Elson Grammer School Literature, book 4 | Page 3

contrary, each teacher will follow the order which will best suit her
own plans and purposes. While there is much material in the book that
will re-enforce lessons in history, geography, and nature study, yet it is
not for this that these selections should be studied, but rather for the
pleasure that comes from reading beautiful thoughts beautifully
expressed. The reading lesson should therefore be a study of literature,

and it should lead the children to find beauty of thought and imagery,
fitness in figures of speech, and delicate shades of meaning in words.
Literature is an art, and the chief aim of the reading lesson is to
discover and interpret its art qualities. In this way children learn how to
read books and are enabled to appreciate the literary treasures of the
race. The business of the reading book is to furnish the best available
material for this purpose.
It is worth while to make a thorough study of a few well-chosen
selections. Through the power gained in this way children are enabled
to interpret and enjoy other selections without the aid of the teacher. If
the class work is for the most part of the intensive kind, the pupils will
read the remaining lessons alone for sheer pleasure, which is at once
the secret and goal of good teaching in literature. Moreover, they will
exercise a discriminating taste and judgment in their choice of reading
matter. To love good literature, to find pleasure in reading it and to gain
power to choose it with discrimination are the supreme ends to be
attained by the reading lesson. For this reason, some selections should
be read many times for the pleasure they give the children. In music the
teacher sometimes calls for expressions of preference among songs:
"What song shall we sing, children?" So in reading, "What selection
shall we read?" is a good question for the teacher to ask frequently.
Thus children come to make familiar friends of some of the stories and
poems, and find genuine enjoyment in reading these again and again.
Good results may also be obtained by assigning to a pupil a particular
lesson which he is expected to prepare. On a given day he will read to
the class the selection assigned to him. The orations are especially
suited to this mode of treatment. The pupil who can read one selection
well has gone a long way toward being a good reader. The teacher who
said to her pupils, "I shall read to you tomorrow," recognized this truth
and knew the value of an occasional exercise of that kind. Good
pedagogy approves of a judicious use of methods of imitation in
teaching reading.
The biographies are intended to acquaint the children with the personal
characteristics and lives of the authors, making them more interesting
and real to the children, giving them the human touch and incidentally
furnishing helpful data for interpreting their writings. In this connection,
the authors have, by permission, drawn freely from Professor

Newcomer's English and American Literatures. "Helps to Study"
include questions and notes designed to stimulate inquiry on the part of
pupils and to suggest fruitful lines of study. Only a few points are
suggested, to indicate the way, and no attempt is made to cover the
ground adequately; this remains for the teacher to do.
While placing emphasis primarily on the thought-getting process the
formalities of thought-giving must not be overlooked. The technique of
reading, though always subordinate and secondary to the mastery of the
thought, nevertheless claims constant and careful attention. Good
reading requires clear enunciation and correct pronunciation and these
can be secured only when the teacher steadily insists upon them. The
increase of foreign elements in our school population and the influence
of these upon clearness and accuracy of speech furnish added reason
for attention to these details. Special drill exercises should be given and
the habit of using the dictionary freely should be firmly established in
pupils. The ready use of the dictionary and other reference books for
pronunciation and meaning of words, for historical and mythical
allusions should be steadily cultivated. Without doubt much of the
reading accepted in the public schools is seriously deficient in these
particulars. The art of good reading can be cultivated by judicious
training and the school should spare no pains to realize this result.
Professor Clark, in his book on "How to Teach Reading," sets forth the
four elements of vocal expression--Time, Pitch, Quality and Force. We
quote a few of the sentences from his treatment of each of these
elementary topics.
"I. TIME. Time, then, refers to the rate of vocal movement. It may be
fast, or moderate, or slow, according to the amount of what may be
called the collateral thinking accompanying the reading, of any given
passage.