Part 10 (1/2)

But we may believe that a spirited treatment of this part of the story of Ulysses in reading lessons, including his stay and treatment among the Phaeacians, will give the children much appreciation of the beauty and power of this old story. By means of occasional readings of other selected parts of the ”Odyssey,” from Bryant or Palmer, some of the most striking pictures in the story of his wanderings can be presented. Even the children may find time for some of this additional, outside reading.

In any event the story of Ulysses, as a piece of great literature, can thus be brought home to the understandings and hearts of children, and will const.i.tute henceforward a part of that rich furniture of the mind which we call culture.

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT POINTS IN READING

1. The teacher's effort is first directed to a vivid interpretation of the author's thought and feeling, and later to an expressive rendering of the thought.

2. Every exertion should be made to lead the children to an absorbed and interested attention in the selections.

3. The author's leading motive in the whole selection should be firmly grasped by the teacher. By centring all discussion toward this motive, unnecessary digressions will be avoided.

4. The teacher will hardly teach well unless he has saturated himself with the spirit of the selection, and enjoys it. To this end he needs not only to study the selection, but also the historical, geographical, biographical, and other side-lights.

5. The teacher needs great freedom and versatility in the use of his materials. Warmth, animation, and freedom of manner are necessary.

6. Children often do not know how to study a reading lesson. In the a.s.signment and in the way of handling the lesson they should be taught how to get at it, how to understand and enjoy it.

7. In the a.s.signment of the lesson the thought of the piece should be opened up in an interesting way, and such difficulties as children are not likely to grapple with and master for themselves pointed out and approached. Difficult words need to be p.r.o.nounced and hard pa.s.sages explained.

8. The a.s.signment should be unmistakably clear and definite, so as to insure a good seat study.

9. The seat study should be chiefly on parts already discussed in cla.s.s.

10. During the recitation proper, strong cla.s.s attention by all the members of the cla.s.s is a first necessity. Much knowledge, alertness, and skill are necessary to secure this. One must keep all the members of the cla.s.s in the eye constantly, and distribute the questions and work among them promptly and judiciously, so as to secure concentrated effort.

11. The teacher can often judge a recitation better without looking at the book while the cla.s.s is reading.

12. Skill in questioning is very useful in reading lessons.

(_a_) Questions to arouse the thought should appeal to the experience of children.

(_b_) Questions to bring out the meaning of words or pa.s.sages, or to expose errors or to develop thought, should be clear and specific, not long and ambiguous.

13. Let the teacher be satisfied with reasonable answers, and not insist on the precise verbal form present to his own mind.

14. The teacher needs to awaken strongly the imagination in picturing scenes, in interpreting poetic images and figures, and in impersonating characters. The picture-forming power is stimulated by apt questions, by suggestion of the teacher, by interpretation, by appeal to experience, by dramatic action.

15. The use of the dialogue and dramatic representation is among the best means of awakening interest and producing freedom and self-forgetfulness.

16. The pupil should give his own interpretation, subject to correction, and interpret parts in relation to the whole.

17. Without too much loss of time children should learn to help themselves in overcoming difficulties in solving problems.

18. Sometimes it is well for children to come prepared to ask definite questions on parts they do not understand.

19. The tendency to more independent and mature thinking is encouraged by comparing similar ideas, figures of speech, and language in different poems and from different authors.

20. There should be much effective reading and not much mere oral reproduction. The paraphrase may be used at times to give the pupil a larger view of the content of the piece.

21. Let the pupil reading feel responsible for giving to the cla.s.s the content of the printed page. Often it is best to face the cla.s.s.