correctly does not mean, except in very rare instances, that he can not do so. 2 In case of young and undeveloped children, and children who habitually hear a foreign language spoken, a given sound may not be distinguished. Evidently the remedy for this defect is slow and very distinct enunciation of the sound alone, and then as it occurs in the words already known to the child. Sometimes it should be contrasted with other sounds. These exercises should enable the ear to discriminate and to recognize the sound. 3 After the ear has distinguished the sound, the child may not render it properly because he has not yet learned how to do so. The Scandinavian reads, "E-yon came in E-yune" (John came in June), because to him has represented a sound different from its English sound, and because he does not know how to make the English sound. The victims of "baby-talk" show the same inability to use the vocal organs in such a way as to make inevitably the correct sound. The remedy here is very simple,— show them exactly how to do it; then ply exercises to make the proper enunciation mechanical. The sooner children are taught to discriminate and make sounds correctly, the sooner they will begin to show discriminating and critical power in their work. The cumulative force of habit should be right in matters of voice and enunciation, as in other things. The right vocalization of sounds should be made so automatic, that when the children see wh, j, th, or any other combination, they should utter the corresponding sound directly at sight of the characters and without any effort or thought. These things are matters for the teacher to attend to, not things to be left to time and chance, for the children to do as they please. This paper is incidentally an answer to the oft-repeated institute question, "How do you teach foreigners to read?" Synthetic Reading Memory often recalls youthful days and that "children's companion" of ours, the Sander's Speller, then used in that part of the Empire state where children sat in defiance of the utterances of Horace Mann, concerning "spell books" and conned over something like this :-bane, b-a-n-e, bane, b-a-n-e, bane, fane, f-a-n-e, fane, f-a-n-e, fane; and so on down that long line of resembling words. After "studying our lessons" for the allotted time, the master of ceremonies solemnly formed us in line for the enactment of the important school rite of oral spelling. The child at the head gave the cue to the rest when he spelled bane. The child who got fane did not really need to destroy many of his cerebral molecules in changing b to f, and adding thereto the inevitable ane. We with as So we spelled down the long line, at the close of warm summer afternoons, and when the winter winds sang their shrill, sibilant tunes around the school-house ; — pane p-a-n-e, pane; cane, c-a-n-e, cane; lane, l-a-n-e, lane. probably would have spelled in the same waymuch enthusiasm, and to about as much purpose — fane, gane or yane, if it had been possible for some humorous teacher to so trifle with her responsibilities as to "put them out." This was a spelling method; would that one could truthfully say of it, even to-day, on account of its abominations, it was. But in some quarters, the same thing is done in essence with some added embellishments of " ăn family,” and of dramatized descriptions of cross dogs, puffing locomotives and infuriated geese, and called a reading method! And "the world moves!" About Christmas St. John of Chrysostom, who died in 407, in an epistle upon the subject of Christmas Day, relates that St. Cyril of Jerusalem instructed St. Julius, who died in 352. to make a strict inquiry as to the exact date of the Nativity of our Saviour and that the conclusion reached was that it occured on the 25th of December. All these Saints were likewise Bishops of Rome. Father Christmas, as he has been naturalized in the United States, seems to have been of mixed and cosmopolitan origin. Our Christmas carols appear to have come from the Holy Land itself; Christmas trees from the East by way of Germany; our Santa Claus from Holland; our stockings hung in the chimney, from France or Belgium; and our Christmas cards and verbal Christmas greeting, our Yule-logs, our boar's head, our plum puddings and our mince pies from England. Our turkey is, seemingly, our only national contribution. Christmas Tree The chronology of the Christmas tree is very doubtful. Mr. Timbs finds its roots in the land of the early Egyptians. The Germans claim that it sprouted in their fatherland. Other authorities trace it back to the Roman Saturnalia. Still other authorities believe the tree to be a Buddhist importation, and to date back to the Fifth Century of our era, and they tell us that it is a custom still observed in Asia for the people on certain festive occasions to stick trees in the ground, upon the branches of which they suspend their presents and their offerings. To the Prince Consort has been ascribed the honor of the introduction of the Christmas tree into England. But a Christmas tree is known to have played an important part in a Christmas pageant given in honor of Henry VIII. Church Decoration trees never told a word where our Saviour was hiding himself, and so they keep alive all winter, and look green all the year. But the ash, like the oak, told of him where he was hiding, so they have to remain dead all the winter. And so we gypsies always burn an ash fire every great day." The custom of decorating churches on Christmas Eve has been traced to the First Lesson of the evening service of December 24th, in which occur these words from Isaiah lx., 13: "The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the firtree, the pine-tree and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary." But Dean Stanley says that the decoration of churches with holly is a religious observance which comes down from the time of the heathen, who suspended green boughs and holly about their houses, that the fairies and the spirits of the woods might find shelter in them. The Yule-log is supposed to have been transmitted to the Britons from their Scandinavian ancestors, who at their feast of the winter solstice lighted great bonfires in honor of Thor. The fragments of one Christmas log were carefully preserved in the Middle Ages, to start the fire in the log of the next Christmas; and it was long a tradition that if a flat-footed woman, or a squinting person of either sex, was permitted to enter the house while the log was burning, bad A gypsy legend has it thus, "The ivy and holly and pine luck to somebody was sure to follow, The Christmas Feast The Christmas bill of fare in the brave days of old was rich and varied. The chief and most important dish was the boar's head, and the second was roast peacock, although it is by no means clear why either of them ever came to be associated with the occasion. The Christmas pie of the ancients is not altogether identical with the mince pie so generally consumed at Christmastime in our days. One writer describes it as "a most learned mixture of neat's tongues, chicken, eggs, raisins, lemon and orange peel, various kinds of spices," etc., and he speaks of plum porridge as "a sort of soup with plumbs, which is not at all inferior to the pye." How far these dishes are the direct ancestor of the plum pudding of the present is not now known. - Sel. Teaching Memory Gems IV "C HELEN C. DRESSER OME in, certainly, and welcome," said Miss H., "You will not find everything 'spick and span,' but " turning to her pupils" she will forgive our muss when she knows what we are doing. Don't you think so?" Forty pairs of eyes brightened at this bit of confidence, and the owners thereof smilingly replied, "Yes, Miss H.," with just a touch of mystery in the tones and glances. I passed along from seat to seat, and my thought was "Shades of ye pedagogues of old! What must be your consternation as you see this room!" The teacher's desk was covered with bits of ribbon, silk, cotton, sachet powder, mucilage, brushes, pens, ink-stands with various colored brushes, pens, ink-stands with various colored inks, paper patterns, and what not? Yet, a subtle order reigned throughout this chaos. The children were separated into several groups, and gathered around a table bearing materials for a special work. These little people are sewing cards with bright colored silks, holly, mistletoe, bells, Santa Claus,- many designs, each suggestive of the approaching Christmas-tide. Near by is a group of earnest workers intent on matweaving. "And what do you use these for?" I asked of a sunny-haired boy. "Miss H., may I get our box?" Upon receiving permission he brings from the corner cupboard a box labeled, "Group 5,- Weaving." With pride he exhibits the treasures. Triangular, oblong and square sachet cushions, made of mats lined with cotton, scented, folded, and the corners nicely tied with ribbons; little booklets, containing from six to ten mats of different designs; two small mats fastened together with leaves of flannel between, for needle-books. One is marked "For Grandma, from Margaret; "another, "Sister May, from Carrie ; each showing that no thought of self has been worked into these dainty tokens. Passing to a group of older girls, I find two finishing plain white aprons, one dressing a doll, three hem-stitching "For sister's baby" says the girl, as I pause to admire the dainty garment. "I shall give this to my aunt. She is a nurse," and a large apron is a baby's sack of softest flannel. held up. Love here, too, it seems. The larger boys are bending over some work on their desks. "How beautiful!" I exclaim, as a spray of holly is seen, carved in bas relief on a plaque of paraffine. Across the aisle, a lad is mounting a bit of carved mistletoe, on a small board, nicely stained and varnished. "For my mother," he tells me. Love! love everywhere! Before I can see more, the school is dismissed and I go to the presiding genius to learn about the beautiful, lovefull, plan of work. "It's all the result of an assimilated memory-gem" explained Miss H. "Assimilated! They are usually memorized." "Yes. But the spirit of this particular stanza is so much more important than the letter, that we have spent a month (To be read to the children) Long, long ago, there were little pine trees in a forest in Ungarn, and they were very unhappy because they had to stay in the stormy winter, while all the flowers went to sleep till spring, an the birds flew away to the sunny south. All the little pine trees wept and sighed together till the Wind heard them and carried their voices down to Judea, where the dear Christ-Child lived. When the Wind told Him the trouble of the little trees He was grieved, for He loved to have all things happy; but "The little pine trees must help something else before they can be helped," said the Christ-Child, for He knew all things. So the Wind carried the words to the little pine trees, and they began to try to help something. When a great frost came each little tree spread out its branches as far as it could reach, and sheltered the grass and ferns from the bitter cold; and when a great snowstorm came, covering all little snowbirds and said, "Come, little birds we have seeds the ground and tree, the little pine trees called to the poor for you to eat, and our arms shall keep the snow from you." When the Wind heard this, He flew to Judea again, and told the Christ-Child how the pine trees were helping. So, when the Christ-Child heard this, He was glad, for He loved all things to be good, and He came Himself to the little pine trees and blessed them. "Dear little pine tree," He said, and touching them with His gentle hand, "You have tried to help others, and you shall have the joy of always making happiness for little children. Every winter, when the frost and snow come, you shall have many beautiful things given you to give away to My little ones for My sake, if they have tried throughout the year to be loving and good." Then the little pine trees were glad, for they had learned how blessed a thing it is to give happines. This is just the attitude we are daily striving to gain and control in the school-room. We try one lever after another, only to find often-times that some levers were never intended to be used with children. But here, ready made for us, is the magic lever of Santa Claus, suiting the circumstances perfectly. Suppose we use it. Children have no difficulty in conceiving the presence of "Jack Frost" where ever cold is found; likewise, where ever a giving spirit is manifest they may be led to as readily conceive a Santa Claus. The following steps in such a direction have been followed in the school-room and found delightfully satisfactory. The regulation reading periods, science studies, literature work, etc., are continued just as ever except that a new thought is infused into them. Step 1-Santa Claus as, a distinct personage, his home, his work, his visit: "Twas the night before Christmas," is the opening wedge for two or three week's work, and for a day or two forms the basis of several reading and reproduction exercises. Though the interesting paraphernalia of Santa's trappings receive due attention, they are not the special thoughts emphasized. What Santa Claus has put in his bag; for whom respectively the things are intended, showing forethought and care; and the consequent emotion of the recipients and himself are the essential points, and ring the key note of the whole subject. One of the reading lessons is something like this: *See Santa Claus! And see his big pack! Step II-The Santa Clauses of the home, shop, factory, of the natural world, etc. We know another friend, who, in a store, or a shop down town, is working hard every day to make presents, or earn money that will buy some, which he may give to folks in his home. He doesn't wait until Christmas to give them all, but brings some home nearly every day. Can the children guess who he is? What presents does papa give? A nice, warm house, wood to burn, flour, potatoes, clothes, playthings, etc. Yes, and something more he has something of which sometimes, he gives too much, and then we say it is "all given out," and papa is so weak he cannot work any more for a time -- is sick and has to rest until that something grows again for him. Let the children guess; 'tis papa's strength. Question simililarly for papa's time, of which, also, he gives for other's benefit. A reading lesson in this connection may be like this :— "I wish I had a sled," said Ben. "Then I could give little Jean a ride." 'I will help you," said a big tree. I will give you my wood for a sled." "Let me help, too," said a big rock in the ground. "I will give you iron for the runners." "And I will give you cotton for the rope," said a cotton-plant. Some workman came. They took the wood, the iron and the cotton. They made a sled for Ben. Can you tell what Santa Clauses gave Ben his sled? Nearly everything seems to be a Santa Claus; is the child one too? Let the children make answer. This prepares for Step III,-The child an actual Santa Claus living out the missions in practical ways. I cannot do better here than describe what two little schools did in partnership, last year. A few days before Christmas they began the decoration of a tree,—not for themselves, oh no, but for a party of less fortunate children whom they were going to entertain the last day of school. Little invitations were written on blue cardboard stockings, toys were brought from home and wrapped in bundles, conucopias were made and filled with goodies, sliced puzzles were prepared for additional gifts, and withal there could hardly be found a happier company of Santa Clauses anywhere. A program was planned, with the children's advice, consisting of songs, story-telling, marching, simple manual exercises, games and luncheon. The teachers purposely planned for such manual work and games as would require considerable thoughtfulness and helpfulness on the part of the regular pupils in order that the guests be able to serve their part enjoyably. They were not disappointed; the children met the conditions right royally. Not only to these invited guests were the children taking the part of Santa Claus, but also to friends at home, for many of the manual exercises etc., of the daily work were so modified as to yield desirable gifts for Christmas presents. Occasionally, when special effort, patience, or care, for the happiness of another was found manifest in the schoolroom, no matter what the kind of exercise, particular pains was taken to remark the presence of Santa Claus. In short, the children were steeped in the blessedness of giving, and by actual experience, too. Were the mythical personage of Santa Claus to drop out of supposed reality he would hardly be missed, I'm sure. Supplementary to the three foregoing steps such stories as St. Christopher and the Christ-Child, The Miraculous Pitcher, and Andersen's The Fir Tree, were discussed; and of course the children were told the story of the best Giver of all. In one school a Santa Claus chart was made, the children collecting and pasting thereon, every picture they could obtain where the Santa Claus spirit was shown. Besides the "real" Santa Claus, the collection included pictures of children feeding chickens, giving rides to their playmates, etc., also a picture of rain giving flowers and grass a drink. These served as excellent material for language exercises. Teacher reads with children, explaining "rime" (meaning a heavy frost), and telling how similar pine and hemlock are, and getting children to tell in what way the branches are faithful. "What makes our pine green not alone in summer time, but in the winter's frost and rime'? Children study needles or leaves, their arrangement on and attachment to the branch, the scars showing where leaves have fallen off, their arrangement in clusters, the sheath at the base, their needle-like shape, flattened along the inner side. Here is a pretty fancy about the pine leaves. "If Mother Nature patches the leaves of trees and vines, I'm sure she does her darning with the needles of the pines, Teacher draws on board before children, a piece of branch with a leaf cluster fastened to it, showing them how she draws it. This is erased and each child draws carefully a piece of his branch, with one cluster of leaves. Teacher gets from children the reason, why the leaves are so slender, so that the snow will not catch on them,- and why they are so thick and tough, while other leaves are thin and broad, to withstand the frost. She talks with them not merely to them about the beauty of the pine and the contrast between it and the white snow. Children write about leaves on board or slate or paper, copying the verse from Longfellow for an introduction. The First Snow I wondered where the apple-bloom -Wi liam Brunton Common Sense Hygiene III C For the Babies E. D. K. Care of Throat and Lungs WOLD weather is here and have you said anything to the children about the care of their throat and lungs while in the frosty air? If not, don't wait another day. Begin by a little talk about breathing through the nose. Make them understand that they are expected to breathe through the nose and not through the mouth. Did you ever hear the advice that is given by experts in throat diseases, "Shut your mouth and live"? The little ones can be taught to understand that if the cold air strikes directly upon the throat it irritates it but that if it is breathed through the nose it becomes warmed and softened before it reaches the throat. If the nose is not used for breathing, the nostrils partly close up after awhile for want of use, so that the mouth-breathers cannot breathe through their noses even if they try to. After a time if nose-breathing is not observed, catarrh and throat troubles begin and sometimes deafness follows from breathing this cold unfiltered air through the mouth. It would not be extreme if delicate children were advised not to talk in the cold frosty air at all. This is a good thing for you to remember, teachers, with all the talking you have to do through the day. On your way to school in the morning keep your mouth closed and if you must express yourselves in the cold air use pantomime. It is great fun and you will soon become artists in it, and save your voice and throat besides. 66 Encourage the little ones to tell you when they have sore throat" and look into the little mouths yourselves and send the children home with personal notes to parents as soon as trouble begins. Swollen tonsils cannot be neglected a day among the children. Give a little talk about using cold water on the throat in the morning followed by a hard rubbing with a coarse towel. Ask the children if they have done it, for a few mornings, and start the current of thought that way. Counsel them, also, not to wrap the throat too much in the open air. Back of all this, are the children dressed warmly enough? You may not have been "hired" to look after the flannels and underclothing of the pupils but if you are the right kind of a primary teacher you could no more help putting your hand on the little arm or leg to see if it is too thinly dressed than you could keep from hurrying to pick up a little toddler who had tumbled down in the school-yard and there wasn't a word said about that sort of thing when you "signed your contract," if you ever did. A parting word on the tender point of sympathy with the children this cold weather. No matter what becomes of the program the first hour in the morning, if the little ones come in cold, with aching fingers and toes and little trembling lips and chins. Above all things thaw them out body and soul the first thing and cuddle them up and get them to smiling. No "morning talk" ever given was equal to morning sympathy for the babies when they need it. An iron teacher talking sentiment or science or morals to chilly, uncomfortable children because it is the schedule time for it is a spectacle to make gods and men clamor for common sense and freedom in the school-room. One last word, Does any primary teacher who reads this ever permit children to stand shivering in the cold because it "isn't time to file in "? "Filing in" in cold weather is a nineteenth century abomination. |