This reader undertakes to provide desirable material for work in silent
reading without losing sight of the other elements essential in a good
reader for pupils in the seventh grade or in the first year of the
junior high school.
One task before the teacher of Reading in this year is to foster, by
stimulating material, a taste for good reading which it is to be hoped
has at least been partially formed in the preceding grades. The
selections in this volume are made with the purpose of giving the
seventh-grade pupils such virile and enjoyable literature as will make
them desire more of the same kind. The character and fitness of the
material, not the date of its production, have governed the choice of
the editor.
ARRANGEMENT BY GROUPS. There is an obvious advantage in grouping kindred
reading materials in sections under such captions as "Adventure," "From
Great Books," "Our Country," etc. Besides affording some elements of
continuity, the plan offers opportunity for comparison and contrast of
the treatment of similar themes. It also insures a massing of the effect
of the idea for which the section stands. Secondarily, the section
divisions break up the solid text, and because of this the pupils feel
at frequent intervals that they have completed something definite.
The groupings make no pretense to being mutually exclusive. On occasion
a selection may well be transferred to another section. For example,
the Washington and Lincoln stories should be used in the proper season
in the "Our Country" section although it is obvious that they belong in
"Special Days." Teachers should have no hesitation in breaking across
from one section to another when the occasion or the children's interest
seems to warrant.
MECHANICAL FEATURES. Editor and publisher have spared no pains or
expense to make this book attractive to children. The volume is not
cumbersome or unwieldy in size. The length of line is that of the normal
book with which they regularly will come into contact. The type is
clean-cut and legible. Finally, enough white space has been left in the
pages to give the book an "open," attractive appearance. No single item
has so much to do with children's future attitude toward books as the
appearance of their school Readers.
SOCIALIZED WORK. Opportunity for dramatization, committee work, and
other team activity is presented repeatedly throughout this volume.
Wherever the teacher can profitably get the pupils to work in groups she
should take advantage of the cooperative spirit and do so.
CITIZENSHIP. This means more than the passing phase of so-called
Americanization. It means a genuine love of country, a reverence for our
pioneer fathers, a respect for law, order, and truth. This Reader is
rich in patriotic content. It is hoped that the ethical element in the
selections will be found to be forceful as well as pleasing. The book
emphasizes throughout the importance of the individual and social
virtues. If it can help teachers to make clean, upright, and loyal
citizens of our great Republic it will not have been made in vain.
Mastery of the printed page is not the sole end and aim of Reading. It
is hoped that the devices employed in this Reader, as well as the
direction and suggestions in study materials contained in the volume,
may assist in developing a genuine love of good books.
MANUAL. Valuable assistance in dealing with the material in this book is
supplied by the _Teachers' Manual, Story Hour Readings, Seventh and
Eighth Years_. This Manual consists of three parts:
I. An introductory article on the Teaching of Reading, which discusses
Silent Reading (with detailed directions for speed tests), Oral Reading,
Dramatization, Appreciative Reading, Memorizing, Word Study and Use of
the Dictionary, Reading Outside of School, Use of Illustrative Material,
and Correlation.
II. Detailed lesson plans for each selection in _Story Hour Readings
Seventh Year_.
III. Detailed lesson plans for each selection in _Story Hour Readings
Eighth Year_.