Class L B \5 LJL Book _,£L£ Copyrights COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. Blackboard Work » in Reading IDA EVELYN FINLEY THE HYANNIS, MASS., STATE NORMAL AND TRAINING SCHOOL AUTHOR OF "LITTLE HOME WORKERS," A FIRST READER BENJ. H. SANBORN & CO. BOSTON NEW YORK CHICAGO Copyright, 1913 BY Ida E. Fin ley ©CI.A35109J8 FOREWORD There are many teachers who experience some difficulty in beginning the teaching of reading. They are somewhat at a loss to know just what to do on the first day, how to choose the first vocabulary, and how to plan the work so as to prepare the children most easily and rapidly for the text. They feel helpless in starting this very new work with the children, and indeed it is difficult work even for a teacher of some experience. This monograph has been written in the hope that it may prove helpful to primary teachers. It is an effort to aid them in planning blackboard lessons along lines of interest to the children, and its aim is to initiate the reading habit in the earliest lessons. Part One discusses briefly the fundamental principles under- lying the early board work. Part Two gives several series of type lessons for board work, and discusses the use of the blackboard in conjunction with the use of the books. The author would call attention especially to the discussion of " Training the Quick Eye to Perception of Phrase and Sentence." Too great emphasis cannot be put upon this phase of the work, so vital to a good reading habit. I. E. F. Part One Up to the time of entering school, at the age of six, the child's home has been his world. From the life of his own home, his interest reaches out to the home life of birds and animals, to the life of other children in homes unlike his own, and to the life of the community in which he lives. All his social experi- ences must be grasped, understood, through the experiences he has gained in his own home. The human interest, or the interest in people and what they are doing, is the dominating interest of the child and the one that all children have in common. One child will have wider experiences with domestic animals, another with toys, another with street life; but the one'interest every child will carry is the human interest. So true is this that in all his experiences with animal life and in all the stories he reads about animals he is constantly interpreting from the standpoint of his human experience. The personification of animals is simply an ex- pression of this. The human interest is the dominating one also in literature; and because the child develops this interest so early, he finds himself at home in Literature, especially in the simplest forms that have arisen from the people, or the Folk. Such forms we find in Nursery Rhymes and Folk Tales. 2 BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING The Teacher's Preparation The teacher's best preparation for teaching the first steps in reading, therefore, will be to learn what experiences a child ~, ™ . , of six has had in his home. She should observe Of Material what he plays and how, what rhymes and stories he knows and enjoys, what pets and toys he has, what duties he performs in helping father and mother, what activities of parents or of others who visit the home he has observed and been interested in. These may properly furnish material for the early blackboard lessons in reading. The teacher must select with care the first vocabulary, choos- ing only such words as can appear again and again in stories The First which the children enjoy. While we start with Vocabulary {] ie experiences of the child, the vocabulary should be so chosen as to prepare him to take up his first book. It is desirable that he find a somewhat familiar vocabulary when he takes his first book work. Let us look at some of the type lessons that y P e essons ^g^t be drawn from the child's experience. Type I Who will buy I will buy a dog-? a dog. Who will buy I will buy a horse ? a horse. Who will buy I will buy a doll? a doll. BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING £ Type II 1. Trot, trot, trot, 2. Come, my pony. Trot, my pony, trot. Come to me. 3. Come, my pony. 4. Drink, my pony. I will feed yon. Drink this water. 5. I ride my pony. My pony gallops. Type III 1. Come, little duds. Children call the chickens. 2. Come, little chicks. I will feed yon. 3. Come, Mother Hen. I will feed you. 4. Come, little chicks. Come to me. They feed them. They feed Mother Hen, too. Mother Hen calls her chick- ens to eat a worm. 5. Come, little chicks. Hen sees a hawk and calls Come to me. chickens to her. She hides them beneath her I will hide yon. wings. BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING G. Cluck, cluck. Run, run. Run to me. I will hide you. 7. Come, Mother Hen. Are you hungry? I will feed you. Eat tin's corn. " Cluck, it to The hawk comes nearer and the hen, in alarm, calls. Do not drill on cluck," merely use secure good expression for " Run, run." Children again feed hen and chickens. Are you hungry, little chicks? Come to me. I will feed you. Come, little chicks. Eat this bread. The new words and phrases introduced in each lesson of this series (Type III) are italicized. Observe that only two such are introduced and there is constant review of the vo- cabulary. Lesson 7 gives a review of familiar words and phrases, and also gives a unity of five connected sentences. How would you begin specifically the first day to lead up to such an expression of the children's experiences in reading- lessons of this type? Let us suppose we wish to lead toward BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING O No. I, "Who will buy?" "I will buy." We choose this ^ „. „ because it represents a universal human experience. The First Day x , . „ , , ■, , The country child, if he does not go to the store, is interested in his parents' trips and the things they have bought. To the city child it is an every-day experience. He goes to the store to buy. If we look at this lesson, we shall find that we really have three lessons in one. It could not be given on a first day. It supposes at least three distinct experiences: one with the buying, one with the selling, one with the toys. If we start with the first we shall at once get a phrase expressing action, " 1 will buy," which lends itself to varied expression. I would begin with the real experience in buying and selling. Let the children play store, each choosing whether he will buy or sell. W T hen interest reaches a certain point, carry it over into blackboard expression. " I will buy." " I will sell." These two sentences, which constitute funda- mental phrases in many sentences subsequently used, are all that the class should take in one day. They should be printed on the board, clearly and rapidly, as the children's own expression, and read naturally. Illustration: As each child says whether he will buy or sell, print quickly his sentence and have him read (repeat) it. "I will buy" or " I will sell." Arrange the sentences first one below the other, thus: I will buy. I will sell. I will sell. I will buy. 6 BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING Then scatter them on the board, thus: I will buy. I will sell. I will buy. I will sell. I will buy. I will buy. I will sell. I will sell. Work only five or ten minutes thus, recording the sentences as given by the children and requiring each to read his own. Later in the day take the class for five or ten minutes to the board to read the same sentences. Use this device. Hold up a card (tagboard cut 12 x 4) on which is printed in large type, " I will buy." Read it clearly and distinctly with animated expression. Ask some child to place this card below a sentence on the board which says, " I will buy." Show him how to hold the card. Hold up a card on which is printed, " I will sell." Again read clearly and distinctly, and ask a child to place this card below a sentence on the board which says, " I will sell." Work five or ten minutes thus, just matching the sentences on cards with those on the board. The Second As a second lesson, we may let the children bring Day their toys (dog, horse, etc.). Buying and selling has been done with these toys and the children know about it. Let them tell where toys are sold and where these toys were bought. Of course the children speak of these things as of natural objects. No child says, BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING / " My toy dog." He says, " My dog." Therefore use the child's natural expression. I will buy I will sell a dog. a horse. I will buy I will sell a liorse. a dog. This is as much as a class, unless unusually bright, should do on the second day. We have again used the fundamental phrases, " I will buy," " I will sell," and we have taught two new words, " a dog," " a horse." Observe the waj^ in which these new sentences are printed in the illustration given. Only the fundamental phrase, " I will buy," on one line, and " a dog " on a second line, thus: I will buy Not I will buy a dog. a dog. This makes the familiar phrase, " I will buy," stand out; also the new word, " a dog." For the third lesson we may let the little girls bring their dolls to the class. In the interesting conversation that would The Third naturally grow out of the presence of the dolls, Da y lead to the question of where the children got them. Even if the dolls were given to them (unless Santa Claus brought them) the children will know that the buying and selling has been done. Now all the sentences in the first exercise can be placed on the board. BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING Who will buy a doll ? I Avill buy a doll. Who will buy a horse ? I will buy a horse. Who will buy a clog ? I will buy a dog. Again we have taught two new words, " Who," " a doll," — and what is very important we have given a new phrase form. It is very important that the child be given a new phrase form before he gets into the habit of thinking that everything is to start with an " I will." In these first three lessons with which we have assumed that the teacher has started, several important principles have already been involved. 1. We have started with the child's experience. 2. The board work has been an expression of that experi- ence. Hence each sentence represents a content that the child understands and can vividly picture. 3. There has been careful preparation of content. (a) Through conversation and play the child's thought and feeling have been aroused; his mind has been made active over the material chosen for the reading. (b) He has been given an opportunity to think, feel, and express his thought and feeling, in oral language and in action, before his attention was called to the written form. BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING 9 (c) He has been led into the use of the printed form as an expression of his ideas, as naturally and simply as the mother has led him into the use of the oral form of expression. Principle : The thought and feeling must now pass over into the printed form, and the child must grasp it as a new means of expression, a means that appeals to the eye as did oral expression to the ear. 4. The sentences have been clearly and rapidly printed on the board at the moment of highest concentration of atten- tion on the part of the child. 5. The children have read these sentences naturally. 6. There has been a repetition in use of the fundamental phrases first taught ("I will buy," " I will sell ") in all these lessons. No attempt to memorize these sentences has been made, yet the repeated use has given a clear image and deepened sense impression. So we are secur- ing a natural mode of memorizing. Principle : The child's interest is the key to the whole situation and determines whether the work will be easy or difficult for him. If sufficiently interested in the words and phrases he will master them. Other simple lessons may follow, growing out of the experi- ences of the class in buying and selling. For instance, the children in the more remote rural districts have experiences with the products of the home and farm, — milk, butter, eggs, poultry, hay, grain, etc. They know these things are taken to the nearest village market and sold. They may play drive 10 BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING into market to sell, as father does, using a cart and a boy for a horse. For this group of children, compare A. " Rural Communi- ties," on page 33. Again, the child in the town or city has experiences with selling papers on the street and at houses, selling milk at houses, selling berries and flowers. For this group, compare B. " Town or City," on page 34. Centers of interest should be chosen in accordance with the child's experiences and environment. For illustration, one teacher chose for her first lessons a series on the cow because she taught in a farming district where the children dail}< drive home the cows. To arouse interest she read to them two stanzas from Whittier's " Cow Boy Song." Another teacher chose the chicken series of Type III. A city teacher might better use the activities of street life so familiar to city children. A few lessons suited to city children are suggested in C. " Street Life and Social Plays," on page 35. Every teacher must decide upon a sequence suited to the group of children she is to teach. Any good beginning of this kind may be made to lead out in almost any direction. We may connect the lessons with the child's play instinct or with the work instinct. D. " Building," on pages 37 to 39, suggests les- sons based on the play instinct suited to any group of children. In whatever direction it may lead there must be Sequence in Vocabulary Let us look for a moment at Type II. It gives a series of five lessons, covering at least a week's work. These lessons BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING 11 might be used with any group of children, because the center of interest chosen for this series is one of universal interest. It is connected with the play instinct. The boys all play horse. There is a regular development in their play of horse akin to that of dolls with girls, and, like house, it is of interest to both boys and girls of six. First comes the stick or hobby-horse of the very small boy, later his rocking-horse, and then the play of two boys where reins are used and a live horse is most desirable. At this last stage the various activities of the live horse are imitated by the boy who is the horse, and are of great interest to the child. He trots, runs away, gallops like a horse. This is the stage at which we find him when he enters school. In preparation for a series of short reading lessons centered around this interest and growing out of it, I let the children play horse and to music trot and gallop in rhythm. It affords excellent physical exercise, as well as fun which makes the child alive to the content of the sentences chosen for the read- ing. If we have no piano, one half the class sing while the others trot. We use these words of a song given in " Song Echoes from Childland," Jenks (published by Oliver Ditson Company). I changed the wording of the second line to suit my need : " Trot, trot, trot, Trot, my pony, trot. Down the roadside, rough and stony, Trot along, my little pony. Trot, trot, trot, trot, trot, Little pony, trot." 12 BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING The trotting: Let one child extend his hands behind him and another take his hands as if holding reins. Better still, have reins for each couple, or at least for one couple. Reading. Lesson I For the first lesson of this series take the first two lines of the song. They should be printed on the board. Trot, trot, trot, Trot, my pony, trot. 1. As the children sing them, the teacher should point, indicating each word, and the phrase " my pony." 2. The teacher should point to the words " my pony/' and ask what we call our horse. 3. Let different children go to the board to find, by location in the lines, " Trot," " trot," " my pony." If they do not readily find each, have the class sing as the teacher points until every child can locate each word. Lesson II For the second lesson take the sentences expressing the child's call to his pony, — Come, my pony. Come to me. This reviews " my pony " and introduces the new word " come " and the phrase " to me." BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING 13 (1) Have these sentences read with natural expression as you rapidly print them on the board. (2) Again, as you rapidly move the pointer along under the entire sentence, have each read with natural expression. (3) Moving the pointer more slowly, indicate the parts of each sentence, "come," "my pony," "tome," and have the children tell what part you pointed to. Lesson III For the third lesson, the child may play get hay for his horse and feed him. This is what he would say, — Come, my pony. I will feed you. Teach, by location in the sentence, " I will," " feed," " you." (1) Use the pointer as in the two preceding exercises. (2) Use cards for matching I will feed you (3) Let the children build the sentence on the floor, choosing cards to match each part indicated by the teacher. She may speak the phrase or word, at the same time pointing to it in the sentence. The child must choose the card to match " I will" and place it on the floor, then " feed," " you." (4) Have the sentences which were built, read with natural expression. 14 BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING Lesson IV For the fourth lesson, the child may play give his horse a drink of water and tell him to drink. We get the sentences Drink, my pony. Drink this water. We again use the now familiar phrase " my pony," and teach the new word, " drink," and the new phrase, " this water." Do not attempt to teach this as an isolated word, but rather the expression " this water." Such words as this, that, some are better taught with a noun, as used. The word " the " never can be taught as an isolated word for it has meaning only when used with its noun. We would do well to follow the habit of the Germans and teach the articles " a," " an," " the," only with their nouns. Lesson V For the fifth and last lesson of this series, teach the sentences I ride my pony. My pony gallops. These sentences add the phrase " I ride," and the word " gallops." As preparation on the content side, that the children may be ready to grasp the meaning of these sentences, let all the children be horses and gallop to rhythmic music. If without BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING 15 a piano, clap in rhythm. Have conversation to get the idea that when we ride horseback we like our horse to gallop. Also teach the form of expression used to mean riding on the back of a horse, " I ride a horse." Use a stick or rocking-horse to show how we mount and ride a horse. Note that, in this type set, (1) there is a sequence in vocabu- lary. This series of lessons is so planned that the child adds daily one or two words or phrases to his vocabulary. (2) There is a unity in thought. The sentences are grouped. Herein is involved a vital principle. Principle : Isolated sentences should not be used. Sentences should be related in thought, making unities for each lesson. When the child reaches his book, related sentences or stories are what he should find. This means that the child is follow- ing up a series of ideas or images while he reads. He is fol- lowing the thought. The child is learning to read for meaning. Reading for meaning leads to the Recognition of Words through Context This is the most desirable way of recognizing words and should constitute the child's habit. Illustration: A child is reading the sentences, " Drink, kitty. Drink this milk." Let us suppose he does not know the word " milk." There should be such a strong thought impulse from these two related sentences that he grasps the word " milk " from the thought sequence. If the child stops to spell the word phonetically (provided he has had training in phonics) he loses for the time being the thought connection. For this reason the child should be en- 16 BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING couraged to think the word that belongs there. In the read- ing lesson proper, phonics or sound spelling should be used as a last resort only. The contextual recognition of words should become the habit for it is the right habit of self help- fulness. When the child has had the word before, if he does not get it through the context of the new sentence he should be encouraged to go back to a familiar sentence in which it occurs and find it. He will recognize it through its meaning in the familiar connection more readily than through the new; and he is still using the contextual mode of getting new words. Illustration: He has had " drink " in the sentence, " Drink this water," when reading the series on the pony, Type II. He may not recognize it in this new sentence, " Drink this milk," but he may be able to find it in the familiar sentence, get it through its meaning in that connection, and see that it is the same in the new sentence. By this method of self helpfulness he has not been distracted from reading for meaning as in the case where he resorted to sound spelling or phonics. All new words can be taught more easily and quickly in the sentence. So presented the meaning is grasped more correctly, and a child will master a word many times more quickly when he is alive to its meaning. So true is this that invariably the children of a class will pick out (grasp and retain) the words they have individually responded to. When I used the series on the pony, the most backward boy in the class grasped and made his own the word " gallops " the first time it was pre- sented. He enjoyed the activity of galloping and was fully alive to its meaning in the sentence. BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING 17 This same child always knows the sentence, " I will feed you," but cannot recognize the individual words in it when isolated and written in a column. He gets them in other sentences often by going back to this familiar one in the man- ner just described. As another illustration of getting words through context, I taught this rhyme: Little Tommy Tucker, Sing for your supper. What shall I sing? White bread and butter. By location in the rhyme the class learned " sing," " sup- per," " your supper," " for your supper," " white bread," "butter," " bread and butter," and the sentence, "What shall I sing? " A number of short but interesting lessons were possible with this vocabulary. The line " What shall I sing? " was easily changed to " What shall I do? " " What shall I play? " " What shall I build? " " What shall I build with my blocks? " " What shall I make? " " What shall I buy? " " What shall I eat? " The reply to these questions gave us the phrase " I shall " in "I shall build a house." " I shall buy a pony." " I shall play horse," or house, or dolls, etc. Here are a number of short lessons to be taken on the board or printed on cards or leaflets for individual reading. The child goes to the rhyme to find any word not quickly recog- nized. The leaflets may be exchanged until all have read each one. 18 BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING I II Mother makes bread. The baker makes She makes white bread, bread. We eat butter on our He sells the bread, bread. He sells white We eat bread and but- bread. ter. He sells brown We drink milk. bread. We go to the baker's to buy bread. in Picture of " Feeding Her Birds." * The mother says, "Come, my children. Come to your supper. Are you hungry? Eat your supper. Eat this bread and milk. "Father is coming home. He is coming to supper. Father eats bread and butter." *Scott-Southworth Lessons in English. Hook I, p. 9G. BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING 19 IV I am Tommy Tucker. I want my supper. I will go to the baker. The baker sells bread. The baker sells white bread. He sells brown bread. I will buy white bread. I want bread and butter for my supper. V Tommy Tucker went to the baker. He said, "I want my supper." The baker said, "Sing, Tommy Tucker, Sing for your supper." white bread for "What shall I sing?" your supper." said Tommy Tucker. " I want my supper. I want Avhite bread for my supper." The baker said, " Little Tommy Tucker, Sing for your supper. You shall have 20 blackboard work in reading Phonic Analysis There comes a time when the children begin to compare words, grouping them because of similarity of form or sound. At this point they are ready to begin work in phonetics or sound spelling. I prefer to keep this work entirely distinct from the reading lesson proper, though work in phonic analysis without the use of diacritical marks may help later in the reading process. It may be regarded as an important device for training the child to power in getting word forms. It gives him another means of self helpfulness in making out new words for himself. The best schools recognize the need of early beginning a habit of self dependence on the part of the child. Therefore, the teacher never tells him a word that he can find out for himself. He is encouraged to get it through the context and to look it up when he has had it before; or if the context does not help and he can get the word bj^ phonic analysis or by seeing in it a familiar phonogram, he is encouraged to do that. Many of the consonant sounds may be taught by associa- tion with some sound in nature before any systematic work in word analysis or word building is attempted. This list has sometimes proven helpful: t = the sound a watch makes. m = the sound the telegraph wires make, h = a tired dog panting, r = a cross dog growling. f = an angry cat when chased by a dog. c and k = sound made by expelling a fish bone from the throat. BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING 21 d = the sound a pigeon makes. Have the tip of the tongue placed just back of the upper teeth and push the breath. Keep lips apart. b = No association with this, but attention must be given to the correct making of this sound. Tell the children to close the lips tightly and keep them closed; then push the breath hard. Do not allow an explosive sound, g = the frog sound. Move the throat as a frog does. It helps the children to place the finger tips on the teacher's throat as she makes this sound. Through touch they get the vibration. ow = the sound one makes when hurt, ch = the engine of a train when starting, sh = the engine of a train when stopping, letting off steam, wh = the candle sound. I tell the story of the family with crooked mouths and one straight mouth and their attempt to blow out a candle. The children hold up a finger to represent the candle and blow it out. The phonogram " ing " may be taught and united with familiar verbs to form the progressive. These progressive forms of the verb should be used in sentences as soon as formed. Ear Training Systematic work in phonics must be done along two lines, ear training and speech training. The ear must be trained to discriminate the initial consonant sounds and the phonograms in words. Then must come perception of the blend or union of the initial consonant with the phonogram. 22 BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING The work, therefore, is both analytic and synthetic. To illustrate, suppose we are reading the sentences I make bread. I bake it. The children observe that the words " make " and " bake " look alike. Some child discovers that they sound alike only not just alike. Now is the time to begin definite work in phonic analysis. (1) The teacher should slowly pronounce each of these two words, with a slight emphasis on the consonants, until the chil- dren discover that one begins with the " m " sound, and the other with the " b " sound, and in that way they can tell the words apart. (2) Again, by slowly pronouncing " make " with emphasis now on the initial consonant " m," now on the phonogram " ake " (ra'ake or make') the ear may be trained to detect each in the word. (3) Then write the word upon the board and as you pro- nounce it, with emphasis on the " m," cover the " ake," or, as you emphasize " ake," cover the " m." Repeatedly pro- nounce thus, covering the part (or sound) not emphasized; and thus let the eye and ear unite in a sense impression of the phonogram shown. (4) Work in the same way (as in steps 2 and 3) with " bake." Use the sentences, " I make bread. I bake it," to fix these two words associating meaning with the correct form. BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING 23 (5) The class is now ready to try building words of this group. Write on the board make Have these words pronounced, bake also the phonogram " ake." ake Then show " c " (printed on a card) and hold it before the phonogram " ake." Let the children pronounce slowly, then more rapidly until they get the new word " cake." Use it at once in sentences, as " I make cake," " I bake the cake," " We eat cake," etc. So build other words of this group, " take," " rake," " wake," etc., and use them in sentences. It matters little what device is used in teaching consonants and phonograms. The important thing is that they be taught correctly and thoroughly. It is important that sounds united always form words which the children use, and that the words formed by phonic analysis or phonetic building be given meaning. I therefore recommend that in the period set apart for phonic work, part of it be given to reading sentences in each of which occurs one new word gained by phonic analysis or building. In this way the work in phonetics may come to be an aid to the reading process. Phonic work aids purity of speech, for a perception of sounds — and of the blended sounds — finds expression in correct utter- ance, or clear enunciation. The child must be required to make each sound correctly and clearly. Board Reviews Even more important than work with phonetics are board reviews of sight words and fundamental phrases. Five or ten 24 BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING minutes daily must be given to this work. A word or phrase is soon forgotten unless frequently reviewed. Of course the best form of review is the repeated use of a word or fundamental phrase in new sentences and stories. Therefore study to read as many interesting stories as possible with the small growing vocabulary, thus reviewing through use all the fundamental phrases taught. For illustration: In connection with the story of " The Gingerbread Man " we may have taught these sentences: Run, run as fast as I ran away from you can. an old man. You cannot catch I ran away from me. an old woman. I am the Ginger- I ran away from bread Man. a horse. I am running* away. These sentences m&y be followed by the stories of a little girl and of a naughty pig running away. In these two stories several expressions (fundamental phrases) are repeated. I am a little girl. I am running. I am running away. I am running as fast as I can. BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING 25 The Naughty Pig I am a little pig. I am a naughty pig. I am running away. You cannot catch me. I am running as fast as I can. In these stories the use of the phrases " I am," " I am running," " running away," " as fast as," " I can," and the sentence " You cannot catch me," gives a certain amount of review. For further review, print rapidly and repeatedly all the familiar phrases; erase quickly, calling on the child to tell what he saw. Training in Visual Perception When the child is matching words, his power of seeing likenesses and differences is continually challenged. In other words, he is learning to see words more accurately. No teacher can appreciate the fact in its fullness that, when a child takes up reading, he is active in an entirely new way. Up to this time he has been getting auditory and speech images of words. He now needs training in eye perception of words. To see the word and think its content must now become as natural to him as to hear the word and think its content. For this reason the careful teacher of primary reading makes training in visual perception of words a specific aim in the daily work. 26 BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING She may use several devices to this end. Following arc a few helpful devices: (1) Word and Phrase Matching. On small cards, made of tagboard and cut 6" x 3", have neatly printed all the words and phrases which the class has had. Have a child take a card and match it with the same word or phrase on the board, as it occurs in a sentence or rhyme. This device demands that he image the word or phrase on the card, compare it with words and phrases in the sentence or rhyme, and decide whether the two are alike. Hence it trains him in visual perception. The cards should be made with print large at first, then gradually diminish the size of the print, as the child grows in power to perceive. (2) Building on the Floor. Use these same cards letting the child build on the floor or table, reproducing the sentences on the board. This is a step more difficult than matching his card as described in (1) because of the distance from the board to the floor. They are farther apart and it makes a longer interval for him to remember. (3) Constructing New Sentences. Again the teacher may use these review cards in rapid con- struction of new sentences, which the child reads. Later the child may construct new sentences of his own. (4) Building at the Seat. For this work the teacher must hectograph or print the words and phrases for her class. It is not helpful to use the prepared word builders (letters) for this work. The children find sentence building with letters tiresome, and it does not BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING 27 help them to visualize word forms. They enjoy and are helped by building with the familiar word and phrase wholes used in the reading exercise. The size of the card and printing may be smaller. The cards should be cut one inch wide and in lengths to suit the word or phrase on each. These devices are valuable for training the child in visual perception of word forms and in discriminating the individual word or short phrase in a sentence or rhyme. Training the Quick Eye to Perception of Phrase and Sentence There is another phase of this eye training very vital to a good reading habit. Recent research has shown that when we read the eyes move across the line in short sweeps, with frequent pauses until the end of the line is reached. Then they sweep back and pick up the next line, repeating the forward movement, — fixating, springing forward, fixating again, etc., to the end of that line. Seeing takes place at these points of fixation. The eyes move with great swiftness between these fixation points. With a trained reader all this eye-activity is reflex and rhythmical, the fixation pauses falling pretty regularly and with automatic ease. The eyestrain in reading is much greater than has been supposed, and especially is this true in learning to read. An absolutely new set of eye movements must be acquired. In this the child needs special help and intelligent direction. Small type, fancy lettering, broken lines, lines too long or too short, poor lighting, all increase eyestrain and 28 BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING present difficulties which hinder acquirement of this new set of eye movements. The intelligent teacher of young children, so far as possible, will eliminate for them these difficulties. (1) She will use for her board work a large, plain, clearly made print. (2) She will carefully space and arrange the sentences. The sentences must not be crowded too closely together, nor must the words in a sentence run into one another. Teachers are often careless of these details in putting work upon the board and then wonder that the child does not read readily. (3) At first she will use short sentences composed of four words only. Professor Cattell found that on an average the individual can at one time (that is, with a single sweep and fixation of the eye) grasp three to four letters, two words, or a sentence composed of four words. Twice as many words can be grasped in a single fixation of the eye when they make sentences as when they have no connection. (4) The teacher will definitely aim to direct the eye-move- ments and to so control the points of fixation as to enable the child most easily to grasp the meaning of the sentence. McMurry has said, " Eye-training is the foundation of all good reading. One must cultivate a quick eye and the ability to grasp whole phrases and short sentences at a glance so as to get thought and express it properly." Miss Laing, in her " Manual on Reading," has expressed this same principle thus: " The habit of sentence grasp must, from the first, be vigorously initiated." Suppose the child is to read the sentence " My little pony BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING 29 has lost a shoe." To grasp correctly the meaning of this sentence, the eyes must move across it in three sweeps, grasp- ing in the first fixation, " My little pony"; in the second fixation, " has lost "; and in the third, " a shoe." How may the teacher secure the eye movement necessary to a grasp of this sentence? (a) By her use of the pointer. As a child reads, rapidly move the pointer in sweeps, with pauses for him to grasp the part of the sentence indicated by each sweep until the end of the sentence is reached. The child's eye will follow the move- ment of the pointer. (6) By her method of putting the sentence on the board. It must grow before the eyes of the children. She may print " My little pony," pause for the eye and mind to grasp it (perhaps ask, " What does this sentence tell about? " and let one read it aloud), add " has lost," make another slight pause, and add " a shoe." When the period is placed at the end of the sentence, many of the children are ready to read it, for they have worked with her, reading, grasping the thought phrase by phrase, as she printed the sentence. (c) By helping the child to associate meaning with each phrase. Keep interest centered in content. The meaning of the sentence must always determine the phrases to be grasped by each fixation of the eye. A teacher might, by her pointing, so divide this sentence, " My little pony has lost a shoe," as to make it impossible for a young child to grasp its meaning correctly. To illustrate: She might make the first fixation after " has " and another at the end of the line. 30 BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING Let us consider the possible effect on the child who is read- ing. His grasp of the words " My little pony has " leads him to expect the name of some object in the possession of the pon}^, and he adds " a shoe." He does not see the word "lost " at all. It is a natural mistake, the natural result of this phrasing or division of the sentence. The teacher un- consciously has caused his mistake. There is no meaning in the words " lost a shoe." The phrase " has lost " gives meaning to the entire sentence, so it is im- portant that " has lost " be grasped as a whole. Hence it is vitally important that the teacher herself keep in mind the content of that which is read. To illustrate this point further, take these sentences from the story of " The Three Little Pigs " in Book One of the Edson- Laing Series of Readers : One day a wolf came to the straw house. The wolf knocked at the door. The little pig ran to the door. In the first sentence the action is expressed by the words " a wolf came." This is the phrase which gives meaning to the sentence and upon which emphasis should fall in reading- it. Therefore help the children to grasp it as a whole. The question, " What happened one day? " directs attention to the incident which these three related words express, and establishes association of meaning with the phrase. Again in the third sentence quoted, the words " ran to the door" express the central truth of the sentence. These four BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING 31 words must be grasped at a glance and must be spoken as one word, one phrase whole. It is evident that this training into a habit of grasping phrase wholes through meaning or content has a direct in- fluence upon expression in oral reading and also is an aid to language work. As a child grows in power to grasp phrase wholes and short sentences, he can unite these until he has power to get the long sentence. His thought moves on, grasping phrase by phrase the entire sentence, then from sentence to sentence until he has grasped the paragraph or the short story. Reasons for Using the Blackboard in the First Weeks It provides for a common focus of attention. It enables the teacher to create the work before the eyes of the child. Note : The child will follow the word that is printed before his eyes when he is unable to fix his attention on the already made form given to him. -The child's attention naturally follows movement and he can give attention to the form that he sees made when he cannot attend to the ready-made form. The blackboard enables the teacher to secure and direct the attention of her class better than any other means. Seeing the thing done before his eyes constitutes a motor stimulus for the child. It makes him want to do the same thing himself. It compels us to start with something that is of vital interest to the child. It gives the child an opportunity to have a part in the sentences himself, and therefore leads him natur- ally into expression, or the reading of sentences. A chart can never do this. 32 BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING Board work enables us to start with the interests of the definite group of children that we are working with. The chart can never adapt itself to the interests of special children. How long should board work be continued is often asked. There really are two aspects of the work. (1) Getting the child ready to use books by initiating a reading habit. (2) In conjunction with the use of books, as preparatory for individual lessons in the book. Just how long we continue blackboard work in getting ready to use books depends much upon the thoroughness with which the work has been done, and somewhat upon the class of children, their development and range of interests. There is a wide difference of opinion and practice. Some teachers use the board only three or four weeks before taking the books, while others continue eight or ten weeks before taking them. Personally, I believe that ten weeks, supplemented by a use of leaflets which the teacher herself prepares, is not too long for this preparatory board work. I see no advantage in hastening over this part. The freedom which the board work gives a teacher to firmly establish a reading habit along lines of interest to the children seems to commend its continued use for the longer period. In connection with the books, I believe the use of the black- board should be continued throughout the first and the early half of the second years. Part Two Blackboard Lessons Suggesting Sequences for Different Groups of Children Buying and Selling These lessons are to supplement those given in Type I, and grow out of experiences of the class in buying and selling. Compare pages 2 to 5 and 8 to 10. The lessons under A are based upon experiences of children in the more remote rural communities, and those under B upon the experiences of children in the larger town and city. Have the play in preparation for each lesson. A. Rural Communities I will sell. . I will buy. I will sell milk. I will buy I will sell butter, some flour. I will sell eggs. Father sells milk. Father sells eggs. He sells butter. He sells wood. I will buy sugar. I will buy coal. Father buys sugar, He buys flour. He buys coal. 33 34 BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING B. Town or City (1) (2) I sell milk. I sell papers. I go to the houses. I go to the houses. I sell milk I sell papers at the houses. at the houses. (3) (4) I sell papers. I sell flowers. I sell papers I sell flowers on the street. on the street. I call, Who will buy? "Papers! Papers! Who will buy Eecord! Herald! Globe! my flowers? Papers! Papers!" I sell my papers. (5) (6) I go to the store I go to the baker's for my mother. shop to buy bread. I buy butter. I buy white bread. I buy eggs. I buy brown bread. I buy sugar. I buy buns at the baker's shop. BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING 35 (7) I play store. I sell things. I call up on the telephone. I say, " Any orders, to-day?" I go to the stable for my horse. I take things to the houses. (8) I play store. I sell toys. Will you buy my toys ? Come to my store. C. Street Life and Social Plays These lessons are designed for the children in the larger town and city. They are imitative plays, expressing phases of social life in which the child is interested. (1) Motorman on a Street (2) Conductor on a Stn Car. Car. I am the motorman. I am a conductor I drive the car. I ride on a car. This is my car. I take the fares. Will you ride I ring the bell. on my car? 36 BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING (3) Conductor on a Train. J am a conductor Expressing the play of a little , . boy four years old for a on a train. week following his trip from i take the tickets. Rangeley, Me., to Boston, T „ m . n , Mass. Some bits of paper J- Say, "lickets, and his mother's buttonhole please! scissors equipped him for this „nv\ , j_. i , service as conductor. J- lCKetS, tickets ! "Tickets, please." I punch each ticket. (4) The Letter Carrier. I am a letter carrier. This is my mailbag. I carry letters in my bag. Here is a letter for you. (5) The Fire Horses. This supplements series in Type II. Clang! clang! clang! c i ang The fire horses are coming, fire horses Get Out of the Way. are coming Clang ! clang ! clang ! Get out of the way We are the fire horses. We live in the engine live IlOUSe. engine house BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING 37 alarm drops go There is a fire. There is We hear the alarm. hear We run to the engine. Down Down drops the harness. harness The firemen spring firemen upon the engine. spring Then away We gO. Then away The gong rings, gong rings "Clang! clang! clang!" We go to the fire. We go The firemen work. work They put on the water. put on They put out the fire. put out D. Building The instinct to build is universal with children. They build houses, walls, and many objects with building blocks and the kindergarten sticks. Lacking such material, they build with boxes, stones, sand, or any material they find with which they can build. Here are some reading lessons which grew out of this activity. The children gave me the sentences and we made these stories together at the board. At the end of the series 38 BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING of lessons at the board each story was printed on a card or leaflet and given the children for individual reading. Each read his leaflet silently, then aloud to the class. I We build houses. We build houses in the sand. We build houses with our blocks. We build with sticks. II A little boy built a house. He built it of boxes. It was his play house. Ill IV I am a little boy. I am a carpenter. My name is Ken- I build houses, neth. I can build a house I play in my father's for you. store. I will build you One day I built a a strong house, house. I built it of boxes. I played in the house. BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING 39 I built a house. I built it with my blocks. A little pig lives in this house. It is a strong house. The wolf can not get in. The wolf can not blow in this house. VI I built a house. I built it with sticks. A little pig lives in this house. It is not a strong house. The wolf can get in. He can blow in this house. VII I shall build a wall. I shall build it with my blocks. I shall build a strong wall. VIII I am a little pig. I shall build me a house. I want a tall house. I shall build my house of sticks. 40 BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING IX I am a little pig. I shall build me a house. I shall build a strong house. This stone will make a strong house. I shall build my house of stone. Blackboard Lessons Preparing for Lessons in Book One Let us assume that the class has had the early board work suggested in Part One of this monograph, and is to take for the first book work " Book One of the Edson-Laing Readers." The first rhyme, " The Key to the King's Garden," requires little preparation on the content side, except perhaps a talk on gardens illustrated by a few pictures of beautiful gardens such as are given in Country Life, and a study of the sketch on page 5 of Book One of the Edson-Laing Readers. However, on the vocabulary side we find need of preparatory lessons. This rhyme presents a sequence of action pictures entirely familiar to the children through their everyday ex- periences. For instance, the rat which gnawed a string, the cat which caught the rat, the dog which chased the cat, are pictures familiar to most children, and all have the basal concepts from which to form these pictures. BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING 41 The experience of selling and buying is familiar and the written expression for the same has been taught in the lesson given as Type I of this monograph. For the other pictures presented, " a cow that tossed a dog," " grass that fed the cow," and " ground that grew the grass," they have the basal concepts. City children do not know the live cow, but have, or can get from pictures, an idea of a cow. From life they have a concept of grass and the ground in which it is grown. The expression, " The ground grew the grass," is not familiar, hence they must be taught to first use orally, then to read this expression : The ground grew the grass. The grass fed the cow. The words " gnawed," " caught," " chased," might be better taught if introduced fn sentences given by the children, which might very naturally grow out of a conversation and observation lesson on their pets, the dog and the cat. Here is a group of short related sentences so developed and used in a board lesson. It will be seen that these words, " gnawed," " caught," " chased," are introduced in such connection as to give them meaning and make it easy for the child to grasp them through the context. In this group of sentences are introduced also the words, " fed," " ground," " dog," " cat," " rat," which occur in the rhyme. 42 BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING I have a dog. His name is Rover. Rover is a good dog. I fed my good dog. I gave him a bone. Rover gnawed the bone. Then he hid it in the ground. One day Rover chased my cat. My cat ran away. She ran up a tree. Rover did not catch her. He barked and barked. II My cat caught a little mouse. The mouse ran out of its hole. My cat saw the mouse. The little mouse ran. My cat chased it. She caught the little mouse. in My father caugh tarat. The rat gnawed a hole in the wall. My father set a trap. He caught the rat. blackboard work in reading 43 Principles Involved It will be observed that, (1) The child's interest in his pets has been the center out of which this group of sentences has grown. (2) He has had a part in making these lessons, since the sentences were an expression of his experiences with his pets. (3) The vocabulary of the book lesson has been presented, but not its direct content. Hence the rhyme will come to the child as fresh, new material, but without presenting difficulties in word recognition. (4) This group of sentences which express his experiences with his pet dog chasing his cat, the cat catching a mouse, etc., has furnished him with mental pictures which enable him to interpret the rhyme, to grasp the sequence of action pictures which it presents, and also with a vocabulary of new words which occur in the rhyme. The words " string " and " king " can be taught phonetically. Having prepared the vocabulary, and in a measure for the content of the rhyme, take the books. Study the sketch on page 5, Book One, Edson-Laing Readers, talk about gardens, and put on the board this sentence: " This is the king's gar- den." Teach the first two lines of the rhyme as the words of the boy who is looking over the wall. By location in these lines, teach the phrases " The key," " the key," " the king's garden." The class can now read the rest of the rhyme to get its story. Make use of the sketches on each page to inter- pret the rhyme and give meaning to each page. 44 blackboard work in reading The Little Red Hen For the reading of the stories, there is no better preparation on the content side than the telling and dramatization of the story before taking the books. New words and important phrases may be put on the board in connection with the story- telling, and a little work for quick recognition of the same should be given. By the oral presentation of the story, the child's thought and feeling are aroused and his interest in the story enables him to grasp easily and quickly the new words and phrases which occur in the conversational parts. The story itself sustains interest in the words and phrases taught. The child must be able to think connectedly before he can recall his story in connection. The simplest sequence for a child to follow is the story sequence. Such a story as " The Little Red Hen " presents so simple a sequence of activities that it is easily followed and expressed through dramatization. The dramatization helps the child to image the story sequence. He acts the hen scratching to plant the wheat, cutting, threshing, grinding it, etc., so remembers the sequence better. His action tends to create imagery. He images one thing happening, another, a second thing happening, — so gets a moving train of images corresponding to the sequence of his story. In this story of " The Little Red Hen/' the phrases " I will not/' " I will then," are repeatedly used. The sequence of activities is expressed in the words " plant," " cut," " thresh," "grind — this wheat" and "make bread." Let us choose this group of words and phrases for our first preparatory board lesson, and use the story to sustain interest. BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING 45 (1) First tell the story without interruption to get its unity. (2) Retell it, using the board to teach the written form of these two basal phrases (" I will not," " I will then "). Use these three devices to fix the written form associated with its use in the story. (a) When the expression " I will not," or " I will then/' occurs in the story, without comment print it on the board as you speak it. (6) As it occurs a second time, merely point each time as you repeat the expression " I will not." (c) As it occurs a third time, point and pause for the children to supply this expression. (d) Choose children to take the part of the rat, the cat, the pig. As the teacher asks the questions asked by the little red hen, the children reply, " I will not." Then they find this sentence on the board. In like manner the teacher (for the red hen) responds, " I will then," and points to that sentence. Next put upon the board'the questions asked by the little red hen. The hen asked : Who will plant this wheat ? Who will cut this w r heat? Who will thresh this wheat? Who will grind it? Who will make bread? The phrase " Who will " is familiar if taken in Type I of 46 BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING this monograph. Teach " this wheat " by location in the first sentence. Instead of writing the entire question, one may write only the words "plant," " cut," " thresh," " grind," " make bread," — asking, " Who will plant this wheat? " and at the same time pointing to the word, " plant." Dramatize the Story. No stage setting or costuming is required. The dramatiza- tion should be very simple and in the child's own manner. Do not suggest too much in regard to details or criticise the child's own interpretation and expression. Perhaps suggest before the dramatization begins that the little hen must scratch up the ground and drop the seeds in when planting it, — that she could use her bill to cut it, thresh it by pecking and scratch- ing, and grind it with her bill. Then let a child be the hen and perform these activities as each child thinks the hen did. The dramatization should be a very simple, spontaneous expression of the child's interpretation of the story. As a second preparatory lesson, give a short drill on the words and phrases suggested in the word list. red to the garden some wheat hen in the garden found ran A rat The hen said, had A pig The hen asked, was grew up. Get the first four phonetically. To aid the child in grasp- BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING 47 ing the meaning of each word or phrase of the list, the teacher may suggest the meaning, by its use in a sentence or story. She may give part of a sentence, then print rapidly, or point to, the phrase or new word, and let the children read it. To illustrate: the column at the left indicates the part of sentences given by the teacher, and the column at the right indicates the word or phrase which she prints for the children to read. (1) (2) The hen ran to the garden While she was in the garden the hen f OUIld some wheat After she planted the wheat, it , m grew lip. Tell them the words " said," " asked," and let them get the phrases, " The hen said," " The hen asked," or introduce them in connection with a review of the questions, " Who will plant this wheat? " etc. Take the books and read the story. The Three Little Pigs For another type lesson we will take the story of " The Three Little Pigs " which is found in so many of the first-year read- ing books. We will assume that the children are familiar with the story, as they should have had it in oral language work before attempting to read it. In connection with the drama- 48 BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING tization they may have been taught the conversational part which occurs so frequently in the story. " Little pig, little pig, Let me come in." " No, no, by the hair Of my chinny-chin-chin." " Then Fll huff, and Fll puff, And Fll blow your house in." In preparation for the book lesson, print on the board a list of the new words and important phrases which occur in the story. The story itself will again serve to sustain interest, and so aid in the mastery of these words and phrases. The teacher may narrate the main points of the story and point to a phrase or word, pausing for the children to supply it. They can often get the word by phonetics, often from the context. From the series of lessons based on the building instinct given on pages 37 to 40 of this monograph, they already know " I shall build," " a house," " of sticks," " a strong house," "The wolf," "blow in," "One day," "built," " sticks." On the board put this list — Once there was There was a mother pig Go, find some work, little pigs. went BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING 49 I shall build straw of straw sticks of sticks One day a wolf came knocked at the door This straw soft huffed puffed blew in ate The teacher says, " Many of our stories begin with the expression, ' Once there was.' ' She points to this expression and asks the children to recall stories which begin with that expression. Pointing again to this phrase, she continues, " The story we are to read this morning begins with the ex- pression ," and pauses to let the children supply, " Once there was." The teacher continues thus to narrate the story and to let the children supply the word or phrase to which she points. (Teacher narrates) Some stories begin with This story is about She said to her little pigs, " Go, find some work, little pigs." " The little pigs to find work. They did not know what work to do. At last one little pig thought he needed a house to live in so (Children supply) Once there was a mother pig went 50 BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING he said, / shall build me a They all decided to build houses. house. Then they went to find material with which to build. One found some straw He said to himself This straw will make my house soft I will build my house of straw One pig found some sticks He built his house of sticks They were very happy in their houses until something happened One day This is what happened a wolf came The wolf knocked at the door The little pig did not let him in but he huffed and puffed and blew in the little pig's house and ate the poor little pig." The third little pig found some stone so he built his house of stone He worked one day two days three days Then his house of stone was built The stone house was strong and the wolf blow in that house." did not BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING 51 Train the eye to a quick grasp of these words and phrases by pointing rapidly, by erasing quickly, or by putting into sentences and erasing quickly. Play this game. Think of one phrase and let the class guess until they find it. Thus each child points to several words or phrases in the list. The teacher says, " I am thinking of a phrase." The child called upon asks, as he points to one, " Is it ' I shall build ' ? " If not, the reply is, " No, it is not ' I shall build,' " or if it is, then " Yes, it is ' I shall build,' " etc. Thus the entire list can be rapidly reviewed. Principles Involved In this last type lesson, as in those preceding it, observe that: (1) In this preparation of vocabulary, interest in content has been made to predominate over mechanical drill. (2) The story narrated by the teacher, with an opportunity for the children to supply words and phrases of the list, served to sustain interest. (3) The story also helped the child to grasp the situation which holds the meaning for each phrase; therefore facilitated his mastery of the phrase. (4) This preparatory study of difficult phrase wholes, such as " was built, "^ " blew in," " at the door," " I shall build," " a wolf came," is a better preparation for reading the story than is the usual word drill, a drill upon isolated words. It is better because it secures the quick eye movement which is necessary in grasping a sentence, phrase by phrase. 52 BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING It is better because it gives the child command of certain idiomatic expressions, which are in common use. (5) Sufficient work should be done with all difficult phrases and new words which occur in the book lesson to enable the children to recognize them at a glance, before the books are taken. The First Use of the Book The blackboard work should have established a habit of rapid eye movement; of grasping sentences phrase by phrase; and of reading from sentence to sentence a group of connected or related sentences. The use of leaflets, which the teacher prepared for individual work, has made the step from the board work to the book an easy one. When the book is first put into the hands of the children, they should be allowed to do individual work as they did with the leaflets. They should be allowed first to read silently, asking help when necessary and reporting from time to time upon what they are reading. The teacher should also read, give the needed help, and discuss the illustrative sketches and the stories read. In the oral reading, each child should be allowed to read several sentences; never one sentence, each, around the class, as is so often done. The practice of reading single sentences soon destroys the reading habit, as it interrupts the thought impulse. With the book work, therefore, the habit of reading several sentences connectedly and of grasping phrase after phrase with a quick eye movement must be kept up. The same BLACKBOARD WORK IN READING 53 methods used in the blackboard lessons, and the continued use of the blackboard in preparatory lessons and for frequent reviews will accomplish this aim, and help to make good readers. Before taking a book, the teacher should prepare a list of the important phrases and new words which occur in its pages. She should plan to introduce these when possible in her black- board lessons. Chosen from the books used as basal readers, such a list may be regarded as constituting the fundamental vocabulary for the lessons. The list from Book One of the Edson-Laing Readers is given here as a suggestion of what constitutes a desirable list. A similar list should be made for any basal reader in use. NOTE This list of words and phrases taken from Book One of the Edson-Laing Readers is introduced for its phrase list. It will show teachers how the important phrases may be selected, rather than isolated words. A similar choice can be made for any book. 5. The key the key 13. ground grew the (A cat) Apig 22. thresh grind To grass was (grind it) — (in the garden) King s 14. will some 23. make garden buy wheat bread 6. I sell (I will buy) 19. found (Bread) (make bread) 7. the string 15. little The hen eat That held acorn said See But sister had One it 8. the rat Two 24. my gnawed Three 20. The hen seeds 9. the cat girls No asked small caught 16. Who will plant (will grow) flowers 10. dog 17. red this wheat tall hen I will not 25. This is 11. cow ran I will then house tossed chicks 21. grew up boys 12. grass (to the garden) (Then) built fed 18. A rat will cut board 54 was nailed is put I shall 44 did not (in the house) (on the table) build 45. Peter 2b log made 32. braided 37. soft Nanny tree (washes the 38. straw a goat in the china) (This straw) name wood with great 39. a wolf ran away care came saw 27 farmer " strong good Strong an c 33. a room knocked at the door 46. on a hill At the foot supper of the stair Let me My dear good Where 40. by the hair fox 28. cock works c h i n n y - chin bite home crows 34. a doll huffed (Come) in the (come home) morn call puffed 48. bear wakes Clare blow (blew in) kilT 29. laddie take your house I am corn . ate hungry (planting corn) 35. Once there — I want feeds was 41. sticks 30. table white a mother Pig 42. (of sticks) So 49. man shoot (There was) 43. some stone rope square stands 36. One day (This stone) (of stone) 31. china Go find He worked (one day) 50. (But) (catch) washed with care went (Little pig) (two days) (three days) (was built) 51. are Give me 55 milk (gave) gate her leg Mah-ah Now butter Waiting cake (a buttered cake) 54. rabbit 52. 53. 56. 57. 60. cabbage soup (to look) (to make) 55. from the garden locked 61. A gruff 62. voice (Who is it) huge a spring a bound G4. can in no time (With a 65. spring) She met Strong ox help me I am afraid 58. big Oh 59. fine (Help me) (a fine cock) the poor rabbit (No one) out of ant weep they together great keyhole stunfir window snow food clogged feet (it began) 69. 70. 71. you must be _ " 73. I may be sun melt v^dl (You may) sweet stir Do not spoon fell drowned 68. Cri-Cri 74. Robin lived pretty hear sing Moo-oo speak pleasant Bow-wow (bow-wow) broom Ugh-ugh (Pretty Ant) Gray Pussy began Meow 72. Cock doodle- 75. 77. 78. Red- breast Why " cut off bill tall Queen sat upon a tree down if you can (Up) (Down) (Said) hop stop how do you ~~ do shook 56 far away 88. punish ride away (into the tent) he flew (flew away) 89. scold clippety- clap head through 79 Wee 91. fire the I must 96. lost a shoe door Christmas bake what shall 103. do no song 92. stream 97. (How can I) coal harm go (put out the 105. middle- him fire) iron bonny mill heat the sized wind . bear Sly Fox iron father 81. (to a garden) 93. selfish 98. hay bear 84. (good man) in fear miller baby bear child (Go away) (ran away) All of Golden I have been 94. John them (good to eat) Hair London Smith within 99. wheels round and round turn 106. (No one) opened diamond Blacksmith the As big as shoe set a shoe door bowls Yes old woman 85. Thick and Here and thin Fit for a there Tick- tack - 100. 101. miner too hot under the just right King too ground 107. chairs 86. monkey 95. pony four too hard nut (on his pony) clang broke it large tree loved to 102. . camel in 87. officer jump (loved to go) in a tent 108. beds 57 109. 110. 111. lay down 112. fell asleep (Some one) has tasted all gone has been sitting lying (here she is) awoke Wi for the lady 113. Lion EaTth" over and over heard a 114 ' brother rabbit (day by day) go and tell 115. deer sheep tiger elephant saying (say so) Who told you? (told me) (What made you) (say that) (I saw it) 116. 117. 118. (we shall see) (Shall we go) (They went away) black- birds The other Jack JilT fly away come again 58 JUL 7 1913