Window Decorations Hektograph the pattern of cage on brown paper, placing the dotted line on fold of paper. Cut to line. Hektograph canary on yellow sheets of paper and cut out. Use two of the strips which are cut out of the cage for sticks and mount on back of cage, as shown in finished picture. Mount canary on one side of these sticks. Another duplicate cage may be mounted behind the first cage inclosing the bird between them. Suspend cage from the curtain cords. One of these cages in each window adds to decoration of the room. A Little Winter Game The Hungry Birds look for food-Hop, stoop down, turning head sharply to left and right as birds. Language Work in the Primary Grade W Fannie L. Ballou Western State Normal School, Kalamazoo, Mich. THEN the inexperienced primary teacher looks through her new program, early in September, one of the most baffling things that meets her eye, is the word language. Of course she realizes that all children who come to her will know how to talk in some manner or other; but she also knows that they cannot write, and just how to teach them to write and really say something; and how to make them fluent and correct in their oral speech is a real problem. Too many teachers fall into a bad language rut early in their careers. They They begin to give children all sorts of little exercises found in old books or magazines, such as copying verses of poetry; filling in blanks in written work on the blackboard and copying many times a maxim or proverb. Soon the children hate their so-called "language" and the reason here is the same as found wherever children have this attitude toward their work that it is a grafted-on process and has no relationship to the child's interests and needs. - There is one law that governs all expression - be it oral, written or expression through the fine arts, music, painting, sculpture and dancing. There must be a message! The person must have something to say! Now before anyone can talk or write about anything he must become saturated with his subject. If he wishes to compose, he must study music and listen to it, before he can put the elements he has learned to love, into a new form. A landscape artist never becomes a success until he lives with Nature and learns to understand and love her in all her moods. So it is with little children. Their imagination must be quickened and their little minds filled with many interesting new things before they can begin to "give back" to us. We wonder why so many beginners in school have so little to say during their first weeks of school; and usually we can find our answer in one or both of two reasons: First The home life of the child has been very meager. He has not lived through many interesting experiences; stories have not been told or read to him; his many questions have been ignored or poorly answered. He cannot express himself freely until a great deal has been stored in his mind, for him to think about and ask about. Second-His interest has not been stimulated through the proper channels. Just why should he want to tell or write about a certain thing? Was a situation created that would give a real stimulus to expression? Did he bubble over with what he had to tell? The kindergarten provides for both of these "reasons nicely; and consequently, we find children who come to us with this training much more fluent than those who come directly from the home. It is the first duty of the first grade teacher to see to it that the imaginations of her children are fed through stories, through the relating of actual experiences both by teacher and pupil, through Mother Goose rhymes and jingles and verses that are good. The old pedagogic maxim, "No expression without impression," is a good one to remember here. Stories form the background of dramatics, reading and language. Give many good ones. For the first year, let the language work be oral entirely. There may be composite compositions toward the last of the year, but these are written on the board by the teacher. Dramatization forms one of the best modes of oral language, for here the children quite forget themselves in the joy of the story. A conversation period the first thing in the morning is a delightful occasion; and the children enter into it freely. The atmosphere is more social if the children group themselves in a semi-circle. Let them talk freely to one another about the interesting things that have happened to them since they were last together. It is surprising to see how many of the timid ones come forth and they often have worth-while things to tell. At this period, too, the children tell each other stories, which they have heard or "madeup." If there is a story that promises well, the teacher copies it; and if it is worth it, it is printed or mimeographed and saved for a reading lesson later in the year. As soon as the children realize that the teacher will be their stenographer, they will come to her frequently before school, with something they wish to keep. Below is the first story of a poor little girl who seemed to have little imagination when she first entered school. She was seven years old and in the second grade when this was done. She was overjoyed with her creation and when it was given to the children in printed form, she could hardly contain herself. It is interesting to note the effect of fairy tales in the story; and it is colored by her own life experiences. The Poor Man Once there was a man who was awful, awful poor. He was chopping a tree one day and the axe fell on his toe. They had no money for a doctor, so he went to bed and his wife fixed it. Then he went out and sat on the gate. He saw a little, little thing and he did not know what it was. He was scared and he started to run away. "Why are you running away, and why are you lame?" the little fairy asked. "My are dropped on my toe and we have no money for a doctor," the poor man said. "Here is a wand. Go in and get the biggest thing you can find, a washtub will do, and wave this wand over it," said the fairy. So the man took the wand and went in. "Wife, wife," he said, "bring a dish quick.' His wife was washing clothes in the back-yard, so he went out there and emptied one of her tubs. Then he waved the wand over it and it filled with money. He took five dollars and went to the doctor. The doctor fixed up his toe and put a white stocking on it. That night, the man was waving the wand in the air, because he was happy, and the house turned into a golden castle. The next day the wife thought she would go down town now that she had plenty of money, and while she was there she met some of her poor relations. So she took them home with her and they had a feast and all lived there happily. This same group of children had also been told some of the Indian Nature Myths such as "The First Woodpecker" and "How the Robin got His Red Breast," found in Holbrook's "Nature Myths." One day they wanted to make up stories like that and they proved to be original and successful. Here is one of the best ones: How the Tree Got its Bark Long ago, trees were without bark. They were just white, awfully light. But by and by people thought that they would like to have them darker, so they painted them black. And the paint became drier and drier. Then they put more on. Soon everybody did it and it finally stayed on, but it had cracked in big pieces and that made it look like bark. Soon all the trees had bark and everyone thought it very pretty. In primary history, civics or industrial work, it is hard to find any reading material to supplement the work, so as different subjects and projects were undertaken the children decided to make their own readers. First of all the children gather in a semi-circle in front of a blackboard and decide upon what subject they will write. Different children suggest the sentences until the composition is complete. They help with the spelling as the teacher writes. When it is finished it is read and corrected; and it is wonderful to see how keen the children are about noticing errors. This is then printed or mimeographed and when the series is completed, bound into a booklet made and decorated by the children. Below are two made during November while the children were studying the Pilgrims, as a background for Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims' Travel We will tell you what the Pilgrims did when they left Holland. They decided to go to America because they didn't want their children to marry the children of Holland or to talk Dutch. They chose the young people and the children to go. They left the old people in Holland. The old people were frail and delicate. There were about one hundred people to go. They bought a boat named the Speedwell. They found that the Speedwell was too small, so they rented the Mayflower. They had gone a little way when they found that the Speedwell had a hole in it; so they got in the Mayflower. They found the Mayflower was all right and crossed the ocean in it. Two babies were born on the boat. Their names were Oceanus and Peregrine. They all reached America safely, November 11, 1620. What the Pilgrims Did After They Came to America When the Pilgrims came to America, they expected to see streets with houses, but they just saw trees. They put the Mayflower on shore, so that it would not drift away, and so they could live on it. They lived there until the first of April. They had carried some little boats in the Mayflower and they mended these and started down the rivers to find a good place to build their homes. They looked for a place where there was high land, which was well sheltered and near water. They wanted a place where there were many trees, so that they could use them to build their homes. They built one large home and seven small ones during the first winter. Writing letters furnishes a valuable language exercise. The children write their own invitations to other grades whom they hope to entertain with a reading exercise or with a dramatization; or to parents or friends to visit on a special occasion. In the first grade, the letter can be dictated by the children and written on the blackboard, by the teacher, later to be copied by her and sent. In the second grade, the children can do their own copying of short letters and very soon can do their own composing. Small pieces of blank paper are given them, and on these the teacher writes any words which may bother them. These are kept for spelling material for individual list work. It is a great delight when children find that they can really write letters to their friends. Children love to make up riddles and this sort of work paves the way for description later on. It also provides good opportunity for accuracy, and the children notice quickly when the riddle is not "fair." When one child gave this riddle: "It is very long and white," the children thought it was a thread; but when told that it was a side-walk, the general criticism was that too little had been told about it. In the first grade and in the beginning of the second grade this work is all oral; but the children soon learn to write, first of all on the blackboard and next on paper, and then have great fun guessing one another's riddles. It is not fair to give a riddle which has been heard before. But the most fun of all is to have the children begin to Valentine Rhymes The clouds are shaped like a star, I am a little messenger And one came to me. Spring Poems The sun is shining, The moon is sailing, The clouds are white, And babies are sleeping Through the long dark night. When David and I went out to play, We saw some pretty flowers gay. I saw a little birdie Which was very, very dirty, Spring, spring, beautiful spring, If you have not had the joy of working out primary language along these lines, begin to-day. Let everything that is said or written bear a direct relationship to the child's interest. Don't begin to give exercises for the correction of errors until the children show that there is a real need for that sort of thing. Make that language period one of joy, and banish drudgery. write rhymes and verse. Before they can do this, they Have You Watched the Fairies? must hear a great deal and learn to love it. Up to the third grade, this work is largely oral, for if a child has an idea it comes with a flash and if he thinks about the spelling of the words it vanishes before he can write it. At first, there is little rhyme, but the children have a feeling for beautiful expression and as such it is worth saving. Below are samples from second grade written at different seasons of the year: Poems of Winter The trees are standing in the deep, deep snow, And the winds blow. Have you watched the fairies when the rain is done Spreading out their little wings to dry them in the sun? I have, I have! Isn't it fun? Have you heard the fairies all among the limes Singing little fairy tunes to little fairy rhymes? I have, I have, lots and lots of times! Have you seen the fairies, dancing in the air, - From "Fairies and Chimneys," Rose Fyleman W Reading in the Second Grade I Ethel M. Green Second Grade Training Teacher, Milwaukee, Wis. The Problem and Suggested Lines of Work THEN the pupils enter the second grade, they should have a certain control over the mechanics of reading. They should know many words by sight; they should know most of the phonograms and sounds of individual letters which are needed in first and beginning of second grade reading, and they should know how to manipulate this knowledge in the working out of new words as a means to thought getting. They should have the ability and the willingness to work out nearly any new word in beginning second grade reading, if the subject-matter is sufficiently interesting and if it is presented in such a way that the child will use his best effort. The children should have, at the beginning of the second year, the habit of wanting to read; they should have the habit of working out words systematically in order to get thought; and they should have the habit of appreciating what they read. By the latter, I mean that they should know when they read a story whether they like it. Now I have been thinking of what the first grade reading preparation in general should be. To be sure, there are always some children who can and will read whole second grade stories without the teacher playing any part whatever and there are always some who are below the average in reading ability in some way or other. The problem in reading for the second grade is as follows: We want to make each child as independent in reading as it is possible to make him. Through much directed experience in reading, the children will learn many more words by sight; they will know more phonograms and sounds of letters, and they will become more skillful in the use of this knowledge in reading. They will have to a greater degree the habit of wanting to read, the habit of reading to get thought, the habit of working out words systematically In order to get thought, and they will be better able to appreciate what they read. It is possible for the children by the end of the second year to have a useful basis for the selection of reading material. By this I mean that their experience and training in reading may have been such that they are apt to select the kind of books or stories which children of this age ought to read. This reading aim cannot be accomplished with any one method. The best reading method used exclusively will become mechanical and will not do for each child all that is possible. Because of individual differences there should be a variety of ways of working and the teacher must be constantly on the alert as to the growing needs of each child and ready to use the method or methods best suited to the class. Very useful is the method which consists of the teacher setting an aim before the child and having the class realize that aim by the working out of smaller problems. The solution to these problems is found by the reading of a sentence, two sentences, or perhaps a paragraph, as the case may be. Each child reads silently and is held responsible for the oral reading in a reasonable length of time. The chief value which comes from the oral reading is that It is a way of testing whether the child has the thought. He is expected to ask for help on difficult words. When a child is troubled with a word, the word is placed on the board and those who need help on that particular word attend to working it out. At the close of the recitation, all words that have been found difficult are reviewed and if children have found trouble with the use of a phonogram or sound of a letter, they receive drill on this particular need. The fact that the child gets the particular help he needs at the time when he needs it is more than worth while. The kind of lesson I have described may well be used daily, but of course modified to suit the growing needs. Perhaps at the beginning of the year a sentence is enough to ask a class to read; later they can work by paragraphs, and before the end of the year they can solve problems which require the reading of pages. Such work establishes the following habits: definiteness and accuracy, in that the child is solving a definite problem; responsibility, in that he must solve the problem as quickly as possible and must ask for help if he needs it; the habits of patience and helpfulness, in that if a child gets through before the others he is willing to wait for a slower pupil. Some object to this method because the brighter pupils do often have to wait, but if enough of other kinds of reading work is done which gives every pupil the opportunity to work to the limit of his powers, the bright pupil loses nothing in this sort of exercise. The children get the habit of working out words systematically, through careful work with the teacher, and they get the habit of appreciation because they are reading to get thought. The great danger in using this method is that some teachers may not realize the necessity for setting the right problem before the child. The teacher needs to prepare her lesson thoroughly and to ask only such questions as will make the child desire to read to such an extent that he will use his best effort. There is another form of reading recitation which consists of reading silently, with very little oral reading, or without any at all. In this kind of work, if we would make more strong the habits I mentioned at the beginning, there must be a motive given to the pupils which will cause them to put forth their best effort, and there should be some way of finding out whether the child actually gets the thought. In some cases, perhaps, just the reading of the lesson for pleasure is sufficient and often the teacher can tell from the way the children look and act whether they are getting the story. But there are ways of supplying motives more vital and ways of finding out more accurately the results of the silent reading. One year when my pupils were reading "The Early Cavemen," they re-read the chapter telling about the flood silently to find out how to tell the story on the sand-table. I have had my pupils read a description of particular birds before taking an excursion, so that we might be more able to know those birds. Í have had them read stories with the purpose of dramatization, the purpose of the first reading sometimes being to find out if the story is a good one to play, followed by a rereading to see what characters are needed in the play, and very likely this would be followed by other re-readings to see how many acts are needed in the play and just what should be made to happen in each act. It is a good thing to have the children prepare a reading lesson just for the purpose of reading it at home. This not only gives the child experience in reading, but it should make the parents more interested in their child's reading and more helpful in advising him. At the very beginning of the second year it is well to place where the children can get them, a variety of books which are suitable to children of this age, and I have found a period of thirty minutes a week, just for the reading of these books, valuable. It gives the child the opportunity to choose books and stories for himself and continued work of this sort, under the guidance of the teacher, makes the child more able to select the right sort of books. |