6 SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS. Particular attention is called to the arrangement of exercises in this book. There is no alternation of prose and of poetry simply to secure variety. The prose exercise unfolds. a fact. The poem that follows lifts the fact to the threshold of the emotional life. If the emotional life is touched, the reading is sympathetic; and, what is of more moment, the conduct of the child will be in harmony with the spirit of the selection. This is the ethical significance, the characterbuilding value in reading. Many of the poems here presented are so chaste in language as well as in thought that it is of prime importance to have them memorized. Standards of literary appreciation are thus established permanently in the mind. A love for the beautiful as well as the true will result. Let the reading of the text be the final step in the teaching process. The drill upon pronunciation and definition of words, the discussion of meaning and purpose of statement, the analysis of constructions, the appreciation of sentiment, and all other processes for a just interpretation of the text should be given before the pupil is asked to read. Have the entire class read the selection, or a part of it, silently before formal instruction begins. Nothing is of greater moment than to inculcate the readinghabit-a habit of the highest significance. The pupil that acquires the reading-sense, the habitual desire to read, will become fairly well informed and in a sense educated through this means alone. Sad, indeed, is the life-prospect of the person that does not habitually seek the companionship of good books. The illustrations accompanying the text will be found admirably adapted to language-work. This language-work should be given orally by the pupil and in language of his own. This should be followed by a written exercise, an exercise which is an end within itself. Oral language-work is vastly more conducive to good reading than written language-work. What the pupils write should be read in the same manner and with the same care as the printed selection. terror å lärms' dis may' fōe hymns con sist'e be tray' con tained' těr'ri ble I. A STRANGE WALL. Once a poor family lived in a lonely hut i great fear. It was winter. Around the hu raged a fierce storm and into the room swep the snow. It was bitter cold. The family consisted of five persons-th aged grandmother, the parents, and two chi dren. Why was it that they were filled with fear In the distance sounded the alarms of war. The foe were marching down upon the poor people. In their path was death. From the windows the family could see the glare of the fires that had already been started around many homes. As night came on the sky was red with the flames of burning farm-houses. The roar of storm and of battle made the night terrible. No one thought of sleep. The curtains were drawn close that no light might betray them. The family sat silently about the table. They did not know what moment death might come to them. The old grandmother opened and read from her prayer-book. The book contained a number of hymns. In one of the hymns which she read aloud were these words, "Build a wall about us." The father of the family looked up in dismay and said, "The building of a wall is not possible now: no; not with God." The old grandmother replied, "Do not say that. God will find a way if it is His will to do so." |