Ella L Kelly Teaching Notebook

know through the ear and the voice. They need not always have short words. Now ask "Who can read this!" Prof Allen Wisconsin. Pupils should know the alphabet in ten weeks. In five months they should be through the first reader. They should recite four times a day anyhow.

First Reader: Tell them to come with their books, new books if possible. From the first word in the First Reader to the last word in the Fifth Reader pupils should not drawl whine or fall into the schoolhouse key. A pupil will read well when he can see a sentence. He will pronounce well when he can see a word. Be careful to draw their attention to the use of the capital and period in a simple sentence. Miss-spelled words belong to untrained sight. A child learns to spell nearly as fast as he learned a word. Let him spell not only by letter but by sound. Little children will learn quick because they are not afraid to let their voices out. We should make the little folks careful observers. We want to read Lesson Two this afternoon. Let us see if there are any new words. If so

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at the end of ten weeks they should be able to tell easy words. If a sentence is a question have them read it, as a question. Get the children to read a great deal. No child is ever a good reader who only reads in school. There should be an extra set of Readers in every school. Let the children see them a few minutes before the class is called. Do not let them take them home. The Monday Morning is a good little paper for children in school. Question the class before they recite. Be contented if they can spell all the easy words in the First Reader. In general the First Reader's work is eye training. The first reader is considered a year's work.

Second Reader: In the Second Reader all new words should be placed before the lesson. Here there is not so much eye training. Attention should given to voice picture. Take notice that they pronounce "ing. Let them to tell the story in their own language. Have the reader stand out on the platform before

class. The rest of class have closed books. He must read understandingly and show that has studied his lesson. Give expression. When he is through ask if any one else thinks he can read it better. We often do not read as we expected to. If the reader can not pronounce a word do not help him but let him stand there and think about. This will impress on the mind the fact that the lesson needs study and it will be studied next time. In First we should look on the book. In the others we should look at the reader. The Second Reader might be considered as one year's course; that is, an eight to ten months course of good work. Before they enter the Third Reader they should be able to read in other Second Readers. Use library fund to get a duplicate set of First and Second Readers. The principal thing is to get a taste for reading excited. Have it good reading if possible. If eye training has been neglected give it to pupils at any time in the course. If the school house key, or the drawl or whine

is in vogue break up the habit at once. Do not take a mouth but break it up at once. Allow none of it. Tell the child to look through the sentence and tell what it says. Now tell me again. Reading is conveying the thought on the page to the listener. Make the difference between pronounce and read very distinct. If he singsongs let him scan. He will then get all the singsong he desires. Let him scan the lesson, pronounce it, and then read it. In Second Reader all the words should be pronounced. Teacher should study to make him read with expression.

Third Reader: In the Third Reader pupils should know all words at sight and know the meaning of a whole sentence. Never accept a lesson in which the pupil does not know every word. He has not done his part. Pupils are nearly always found in a grade above where they should be. They are nearly always promoted during the vacations and will try to fool the new teacher. On taking charge of the school