Transcriber's Notes
1. Cover-page modified by the transcriber.
2. Typographical errors and hyphenation inconsistencies were silently
corrected.
3. The text version is coded for italics and other mark-ups i.e.,
(a) Italics/Underline are indicated thus _italic_;
(b) Bold are indicated thus =Bold=;
(c) Smallcaps thus +Caps+; and
(d) Images are indicated as [Illustration: (with narration...)]
* * * * *
_THE SUMMERS READERS_
MANUAL
FIRST LESSONS IN READING
BY
MAUD SUMMERS
[Illustration: Copyright-company-logo]
FRANK D. BEATTYS AND COMPANY
NEW YORK
Copyright, 1908, by
+FRANK D. BEATTYS AND COMPANY
NEW YORK+
THE DE VINNE PRESS
CONTENTS.
Chapter Page
+PART I.+
LEARNING TO READ 3
1. The Fundamental Principles in Learning to Read.
2. Elements of Reading:
(a) The Thought Element.
(b) The Symbol Element.
(c) The Phonic Element.
3. Methods of Teaching Reading.
4. Summary.
+PART II.+
FIRST HALF YEAR: FIRST STEP 21
1. Ear Training Exercises.
2. Preliminary Blackboard Lessons.
+PART III.+
FIRST HALF YEAR: SECOND STEP 49
1. Blackboard Lessons and Primer.
2. Phonic Lessons:
(a) The Consonant Sounds.
(b) Phonograms derived from Words used
in the Primer.
(c) Word Drill.
+PART IV.+
SECOND HALF YEAR: THIRD STEP 75
1. Reading from the First Reader.
2. Phonic Lessons:
(a) The Vowel Sounds.
(b) Equivalent Vowel Sounds.
(c) Word Drill.
+PART V.+
THIRD HALF YEAR: FOURTH STEP 99
1. Reading from the Second Reader.
2. Phonic Lessons:
(a) Initial and Final Syllables taught as
Phonograms.
(b) Word Drill.
3. Later Work.
* * * * *
CONSONANT SOUNDS 112
VOWEL SOUNDS 113
PREFACE.
The Summers series of Readers consists of a Primer, a First Reader,
and a Second Reader, closely articulated for the purpose of teaching
beginners to read, and a Manual of Instruction intended to give
teachers a full knowledge of the elements involved in the process
of learning to read, and definite, practical guidance for daily
classroom work.
The whole purpose and essence of reading is the communication of
ideas. It is the thought--the impression--rather than the form--the
expression--which gives value to what is read. With this fact in mind
the subject-matter has been chosen with special reference to primal
social activities in history and contemporaneous society significant
of the race development, as the securing of food, shelter, and
clothing. But this subject-matter must touch the child personally if
it is to be of value in learning to read. It must appear for him in
the form of action, rhythm, stories, observation, plays and games, if
the symbols of reading are to be fraught with meaning for him. What
is of interest to the child, and what is of value to society, have
both been kept in mind in selecting and arranging the literature of
childhood used in this series of readers.
This Manual of Instruction provides for three half years of work.
Foreign children, or those of slower development, will require a
longer time. In that event, the lessons in the Manual will suggest
the _order_, not the time.
In learning to read, two lines of work are to be developed at
separate periods each day. Reading lessons and Phonic lessons in
orderly sequence are given in the Manual of Instruction.
Helpful suggestions for this series of readers have come from many
sources. The author wishes to acknowledge especial indebtedness to
Edgar Dubs Shimer, Ph.D., District Superintendent, New York City, for
valuable criticism; to Grant Karr, Ph.D., Teacher of the Principles
of Education and Director of Observation in the Training School for
Teachers, New York City, for suggestions concerning the statement
of the unity of language; to Miss Alice H. Damon, A.B., Supervising
Principal of the Primary Department, State Normal School, Potsdam,
N. Y., for assistance in preparing the Manual of Instruction;
and to Miss Caroline A. Yale, Ph.D., Principal of Clarke School,
Northampton, Mass., for the use of the chart of consonant sounds.
+PART I.+
LEARNING TO READ.
1. The Fundamental Principles in Learning to Read.
2. Elements of Reading:
(a) The Thought Element.
(b) The Symbol Element.
(c) The Phonic Element.
3. Methods of Teaching Reading.
4. Summary.
1.
THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES
IN LEARNING TO READ.
=Language Defined.= Language is the conventional means by which man
communicates his thoughts. It is a complex unity composed of thought
and symbol, spoken or written. Because it is the means by which
different minds are identified in thought, it becomes an essential
factor in social organization.
=Symbolism.= In a wider sense all means of social communication,
material and pictorial expressions, as well as spoken and written
words, may be called language. Thought, through symbol, to thought,
is the whole social process of language, spoken and written, for
every meaning has a symbol and every symbol has a meaning.
=The Problem in Learning to Read.= The problem in teaching reading
is to bring the symbol and its meaning into vital unity in the mind
of the learner. Hence it is necessary that the teacher distinguish
clearly between these elements. When the thought and the symbol have
become so united that each is essential to the other, the problem of
learning to read has been solved.
=Fundamental Principles.= There are three chief fundamental
principles involved in the process of learning to read, namely:
_First. Images._ The thought aspect of language depends upon clear
and vivid images. This is so important that unless children have
such images they cannot master the symbols which represent them. One
purpose of nature study, handicraft, and art is to give children
these images.
_Second. Wholes to Parts._ In acquiring knowledge the mind moves from
the vague whole to the parts and then back again to the clarified
whole. An understanding of the parts gives a fuller meaning to the
whole. The mind analyzes in order to reach a better synthesis. When
we wish to make known to a child a coat, for instance, we do not show
him separately the sleeves, the lapels, the pockets, the buttons. We
hold up the whole garment and say, "Here is a coat." It is necessary
to do the same in teaching reading. Give the child first an image of
the whole situation which he is to think himself into, and then come
to the details to make the whole clear.
_Third. Self-Activity._ The child is an active, creative agent,
vitally concerned in adjusting himself to his physical and spiritual
environment. Self-activity manifests itself in some external form,
which in language is the symbol of the self-active thought. Success
in teaching reading depends upon the amount of self-active response
the symbol awakens in the thought of the child.
These three fundamental principles, namely, clear and vivid images,
whole situations, and self-activity in the form of response and
interest on the part of the child, should be kept in the foreground
in teaching reading.
2.
ELEMENTS IN LEARNING TO READ.
Since language is composed of thought, symbol, and sound, the main
elements to be considered in learning to read are the thought, the
symbol, and the phonic elements.
THE THOUGHT ELEMENT.
=The Purpose of the Thought Element.= The problem of elementary
reading is to establish a permanent association between the written
or the printed symbols and the thoughts which they represent. The
thought is all-important; it is the vitalizing element in learning to
read. In learning to talk the child associates the meaning with the
spoken symbol; in learning to read he associates a thought content
with a sight symbol. The strength of the association depends in each
case upon the worth the thought has for the child; hence the great
necessity of giving especial attention to the thought element in
learning to read.
=Action Sentences.= A sentence is the unit of language and the
life-giving factor in the process of learning to read. It is
important, therefore, that in the beginning the child should form
the habit of grasping sentences. In the first reading lessons it is
necessary to find subjects which interest the child and furnish clear
mental pictures. Children are interested in actions. They like to
move and will read for the purpose of performing an action. Action
sentences appeal to all children, because that which a child does
makes a deep impression and involves large self-activity.
=Nursery Rhymes.= Children are so influenced by rhythm that it is
impossible to train them aright without giving due consideration
to this form of expression. There are many interesting complete
rhymes and poems that are valuable for reading lessons. In content
the poetry of childhood should contain familiar images, tinged with
enough of mystery to give that subtle mingling of sense and nonsense
which stirs the imagination of the child and also relates him to the
actual world in which he lives. The Mother Goose melodies fulfil
these conditions, but it is the rhythm far more than the thought that
attracts the child. Have the children learn the rhymes by ear and
recite them with no thought other than that they are to be enjoyed.
Incidentally, they will afford valuable exercise in pronunciation,
articulation, and tone modulation, if the teacher is careful
about these matters, for children are great imitators. Later the
children will read these rhymes and poems with great pleasure, thus
associating a valuable thought content with its printed symbol in a
way that will make the association abiding.
=Stories.= Children express in action, and ultimately in character,
the influences which they receive from stories. Therefore, stories
containing true and good ideals should be selected. Children
appreciate and love what appeals to the best and the highest in
them. Nursery rhymes, fables, fairy lore, and classic myth should
be used. They have nourished the race, and will also feed the soul
life of the individual child. The outer form varies with the age and
the country, but the inner meaning is of the spirit and will outlast
the centuries. Every teacher should, therefore, carefully cultivate
the art of story-telling. It is far better to present a story orally
than to read it from a book. If it is told, the teacher can adapt it
to the needs of her classes, and by the magnetism of voice, eye, and
personality awaken an abiding love for good literature. At a later
period the child will enjoy reading these same stories in the reading
books of the first and second grades.
=Observation Lessons.= Observation and description should precede
reading in the early lessons. The teacher may write on the blackboard
simple sentences based upon these observations and descriptions.
Anything in the environment of the home or the school which interests
the child should be utilized. Encourage the children to observe their
household pets and to tell the other children about them. Whatever
the child makes in the time devoted to handicraft, or observes in
the nature lessons, or plays in the recreation period may be used as
material for reading lessons. Color is so intimately connected with
the emotional life that its value and importance should be recognized.
THE SYMBOL ELEMENT.
=Use.= All thought which rises to the plane of self-consciousness
is communicated by means of a material, a pictorial, or a lingual
symbol. The thought element and the symbol element are two sides of
the same thing, namely, language. They form the _impression_ and
_expression_ of language, and hence of social communication and
identity.
=Kinds of Symbols.= There are two kinds of symbols which must be
mastered in learning to read, namely, the vocal and the graphic,
appealing respectively to the ear and to the eye. These symbols are
made by the voice and the hand, and are recognized by the ear and the
eye. They must always be regarded in the light of that which they
represent in connection with elementary reading, whether used in
receiving or expressing thought. This thought must be kept clearly
in mind in silent and oral reading, in word repetition, and in word
drill. It will aid also in the spelling and the phonic work of the
children.
THE PHONIC ELEMENT.
=Definition.= The phonic element deals with articulate sounds and the
letters or the symbols which represent them. Here, as elsewhere in
learning to read, the unity between meaning and symbol--impression
and expression--must be kept clearly in mind. The spoken symbol
implies training in pronunciation, enunciation, articulation,
inflection, and all that makes for clear understanding and agreeable
oral expression of thought. Ear and voice, eye and hand, are tools
which must be trained to work with automatic perfection as the means
in communicating thought.
=Purpose.= The purpose of the phonic lesson is the association of a
sound with its written or printed symbol, so that the child will be
able to get and to express the sound when the symbol is presented to
him. The sight symbol and the sound symbol should be so thoroughly
associated that immediately upon the presentation of either one of
them the other will appear in consciousness.
=Ear and Voice Training.= It is of the utmost importance that
children be given a broad experience with sound in the way of ear
and voice training exercises for a few weeks before the formal study
of phonics is begun. These exercises may be carried on in connection
with the thought development in learning to read and in the music
work. In the nature work the children should be trained to listen to
bird note, insect hum, and other sounds of nature. Story-telling is
most helpful in this ear training. It should begin in the first grade
and continue through the entire elementary school period. The reading
of poems aloud should be a regular part of the school program, not
only to stimulate the imagination, but also to give the enjoyment
that comes from the cadence of rhythmic language and to train the
ear to make fine discriminations. Ear training and voice culture are
so intimately related that it is impossible to cultivate one without
cultivating the other, for they sustain to each other the vital
relation of impression and expression.
=Phonic Facts.= The question of the exact number of elementary
sounds in the English language is still unsettled. This Manual is
based on the belief that there are forty-five elementary sounds in
the English language, twenty vowel sounds and twenty-five consonant
sounds. The difficulty in mastering the phonic element in learning
to read English is greatly increased because some of the elementary
sounds are represented by two letters, as _th_ in _thin_, _ea_ in
_head_; and some sounds are represented by two or more symbols,
as _e_ in _her_, _u_ in _turn_, and _i_ in _firm_. It is neither
necessary nor desirable that little children should learn all the
equivalent symbols; nor is it considered wise to give to children all
of the forty-five elementary sounds. Forty is the number taught in
the phonic lessons of this Manual. Use has determined the order of
presentation.
1. _Vowel Sounds._ The vowels are always pure sound. They express
the emotions and are the rhythmic, musical element which gives
language its beauty. There are many equivalent spellings for the
twenty elementary vowel sounds in the English language. Those most
frequently used are found on page 113; the others will be learned
unconsciously as the child develops. See page 113 for a scientific
arrangement of the vowel sounds.
2. _Consonant Sounds._ The consonants limit and define sound. Of the
twenty-five elementary consonant sounds, ten have no vocal quality
whatever. They are commonly known as breath sounds--_f, h, k, p,
s, t, ch, sh, th, wh_. With the exception of _h_, every one of
these breath sounds has its corresponding vocal sound:
f vocalized becomes v
p " " b
t " " d
th (thin) " " th (then)
wh " " w
k " " g
s " " z
ch " " j
sh " " zh
See p. 112 for a scientific arrangement of the consonant sounds.
3. _Phonograms_. In all the phonic lessons used in this Manual a
_phonogram is the symbol of a sound group_, usually composed of
a single vowel sound combined with a single consonant sound. For
example, _ing_ in _s-ing_ is a phonogram, but in _see-ing_ it is a
syllable.
=Diacritical Marks.= Useless phonograms are a burden rather than a
help; therefore the child should learn only those which he actually
uses. For this reason it is not advisable to use diacritical marks
during the earlier stages of learning to read. They make the symbol
complex and cumbersome, and at the same time their need and great
value do not become apparent until the child begins to use the
dictionary, say, in the fourth school year. In the earlier stages
of learning to read, symbols acquire meaning by being constantly
associated with their respective sounds and thoughts. Habits of
pronunciation are formed by always attaching the same sound values
to letters and groups of letters. When a child forms an image of a
word burdened with diacritical marks, he must later form an image
of the word without these. When children are taught to look for
diacritical marks their imaging power is centered upon the markings
of the words instead of the thoughts for which these words stand;
hence it takes longer to get the thought, and as a consequence they
are apt to be slow readers. Rapid readers are usually thoughtful
readers, because they have the power to grasp quickly a large number
of words and to interpret them in mental pictures.
=Phonic Drill.= Phonic drill and reading are distinct processes and
should be taught at different periods of the day during the first
two years of school. The purpose of the elementary reading lesson is
to associate permanently the thought and the symbols which represent
it, so that the thought can be gained from the written or printed
language. The purpose of the elementary phonic lesson is to associate
permanently sounds and the characters which represent them, so that
new words can be readily recognized. Both processes are necessary
in teaching reading, but phonic lessons should be relegated to a
subsidiary place so that they may not become an impediment to the
main purpose.
=Phonic Method.= In the phonic method sight words are analyzed
into their elements, which are then combined in new relations to
form new words. These new combinations of familiar elements in new
relations are recognized again and again, until the association
grows permanent, and so new words are acquired. Consonant sounds are
recognized as initial, final, and medial. Next the phonogram element
is analyzed into its vowel and consonant sounds. By means of familiar
symbols the child has the power to pronounce new words. A knowledge
of individual symbols is the foundation upon which the sight
recognition of words rests; hence the necessity of rapid and varied
drills.
The method suggested in this Manual for phonic lessons is as follows:
1. Separate sight words into their consonant sounds and phonograms.
2. Separate phonograms into their consonant and vowel sounds.
3. Associate these sound elements with their symbols.
4. Combine the sound elements to form new words (Phonic Synthesis).
5. Teach initial and final syllables as phonograms.
3.
METHODS OF TEACHING READING.
Methods of learning to read are the result of bringing the different
thought, symbol, and phonic elements into combination and active
co-operation. The process is organic and all these features must be
kept in mind. There are two kinds of reading, silent and oral.
=Silent Reading.= Silent reading is the personal, individual way of
getting thought from the printed page. The teacher must lead the
pupil to see that the sentences have meaning. From the very first the
teacher should never lose sight of this fundamental principle and
should train the child into the habit of interpreting the printed
page into mental pictures. A good method of conducting the reading
lesson is the following:
Let each child read the entire lesson silently to get the thought
(whole to parts). When the child does not recognize a word and
cannot get it from the context or the sound elements, tell him what
it is, in as simple a way as he would be told about a new object in
the home. When he has finished reading the child may show that he
is ready to give the thought. The teacher requests a pupil to give
in his own language what he has just read. It will then be seen
how vivid his images are of what he has read and how fully it has
appealed to him. At the same time, his expressing it in his own words
will exercise his self-activity. It is not wise in the beginning to
correct imperfect language to any great extent, for the reason that
the child's attention is liable to be diverted from the main thought
to some detail of the medium of expression. This is disastrous and
will tend to make him unnatural in both his thinking and feeling. It
destroys his appreciation for the whole, blurs his images, and takes
away the chief motive for reading.
In learning to read the child begins with the image of some story,
which he particularizes and clarifies by the thoughts in the
sentences and the ideas in the words. He masters the word elements in
this way, as a unity of meaning and symbol, which gives significance
to the sentence and to the story as a whole. Thus the power of
getting thought from the printed page develops.
=Oral Reading.= Oral reading is the process of interpreting thought
from the printed page and imparting it to another by means of
the voice. Silent reading should always precede oral reading, so
that the child may get the thought before he attempts to give it.
Silent reading is the power to translate the words into thoughts or
emotions. Oral reading goes a step further and gives these thoughts
and emotions audible expression and awakens them in another. Silent
reading is a necessity; oral reading is an accomplishment. Oral
reading is another way of telling a story. It implies the ability
to awaken one's thoughts in another's mind. It lacks the freedom of
expression usual in story-telling, for it demands power to interpret
and transmit thought almost simultaneously.
There are many ways of conducting an oral reading lesson. Two methods
are given for illustration:
_A_
1. The development of new words.
2. The silent reading of the complete story.
3. Oral reproduction of the complete story.
4. Oral reading of the complete story.
_B_
1. The development of new words.
2. Silent reading of paragraphs.
3. Oral reproduction of paragraphs.
4. Oral reading of paragraphs, then of the whole.
These methods differ only in the breadth and scope of the image of
the whole that the child is to think through at one time.
Freedom of expression usually accompanies the reading of interesting
thought. The child will usually use natural, clear tones in reading,
as he does in talking, if he understands what he reads. Many children
read poorly because they neither understand nor feel any meaning in
the words. Both gesture and language will be spontaneous if prompted
by right thinking and right feeling. The dramatic presentation of a
story, however crude, becomes a great aid.
=Word Repetition.= Many repetitions of words, phrases, and sentences
are necessary in mastering the symbol. It is quite possible to have
a repetition of words with an ever-changing variety in valuable
thought. This variety holds the interest of the children and at
the same time accustoms the eye to the repeated symbol. The symbol
elements in the action sentences, observation lessons, nursery
rhymes, and stories must be repeated many times, but, to preserve
interest in them and to increase their meaning, the greatest care
must be taken in the selection and the presentation of the thought
element. If the teacher of elementary reading can master this part of
her work, her success is well-nigh assured.
SPELLING.
=Notion and Purpose.= Spelling is a finer analysis of the process of
learning to read and hence involves all the elements of learning to
read. The problem in learning to spell is to associate permanently
the smallest symbols of the word, the letters, oral and written,
with their appropriate meanings. In oral spelling the impression is
received through the ear; the expression is by means of the voice.
In written spelling the impression is received through the eye; the
expression is by means of the hand. Because written spelling occupies
a much larger place in life through the need of communicating ideas
by means of writing, it should receive more attention in language
teaching than oral spelling. The training of the eye and the hand
is, therefore, more important in learning to spell than the training
of the ear and the voice, although oral spelling sometimes helps by
bringing in the auditory and the vocal memory to assist the visual
and the manual. In the beginning children should learn to spell by
_writing_, not as a drill in penmanship, but for the purpose of
calling attention to the form of the word.
=Elements.= Spelling is a complex and difficult art and requires (a)
training in elementary sounds and their symbols, or phonic drill;
(b) training of eye and hand in forming the letters of a word, or
written spelling; (c) training of ear and voice in naming the letters
of a word, or oral spelling. Sound, form, and name of letters must be
inseparably associated, so that they will become necessary elements
in the vital combination of symbol and meaning in the word.
=Method.= In the method pursued the teacher writes _Sing._, for
instance, upon the blackboard, with capital letter and period to
indicate that it is the expression of a complete thought. The teacher
then erases the word and requests the children to write it. Review
this word at the next lesson and add a new one. Next the teacher
writes _I can sing. Can you sing?_, and similar sentences, upon the
blackboard, and proceeds in the same manner. As the work progresses
the children should image a new sentence at each lesson, and in
addition should be able to write from dictation several review
sentences. In the early lessons the children should write at the
blackboard, or use unruled paper and soft lead pencils with dull
points. A clear image of the symbol will aid the child in writing it.
This makes it essential that the teacher write a legible hand.
=Word Drill.= Drill upon the words learned is necessary to mechanize
ear, voice, eye, and hand in the reading process so that the child
may be left free to attend to the subject-matter. Have the children
pronounce, write, and spell the unfamiliar words found in the reading
lesson. Insist upon exact pronunciation and a natural, pleasing
modulation of the voice. Later the children should use these same
words in spoken and written sentences. After children have learned
the names of the letters, both oral and written spelling should be
used, since they are correlative processes. Oral spelling often
deepens the impression and makes the image more permanent.
THE ALPHABET.
The alphabet should be taught in serial order, because of its use in
reading card catalogs, dictionaries, etc. The alphabet characters
have been learned in the phonic drill by associating the sounds
with the letters as the children require them to master words, but
not consecutively. The A B C's, however, in their old-fashioned
significance, should be a part of the child's knowledge when he
enters the second grade.
SUMMARY.
In the process of learning to read, certain elements are brought
together and associated in vital organic unity in accordance with
broad general principles. These the teacher must keep constantly
in mind if she is to succeed. Reading, like all language, is a
combination of thought and symbol. The thought gives the meaning
and is the _reason_ for reading, while the symbol is only the tool
and instrument of the thought. Care must be taken to see (a) that
the child forms clear images of what he is reading; and (b) that he
obeys the fundamental law of mind of proceeding from wholes to parts.
By holding these principles in full view and giving the thought
element the leading place, the symbol and phonic elements will fall
into their proper place in accomplishing the purpose of elementary
reading, namely, the association of the symbol and its meaning in a
vital unity.
+PART II.+
FIRST HALF YEAR:
FIRST STEP.
Two lines of work are to be developed at separate periods each day.
1. Ear Training Exercises.
2. Preliminary Blackboard Lessons.
EAR TRAINING EXERCISES.
=Directions.= 1. The purpose of ear training is to familiarize the
child with the elementary sounds in the language, so that he may have
accurate sound images before associating them with the corresponding
symbols.
2. Give the sounds of the letters, not the names. Teach the
letter-names later in the Phonic Lessons. Give the sounds softly but
distinctly. A loud, harsh voice makes purity of sound impossible.
3. Cultivate the attentive ear in children. Teach them to hear, and
then to image, the song of the birds, the patter of the rain, the
sound of the wind, the hum of the bee, the puff of the locomotive and
other familiar sounds.
4. The rhymes and poems are suggestive, not final. The teacher may
choose others if they better meet her need. Those selected from song
literature have a tone quality that will interest children and prove
helpful in training the ear. Read the poems aloud in a well modulated
voice, with clear articulation, that the children may become
sensitive to the beauty of the human voice.
5. Ear training should precede the formal study of phonics for a few
weeks. The exact time required cannot be arbitrarily named, because
it depends not only upon the ability of the class but also upon the
teaching power of the one in charge. From six to eight weeks, with
daily periods ten or fifteen minutes in length, will accomplish good
results.
I.
Consonant sounds are taught by phonic analysis of words, and not
by any artificial device. Ear training exercises are helpful as a
preparation for this work. Let the first sounding be done _by the
teacher_ and have the children perform the actions as she slightly
separates the sound elements. In this way the ear soon becomes
accustomed to the formation of words from their phonic elements.
_Ex.:_
John may r-un.
Mary may j-ump.
You may h-op, Frank.
* * * * *
Mary may bring me a b-ook.
John may put the b-ook on the t-able.
William, please bring the fl-ag.
Frank may wave the fl-ag.
_Caution._ There should be no abruptness about such an exercise.
The slight separation and the gentle prolonging are sufficient to
keep the children listening and interested. Avoid giving to separate
consonants, sounds which they do not possess.
II.
=Slow Pronunciation of Names.= Children are interested in their own
names; if they pronounce these slowly they will begin to distinguish
sounds. The teacher first pronounces her own name as the children
watch, making prominent the initial sound. She then calls upon
different children to pronounce their names. _Ex.:_ A child named
Mary says: "My name is M-ary," emphasizing the sound "M." Another
says, "My name is R-obert," emphasizing the sound "R," etc.
III.
=Singing Games.= The old-fashioned singing games, such as "Here We Go
Round the Mulberry Bush," "London Bridge," "Looby Loo," etc., will
delight the children and are excellent exercises for ear training.
(See _Folk Songs and Games_ by Marie Ruef Hofer.)
IV.
=Phonic Game.= _What is it?_ A child acts as leader and stands in the
front of the room. The children in their seats question him until the
supply of rhymes is exhausted. _Ex.:_
Leader: I'm thinking of something that rhymes with _top_.
Child: Is it chop?
Leader: It is not chop.
Child: Is it hop?
Leader: It is hop.
_Object_. Grouping of words with like phonograms and final consonants.
V.
=Phonic Game.= _Guess._ Ask a child to leave the room. Children
in their seats choose a word. When the child returns he either acts
out the word he has in mind or describes it. _Ex.:_
_Action._
We are thinking of something that rhymes with _bat_.
Is it this? (Child guessing puts on a hat.)
No. It is not hat.
Is it this? (Child guessing pats his head.)
No. It is not pat.
Is it this? (Child guessing says _Meow_.)
Yes. It is cat.
Is it a pretty color?
It is not red.
Is it something we sleep in?
It is not bed.
Is it a boy's name?
Yes. It is Ned.
VI.
=Phonic Game.= _Hide and Seek._ Teacher gives the first rhyme.
She then calls upon a child to give a rhyme using the same initial
letter. This child then calls upon another child. Continue in this
way until the rhymes are exhausted. _Ex.:_
I am in _run_.
I am not in _Sun_.
I am in _rug_.
I am not in _bug_.
I am in _rose_.
I am not in _nose_.
_Object_--Grouping of words with like initial consonants.
_Caution_--Be careful to articulate the initial and final consonants
distinctly.
A LIST OF RHYMES AND POEMS.
The teacher may read the following rhymes and poems to the
children in connection with the Ear Training Exercises.
+THE MELODIES OF MOTHER GOOSE.+
Three Little Kittens.
Hey, Diddle, Diddle.
Baa, Baa, Black Sheep.
Peter Piper.
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe.
I Saw a Ship a-sailing.
+SONG LITERATURE FROM THE+ _Modern Music Primer_.
The Fireman Frederick Manley.
The Journey's End " "
The Humming Bird " "
The Reason Why " "
The Woodpecker " "
+SONG LITERATURE FROM+ _Small Songs for Small Singers_.
Mr. Duck and Mr. Turkey W. H. Neidlinger.
Tiddledy-winks and Tiddledy-wee " "
Tick-Tock " "
"The Drum," by Eugene Field.
_Book: "Poems of Childhood."_
"Who Stole the Bird's Nest?" by Lydia Maria Child.
_Book: "Child Life," (Selections) John G. Whittier (Ed.)._
"Robert of Lincoln," by William Cullen Bryant.
_Book: Whittier's "Child Life."_
"The Clucking Hen," from _"Aunt Effie's Rhymes."_
_Book: Whittier's "Child Life."_
PRELIMINARY BLACKBOARD LESSONS.
(Time, about eight weeks.)
=Directions.=1. This Manual contains thirty Preliminary Blackboard
Lessons. The purpose is to associate thought and symbol. These
preliminary lessons anticipate the first twenty-nine pages in the
Primer but do not exactly reproduce the text. By means of the
blackboard work the pupil accumulates a small initial vocabulary
which enables him to read the lessons in the Primer with no fear or
uncertainty of the text.
2. There is no exact limit to the number of Preliminary Blackboard
Lessons that should be taught. Those given in the Manual indicate the
order of development, not the time. American children will master
the lessons given in from six to eight weeks. Foreign children will
require a little more time, since they must learn to associate
thought with both the spoken and the written symbol. When children
read lessons written on the blackboard with ease, put the Primer in
their hands.
I.
The teacher writes the action sentence _Run._ on the blackboard in a
clear, distinct hand. The initial capital and the period at the end
are consistently used, so that from the beginning the children are
accustomed to them. After writing the word the teacher expresses the
action by running. If her dignity will not permit her to do this,
she may bring in a child from the second or third grade and ask him
to perform whatever action is indicated by the word written upon the
board. The word is not spoken at this time; the child discovers
the meaning from the action. The whole purpose of the teacher is
to associate the thought expressed by the action with its written
symbol. Let this word remain on the board; write it in a larger
hand near the place where the word was first written. Again let the
teacher or child perform the act. Select another board; write the
word in a smaller hand. Again express the thought in action. The
class will watch this with deep interest. Some member of the class
will soon associate the written word with the action, and will stand
upon the first round of the ladder leading to the interpretation of
thought from written symbols.
The reason for writing the word in a larger and a smaller hand, and
especially in different places on the blackboard, is to prevent
local association. Then, too, the change of place will intensify the
child's interest and attention.
Make the reading lesson short and repeat it at intervals during the
day. If fifteen minutes is the time set apart for reading, divide
this into three five-minute periods. The lesson period should be
lengthened as the work advances.
II. III. IV.
On each succeeding day, and in the same manner, teach
Hop.
Jump.
Sing.
Teach one word a day and review those previously taught. Write the
words on the blackboard a number of times arranged irregularly, and
have frequent short drills upon them.
These four verbs, _Run_, _Hop_, _Jump_, and _Sing_, have been found
by practical experience to be very good ones for the beginning
lessons. They will occur again and again in the later stories about
animals and pets. They are also used in the stories about the plays
and games which children delight to reproduce in the reading lesson.
V.
REVIEW.
Three methods of presenting a reading lesson are suggested:
_A_
1. The teacher writes an action word on the blackboard.
2. The teacher asks a child to perform the action.
3. The child looks at the blackboard and reads the word.
(This is the beginning of oral reading.)
_B_
1. The teacher asks a child to perform any action he
chooses.
2. The teacher asks another child to tell what the first one
did.
3. The teacher writes the action word on the blackboard.
_C_
1. One child tells another what action to perform.
2. The child performs the action.
3. The teacher writes the word on the blackboard.
Many devices will suggest themselves to the progressive teacher
if she clearly understands that the purpose of the lesson is to
associate the thought with its written or printed symbol. If the
child, after observing a word written on the blackboard, expresses
the thought in action, he shows that he has read it.
VI.
_and._
The teacher writes sentences like the following on the blackboard:
Run and jump.
Jump and run.
Run and hop.
Hop and run.
Run and jump and hop.
Jump and hop and run.
Endless combinations may be made with these words, giving constant
change of thought while repeating the words. It is quite possible in
this way to have word repetition with variety of thought.
Each time a sentence is written on the blackboard the process is as
follows:
First: Observe the words. (Silent reading.)
Second: Express the thought in action.
Third: Pronounce the words. (Oral reading.)
Some children grasp the sentence form as unconsciously as they do
the word form. If they fail to do so, teach the use of the capital
letter.
Vary the lesson by introducing the names of children in the class,
thus:
Run and jump, Mary.
John, hop and jump.
VII.
_I can._
The phrase _I can_ is next introduced. Write upon the blackboard the
sentence _I can run_. Read it to the children. Have a child perform
the action and then read the sentence aloud. Proceed in this way with
other action sentences. Group the sentences in various ways and have
frequent reviews.
I can sing.
I can hop.
I can run and jump.
I can jump and hop.
I can hop, and run, and jump.
The reading process consists of three steps:
First: Silent reading.
Second: The thought expressed in action.
Third: Oral reading.
After teaching the sentence as a whole, it should be analyzed into
words. For instance, ask a child to pass to the blackboard and point
to _I can_ as many times as he finds it written. Point to _run_, etc.
This may be varied by asking a child to underscore or erase the words
that are alike.
VIII.
_Rover_.
Household pets, anything and everything that is familiar to a child
and in which he is interested, will serve as material for reading
lessons. Rover is a universal name for a dog and hence is arbitrarily
used for illustrative purposes in these lessons. If Dash happens to
be a better name known to the child, use that. Sentences like the
following will suggest themselves:
Rover can run.
Rover can jump.
Rover can run and jump.
I can hop.
Rover and I can run.
IX.
_Kitty_.
Kittens are a never failing source of interest to children. At
a suggestion from the teacher the children themselves will give
sentences like the following:
Kitty can jump.
Kitty can run.
Kitty and I can run.
Kitty and I can jump.
Kitty and Rover can run and jump.
The teacher writes these sentences upon the blackboard as they are
given to her by the different children. She then calls upon other
children to read them. A child may pretend that she is Kitty and
dramatize the action. This dramatic instinct is universal in children
and should be recognized throughout the school life.
X.
_You._
The question form is easily learned and should be introduced in the
early lessons. Combine familiar words in new relations:
Can you run?
Can you sing?
You can jump.
Can Kitty hop?
Can you hop and sing?
XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII.
Write upon the blackboard in a vertical row several _I see_
sentences. Have the children read them. Erase _I see_ in each
sentence, leaving _Rover_, _Kitty_, _you_. Again, place several _I
see_ sentences upon the blackboard. Erase _Rover_, _Kitty_, _you_,
leaving _I see_, _I see_, _I see_. Erase _I_, leaving the single word
_see_.
Continue in this way with the phrases _I can see_, _I have_, _I
like_, _I love_.
Children are interested in home life, therefore introduce the words
_father_, _mother_, _brother_, _sister_, _baby_ in the early lessons.
Teach the articles _a_, _an_, _the_ in connection with their nouns in
order to secure natural expression.
Review these words in new sentences which combine familiar words in
new relations. _Ex.:_
XI. XII.
_I see._ _I can see._
I see Rover. I can see Rover jump.
I see Kitty. I can see Kitty run.
I see you. I can see you run and jump.
XIII. XIV.
_The bird._ _I have; a dog._
Can you see the bird? I have a bird.
The bird can hop. I have a dog.
The bird can sing. I have a kitty.
The bird can jump. Have you a bird?
Can the bird jump? Have you a kitty?
Have you a dog?
XV. XVI. XVII.
_I like; to._ _I love; mother; father; baby_
I like Rover. I love Mother.
I like Kitty. I love Father.
I like to sing. I love you.
I like to run. Mother loves Baby.
I like to see the bird hop. Baby loves Kitty.
I like to see a dog jump. I love Mother and Father.
I like to see Rover run.
XVIII.
Children are interested in their own names, hence they will quickly
learn to associate the spoken name with its written symbol. Write
upon the blackboard the sentence, _Catch the ball_, ----. (Teacher,
supply the name of a child in the room.) Erase the name and replace
it with a different one. Continue in this way with other names. _Ex.:_
Catch the ball, John.
----, catch the ball.
Roll the ball, ----.
Mary, roll the ball to ----.
----, run to ----.
----, hop to ----.
XIX.
From this time on it will add to the interest if the sentences are so
connected that they tell a story. The following method has been found
helpful:
Suppose a bird has been observed. The children have something to say
and this serves as material for a reading lesson. First one child and
then another expresses his thought about the bird. The teacher writes
the easiest of these sentences upon the blackboard, the result being
somewhat as follows:
I see a bird.
It is a blue bird.
The blue bird can sing.
The blue bird can hop.
The teacher asks the children to read silently the entire story. As
soon as each child is ready he may rise and turn his back to the
blackboard. He then gives the thought in his own language. _Ex.:_
I see a blue bird.
The blue bird can sing and hop.
Call upon different children to express the thought, and accept any
condensation of language which shows this power. The purpose in
asking the child to interpret the whole story in his own language is
to show that he has the _thought_.
The children are now ready to analyze the story into sentences. A
good device is to cover the story with a curtain provided for the
purpose. Raise the curtain and ask the children to observe, let us
say, the third sentence. Cover this and ask a child to give the exact
language. _Ex.:_
The blue bird can sing.
If he cannot do so, raise the curtain again and let him observe.
Continue in this way with the other sentences, showing them to the
children in an irregular order. The purpose of this is to show that
the children not only have the thought as a whole, but that they know
the words in each sentence.
By this method children are trained to read groups of words at a
glance. They observe the sentence as a whole, image it as a whole,
and read it as a whole. Comprehension of the thought leads to freedom
of expression. In consequence, pupils will not be heard pronouncing
disconnected words in unnatural, artificial tones.
The development of the lesson is as follows:
First: Children observe and express.
Second: The teacher writes this expression on the blackboard.
When a story of three or four sentences is complete
the order of interpretation is as follows:
First: Children observe and image. (Silent reading.)
Second: Each child in turn expresses the whole thought.
Third: The children read each sentence. (Oral reading.)
Color appeals to all children. Frequent use of it should be made
in describing birds, flowers, and animals in the first reading lessons.
The following are suggestive lessons containing such words as _big_,
_little_, _pretty_, and adjectives of color.
_pretty; my; white._
I have a pretty kitty.
My kitty is white.
Kitty can run and jump.
I like my pretty white kitty.
_big; little; black._
Rover is a big, black dog.
I love a little, white kitty.
Rover likes my little kitty.
Rover and Kitty run and jump.
Vary the work at this point by teaching the word are and putting some
of the stories in the second person. Children will enjoy reading or
talking to an imaginary Rover or Kitty. _Ex.:_
I see you, Rover.
You are my big, black dog.
You can run and jump.
I like you, Rover.
XX.
SUMMARY.
Run. I can Rover big and
Jump. I see Kitty little to
Hop. I have bird pretty my
Sing. I like a dog blue the
I love mother white
catch father black
are ball
With this limited vocabulary the teacher is able to formulate many
sentences.
XXI.
Write upon the blackboard descriptions given by the children of
grandma, father, mother, baby, or other members of the family. This
will train them to observe closely and to image clearly. (Proceed as
in Lesson XIX.)
I have a baby brother.
He has brown eyes.
He can laugh.
He can walk.
His name is Robert.
If necessary, let several development lessons precede the story in
order to emphasize certain aspects of thought or particular words.
1.
My name is Helen.
My name is Mary.
My name is John. Etc.
2.
Baby brother can laugh.
Baby brother can cry.
Baby brother can walk.
Baby brother can pat-a-cake. Etc.
XXII.
Let each child describe his own home. Write one of these descriptions
on the blackboard, somewhat as follows:
We live in a house.
It is a white house.
It is made of wood.
It has a yard.
XXIII.
In the language lesson show pictures of the home life of children of
other lands. Have the children observe, image, and describe these
pictures. Later, write a description of one of the pictures on the
blackboard as a reading lesson.
1.
This is a little Indian boy.
He lives in a wigwam.
It is made of skins.
It is by the blue sea-water.
2.
This is a little Eskimo girl.
She lives in the North.
It is very cold.
Her house is made of snow and ice.
Whenever it is necessary, precede the story with one or more
development lessons.
XXIV.
Select a little girl with bright dress and attractive coloring to
stand before the class. Ask the children to observe, and then to
close their eyes and image the child. Tell the little girl to step
into the dressing room or behind a screen and have the children
describe her. Express from the image, not from the object. The
teacher writes the description on the blackboard, somewhat as follows:
1.
Mary is a little girl.
She has blue eyes.
She has brown hair.
She has a blue dress.
2.
Omit the observation and write upon the blackboard a description of a
boy or a girl in the room. Supply a name and have one of the children
locate the boy or girl. _Ex.:_
I see a boy.
He has black eyes.
He has black hair.
He has a red tie.
Name the boy,----.
XXV.
Nature lessons, handicraft lessons, playthings, games, and everything
which appeals to the interest of the children may be used as material
for the reading lessons. _Ex.:_
This is John's kite.
It is a big kite.
It is a red kite.
John made the kite.
He can fly his kite.