Teachers' manual for the American readers for Catholic schools

Front matter

i

CIOSS . V l . . : i A C :

Rook

Contents

PAGE

I. First Grade Activities.1

II. Suggestions for the Teacher .... 10

Introduction

At the present time, nearly all teachers of primary reading agree that a Teachers’ Manual is a prime necessity for any successful series. Prompted by this conviction, the authors of the American Readers for Catholic Schools have prepared a Teachers ’ Manual for the Pre-Primer, the Primer, and the First Reader of the series.

In the opening chapters of this serviceable book, the teacher will find a brief yet adequate account of those activities which the teacher of reading must correlate in order to effect the fullest possible development of the child.

These chapters are followed by a complete program for the Pre-Primer Period, that is, for the first four or five weeks of school. Everything connected directly or indirectly with the education of the pupils is outlined, not as something that must be followed to the letter by every teacher, but as a schedule that has been followed in several classrooms with more than ordinary success.

The Pre-Primer program is followed by the sections devoted to the Primer and the First Reader. The first five or six reading lessons of each of these books are worked out in full to give the teacher an idea of the plan to be followed. For the other lessons only an outline is given, with special mention of the features to be stressed.

*

- •

* y i a

-

. T f

•4 - l.

t i

Education Requires Activity. It is now a generally rec¬ ognized truth that the “ appropriate exercise of any faculty or power promotes its development.” As the boy who desires to grow physically must have bodily exercise, so the pupil who wishes to be educated must experience mental activity. There is no real education without self-activity. Anything then that arouses and stimulates the mind, — anything that causes the pupil to do purposive thinking, — anything that makes him work toward a definite end, — has educational value.

At the beginning of this century, many persons had a nar¬ row and one-sided view of the educative process. To-day, however, thinking men and women are beginning to realize more and more that every experience which tends to modify the nature of the pupils and to form aright their character is a means of education. It makes no difference whether or not the experience comes from the home, the environment, the school, the State, or the Church, it undoubtedly serves to educate.

The mental activities of school life vary in importance. Some are more educative than others. The question arises, “ How shall we evaluate them; by what standard shall we be guided?” Undoubtedly by the Christian standard* Whenever the mental activities tend to develop in the pupils

l power to live according to Christian principles they are fulfilling the Catholic ideal in education.

Physical Development. The physical work of the pupils should aim at control of the simpler and more fundamental muscular activities. This is brought about by walking, running, jumping, marching, playing games, simple dancing, and exercising the vocal organs. On entering school, many first-grade children have to be taught the most common things, such as buttoning their coats, putting on their rub¬ bers, etc. The muscles of the arms and the hands have to be developed in a special manner, in order that the pupils may be able to use the scissors in cutting, the crayon in drawing, the pencil and the pen in writing. Other muscles of the body have to be developed to enable the pupils to take part in and to enjoy the various games of childhood. First-grade teachers must always be on their guard lest they ask the pupils to do things that require highly skilled activities. Like everything else in the curriculum, the physical exer¬ cise must be adapted to the age and development of the pupils. The simplest muscular activities must be brought about through suitable play and interesting games.

Sense Training. The more one studies the process of education in the primary grades, the more clearly does he perceive the close relation between sense training and mental development. Is it not a fact that the first-grade child gets practically all his knowledge by means of the senses? Note how much he uses the sense of sight, the sense of hearing, and the sense of touch in mastering the tasks that are set before him. The senses bring to the pupil a knowledge of the world about him, — a knowledge that cannot be obtained so well in any other way. This is why sense training forms an important part in the educative work of the first grade.

Religious Practices and Spiritual Training. The early religious training of the primary grade should not be pre¬ dominantly intellectual. Neither should it be chiefly de¬ voted to memorizing texts. The religious education should be of the heart rather than of the head. The habit of saying morning and night prayers, devotion to the Child Jesus and His Blessed Mother, a realization of the watchful care of the Guardian Angel are “ Mustard Seeds ” which, if implanted into young hearts, strike deep roots and produce strong Catholic convictions in later life. The ceremonies, services, and sacramentals of the Church appeal strongly to youthful minds. Throughout the series of The American Readers for Catholic Schools will be found prose, poetry, song, and pic¬ tures which can be well used by the teacher to bring out in a most attractive way the beauties of religion and right living.

Another fact to be borne in mind is this: The stronger the force applied to that which we wish to secure, the quicker and the more lasting are the results. If, therefore, in build¬ ing up the practices of virtue, we use the natural and super¬ natural appeals our results will be in proportion to their combined effect. Disregarding one or the other, we weaken our appeal. Often well-meaning religious teachers, while stressing the supernatural, underrate the value of the natural appeal to good. Man is a combined result of natural and supernatural. We read in Genesis that God made man and then breathed into him an immortal soul; the natural served as a foundation for the supernatural. In like manner super¬ natural virtues have their foundation in the natural virtues, and their combined influence has a stronger appeal than the appeal of either independent of the other.

Social Development. As soon as the pupils enter school, their social natures undergo many changes. They begin to realize that there are other children in the world, and that these have the same rights that they have. Their free and impulsive natures are toned down, and appropriate lessons in politeness and manners are learned. All this training, which at first sight seems trivial, has much to do with their future welfare.

The Imagination. The most marked characteristic of the first-grade period is the rapid development of the imagina¬ tion. With the aid of comparison and contrast, the pupils perceive numerous associations. Their minds read more meaning into what they see, feel, and hear. Curiosity is easily aroused, and hundreds of educative questions come to their minds. To first-grade children, many plants and in¬ animate objects seem to be living realities. The ordinary things of life appear to be invested with unusual characteris¬ tics. On account of this highly imaginative ability, the pupils of the first grade are intensely interested in myths, legends, and fairy tales. The wonderful deeds of the great heroes of the past, the marvelous lives of the saints of God, the extraordinary adventures of children like themselves, engross their attention and enrich their experience.

Play. Since all normal children love to play, teachers agree that the most natural and efficient way to begin the work of education is through play. Is not play the spon¬ taneous expression of child life? This is especially true of the pupils of the first grade. It is one of the most important factors in developing both physical and intellectual life. As a rule, exercises involving the simplest and easiest activities are best suited for the development of young children. Therefore, in the early school years play is the most effec¬ tive means of motivating learning.

Gymnastics. The advisability of including physical train¬ ing in the elementary school curriculum is now generally recognized by educators, teachers, and citizens. Among the activities that tend to develop the body of the child, gym¬ nastic exercises have an important place, because they tend to counteract the undesirable habits of incorrect posture, they stimulate the nutritive functions, and they develop the psychological powers, particularly those of the will. In addition to this, outdoor and indoor gymnastics appeal very strongly to first-grade children and give added pleasure and interest to school work.

Pictures. Among the most valuable aids in teaching first-grade pupils, pictures have an important place. The child, without being able to read a single word, can get many thoughts from viewing appropriate pictures. In these thoughts, there is generally something elevating, ennobling, and inspiring, — something that appeals strongly to the hearts of children. This is especially true of pictures rep¬ resenting child life in its various activities, as well as of those representing toys and animals.

Drawing. There is a natural impulse in all human beings to express feeling in activity. Drawing undoubtedly is one of these activities. Is it not one of the oldest and most universal forms of expression? Drawing gives the pupils opportunity for the spontaneous expression of their feelings. It trains the eye to see and the hand to record. It opens the pupils’ vision to a contemplation of the beautiful. Is not the wonderful world in which we live made up of things of beauty? Does it not offer all children enjoyment and inspiration? As regards the actual work of the first-grade children, the teacher must stress the effort at self-expression and must strive to develop the muscles of the hands to express a thought. She must give the pupils a love for what they are doing. She must do everything in her power to make it a part of their lives.

Paper Cutting. This exercise generally produces mus¬ cular control, stimulates observation, and exercises the powers of comparison and judgment. It stands to reason that teaching the hand to do what the mind dictates is truly educational.

Music. Good music is always a source of pleasure and enjoyment to children. It is not only elevating and inspir¬ ing, but it also contains something that warms the hearts of the listeners. For these reasons, every first-grade class¬ room should have a piano or a victrola, so that the pupils can be supplied with appropriate and worth-while selections once or twice a week, or even daily. Besides, the teacher may be able occasionally to get first-class musicians to play for the children. Thus can the pupils* appreciation of what is truly beautiful and artistic in music be developed.

Songs. The singing of well-selected songs is among the most educative of the first-grade activities. There is some¬ thing about the songs of childhood that grips the attention of the pupils and makes the act of singing a real pleasure rather than a burdensome task. The songs for the first grade should be simple, rhythmical, and of musical value. The words, as a rule, should be real poetry within the compre¬ hension of the average pupil. The most suitable songs are those that fit in with the thought of the hour. If the teacher is telling about the birth of the Redeemer, the song for that day ought to supplement her teaching. This kind of corre¬ lation is helpful in all educational effort.

Number Work. Incidental number work is another form of activity interesting to the pupils of the first grade. Children love to count things. Through counting and similar concrete experiences, they are introduced to number work in a pleasant and effective manner.

Color Work. Filling in circles, triangles, or squares with different colors is another activity that appeals to little chil¬ dren. As soon as they recognize the printed symbols for the ordinary colors, they take pleasure in doing anything that gives them a chance to show their knowledge. This activity of filling in figures with different colors produces coordination of muscles, and skill which paves the way for writing and drawing.

Writing. At the present time, there is considerable con¬ troversy as to the advisability of having a formal course of penmanship for the first grade. We believe that it is not for the best interests of little children to ask them to do any¬ thing that requires an expenditure of more than ordinary skill. Some courses of penmanship are not adapted to first-grade pupils. This does not mean that we wish to have no penmanship during the first year at school. We would in¬ troduce it gradually. We advise having the children write only exercises which give them pleasure. We would elimi¬ nate all work which savors of drudgery, or which lacks the satisfaction stimulated by successful accomplishment.

The Story Period. This period is usually divided into three sections: (1) The 'preparation for the story; (2) The telling of the story by the teacher; (3) The time spent in empha¬ sizing the main points of the story.

It is hardly necessary to insist on the importance of the story as a means of teaching. If you are not a firm believer in the educative value of stories, pay particular attention to the children while they are listening to one. Notice the eager faces, the tense silence, the long-drawn sigh at the end. These will tell you the impression that a story makes upon children.

Every teacher should learn how to tell a story effectively. The need of this accomplishment is so keenly felt to-day that courses in story-telling are found in all high-grade normal schools and teachers’ colleges.

Reproduction. There is a well-known saying, “ Impres¬ sion is deepened by expression.” For this reason, pupils should be required to reproduce the thought of the stories they read. Reproduction does more than deepen the impression ; it gives the pupil practice in oral English. This activity deserves to be stressed more than it has been in the past. Care should be taken, however, to focus attention on facts which are essential to the story plot. Caution should be observed in the conduct of the reproduction. Children should be encouraged to express the story facts in their own language, lest more formal phrasing of the story destroy that appreciation which is the real purpose of the telling and reading of the story.

Dramatization. Little children are, in their own way, good actors. They love to imitate. Anything that requires action is to them a delight. They find it more pleasant and agreeable to move or act than to sit still. This is why dramatization is one of the chief educational activities of first-grade children. It helps them to enter into the spirit of the story. It makes the printed page speak to them as nothing else can. It gives them an opportunity to live what they read. It trains them in the habit of sifting out essential facts from unnecessary detail, — the basis of effective silent reading and study.

Problems and Projects. The wide-awake first-grade teacher will readily find a number of problems and projects within the range of her pupils. She realizes that children of school age are constantly carrying out projects and solv¬ ing problems of their own. These require the pupils to think as well as to study. In their own little way, they must pur¬ pose, plan, execute, and judge. Many simple projects grow out of situations in the child’s daily experience. Those proj¬ ects that call for the richest exercise of choice, comparison, and judgment on the part of the child are the most educa¬ tive.

Patriotic Practices. Place a small flag in the hands of a little child. He immediately waves it. He wants to own it. Realizing the child’s frame of mind, the teacher begins to go through the simplest patriotic practices, such as march¬ ing with the flag, saluting the flag, and other flag drills. The pupils love to imitate the soldiers and sailors on parade. Their little hearts are filled with patriotic pride as they march around the room to the music of the victrola. There is in even the very youngest children an instinctive feeling for the flag, — a joy in seeing, handling, and saluting it.

Seat Work. Bear in mind that the chief purpose of seat work is not merely to keep the pupils busy or out of mis¬ chief. Every exercise of seat work should be purposeful and educative. It must take into account the actual needs of the children. What precisely then should seat work do? It should do one of three things : (1) It should help to make clear any lesson that has already been presented in the class; (2) It should teach a new lesson ; (3) It should afford oppor¬ tunity for practice where some particular skill is required.

II Suggestions For The Teacher

Pre-Primer Work. At the present time, teachers gener¬ ally spend about four or five weeks preparing the pupils to read the primer. Though the preparation is not in itself something new, there are things connected with it to which the attention of the first-grade teacher should be called.

In preparation for pre-primer lessons the teacher must constantly keep in mind certain general objectives. Prime among these is the development of a real love for reading. She must place before her children things that stimulate and interest them. She must make the teaching of primary read¬ ing as pleasant as possible. In other words, she must motivate the educational work of her pupils.

The reading instruction, moreover, should help the pupils to realize that they cannot do efficient reading without real thinking. Words at best are merely symbols for expressing thought. To get the thought that such symbols express, the pupils must think, — they must compare, contrast, evaluate, and decide.

Inasmuch as the correct teaching of reading helps to develop the thinking powers of the pupils, it trains them at the same time in the useful art of study. This point is worthy of serious consideration.

The Aim of Reading Instruction. At the beginning of the present century, the chief aim of reading instruction was to train and develop expressive oral readers. But during the past ten or fifteen years, a new and more educative aim for reading instruction has been formulated. It is to enable

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE TEACHER the pupils to get the thought that the words express. This is why rapid silent reading is now taught by all progressive and efficient primary and grammar-school teachers. They have come to realize that thought getting is much more impor¬ tant than word getting , and that silent reading aids thought¬ getting more than oral reading does. Every primary-grade teacher must keep these facts before her mind. She must do everything in her power to develop and train not only expres¬ sive oral readers, but also rapid silent readers. It must not be taken for granted that oral reading does not help to get the thought from the printed word. But, as soon as the earliest associations have been made, silent reading should always precede oral reading. Oral reading aids the pupil to get the thought of what he reads, but it does not do it so effectively as attentive silent reading does.

The Age of First-Grade Pupils. We are convinced that the children entering the first grade should have completed their fifth year. We readily admit that even younger chil¬ dren can do and have done the first-grade work. But is it for the best interests of these pupils? We believe that it is not. We feel that the minds of these children are not mature enough. Besides, their experiences are not numer¬ ous enough and their knowledge of oral language is not com¬ prehensive enough to enable them to follow with profit the instruction given in the first grade. We should like to see a nation-wide rule requiring the pupils to have completed their fifth year before allowing them to enter the primary school.

Connect the School and the Home. During the first days of school, one of the most important duties of the teacher is to help to bridge the chasm that separates the school from the home, How can this be done efficiently?

By making the atmosphere and activities of the classroom approximate as closely as possible the atmosphere and activities of the ideal home.

In the home, the ordinary child has an abundance of exercise. See that he has it in the classroom. In the home, the child has his games to play. Have plenty of games in the classroom. In the home, the child enjoys a certain amount of freedom. At school, do not take it from him all at once. Do it gradually. In the home, the child is the recipient of a mother's love. Do everything in your power to take the place of the mother. This is the way to reach the heart of the child. This is the way to win his good will and his love. This is the way to stimulate the best impulses of his nature. This is the efficient way to educate him.

Utilize Maternal Instincts. During the first few weeks of school, the maternal instincts of the teacher are brought into play. If she desires to be successful in dealing with her pupils, she must be as kind, considerate, and loving as a real mother. This is the most natural and efficient manner of winning the confidence, the good will, and the love of her pupils. This is the best way to make them feel at home in their new surroundings, and to interest them in the work of the school.

Make Friends. The first few weeks of school determine the child’s school habits and attitudes. Therefore, these are the days calling for most skillful teaching technique; these are the days when the teacher must enthrone herself in the hearts of her pupils. But these are also days during which her patience, her motherly kindness, and her knowl¬ edge of child life are put to the test. She may tell them a thing many times; yet they will forget it. This is to be expected in this difficult period of adjustment, and the

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE TEACHER teacher must meet the situation with extreme serenity and tact.

Setting. The classroom for first-grade children should be as homelike as possible. Flowers, potted plants, and pictures that appeal to the young should be everywhere evident. Games, toys, plasticene, and similar materials of appealing and educative value should be in evidence. Initial Sound Cards and Flash Cards may be arranged around the blackboard. The Crucifix and the Flag should have a prom¬ inent place at the front of the room. In a word, everything that helps to make the classroom attractive, interesting, and wonderful to the child should be there.

The Teacher as a Hostess. Everything for the pupils’ comfort and pleasure must be in readiness half an hour at least before the school begins. This leaves the teacher free to receive and to welcome each new arrival. Much depends on the way that this is done. You cannot do too much to show your interest in each newcomer. Make him your friend from the start. Show him his seat, and give him something appealing to do. Do not be surprised if he should walk around the classroom to see what the other pupils are doing. It shows that he is a social being and wants to become acquainted.

Ill

THE WORK OF THE FIRST GRADE

The First Grade Most Important. The opinion is becom¬ ing more and more prevalent that the time spent by pupils in the first grade is the most important in their educational career. This is the period in which the foundations for their future progress are laid. This is the .time that will have the most lasting influence on their physical, social, mental, and religious development. This is the year when the first for¬ mal lessons in politeness and character building are given. This is the year when the child’s future habits, attitudes, skills, and appreciations begin to take shape. Therefore, it is the year that requires the most skillful of all teaching ability. This is the opportune time to interest the pupils in the work of education.

The Attitude of the Teacher. On account of the impor¬ tance of the results of the first grade, the teacher should do everything in her power to make the work of her class as pleasant and as effective as possible, for only in such an environment can the best that is in the pupils be developed. This is not, as the unsympathetic and inexperienced would term it, “ soft pedagogy ” ; on the contrary, it is in harmony with the most advanced educational thought and practice. For centuries we have not given those to be educated suf¬ ficient consideration. As a result, much of the teaching has been wasteful and inefficient. It is about time to regard the pupils as the most important factor in the work of education.

The Method Outlined. The method of teaching reading outlined in this Manual aims to make the work of the first

THE WORK OF THE FIRST GRADE grade pleasing and appealing to the pupils. It goes at once to the heart of the child. It tends to motivate and stimulate his every act. It utilizes the most efficient findings of educational experts. It stresses the importance of thought getting as the most vital factor in the teaching of reading, while at the same time it pays ample attention to the matter of word mastery. It serves to show, in a brief and simple manner, that reading primarily is a thinking process. In doing this, it lays the foundation for the mastery of the art of study.

A Combination Method. There are many methods of teaching reading. Each method seems to present advan¬ tages as well as disadvantages. This being so, it seems reasonable to take from different methods what best suits our aim. Our method, therefore, may be termed a com¬ bination method. In working out our combination we have been most careful to present no conflicting devices. Our combination presents an enticing entrance to the road of reading and charmingly advances the pupils step by step to higher achievement. We desire to place the best before each teacher so that she may not only know what to do but how to do it. Let it be understood, however, that every teacher who uses this Manual is free to take from it what¬ ever she considers best suited to the needs of her class. It is not absolutely necessary to follow to the letter everything herein outlined. Our method is chiefly suggestive.

Phonics. As our language is largely phonetic, phonics cannot be ignored. The names of the letters should be tabooed from the class exercises until the formal study of spelling creates need for them. The interference arising from confusion of the names and sounds of the letters is the cause of much con¬ flict in the initial stages of learning to read , For this reason ?

it is recommended that spelling , if taught in the first grade , he deferred until the latter part of the year, when association between the sounds and symbols has become securely fixed.

Pupils should be led through both ear- and eye-training exercises to recognize the association of sound and symbol as component elements of familiar words, both spoken and written. To enrich the apperceptive basis, it is also an excellent practice to have them form sentences containing these words.

The phonic elements should be developed as needed to recognize new words from known sight words in one of the following ways:

1. Comparison.

2. Appeal to the imagination through a story and the manipu¬

lation of the organs of speech required to produce a sound.

3. Analysis of known sight words.

As soon as a phonic element has been made an object of separate attention, it should be used in building new words. The silent or whispered blend should be encouraged rather than the oral blend.

Throughout the series the analytic-synthetic method is used. Phonics are taught not as an end, but as a means to develop the power of independent attack. Wheat, in The Teaching of Reading , says: “ The school is not concerned with having children gain a mastery of phonics as a complete system; it does not organize its instruction for the sake of thoroughness in phonics. Only as the children need to make use of phonics in attacking new and difficult words does the school organize instruction in the use of that device. For this reason no attempt is made to start the children with the simplest phonograms and to lead them to a knowledge

THE WORK OF THE FIRST GRADE of those which are more and more difficult until finally they have made themselves familiar with a complete phonic sys¬ tem. The principle ‘ from simple to complex ’ does not operate here any more than it does in connection with the teaching of word recognition. The principle to be followed is to lead the pupils to analyze the necessary phonograms out of their familiar stock of words and to recombine these phono¬ grams into words which are new and heretofore unfamiliar. The procedure is not from ‘ parts to wholes/ but from ‘ wholes to parts, and back again to different wholes.’

. “ In teaching the process there are four steps:

1. The first step calls attention to known words arranged in a