A 1,052,094
INCOTTS
HOW TO TEACH
SILENT READING
TO BEGINNERS
LAYAN
EMMA WATSINS
HUVIVUL
1837
VIVIBIL
017
ARTES
SCIENTIA
VERITAS
LIBRARY
OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
EIURIGES UND
TIERON
VA
1.QUÆKIS.PENINSULAMAMCENAS
CIRCUMSPICE
EDUCATION
WITHIRIL1010!!!
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1525
W 33
37714
W 3356
HOW TO TEACH SILENT
READING TO BEGINNERS

Page 49
Cat
duregi
Billie
Illustrating “Run and play awhile." See “Action-Words” Lesson.

SCHOOL PROJECT SERIES
WILLIAM F. RUSSELL Pă.D., EDITOR
DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
HOW TO TEACH
SILENT READING TO
BEGINNERS
BY
EMMA WATKINS
UNIVERSITY SCHOOL FOR THE TRAINING OF SUPERINTENDENTS,
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
3
AVANT
DROIT
PHILADELPHIA & LONDON
J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY
1
:
COPYRIGET, 1922, BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY
Coule,
q
certs.
PRINTED BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY
AT THE WASHINGTON SQUARE PRESS
PHILADELPHIA, U. S. A.
t
.
FOREWORD
There is probably no problem in which
primary teachers are more interested today
than in the problem of reading. This is not
only because of the fundamental relation
which reading bears to progress in other sub-
jects, but also because of the new light which
experimentation has thrown upon the abilities
involved in reading. The practice of using
reading tests has been especially stimulating.
Instead of setting up objectives as in the past
in terms of elocutionary standards or in terms
of the number of primers or first readers read
more or less thoroughly, teachers may now
determine the degree of skill possessed by the
pupils under her charge in any or all of the
various qualities which make up good reading.
It is becoming clear that a distinction
should be made between oral and silent read-
ing. This does not mean that oral reading is
not valuable, but rather that it must not be
confused with objectives peculiar to silent read-
ing. There is also a tendency to contrast the
reading of literature, even though it is read
silently, with the sort of reading we do in
:
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FOREWORD
reading factual material in search of the solu-
tion to a problem. There is to be a growing
tendency greatly to increase the emphasis
upon the training of abilities involved in
working with books.
There seems to be common agreement to-
day that more care should be taken to insure
proper comprehension in the reading exer-
cises in the primary grades. This inevitably
leads to an increase of emphasis upon silent
reading, since in oral reading it is impossible to
tell with any degree of accuracy whether or
not the pupil understands what he has read.
Responses must be required in terms other
than those of the words of the material which
is being read.
Miss Watkins has done an excellent piece
of work in providing a rich assortment of satis-
factory exercises to meet this need. All the
exercises included in this book have been care-
fully worked out in large and small classes
under the conditions which exist in the public
schools. The directions for teaching these
exercises are clearly given so that even the
novice makes real progress by following them.
It must not be thought that Miss Watkins
would limit the teaching of reading to this sort
c
come
FOREWORD
7
of exercise. It is not intended that these
exercises take the place of instruction in liter-
ary appreciation. There is also a necessity of
reading, silently, a great deal of easy material
such as is found in our best primers and first
readers. Neither are the exercises expected to
supplant the teaching phonics. On the other
hand, they must be used effectively whether
or not phonics are taught.
The exercises do, however, add greatly to
the interest of the children in first grade work,
since they are based on facts and experiences
common to the child, they supply the condi-
tions which should exist for speed and compre-
hension exercises. The requirements of such
exercises are, first, that the exercises should be
given under time pressure and, second, that
each exercise should be followed by a rigorous
test of the child's comprehension. The les-
sons here outlined by Miss Watkins fulfill these
conditions in an admirable way and will, no
doubt, prove a source of great inspiration to
primary teachers everywhere.
ERNEST HORN, Ph.D.
Professor of Education,
University of Iowa.
IOWA CITY, Iowa.
中
​CONTENTS
CHAPTER
PAGE
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1
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I. INTRODUCTION....
II. METHOD
III. MATERIALS .
IV. THE "COME TO THE CLASS" LESSON
V. THE "CHILDREN'S NAMES" LESSON
VI. THE "PERSONAL HISTORY" LESSON
VII. THE "SALUTATION" LESSON
VIII. THE "ACTION-WORDS" LESSON,
IX. THE “MORNING DUTIES" LESSON.
X. TAE "THINGS IN THE ROOM" LESSON
XI. THE "PARTS OF THE BODY" LESSON
XII. THE "COLOR CARDS" LESSON
XIII. THE “COLOR LESSON, WITH OBJECTS"
XIV. THE “ANIMAL" LESSON
XV. THE "NUMBERS" LESSON
XVI. THE "OBJECTS-IN-THE-BASKET" LESSON
XVII. THE “PREPOSITIONS" LESSON
XVIII. THE “CALENDAR" LESSON..
XIX. THE "TELLING TIME" LESSON
XX. THE “STREET SIGNS" LESSON
XXI. THE "FLOWERS" LESSON
XXII. THE "YES AND NO" LESSON.
XXIII. THE "OPPOSITES" LESSON.
XXIV. THE "BIRD STUDY" LESSON
XXV. INTRODUCTION TO PROJECTS
XXVI. "WASHING THE CLOTHES" PROJECT
XXVII. "SETTING THE TABLE" PROJECT
XXVIII. THE RABBIT PROJECT
XXIX. THE TABLE PROJECT.
XXX. PAONICS.......
XXXI. TEST WORDS
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38
43
47
51
53
58
62
65
69
73
77
81
84
88
91
94
96
98
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105
107
110
115
118
126
128
再
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ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
ILLUSTRATING "RUN AND PLAY AWHILE." SEE "ACTION-WORDS"
LESSON
Frontispiece
AT PLAY ON THE CAMPUS-MORNING GROUP..
30
"SHOW BY THE NUMBER OF Your SWINGS HOW OLD YOU ARE."
SUGGESTED EXERCISES.
.... 76
ILLUSTRATING THE DIRECTION WORD "ON." SEE “PREPOSITIONS"
LESSON
82
ILLUSTRATING THE DIRECTION WORD "UP," SEE "PREPOSITIONS"
LESSON
82
SHOWING "TODAY" ON THE CALENDAR
86
"WHEN SHALL YOU EAT YOUR NEXT MEAL?"
88
SETTING THE TABLE:.
110
THE TABLE PROIECT-REMOVING THE VARNISH
120
I
- ...
HOW TO TEACH SILENT
READING TO BEGINNERS
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Using the Silent Reading Method, each
pupil in a class of forty, long before the end of
the first school year, carried out without hesi-
tation the following printed commands in the
presence of the class and visitors:
"Tell that man sitting by the window that
the spinning wheel over in the corner is older
than the telephone, electric light, railroads
and the United States."
“Draw an oblong, a circle and a square.
Put your age under the circle, then go and
turn on the electric light that is over my table.
“The man standing by the door and wear-
ing a gray suit, lives in Omaha. Go to him,
shake hands with him, tell him your name and
your father's name; then show by the num-
ber of your swings on the swing just how
old you are.
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14
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
“Ask the lady with the blue dress to whis-
per to you the time she came to Iowa City, then
show us the time on the large dial. Then ask
her if she came from Denver on the Rock Is-
land Railroad. Tell us what she says.'
How can an immature and entirely un-
trained mind be taught in the short space of
the first school year to grasp fully and execute
commands involving a knowledge of every part
of speech and of so varied an assortment
of actions?
The result is achieved by treating the
child's intelligence as a full-grown intelligence
which simply requires to be informed, in a logi-
cal manner and without interposition of ob-
structive methods.
There is apparently no limit to the capa-
city for learning which the child's mind posses-
ses, save the limitations of time and circum-
stances. There is no reason why a child should
not learn anything valuable which it is capable
of learning in as short a time as possible. It
is more than criminal to waste the intensely re-
ceptive days of childhood in forcing children
into straight jackets, educationally speaking,
which all but prohibit any free action of
the mind.
.
INTRODUCTION
15
It has taken the world a long time to learn
that children love to do the things that they
should do; and that teacher is the wisest who
restricts the energies of pupils only in order to
guide them the most effectively.
You are dealing with young minds which
are as eagerly receptive as young robins in a
nest. Their primary want is new ideas just as
their primary physical want is something to
eat. Give them the ideas they need and the
rest will take care of itself. Does a boy in a
game of horse or Indian need to be kept in
order? Does a girl in playing house need to
be reminded of her deportment?
Teach your pupils in the manner laid out
in the following pages, and you will not need to
think about “order. The only marching my
pupils do is when they honor the flag each
morning. They never sit in position. When
we talk things over we talk them informally,
face to face. One pupil waits till his fellow
has said his say, and then he rises. There is
no interrupting, for each child knows he will
be heard when his turn comes; and then he
does not like to be interrupted.
My pupils don't "raise their hands," be-
cause that isn't done in real life. They rise.
16
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
That means they have something to say.
They are taught to maintain their own ideas.
I welcome their talking. They don't talk
unless they have ideas. Deliver me from a
class of children who don't want to talk!
But they must talk in an orderly way.
Nor does it occur to them to do otherwise, if
the teacher is on the alert. Utterly uncon-
scious of the fact, the pupils are teaching them-
selves and if given the opportunity, they go at
it with a ferocious earnestness inexplicable to
the jaded minds of their elders.
One pupil helps another; not consciously,
but as one side of the scissors sharpens the
other side. Guided as they are by pure reason,
they govern themselves by their sense of jus-
tice. This sense creates, from the first day, a
public opinion, and this public opinion of the
school governs me as well as them.
The Silent Reading Method is based on
the perception of similarity and difference.
The word "intellect" is derived from words
meaning “to choose between."
The education of the child, from the first
day on, proceeds on differences perceived by
the child's mind. He learns to recognize his
INTRODUCTION
17
own printed name, and to distinguish it from
every other word.
The merit of the Silent Reading Method is
that it strips from schooling all unnecessary
things and allows the child's mind to work nat-
urally, without artificial impediment. The
useless toil thus avoided is converted into
mental energy which enables the child's mind
to rush forward as though on wings.
It is wonderful, to one familiar only with
the common method of teaching, to see a five-
year old of average mental ability, fully grasp-
ing within five months not only concrete ideas,
such as the names of animals, furniture, etc.,
but such abstract words as triangle, oblong,
south, yesterday, false, etc.
Observe: It is not the length of time a
pupil has been in school that determines his
progress, but the way in which he has been
taught.
Take the expression “telephone number."
Under the other method of teaching, a child
would be seven or eight years old before he
would meet this expression in his vocabulary.
Yet the expression contains one idea no more
complicated than "cat" or "dog." Why not
2
18
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
convey this idea as readily as "cat" or "dog"?
Why make a difficulty of it?
Children's minds work directly, by ideas.
They receive one idea as readily as another.
The notion that one idea, which requires more
letters to set it out, is more difficult to impart
is erroneous. The fact that one word is longer
than another word makes no difference
whatever.
You are facing the pupils on their first day.
They have never been in school before. Their
minds are already filled with ideas of their own.
Their senses are intensely keen. Their desire
is to please and excel. THEY WANT TO KNOW.
It is your place to let them know, without
wasting a moment of precious time. Let there
be no hesitation, no unreadiness. You must
know exactly WHAT you intend to present,
and how you are going to present it. The re-
ception of an idea by a child's mind is governed
by the same laws of cause and effect as any
other action.
Your task under the SILENT READING
METHOD is a pleasant one. You will be aston-
ished at the ease with which ideas are imparted
and you will be amazed at the spontaneity and
accuracy of the action of their minds. You
.
INTRODUCTION
19
will share in the delight the pupil feels at grasp-
ing an idea readily. You will enter into his
enthusiasm and the work becomes play.
The means used in SILENT READING are
simple and always the same, although the
subject matter and the method of presenta-
tion vary greatly. The teacher prints every
word that is used. This printing on card or
blackboard is the MEDIUM OF TRANSMITTING
THE IDEA.
.
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CHAPTER II
METHOD
In the following pages is shown a method
of teaching children which makes use of every
possible short-cut from the teacher's mind to
the mind of the pupil. This is done by im-
parting the ideas through name-cards and the
blackboard, with few or no spoken words.
Modified in every conceivable way, this is the
bases of the method by which these results can
be obtained. This method can briefly be de-
scribed as follows:
A Name-Card containing the word to be
taught is prepared. The child is told what
the word in question is. The card is then
withdrawn and replaced with other cards, and
the child is told to watch for it when it reap-
pears. Cards are shown one by one, and when
this particular word reappears, the children
will indicate their recognition of it in a pre-
scribed manner, (by actions of various kinds).
The word is then printed on the blackboard
and shade, and a word related to the original
word is printed on a name-card and held op-
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METHOD
21
posite the word on the blackboard. The chil-
dren are taught by the similarity or difference.
Variations of these operations are infinite
in number. The teacher, in using the name-
cards and inculcating the ideas, must use a de-
gree of skill. This skill increases with prac-
tice and only with practice.
CHAPTER MI
MATERIALS
1
:
:
Name-Cards: These cards are of light
brown manila cardboard paper. They vary in
size according to the length of the word, phrase
or sentence to be printed on them. The small-
est name-card, used for such short words as
NAME, is five inches wide by twelve inches
long. The largest name-card which was found
necessary contained the expression, written on
two lines, “With what does the mother rabbit
line her nest?” This card was five inches wide
by twenty four inches long.
The teacher herself prints the words on the
cards. She uses a "lettering pen" one-eighth
inch wide to print these words. The words
are printed in letters at least an inch high.
The LETTERING PEN with which these
words are printed by the teacher, using ink,
is important. It can be obtained from any
well-equipped stationer or book seller.
The name-cards should be kept in sets,
confined with a strong rubber band. For ex-
ample, the “Action Words" lesson contains a
!
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MATERIALS
23
lengthy vocabulary. Each word in this vo-
cabulary is printed on a card and these cards
are kept bound together. Occasionally the
teacher allows a pupil to take one set of name-
cards home for an evening
It is vitally important that the words be
printed plainly, in black ink, and that each
letter be very large, as shown in the sample.
Blackboard: In the Silent Reading Meth-
od, it is necessary to print words on the black-
board, these words to be printed in letters as
large as those used on the name-cards, using
white chalk.
Shade: A curtain which can be raised
and lowered on a roller like a window shade,
should be obtained and hung directly in front
of the blackboard where the class assembles.
This curtain is a common window blind about
five feet wide, on the exposed side of which two
heavy coats of black paint have been laid.
This gives a surface upon which the teacher
can print with chalk.
This shade is useful chiefly in rapid drill
work. As the words are learned one by one,
perhaps day by day, they are printed, under
proper headings, on the curtain. For example,
the word STAND is learned. After it is fixed
24
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
in the pupils' minds, it is printed on the shade
and the shade is rolled up. Next lesson, after
another word is thoroughly learned, it is
printed on the shade under the word STAND.
So the vocabulary of any given lesson grows,
and the work is reviewed each time the curtain
is pulled down. On another part of the shade
another vocabulary can be started, such as the
"preposition" words. This process goes on
until the shade is filled, after which the oldest
lessons are erased and others substituted, word
by word. Use of the shade obviates the ne-
cessity for printing words afresh each day. It
also furnishes a valuable means for cumula-
tive drill.
An important advantage in the use of the
shade is that the pupils are enabled to see the
words in positions different from those they
occupy in the pack of name-cards. This will
prevent children from associating the word
with the position in which it happens to be
found, and focuses their attention on the word
itself rather than on the position of the word.
Hectograph: A hectograph may be ob-
tained at a low price from school supply
houses. It is a very convenient means of re-
producing a typewritten or hand-printed page
..-----
MATERIALS
25
containing the lessons used during the week.
By using a special carbon ribbon on a type-
writer, typewritten sheets can be hecto-
graphed. It adds to the interest of the pupils
to give them copies of these vocabularies, etc.
to take home to their parents, for inspection.
Calendars: Large and small calendars
will be used in the “Calendar" lesson. Tear
off, each month, the sheet of the large calendar
showing the current month, and paste it upon
stiff cardboard. If possible, this calendar
should show the phases of the moon. Hang
it where it may be convenient for reference
and ready for instant use.
Have ready, also, small calendars five by
eight inches. Secure enough to supply each
child. From each of these small calendars tear
out the current month, as from the large cal-
endar, and mount it on cardboard. Keep these
mounted calendars in a separate box where
they also may be ready for use.
Clock Dials: Large and small clock dials
may be obtained at a small cost from school
supply houses. The large dial should be
placed in a conspicuous part of the room.
In one room two large dials were used. One
was fastened, by means of thumb tacks, to the
.
26
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
bulletin board where the children were allowed
to move the hands at pleasure. Small dials
should be placed in a box ready for use.
Bulletin Board: Obtain as large a bulle-
tin board as possible with a surface on
which you can fasten papers with thumb tacks.
Place this low enough so that it will be on a
level with the children's eyes where they may
use it. Labels, street signs, etc. may be tacked
upon the bulletin board after they have been
discussed in class.
Color Cards: Cut stiff cardboard into
squares four by four inches and cover both
sides with a piece of colored crepe paper. All
desired colors may be obtained in the Den-
nison crepe papers. Have enough cards so
that each child may have a complete set of
eleven colors.
Animal Silhouette Cards: Obtain sil-
houette pictures of various animals on a
large sheet from a school supply house. Cut
out the figures and mount them on square
pieces of cardboard of uniform size. Have
these cards kept in one set secured by a rubber
band ready for use.
Between pages 28 and 29 are exact copies of
hectograph sheets which were given to each
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MATERIALS
27
pupil at the close of the successive weeks of
summer school. The children were five years
old and attended morning session only. (There
were two other classes in the room which were
more advanced than the group receiving these
sheets.) The directions given at the head of
each lesson were for the guidance of the parents.
The NAMES OF THE CHILDREN were not added to
the sheets until the fourth week, although cards
bearing their names were used in every lesson.
Notice that the position of the words and
of the subjects is changed on each hecto-
graph sheet. This is done so that the child
will become familiar with the word itself and
not by the position of the word.
Every lesson given in these type lessons
may be expressed silently except in the PER-
SONAL HISTORY and SALUTATION.
Beginning with the fourth week the OBJECTS
IN THE BASKET lesson was begun. Each little
one "owned" one object, in other words, was
responsible for the name corresponding to the
object. The reason for printing all of the names
of the objects on the typewritten sheet was to
ascertain if each one knew his own object
among all of the others, and also to make him
familiar with type.
...........
28
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
READING METHOD.
Each sheet contains all of the words learned
previously so that a review of the entire voca-
bulary may be given.
The typewriter is a valuable aid to the
resourceful teacher in teaching the SILENT
By the use of the especi-
ally prepared typewritten ribbon, which is
easily adjusted, the teacher can type any
lesson and make hectograph copies of it for
the pupil to keep at home for reference.
Color Parts of Body. Action
fingers
whisper
blue neck
head
clap
Sound's feet
fly
foot
hop
Salutation stand
f
go
t
bend
Personal History jump
age
telephone street number
teacher country
school state
purple
run
3
m
How are you?
Good morning.
come
S
Estou-CO
name
father's name
city
Vocabulary for third week.
June 28 to July 2,
Elementary
School.S.U.I,
Vocabulary for third week reduced.
:
7
(Point to word and let (Touch parts of the
child perform action)
body)
stand
neck
sit
fingers
foot
jump
clap
Personal history
(Point toword and let child
ool
hop
run
give answer.)
come
name
go
Sounds
t mac
tele phone
teacher
school
Come to the class
Go to your seat.
.
TX).
Vocabulary for first week.
Elementary School
June 14 to 18,
? .::.
S.U.I.
1
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Parts of Body.
Salutation
(Let child answer question.)
How are you?
S
foot
neck
fingers
head
Come to the class.
.
Go to your seat.
f
teacher
name
Color
Personal History
purple
school
(Let child find color.)
Sounds telephone
mf staarl
Action
stand run hop
hop city
go
age
come clap Vocabulary for second
Elementary School S.VI.
fether's name
Jump sit
week June 21-25
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MATERIALS
29
PERSONAL HISTORY
name
father's name
city
county
telephone
age
COLOR
purple
blue
red
teacher
school
country
street number
date of birth
place of birth
)
SALUTATION
Good morning.
How are you?
Shake hands with me.
OBJECTS-IN-THE-BASKET
buffalo motor boat
spool
tea kettle
scissors shoe horn
telephone dog
clothes pin spade
pan
bowl
wheel
automobile
brush
monkeys
rabbit
(Let child find the name of
his object.)
ACTION
stand
bend
hop
jump
Gome
sit
whisper
run
fly
go
CHILDREN'S NAMES
PARTS OF THE BODY
Barbara
neck
Beth
fingers
Junior
foot
Charles
feet
Dennis
head
Fairy
David
SOUNDS
Margaret
a n mc l ti or s
Billy
Marion
Come to the class.
Joo
Go to your seat.
Mary Ellen
Miss Watkins (poor blind lady)
Elementary School-- July 12, 1920.
End of the 4th week.
-.---.....
CHAPTER IV
i
THE "COME TO THE CLASS" LESSON
Explanation: In this lesson, which is
to be used for pupils attending school for the
first time, the children are made acquainted
with the printed forms of words which will
be in constant use throughout the first school
year. The teacher prints upon the black-
board the words COME TO THE CLASS, and
orally explains the command. The pupils
accustom themselves to relying upon printed
words for guidance. With certain definite
exceptions, the teacher is not to address the
pupils orally. The exceptions to this rule are
set out explicitly in the proper places. Let the
teacher communicate to the pupils solely
through printed words, either on cards or on
the blackboard
The manner in which the lesson idea is
conveyed is given immediately below, under
-
:
DIRECTION.
Direction: Have ready a pack of name-
cards containing each pupil's first name. (See
Chapter V, page 34.)
30
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At play on the campus-Morning Group.
THE "COME TO THE CLASS" LESSON
31
The children are in their usual seats.
Print on the blackboard COME TO THE CLASS.
(This is the first step in teaching a child to
receive an idea-in this case, the idea of fol-
lowing directions.)
Pointing to the words, talk informally to
the pupils. Waste no words. Say something
like this: “What I have printed here, (in-
dicating) means that all of you are to rise
whenever you see this and come to this place
where the little chairs are. I call this place
'the class'."
Before the children can comply with the
request and COME TO THE CLASS, the teacher
erases the request, saying nothing more.
She then prints it again, still saying noth-
ing, and looks at the class.
Those pupils
less timid than others will do as the words
indicate. Tell the timid pupils just what
it means.
When all the pupils are seated "in class,
turn to the board and print GO TO YOUR
SEATS. Tell the pupils that when that is
printed it means, go and sit in your own seat.
The children return to their original
seats. The teacher erases all words from the
board. Again print COME TO THE CLASS.
"
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32
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
:
Say nothing, but look at the children. They
rise, come to the class and seat themselves.
Now erase the words and re-print GO TO
YOUR SEATS, and if necessary explain again.
Repeat the exercise of coming to the class
and returning to the seats as many times
as necessary.
It is important that in the first lesson, as
well as in the succeeding ones, the pupils
shall obey promptly. You can insure this by
insisting upon it. Never relax the rule. Do
not give an oral command. (The writer has
frequently conducted an entire recitation
with not more than ten spoken words, and
occasionally with none at all.)
Silence Game: The children are seated
"in class." The teacher taps on the black-
board three times with her chalk to indicate
that the Silence Game is to begin, the three
taps indicating the three syllables in the
words si-lence-game. The children and teacher
both understand that not a word is to be said
during the game.
The teacher prints on the board or flashes
the name-cards in rapid succession, the chil-
dren'taking part in turns. A calendar lesson,
a clock dial lesson and an action lesson by
THE "COME TO THE CLASS" LESSON
33
flash cards may all be taken up at one time
during a Silence Game. At the conclusion
of the game, the teacher again taps three
times on the board, indicating that the game
is over.
As a reward the teacher draws a picture
on the board with colored crayon, or any-
thing else the children like. If the silence is
broken during the game, the game must be
started over.
Son
3
CHAPTER V
THE “CHILDREN'S NAMES" LESSON
COME TO THE CLASS.
Explanation: In this lesson the pupils
are taught to recognize their own names when
printed, and to respond promptly when cards
bearing their names are shown (or "flashed")
by the teacher.
In this and in succeeding lessons, begin
by printing on the blackboard the command
Whenever you dis-
miss the class, do it by printing on the
blackboard GO TO YOUR SEATS, or FLY TO
YOUR SEATS or JUMP TO YOUR SEATS, etc.,
varying the command according to the prog-
ress of the pupils in Action Words, which are
taken up later.
Direction: The pupils are before you,
seated "in class." Have ready a pack of
cards each containing the first name of a
pupil, and covering the whole class. The cards
in a pack are in your hand. Take one card off
the top. Suppose it contains the name
The teacher says, “Charles, this
is your name; you may hold it" (giving him
CHARLES.
34
1
THE "CHILDREN'S NAMES" LESSON
35
names.
the card). "Mary, this is your name; take
it.” The teacher proceeds thus until all the
cards are given out. She then shows a card
containing her own name, and says, “This is
my name,--Miss
Each pupil having his card, the teacher
says:
“Give me your cards as I call your
She proceeds to call each name,
glancing at the cards to get the names, and
they hand them to her.
She then gives out the cards again in the
same manner as before, and calls them in
again. Repeat as many times as necessary.
Now, hold the pack of cards before the
pupils. Say, "When you see your name, stand."
Take a card from the pack and show it to the
class. The child whose name is shown rises.
He remains standing while you proceed to
show the other cards, one by one. The entire
class then is standing, you retaining the cards.
Then orally ask them to be seated as their
names are shown. You take out any card
from the pack and "flash" it, replacing it on
the top. As each child's card appears, he
seats himself.
Repeat this exercise several times, until
you feel certain that each pupil recognizes his
own name.
36
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
You are now ready for the game “Poor
Blind Lady,” which is based on children's
names.
POOR BLIND LADY
The teacher is The Poor Blind Lady.
Stand before the class with the bundle of
cards containing the names of all the pupils
and of yourself. Your own card is exposed to
the class.
Close your eyes and say, “Stand when you
see your own name, and when you see the
name of the Poor Blind Lady, say 'Stop':'
Take a card from the bottom of the pack
and show it (your own eyes remaining closed).
The child whose card is shown rises and re-
mains standing. You show another child's
name and that child rises,--and so on, until
finally the teacher's name appears again, at
which time the children all cry "Stop."
The object of the game is for the pupils to
show the teacher that they know, not only
their own names, but hers also. It gives the
children the keenest pleasure when the teacher,
on opening her eyes at hearing the word
"Stop," sees so many of them standing.
Seat them, in the same manner--(by ex-
posing the name-cards in turn).
THE "CHILDREN'S NAMES" LESSON
37
Close this lesson by sending the children
to their seats in turn, as their cards are shown.
Print on the blackboard the words GO TO
YOUR SEAT, then flash the name-cards one
by one; each pupil goes to his own seat as he
sees his card.
Do not play this or any other-game
too long. Accustom yourself strictly to stop
while the interest is at its height.
With little children, lessons short and
frequent are much more effective than long-
continued ones.
-..
CHAPTER VI
THE "PERSONAL HISTORY" LESSON
Explanation: In this lesson the pupil
is taught certain general words, through their
relation to himself. For example, as Johnnie
Smith learns the word NAME, he naturally
forms the idea that "name" and "Johnnie
Smith” are synonymous. When he sees the
word
"name," he automatically responds,
"Johnnie Smith."
But, looking about, he
hears Dorothy Brown respond to NAME with
“Dorothy Brown." He sees that Edward
Robinson believes the word NAME spells
Edward Robinson. Johnnie Smith thereupon
arrives at the general nature of the word NAME.
Vocabulary:
name
school
grade
age
street and number or
rural route
telephone number
county
state
country
place of birth
date of birth
teacher
city or township
father's name
:
38
THE "PERSONAL HISTORY" LESSON
39
Note: Under each lesson is shown a
"Vocabulary." This is made up of words to
be learned in the course of the lesson. Each
word usually is to be printed by the teacher
on a card and shown to the pupils according
to directions printed with each lesson.
It is necessary, of course, to have the en-
tire vocabulary of any given lesson printed
beforehand, but the teacher need not teach
the vocabulary words in the order given.
Direction: The pupils are before you
“in class."
The teacher holds in her hand cards con-
taining the words in the foregoing vocabulary.
Your purpose is to elicit the correct reac-
tion and response from each pupil as you
“flash" the cards containing the words.
Begin with the card NAME. Show it to
each child in turn. Let him know that in-
stantly upon seeing the word NAME, he is to
give his full name aloud. (Incidentally, this
lesson has value in accustoming the child to
use his voice naturally before children who
are as yet comparative strangers to him.)
After each child has responded to the word
NAME by giving his own name aloud, re-
place the card in the pack. Then say to the
40
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
pupil, “When you see the card NAME, clap
your hands, but do not say anything." Then
flash the cards in the pack before their eyes, in
rather quick succession. They wait until
NAME appears, and when it appears they
clap their hands.
Vary in this way the manner of reaction
to the word NAME, in order that the pupils
may learn that the manner of reaction is only
incidental, and that the idea conveyed by
NAME is the important thing. Say to them,
“When you see the card NAME, stand on
your chair, " or “Wave your hands," or
“Point to a picture," etc. This serves to fix
the word in the mind. In all these exercises,
the child is to think the word but not to
Say it.
Other actions will suggest themselves to
the teacher. See that each member of the
class takes part and understands all that is
done. Make the child, from the first, depend
upon himself.
:
This general or concert work is to be re-
garded as an exception in all teaching of
SILENT READING, for as a rule the work
should be between the teacher and one pupil
at a time.
j
THE "PERSONAL HISTORY” LESSON
41
NAME
Test each pupil thoroughly with the words
NAME and TEACHER before dismissing the
class. If the instruction in
and
TEACHER is sufficiently thorough, this should
form enough work for one lesson. In the next
lesson, review the word NAME and intro-
duce another word.
.
In giving such words as SCHOOL, GRADE,
COUNTY, etc., the pupils of course are lim-
ited to one answer,--the name of the school
they are attending.
Note: The teacher is not expected to de-
vote an entire recitation to the word NAME
or SCHOOL, or any other word. When you
feel that each child knows the word under dis-
cussion, put it aside and take up an entirely
different pack. Many subjects may be kept
running at the same time, such as “Parts of
the Body" cards, “Action" cards, "Prepo-
sition" cards, etc. Have each pack of cards
bound with a rubber band, and ready for in-
stant use at any time. Call each lesson-sub-
ject by its proper namė, in speaking of cards
to the pupils;--as, “Personal History" cards,
"Name" cards, "Color" cards, “Calendar"
cards, etc.
42
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
Suggested Sentences
The teacher will print the following requests on the board.
With the PERSONAL HISTORY cards in her hand she will
quickly flash a card at the end of the sentence, the child re-
sponding with the information. In the sentence 'Ask me my
(name) the child will ask the teacher, “What is your name?"
The teacher replies by giving her name.
Ask me my (school). Train the child to ask "What school do
you attend?"
Ask me my (telephone number).
Tell me your (father's name).
Ask John his (age).
Tell the children your (country). United States of America.
Tell Marion your (age).
Ask me my (street number).
What is your (city)?
Who is your (teacher)?
What is your (telephone number)?
Whisper to me your (city).
Whisper to Jack your (place of birth).
1
CHAPTER VII
THE "SALUTATION" LESSON
Explanation: This lesson consists of
showing to the pupils cards containing words
of salutation. To each salutation, as it is
recognized by the pupils, the child makes
response.
Vocabulary:
Good morning
Good afternoon
Good evening
Good-bye
How are you?
How is your mother?
Isn't this a beautiful day?
Shake hands with me.
Direction: Have the phrases in the vocab-
ulary printed on cards. Choose the phrase
you wish to present. Suppose you take
the question HOW ARE YOU? Tell the
class what it is. Read it to them. Ask what
answer should be given and how given. Dis-
cuss it. Say that if a person takes the
trouble to inquire about one's health, one
should thank the inquirer. Bring out the
43
44
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
answer, “I am very well, thank you." Place
in the pack the card bearing the question
and ask all to watch for it the next time
it reappears.
In this lesson the children are not to make
their responses aloud, but to THINK them
and to show by action what they are thinking.
Now, ask each child separately to look out
for the phrase as it appears from the pack.
Flash the cards one by one and the first time
the phrase HOW ARE YOU? appears, tell
them to clap their hands (or any action show-
ing recognition, the purpose being to fix the
phrase in the mind). Each child is to say,
"I am well, thank you," in place of the cus-
tomary “All right," so commonly heard
among children.
In presenting the question HOW IS YOUR
MOTHER ? require the answer, “My mother
is well, thank you. "
When teaching SHAKE HANDS WITH ME
let the child, without saying the words,
reach out his hand. Teach the child, inci-
dentally, the proper way to shake hands,
which is to clasp the hand firmly with the
thumb in proper position, and look squarely
at the person greeted.
THE "SALUTATION" LESSON
45
In teaching the phrase GOOD-BYE, let
the child say "Good-bye, Miss.
The same form is to be used in GOOD MORNING.
Take only one phrase per lesson. Get the
idea well set in the pupils' minds before start-
ing with another.
SALUTATION GAME
Print the children's first names quickly on
the board. Then hold the salutation cards,
one by one, opposite the names of each child
in quick succession.
For example, take the HOW ARE YOU
card and hold it up close to the name of
JAMES, printed on the blackboard. JAMES is to
reply instantly, “I am well, thank you."
Repeat this with every pupil, using every
card in turn, Then reverse the process.
Print the salutation phrases quickly on the
board. Hold the pupils' names (printed on
cards) one by one opposite each salutation.
The pupil indicated is to respond promptly.
Incidentally, these lessons give the teacher
a valuable opportunity to shape the replies of
children to every-day questions, and to re-
form slipshod manners of speech.
.... -
46
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
Suggested Sentences
Good morning (John).
How are you (Dorothy)?
How is your mother (Mary)?
Isn't this a beautiful day (Esther)?
Mary (How are you?)
Frank (How is your mother?)
George (shake hands with me).
Say to Dorothy (How are you)?
Ask Tom (How are you)?
Ask me (How is your mother)?
Say (Good bye) to me.
Say (Good afternoon) to John.
4
'
1
CHAPTER VITI
THE "ACTION-WORDS" LESSON
Explanation: In this lesson are shown
words which describe actions. To each ac-
tion-word, as it is recognized by the pupil, the
child makes response by an action.
Vocabulary:
stand
nod
take
sit
whisper bring
clap
lift
fly
skip
open
come
cry
close
go
laugh brush
touch
count
walk
scratch wind
bend
write
lock
hop
draw
unlock
jump
kneel
wave
run
Direction: Have ready the words of
the vocabulary, printed on flash cards, as in
the foregoing lessons. Suppose you begin
with the word STAND. Print the word on
the blackboard. Place a chair conveniently
near and sit on it. Say "See what I do."
1
47
:
!
48
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
You then rise to a standing position and ask,
“What did I do?” They will reply, “You
stood up" or “You got up." You say, “Yes,
I stood up, and what am I doing now?"
They will say, “You are standing up. " You
will then say, indicating the word on the
blackboard, “This word means STAND." Then
mix the cards and flash them successively, tell-
ing the pupils to STAND whenever they see the
word STAND.
Erase the word STAND from the black-
board. Write the pupils' names on the board
and hold the word STAND opposite a child's
That child is told to STAND when
this occurs. Hold the word STAND opposite
other children's names, each child rising as
the card reaches his name.
Having fixed the word STAND very firm-
ly in their minds, the teacher proceeds in the
same manner with the word sit.
Having done this very thoroughly, print
the words SIT and STAND several times on
the board before the class. Give an eraser to
one child and ask him to pronounce any of
these words, and to erase the word he pro-
nounces. After this, the pupil gives the eraser
to any other pupil he chooses. That child in
name,
á
THE "ACTION-WORDS" LESSON
49
turn will utter the word he intends to erase,
then erases the word and turns over the brush
to another child. This is done until all the
words are erased.
Before dismissing the class, test each child
thoroughly with cards to see if he knows the
words sit and STAND.
In teaching these words, insist upon indi-
vidual work so that each child may develop
confidence in himself from the outset.
Not more than one word should be under-
taken in one lesson. Bear in mind that other
vocabularies are being taught simultaneously
with this one, and that it is more beneficial to
give short lessons on a variety of topics than
to tire the child with a long-continued lesson
on one.
In all lessons subsequent to these Action-
Word lessons, the teacher should make lib-
eral use of the Action-Words, both in con-
ducting the class and in dismissing it. As the
child's vocabulary increases, use Action-Words
where possible. Have the pupils "fly" or
"hop" or "bend" or "jump" to their seats
when the class is dismissed.
In dismissing the class, the children may be
sent to their seats individually or in a body.
1
.
50
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
If individually use this method: Say some.
thing like this: "You may go to your seats
in this way.” Then, opposite each child's
name on the blackboard, flash an Action-
Word such as HOP, FLY, RUN, etc. Use
different words with different children. This
method of dismissal never fails to interest and
delight the children.
In later lessons where complicated ac-
tions are required, the Action-Words are in-
dispensable. They furnish the basis for some-
what involved commands, such as "fly to
that gentleman, shake hands with him, tell
him your name, your grade and your father's
name, and then hop to your seat.'
Suggested Exercises
1
Stand on a chair.
Walk between two chairs.
Run around me.
Fly across the room.
Close your eyes.
Open your hand.
Walk fast.
Walk slowly.
Walk on tiptoe.
Bring me a pencil.
Take the pencil away.
Put the pencil on the table.
Stand beside the table.
Clap your hands six times.
Clap your hands fast.
Wave your hand slowly.
Touch your right cheek.
Hop on your left foot.
Run then jump.
Sit and clap.
Tell John to bend.
Tell me to write.
CHAPTER LX
THE “MORNING DUTIES" LESSON
Explanation: This lesson introduces com-
plete sentences. The object is to familiar-
ize the children with words describing their
routine personal duties. The pupil is taught
each phrase by performing the acts indicated.
The teacher is not to expect the children
to stop and sound out each word in the follow-
ing sentences. The pupil must learn and know
each sentence as a whole and must respond
instantly when the card which contains it
is shown.
The interest of this lesson lies in the prompt-
ness with which the children respond by per-
forming the actions indicated.
Vocabulary:
Comb your hair Brush your clothes
Brush your teeth Drink some water
Wash your hands Tie your shoe
Wash your face Pull on your stocking
Take deep breaths
Direction: Have ready the above sen-
tences printed on cards. These are called the
51
52
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
YOUR
TEETH
"Morning Duties” cards. Have the cards
in a pack. The children are “in class."
Taking out the
out the BRUSH
card, the teacher says, to the pupils, “This
is what this sentence means." The teacher
then goes through the motions of brushing
her teeth. She asks the children as a class
to do the same. She tells them to look closely
at the words on the card. She places the card
back in the pack and asks the children to
watch for it when it reappears, and to per-
form the action indicated, without saying a
word. Cards are then flashed successively,
and when the card BRUSH
appears, see that each pupil responds by per-
forming the action. Then try the pupils in-
dividually to see if they are familiar with the
sight of the sentence. Do not teach more than
one sentence in one lesson.
YOUR
TEETH
.
:
----- -..-
CHAPTER X
THE “THINGS IN THE ROOM”
LESSON
Explanation: In this lesson the pupils are
taught the names of familiar objects about the
school room.
Vocabulary:
cupboard swing
table
electric ight
big chair
board
little chair
basket
victrola
chalk
window
blackboard
door
flag
floor
desk
picture
plants
brush
Direction: Have ready a pack of cards
showing the above vocabulary words. The
pupils are “in class."
Say to them, “Each of you is to own one
of these words. Jack, you may have WIN-
DOW. (The teacher hands Jack the WIN-
DOW card and Jack walks to the window,
+
53
54
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
places the card on the sill, and returns to his
seat.) Mary, you may have TABLE. (Mary
receives the TABLE card, goes to the table
and lays the card on it, and seats herself.)”
Proceed in this way until each child has
had a card and has placed it on the object
named.
The name-cards are all now out, lying on
the window, table, etc. Let some one pupil
take the teacher's place and call out to the
other pupils, successively, the names of the
cards, which are to be brought back from the
window, table, etc. This process may be re-
peated with variations.
Game: To be played in connection with
the "Things in the Room" lesson.
Print the vocabulary quickly on the board,
while the class is looking on.
Print also, elsewhere on the board, the ex-
pression HOP TO THE or TOUCH THE, etc.
Then flash, opposite one of the words in the
vocabulary, a card bearing a pupil's name.
The child indicated will "hop to the" win-
dow or other object named in the vocabulary.
Another child may thus be instructed to "fly
to the" door. Another will "jump to the"
table, and so on.
----
THE "THINGS IN THE ROOM” LESSON
58
Story: (to aid in this lesson.)
When all the words in the vocabulary
have been mastered, the cards are given out
to the pupils, regardless of where they go, and
the teacher "makes up" a story in which each
vocabulary word is used. As each child hears
his word, he promptly hands to the teacher
his card, on which the word is printed. If any
child is slow in responding, pass it over and
allow him to keep his card; but continue the
story and later make use of the word again,
until the child recognizes it as his word and
hands in his card.
Stories containing the vocabulary words
will readily suggest themselves to the teacher.
They should be simple and very informal.
For example, the teacher might say:
"Once upon a time there was a man and a
woman who had two little children, a boy
Jack and a girl Ruth. The Father was going
out West to build a home, away out where no
one lived.
"One evening they were talking about
what they would have in the house. The
Mother said, 'I want a nice cupboard in the
kitchen for my dishes, and of course we shall
have the table near-by where I can work. We
must take the Victrola and a few pictures, too.
56
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
"After they were in their new home, they
found that the children couldn't go to school
because it was too far, and the Mother said
she would be the teacher. Near the door they
had a blackboard, some chalk and brushes.
Every day they had a lesson.
“There was a large fireplace at one end of
the cabin. A big bear skin rug was on the floor
before the fire, and the children loved to lie
there in the evening and listen to Father tell
stories, or Mother sing songs. Father would
sit in his big chair on one side and Mother in
her little chair on the other side. The Mother
couldn't sew at night because they had no
electric lights.
“In this way, the children grew up, and
they were all very happy together."
Of course, the teacher will never tell the
same story twice. Vary this by allowing
one of the pupils, in place of the teacher, to
tell a story and receive the cards from the
other pupils.
Test each child frequently to see what prog-
ress he is making. To test, flash the card and
request him to say the word quickly as he can.
At other times, ask him merely to point to the
object named, without his saying the word.
Train the pupils to keep their lips closed when
thinking of the words.
i
;
THE "THINGS IN THE ROOM” LESSON
57
Suggested Exercises
Run to the cupboard.
Sit on the big chair then on the little chair.
Stand by the window and brush your teeth.
Bring me the basket that is on the table.
Put the little chair on the table.
Fly across the room.
Stand opposite the door and clap your hands.
I want some chalk.
I want a brush.
Point to the picture.
Show me the prettiest picture.
Open the window and close the door.
Write on the board.
Draw an oblong on the board.
Draw a square on the board,
Draw three lines on the board.
Draw three lines on the board.
Tell Mary to open the door.
Ask Frank to stand behind the table.
Salute the flag.
Touch red in the flag.
Touch blue in the flag.
Touch white in the flag.
Wave the flag.
-. -. ...
--------
--------
CHAPTER XI
THE "PARTS OF THE BODY" LESSON
Explanation: In this lesson the pupils
are shown cards indicating parts of the body.
As the vocabulary word is flashed, the child
touches the part of the body in question. The
game of “firsts" and of the "School Doll” are
used in this lesson.
Vocabulary:
head
abdomen wrist
neck
upper lip mind
fingers
lower lip
pulse
chest
spine
foot
cheeks
back
feet
temples hands
eyes
lungs
thumbs
hair
heart
skin
knees
shoulders teeth
ears
heel
tongue
stomach elbow
nails
nose
arm
Direction: Have ready the vocabu-
lary words printed on cards. The children are
“in class.
Take out one card, as CHEST. In pre-
senting the word, say, “These words represent
!
58
THE "PARTS OF THE BODY" LESSON
59
parts of the body, and this word (showing the
card with CHEST upon it) means CHEST.” The
card is shown at the same time the teacher
utters the word, and she places her hand on
her chest. Tell each child to place his hands
on his chest. Let each pupil become familiar
with the sight of the word, then hide the card in
the pack; flash the cards one by one and as the
word CHEST comes in view, each pupil is to
place his hand on his chest without moving the
lip. After thoroughly practicing this method,
tell the children to clap their hands as the word
CHEST comes into sight, then quickly flash
the cards. Again, tell them to stand when
they see the word CHEST.
Then tell the children that you will pass
the cards out, one to each pupil, and the pupil
who receives the word CHEST must run about
the room, or knock on the door, etc.
Then let one child choose another child to
stand before the class. The first child will
touch the parts of the second child's body as
the cards are flashed by the teacher.
All these devices serve to fix the word in
mind and, incidentally, to teach the habit of
attention. Introduce the vocabulary words
gradually, one or two to each lesson. Be very
. . ..-..-
I
1
-----..-.
60
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
thorough in the work and see that each child
knows each word.
Game of Firsts: Flash the cards in
quick succession and let the children respond,
not by words, but by touching the part of the
body indicated by the cards. Call out at
times the name of the child who seems to be
first in responding.
This game is an exception to the general
rule that concert work is less effective than
individual work. The game will serve to
create a spirit of emulation.
The School Doll Game: A "school
doll" is very useful in teaching not only the
"Parts of the Body” lesson, but also the
Action-Words and Prepositions.
Let one pupil, holding the doll, stand before
the class. As the cards bearing the names of
the parts of the body are flashed by the teacher
the child places his hand on the parts of the
doll as designated.
One school in playing this game always
used a little boy doll. The reason for choosing
the boy doll and calling it by a boy's name,
was that the little boy pupils did not hesitate
to play with a boy doll, but they were reluc-
tant to play with a doll dressed as a girl. Th
THE "PARTS OF THE BODY" LESSON
61
doll was twelve inches long and was dressed
in rompers. He was known as Teddy and his
appearance was always hailed with delight.
Suggested Exercises
Touch your head with your right hand.
Put one knee across the other knee.
Put one foot across the other foot.
Shake hands with me.
Put your hands opposite your ears.
Put your hand behind your head.
Put your little finger under your chin.
Close your right eye.
Put your heels together.
Put your lips together.
Show me your teeth.
Touch John's pulse.
Touch Fred's right arm.
Touch my left arm.
Lay your finger across your cheek.
Put your tongue in your cheek.
Bend your head.
Put your hands on your shoulders and run to your seats.
Where is your heart?
Where are your lungs?
Where is your mind?
Count your fingernails.
i
CHAPTER XII
THE “COLOR CARDS" LESSON
Explanation: In this lesson the names
of colors are taught by means of brightly
colored cards. The teacher, of course, also
uses name-cards and the blackboard. One
color is selected and learned, and it is perhaps
better to give not more than one new color at
one lesson.
Vocabulary:
purple
yellow
white
violet
orange
grey
blue
red
brown
green
black
Direction: Prepare color cards (of the
colors indicated above), to supply each pu-
pil with one card of each color. Prepare also
a set of manila name-cards as usual, giving
each color in the vocabulary. In preparing
the color cards, cut cardboard into squares
4 by 4 inches and cover these with colored
paper.
The Dennison crepe papers may be
obtained in almost all of the desired colors.
Give each child a package containing a card of
62
THE "COLOR CARDS" LESSON
63
each color, each package secured by a rubber
band. The pupils are “in class."
In presenting the lesson for the first time,
allow one pupil to pass the packs of colors
to the other children. The pupils will then
spread out the colors on their desks, so that
all may be seen.
The teacher takes the word PURPLE from
her pack of word-cards and shows the color
PURPLE, at the same time asking the pupils
to pick out the color card from among those on
their desks. See that each child selects the
right color card.
Now let the pupils collect the color cards
again into packages. Print on the black-
board the command "Place colors."
Place colors.” The pu-
pils will spread out their color cards again on
their desks.
Replace the name-card PURPLE in the
pack. Flash the cards and when the word
PURPLE again comes in view and is flashed,
the children will hold up the purple squares.
Print on the blackboard the command, “Col-
lect colors," and the children will collect the
cards and secure them with rubber bands.
Then print on the blackboard, "James,
you may collect all the color cards."
:
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64
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
The next color to present should be vio-
LET, and so on down the vocabulary. Use
the same words of command at all times until
the pupil's responses become automatic.
When the names of all the colors are
thoroughly learned, allow the pupils to mark
with colored crayon on the blackboard, as the
teacher flashes the name-cards.
Then print on the blackboard the words
"Point to green," and let all the pupils point
to something green in the room. Then print
"Point to yellow," etc.
Print the words "Touch red," or "Touch
blue," and cause the children to respond with
the action indicated.
Never let this lesson drag. Stop when
interest flags. Lessons short and frequent
are better when teaching little children.
...
:
i
..--... ..
CHAPTER XIII
THE “COLOR LESSON, WITH OBJECTS"
Explanation: In this lesson, which re-
quires closer thought on the part of the pupils
the children are taught to associate the
names of colored objects with the color itself,
and not with the name of the color. This is
done by the use of familiar, natural objects
and the color cards.
Vocabulary:
pumpkins
grass
violets
grapes
tar or midnight
snow
summer sky
lemons
ripe cherries
bark
Smoke
Direction: The children have already thor-
oughly familiarized themselves, by the color
cards lesson, with the names of all the colors.
Print the above vocabulary on name-cards.
Begin with any color. Discuss the color.
Say, for example, while holding up a green
card, "What color is this?" The pupils will
say, “GREEN," as they have already learned
5.
65
66
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
that color. Now say, “Tell me some things
that are green.
They will name grass,
leaves, paint, Mary's hair-ribbon, etc.
Then, showing the name-word GRASS,
tell the pupils that this word is GRASS, but
instruct them to think of GREEN when they
see the word GRASS.
In turn take the other colors, causing the
pupils to name objects suggested by the colors.
As each color is disposed of, the teacher
selects out of the objects named by the pupils,
those objects which are typical of the several
colors. In this way teacher and class together
work out a vocabulary something as follows:
green
orange
violet
purple
black
white
blue
yellow
red
brown
grey
grass
pumpkins
violets
grapes
tar or midnight
Snow
summer sky
lemons
cherries
bark
smoke
:
Color Game: (1) Place the color cards
on the ledge of the blackboard, the children
THE "COLOR LESSON, WITH OBJECTS"
67
being "in class." Flash a name-card, and see
which pupil will first reach the blackboard
and take the color card corresponding to the
name-word.
Color Game: (2) The color cards are
placed on the desks before the children. The
teacher will flash the word-cards in quick suc-
cession, the children holding up the color card
corresponding to the word-card.
Color Game: (3) The name-words, RED,
GREEN, BLUE, etc. may be printed in a col-
umn on a blackboard. Name-cards suggested
by these colors, such as grass, are distrib-
uted among the pupils. The teacher says, to
each pupil successively, “Match your word to
the color."
Again, the words naming the colors are
printed on the blackboard and the pupils, each
having a pack of color cards, each place a
color card opposite the appropriate word on
the board.
In forming the second vocabulary in this
lesson the teacher need not of course use the
above words PUMPKIN, GRASS, etc. How-
ever, the words which the teacher does use
must exactly indicate the color which is being
considered.
.....
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HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
Suggested Exercises
:
Bring me the red card.
Put the blue card under the table.
Put yellow, blue and orange on the window and hop to
your seat.
Who has a red hair ribbon?
Show me the prettiest color.
Pat all of the colors on the blackboard.
Show me the colors in the rainbow.
Draw a blue circle.
Draw a green oblong.
Draw six brown lines and three white lines.
Give violet to Mary and yellow to Ruth.
Tell Frank to put purple on the window and grey on the floor
by the door.
Point to yellow in the picture.
Point to the blue sky.
Find the color of the sky.
Find the color of grass.
Put the color of pumpkins on my table.
Tell Marion to get ripe cherries.
Show me what bark looks like.
I want some grapes.
Put lemons in the basket.
How does smoke look?
CHAPTER XIV
.
THE "ANIMAL" LESSON
3
COW
mouse
Explanation: In this lesson the chil-
dren are taught to associate the names of an-
imals with their pictures; and incidentally to
learn the chief characteristics of each animal.
This is done by means of word-cards and sil-
houette pictures pasted upon cards.
Vocabulary:
sheep
bear
hen
lion
rat
dog
rooster
duck
elephant
pig
horse
goat
robin
fox
camel
rabbit
turkey
frog
donkey
Direction: Prepare two sets of cards.
Print a set of name-cards giving the above
vocabulary; paste black silhouette pictures
of the animals (corresponding to the name-
cards) on cardboard for the second set. Stand
69
ܪ
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70
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
the silhouette cards around the blackboard
ledge in view of the class. Take the name-
card Dog. Say to the pupils, “This word
says DOG." Joe, find me a picture of a dog."
The child finds the picture of the word DOG.
Test each pupil with names of animals, one
at a time. Then reverse the operation.
Place the word-cards around the ledge of the
blackboard. $ Flash the silhouette cards and
see that each child in turn can find the word
belonging to the picture.
When the pictures and names of the ani-
mals have been thoroughly learned, prepare a
set of name-cards showing characteristics of
each animal as in the following vocabulary:
COW
gives milk
bear
hibernates
hen
lays eggs
rat
gnaws
rooster
elephant
has a long trunk
horse
neighs
robin
chirps
camel
has two humps
turkey
says “gobble'
donkey
has long ears
sheep
has wool
Crows
THE "ANIMAL" LESSON
71
mouse
lion
dog
duck
pig
goat
fox
rabbit
frog
squeaks
roars
barks
says
"quack'
grunts
butts
is sly
has pink eyes
croaks
Spread name-cards for above vocabulary
of characteristics around ledge of black-
board. Flash silhouette cards and cause the
pupils to find the corresponding descriptions
of the animals.
Animal Game: Stand silhouette cards
of animals on tħe ledge of the blackboard.
Flash the cards describing the animals in rap-
id succession. Let the children reach quickly
for the pictures as the word-cards are flashed.
As: When the card bearing the phrase HAS
WOOL is flashed, the children immediately
rush for the picture of a sheep; or, HAS A
LONG TRUNK, indicating the elephant, etc.
When the pictures are all taken, the pupil who
has the greatest number of pictures is declared
the victor in the competition.
72
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
Suggested Exercises
Put the cow, bear and horse behind the door.
Which animal (has long ears)?
Which animal (is sly)?
Which animal (gives milk)?
Put the animal that barks and the one that roars under
the table.
Find the animals that have feathers.
Find the two legged animals.
Find the four legged animals.
Which animals have horns?
Which animals give milk?
Which animal lives in the water?
Which animal sleeps all winter?
Bring me the animals that have horns.
Which animal has long hind legs?
Which animal has soft fur and pink eyes?
Which animal does the cat like?
Put the animal that crows in the cupboard.
+
!
CHAPTER XY
THE "NUMBERS" LESSON
Explanation: In this lesson the teacher
by no means seeks to teach the children arith-
metic. The purpose is to teach each pupil
simultaneously:
(a) the meaning of the number-words,
as FOUR;
(b) the corresponding symbol, as 4; and
(c) the Roman numeral, as IV.
This is done by means of flash cards, the
blackboard and square cards each contain-
ing on one side a digit and on the other, a
Roman numeral.
In teaching the numbers, start with FOUR
for the reason that the figure is easy to make;
and the teacher should bear in mind that no
one figure is "harder" than another if prop-
erly taught. Follow FOUR with six, then
FIVE-both easy to make.
The Roman numerals are taught in this
lesson, for two reasons: First, because these
numerals are one of the three methods of ex-
73
74
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
;
one
Vaer cu Nord
IO
II
12
pressing numbers, and second, in anticipation
of the "Clock Dial" lesson.
Vocabulary:
I
two
II
three
3
III
four
4
IV
five
V
six
6
VI
seven
7
VII
eight
8
VIII
nine
9
IX
ten
X
eleven
XI
twelve
XII
Direction: Have ready two sets of
cards. One set is to contain the name-cards
describing the numbers, as FOUR. The cards
in the other set are small and square, 4 by 4
inches being a convenient size.
On one
side of each card print a digit, as 4; on the
other side print the Roman numeral, as IV.
The children are "in class."
Having the pack of name-cards in hand,
the teacher takes out the name-card FOUR
and shows it to the class, saying, “This says
FOUR. Can you count to four?" As the
pupils reply by rising, she causes each pupil
to count up to four.
.
i
THE "NUMBERS" LESSON
75
The teacher then replaces the name-card
FOUR in the pack. She directs the pupils to
watch for the name-card FOUR, and when it
reappears, to clap their hands four times, or to
jump four times, to take four steps, etc. She
then flashes the cards in rather rapid succession
before the pupils. As the word FOUR ap-
pears, the pupils respond as directed. Vary
this exercise so that the word FOUR is firmly
fixed in their minds.
The teacher is now ready to take up the
digit 4 and the Roman numeral IV.
Take from the pack of figure cards, the
square card showing the figure 4. She says,
“This says four, also." She then replaces the
card in the pack and flashes the cards succes-
sively until the 4 appears. Having repeated
this operation a few times, the teacher re-
quests the pupils to clap their hands four
times whenever 4 reappears. She then varies
it by requiring four hops, four jumps, four
bends, four steps, etc.
Then the teacher takes up the subject of
Roman numerals. Selecting the card IV, she
proceeds to secure from the children, upon its
exhibition, the same reaction as in the case
of FOUR and 4.
76
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
Not more than one number should be
undertaken at any one lesson.
Try each pupil separately in order to make
sure that each one knows the word intimately.
In doing this, use the same general principles
which have been illustrated in all previous
lessons; that is to say, print the vocabulary on
the board and hold opposite to each word suc-
cessively the appropriate name-card; also have
the pupils in turn take the place of the teacher
and guide the operations; also reinforce the
lesson by physical activities such as running,
jumping, hopping, etc., being careful to give
all commands by means of the blackboard
and word-cards.
Except for the few words necessary in in-
troducing each number, the entire series of
names, digits and numerals should be taught
without spoken words.
Suggested Exercises
four (4)
seven (7)
nine (9)
Io (ten)
12 (twelve)
I (one)
Show me four fingers.
Hold up seven fingers.
Clap II hands.
Jump nine times.
Count 8 children in the class.
Point to one boy and one girl.
Tell three boys to run to their seats.
Show me 10 o'clock.
Show me IV o'clock.
seven (VII)
two (II)
three (III)
I

COCO
"Show by the number of your swings how old you are." Suggested
Exercises.
CHAPTER XVI
THE "OBJECTS-IN-THE-BASKET"
LESSON
Explanation: The purpose of this les-
son is to familiarize pupils with the names
of a goodly number of small common ob-
jects. The number of objects need be limited
only by the size of the basket. The pupils
delight in this game. It amounts practically
to an extension of their toy-playing home ac-
tivities which have been interrupted by at-
tendance at school.
1
Vocabulary:
spool
brush
lamb
basket
scissors
motor boat
monkey
block
telephone
tea kettle
buffalo
clothes pin
shoe horn
chair
dog
rabbit
pan
automobile
pencil
wheel
77
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78
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
Direction: (For presenting this game
the first time.)
Have ready a basket containing articles
named in the vocabulary. Of course, any
similar articles will do as well, but they must
be articles of child-interest. Have ready
also, name-cards corresponding to each object.
Gather the children around the long, low
table. Without saying a word, place one card
on the table before each child. Then lay upon
each word-card the corresponding object, tak-
en from the basket.
Say to the pupils, “Look at your object
and at the card under it. The card tells what
the object is.” Cause each child to examine
his object and encourage him to handle its
name-card a few moments.
After a short time (using your judgement
as to the time necessary for the proper re-
action), say to the children, "Put your ob-
jects in the basket," at the same time passing
the basket so that each pupil may deposit his
object therein.
The teacher then says,
word-cards." Each pupil hands her his
card, telling her at the same time what the
“Give me your
card says.
!
THE "OBJECTS-IN-THE-BASKET" LESSON
79
The teacher then prints on the blackboard
the command GO TO YOUR SEATS. The
children obey. The teacher takes the ob-
jects from the basket and spreads them out on
the table. She stands the name-cards sep-
arately around on the blackboard ledge in
plain sight of the entire class.
The teacher then orally commands the
pupils, “Get your word-card and your object
and take them to your seats." The children
hasten to the blackboard for their cards and
then to the table for their objects. The ef-
fort to identify the objects with the name-
cards is of absorbing interest. The pupils
take the objects and cards to their seats,
placing them thereon. The teacher then goes
about to see whether cards and objects have
been properly matched.
The teacher then announces that she will
call the name of each object and as each ob-
ject is named, the pupil who has it places it on
the table. After this is done, the teacher in
like manner calls for the name-card, requiring
each pupil to bring his card to her. This les-
son should not last longer than a few minutes.
Let each child understand that he is held
responsible for his own object and card. After
:
...
80
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
a few lessons, it will be found that some pu-
pils will be able to match all the cards with
the objects.
The basket containing the objects and the
pack of name-cards (secured by a rubber band)
is thereafter left in some convenient and very
accessible place in the school room, so that the
pupils may play with them at any time.
Suggested Exercises
Put the motor boat behind the door and the basket under
the table.
Give Mary a pencil.
Take the object that you like the best and put it by the
victrola.
Hold the clothes pin opposite John.
Tell Frank to take the automobile, monkey telephone and
block and put them together on the floor under the table.
Put the spool under the little chair.
Put the dog between the rabbit and the lamb.
Lay the automobile across the chair.
Put the rabbit in the basket and the dog out of the basket.
Lay the scissors beside my chair.
Roll the wheel across the floor.
Tell me to take the shoe horn from the basket.
Take the rabbit in one hand and the pan in the other hand.
Put the clothes pin under your foot.
CHAPTER XVII
THE "PREPOSITIONS" LESSON
Explanation: In this lesson the pupils
are taught, by the use of the hands and
through other methods indicated, the mean-
ing of the prepositions. Name-cards and the
blackboard first convey the words to the pu-
pils' minds.
Vocabulary:
up
top
down
bottom
in
beside
out
under
from
around
between
behind
beneath
before
opposite
outside
right
inside
left
together
Direction: The children are seated at
their desks in order that the teacher may be
able to observe the positions of their hands
in relation to the desk, in showing the mean-
ing of the prepositions. After those words
across
on
6
81
82
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
are taught which can best be illustrated by
seating the children at the desks, the children
are seated “in class,” to enable the teacher to
see how each pupil responds with relation to
objects (such as a chair) placed before or be-
hind them.
The teacher exhibits the name-card UNDER,
showing the pupils the meaning of it by
placing her hand under a desk. She asks
the pupils to do the same, and at the same
time she flashes the name-card UNDER. The
teacher then restores the card to the pack and
tells the pupils that when next the name-card
UNDER is flashed, all hands must go under
the desks.
Continue that exercise until all pupils
recognize the word instantly. Introduce next
the word ABOVE, flashing and pronouncing
the word and placing the hand above the desk.
See that each child, without a word spoken,
knows the words UNDER and ABOVE, before
a new word is taken up.
The pupils' hànds can be used to show
all the positions indicated by the above
vocabulary.
Place a chair before the class. The chil-
dren have already learned the words "chair"
+
----
.-.-

Vorbynust nock had ini
pley nord
다​.
Illustrating the Direction Word "on.” See “Prepositions” Lesson.

You must wuk had and
had
play
Illustrating the Direction Word "up." See “Prepositions” Lesson.
THE "PREPOSITIONS" LESSON
83
and "stand," and such other action phrases
as "fly to the "hop to the," etc. The
teacher prints on the blackboard, “Nellie,
fly around the chair."
Nellie performs the
action indicated. Then she writes, “Frank,
hop around the Victrola” or “Alice, run across
the floor” etc. After the possibilities of the
chair have been exhausted, other actions will
suggest themselves to the teacher.
Suggested Sentences
Stand beside me.
Put your fingers in your pocket.
Point up then down.
Stand opposite the door and clap your hands six times.
Run around a little chair, then sit on a big chair.
Stand outside the door, Mary.
Tell Mary to come inside the roam.
Place your hands over your head, then on your shoulders.
Tell Marion to stand beside Joe.
Sit on the table.
Put a little chair in the corner and stand on it.
Jump to the door, then fly to your chair.
Tell John to walk across the floor.
Tell Fred to run around you.
Put your feet together.
Touch the top of the chair.
Put your hand beneath the chair.
Stand behind me, before me, beside me.
i
CHAPTER XVIII
THE “CALENDAR" LESSON
Explanation: In this lesson time-words
are taught by means of calendars, name-cards
and the blackboard, beginning with the date
of the lesson, which introduces TODAY.
full moon
new moon
first quarter of the
moon
last quarter of the
moon
Vocabulary:
today
tomorrow
yesterday
next week
this week
last week
year
month
last day of the
month
first day of the
month
school days
holidays
day before yesterday
day after tomorrow
a week ago today
a week ago yesterday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
first day of the week
last day of the week
one week
two weeks
84
THE "CALENDAR" LESSON
85
Direction: Have ready name-cards show-
ing the above vocabulary. Get as large a
calendar as possible. Tear from it the sheet
showing the current month and paste that on
stiff cardboard; hang it before the class. If
possible, this calendar should show the phases
of the moon.
Have ready also small calendars five by
eight inches. Secure enough to supply each
child. From each of these small calendars
tear out the current month and mount it on
cardboard.
Write the date of this lesson on the black-
board, and begin the lesson with that date,
which is TODAY. If the child is in doubt as
to the date, let him refer to the date written
on the blackboard, not asking the teacher.
Have a general talk about the calendar.
Let each pupil express himself freely about
time. Talk of events which happened yester-
day, last week, last month. Talk of the fu-
ture. Show them, on the calendar, next week,
and the last day of the month.
While the pupils are absorbed in the topic,
flash the name-card TODAY, and ask each
pupil in turn to come and place his finger on
--
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86
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
TODAY, on the calendar. Give each pupil
one of the individual calendar sheets and let
each one find TODAY on it.
Then place the TODAY card in the pack
and expose the cards one by one. When
TODAY reappears, let each pupil find the
proper day on his calendar.
Now introduce YESTERDAY. See that
each pupil knows just where to find it on
the calendar. Let each pupil find it on the
large calendar.
Try each pupil separately to determine
whether he knows TODAY and TOMORROW.
All the words and phrases in the above
vocabulary can then be taught from the
calendar. Do the work slowly and see that
each pupil knows thoroughly each word
introduced.
Instruct the children to try out their
knowledge gained in these lessons, by refer-
ring to the calendars at their homes.
Suggested Exercises
:
How many days in a week? Put the number on the board.
How many days in a month? Put the number above a circle.
Count the holidays in this month. Put the number in a
square.
Is this a spring month?
Is this a winter month?
—
-

today
FOLLUM
16
Pro
Roger Ger
Showing "Today" on the calendar.
THE “CALENDAR" LESSON
87
...
On which day does this month end?
When does this month begin?
Is Monday the first day of the week? Yes or No.
Put the year in a circle on the board.
How many school days in this month? Put the number in
a square.
When shall we see the new moon?
When shall we see the full moon?
How many Sundays in this month?
Is your birthday in this month? Put the answer on the
board.
$
--
CHAPTER XIX
THE “TELLING TIME" LESSON
noon
one
Explanation: The purpose of this les-
son is to teach the pupils to tell time and to
learn the words by which time is told; also to
go farther into the general idea of time.
Vocabulary:
clock dial
twelve o'clock
three
midnight
eleven
six o'clock
minute hand
hour hand
two
half past two
four
half past six
half past nine, etc.
eight
five minutes of
seven
ten minutes after
five
quarter after
ten
fifteen minutes
twenty minutes after
When do the groceries close?
When does your father go to work?
When shall you eat your next meal?
When does the last bell ring in the morn-
ing?
nine "
88

today
Roger G
“When shall you eat your next meal?''
THE "TELLING TIME" LESSON
89
When does the last bell ring in the after-
noon?
When do you go to bed?
Direction: Have ready a large clock
dial,--that is, the face of a clock by which the
hours are shown. It should have moveable
hands; the figures showing the hours should
be large enough to be plainly legible across the
room. The dial should be fastened to the wall
or to a chart or other object which is hanging
on the wall before the eyes of the pupils.
Have ready, also, enough small dials to
supply each pupil with one. Such dials can
be obtained cheaply from school-supply firms.
The small dials should have moveable hands.
Conduct a general conversation about
telling time. Explain the minute and hour
hands and cause the pupils to touch and name
the figures of numerals showing the hours.
(The children are by this time familiar with
the Roman numerals.)
Take the words NOON and MIDNIGHT, and
move the hands of the large dial to show
12 o'clock. Explain to the pupils that this
means NOON, and also means MIDNIGHT. Tell
them that noon is the middle of the day
1
90
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
i
and that midnight is the middle of the night,
or 12 o'clock. Replace the words NOON and
MIDNIGHT in the pack of cards. Tell the
pupils that when NOON or MIDNIGHT re-
appears, each child is to move the hands of his
small dial to 12 o'clock. Continue this ex-
ercise until every pupil recognizes both words
and can show the position on the dial.
Next introduce the MINUTE-HAND, causing
each pupil to place his hand on the MINUTE-
HAND of his small dial. Follow with the words
HOUR-HAND.
Proceed with the vocabulary very slowly,
infusing as much interest as possible into the
lessons, by means of variations with action
words, etc.
Suggested Sentences
Print on the board:
1. A mother told her little boy that he could play 30 minutes.
How long did he play? Draw a line under the right word.
one hour
half an hour
quarter of an hour
2. A little girl reached school at this time. Was she early or
late? Draw a line under the right word.
(Place the clock hands either before or after nine.)
3. Draw a line under the number of hours a school child
should sleep.
nine
six
four
twelve
Note:--This point had been discussed before. The pupils
know that twelve hours is the proper answer.
4. Put the number of minutes in an hour in a circle on the
east board..
5. Which is the longer, 15 minutes or a quarter of an hour?
one
i
CHAPTER XX
THE "STREET SIGNS" LESSON
Explanation: In this lesson the pupils are
taught to read ordinary street signs and to
understand the purposes for which the signs
were made.
Vocabulary:
We close at five
Scarlet fever
Stop-Look-Listen Measles
Cook-Light-Heat Influenza
with Gas
Push
Boy wanted
Please shut the door
Do not dump ashes No dogs allowed
here
Come in
Closing-out sale Press the button
Knives and scissors Exit
sharpened here Entrance
Keep your credit Please do not ask for
good
credit
Rooms for rent Kindling sold here
House for sale
Welcome
Keep to the right City Park
Keep off the grass Free Air
School-slow down Gasoline
to ten miles
Garage
Post no bills
Fire escape-Red
Bridge--go slow
light
Inquire at the office Safety first
91
92
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
Direction: The reading of street signs
is to be taken up in the latter part of the first
school year.
LISTEN.
The vocabulary is to be built up grad-
ually, sign by sign. The work is to pro-
ceed quite deliberately, each sign receiving
full general discussion in the class as it is
introduced
Have a few of the most common signs
ready, printed on strips of cardboard. De-
vote one lesson to one sign, even though the
lesson last only a short time.
Suppose you take the sign STOP-LOOK-
Print on the board "Read and
explain this sign." Then flash the card con-
taining the sign. The children rise when they
are ready to read and explain the sign. The
teacher chooses one pupil to read the sign
aloud. The child reads the sign aloud,
then steps to the front of the class and
explains in his own language just what the
sign expresses to him. Let other pupils add
to his explanation if they see points which he
fails to bring out.
Proceed in this way until all the signs given
in vocabulary have been learned, together
with any other signs that occur to the teacher.
..........
----..-...
-...
--.--.
THE "STREET SIGNS" LESSON
93
Urge the children to look for signs when on
streets or in stores or public buildings, and
to report these signs to the class, together with
an explanation of the surroundings.
Note: In connection with the “Street
Signs" lesson, encourage the children to bring
to school labels advertising different articles
of commerce, to be discussed at the class.
The teacher may add greatly to the interest
of this phase of the lesson by providing a bul-
letin board to which such labels, etc. may be
fastened by thumb-tacks.
. .܂.ܐ
}
CHAPTER XXI
THE "FLOWERS" LESSON
Explanation: This lesson should be taken
up in the latter part of the first school year.
Its purpose is to familiarize the pupils with
the names of native flowers.
Vocabulary:
pansies
asters
sweet peas
dandelions
roses
brown-eyed Susans
snow-balls
lilies
tulips
holly hocks
Johnny-jump-ups
bluebells
nasturtiums
wistaria
old-fashioned pinks
violets
daisies
golden rod
geraniums
morning glories
four o'clocks
carnations
Direction: Have ready a pack of cards
showing the words in the above vocabulary.
The pupils are at their regular seats.
Have a general discussion about flowers,
the condition of the soil, size and shape of
the flower-beds, and the cultivation of the
94
THE "FLOWERS" LESSON
95
different flowers. Tell each child that he is
to represent a kind of flower growing in the
garden. Arrange the children in the form
decided upon for the garden. Close the
discussion.
Give each child a name-card bearing the
name of a flower growing in the garden, pro-
nouncing the words as it is laid upon the desk,
as SWEET PEAS, or HOLLY HOCKS, etc.
Tell the children that for a few moments
they must play that the flowers are growing.
In this few moments' silence, the children
are familiarizing themselves with their flower
names. The teacher then calls for the name-
cards, the child responding by bringing the
card bearing the name called.
Then the teacher, holding the cards in her
hand, flashes them, and the children, one by
one, take their cards as they recognize their
flower-names. Repeat this exercise until each
child knows thoroughly his own name.
Continue this lesson until each child knows
the name of each flower in the garden. Then
pass the cards out at random, and collect them
by telling a flower story and making use of
every flower-word. (See “Things in the Room"
Lesson Story, page 55.)
i
CHAPTER XXII
THE "YES AND NO" LESSON
Explanation: This lesson deals with the
general conduct of the pupils in every-day
life. It sets forth a few fundamental prin-
ciples that play an active part in every child's
life. It teaches him how he should govern
himself.
Vocabulary:
Give people half the sidewalk.
Be kind to animals.
Speak the truth.
Take things that do not belong to you.
Keep off people's lawns.
Mark public buildings.
Throw paper on the street.
Enter people's rooms without knocking.
Keep to the right in passing.
Quiet manners on the street.
Play in the street.
Waste food.
Look up and down the street before
crossing.
Direction: Print the above vocabulary
on large manila strips. Some sentences will
require two lines.
96
1
:.
+
:
THE "YES AND NO" LESSON
97
Take up one sentence at a time. Explain
it and discuss it fully; illustrate if possible, as
in KEEP TO THE RIGHT IN PASSING. Every
sentence must be answered by “Yes" or "No,"
followed by a repetition of the statement; as
when the name-card bearing the sentence
MARK PUBLIC BUILDINGS is flashed, the child
answers, “No, you should not mark public
buildings," or to KEEP OFF PEOPLE'S LAWNS,
the child answers, “Yes, you should keep off
people's lawns.”
Emphasize this lesson more than any other;
it is the most valuable lesson in the book,
as it teaches the children to respect the
rights of others. This is fundamental for
good citizenship.
1
7.
CHAPTER XXIII
THE "OPPOSITES" LESSON
Explanation: In this lesson the children's
minds are trained to think quickly.
Vocabulary:
rude polite
slow fast
fine
coarse
old
new
quiet
noisy
high low
long short
beautiful ugly
north south
friend
enemy
east west
false
true
good bad
far
near
up
down
refined vulgar
fat
thin
over
under
hard soft
like
dislike
in
out
Direction: Prepare a set of word-cards
printed on both sides. On one side print
the words in the left-hand column of the
above vocabulary; on the reverse side print
the opposite words in the right hand column
of the vocabulary. Prepare as many cards as
there are children in the group. Give each
child his card, and let him be responsible for
his own opposite words.
i
98
THE "OPPOSITES" LESSON
99
When the teacher flashes the words on one
side of the cards, the children, in turn, in-
stantly reply with the opposite words printed
on the reverse side of the cards. Reverse the
cards and repeat the process until the chil-
dren are familiar with all of the words.
Example:--
The word FALSE is flashed. The child in-
stantly responds with "TRUE." Or when
TRUE is flashed he says "FALSE.
)))))
CHAPTER XXIV1
THE "BIRD STUDY" LESSON
I.
Introduction to BIRD STUDY.
Talk of migration of birds.
Took Group One (of my pupils] to
Bird Museum and looked at win-
ter and early spring birds, the
latter in particular. Also a gen-
eral survey of all birds. Brief
talks on habits of some of most
interesting.
II. Took Group Two to Bird Museum.
Studied winter and spring birds.
HII. Foundation vocabulary built up from
trip to Museum:
bird
legs
sing
wings
robin
spring
tree
nest
bluebird
migration
IV. Sentences made from vocabulary for
blackboard reading.
V.
Talk of Robin nests. Bird story
from blackboard using words:
father
crumbs
mother
worms
eggs
build
*Space was set apart in our plan book to show daily develop
ment in the study of birds, their habits, characteristics, etc.
1
100
THE "BIRD STUDY" LESSON
101
.
VI.
Original story told by teacher using
cards bearing foregoing vocabu-
lary as basis. Children hold cards.
When word is heard in the story,
the card is handed to the teacher.
See“Things-In-The-Room”'Lesson.
VII.
Story of Mother bird on nest printed
on blackboard. More about the
Robin.
Poem “Madam Robin's Afternoon
Tea.'
VIII.
Drill upon bird vocabulary. Use
words in sentences on board. In-
troduce the Bluebird.
Poem, "I have a secret.
IX.
Bluebird and Robin's nests com-
pared.
New words:
breast insect seeds
tail
fruit
beak
Poem “Little Bird Blue."
X.
7
Use vocabulary in original story.
Read questions silently and answer
with full statement:
What color is father robin's nest?
Where do robin's build their nests?
What do they use to build their nests?
What do they eat?
i
+
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..-
102
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
XI.
XII.
Talk about Cardinals.
Where do they build their nests?
What have they on their heads?
What color is father Cardinal?
Name the food the Cardinal eats.
(Read silently and answer fully.)
Show picture of Cardinal.
Give hectograph sheets with Car-
dinal picture. Let children color
as per direction on sheet.
body...
.red
beak... ..yellow
throat.
black
legs..
.brown
eye.
yellow
tail.
wings.
.red
Note. the children are familiar with
the names of the colors, also the
parts of the body of Cardinal.
Woodpecker. Picture.
What color is head?
Where does he build his nest?
How do they build or make their
nests?
What two other colors does he wear?
return
scarlet tanager
friends
song
tory told "The Old Woman and the
Cakes." (Woodpecker Story.)
...red
XIII.
;
.
i
THE "BIRD STUDY" LESSON
103
XIV.
Flicker. Wood Thrush. Pictures.
Story of habits. Description. Word
drill for vocabulary. (With cards.)
beak crumbs build
helps flicker food
woodthrush
XV.
XVI.
Meadow Lark. Habits. Description.
Where nests are built. Review vo-
cabulary with original story. (Use
cards.)
Red Winged Blackbird. Habits.
Description. Story--Indian Legend
“How the Birds Came.
Pictures of different birds reviewed.
Review of Nests. Talk of Bird Calls.
Listen to Victrola Record of Bird
Calls.
Entire BIRD VOCABULARY as built up from
story of birds.
insects
wren.
fruit
build
tail
trees
legs
nest
body
chickadee
friends
bluejay
return
wings
scarlet tanager
plumage
cardinal
brown thrush
song
swallow
:
..
104
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
pigeon
mother
father
bluebird
robin
sing
seed
food
worms
crumbs
migration
south
throat
bird
eggs
meadow lark
eye
helps
breast
spring
beak
The following sentences were printed on
strips of manila board. The entire class read
silently the sentences. One child was asked
to answer the question flashed:
Where does the red winged blackbird build
his nest?
Which bird is the most useful?
Which bird sings his own name?
How does the oriole build his nest?
Which birds come early in the spring?
Which bird builds a buggy top on its nest?
Which is the hoodlum or tramp of the birds?
Which bird is the guardian angel of the
soil?
Which bird calls “thief, thief"'?
What bird is the policeman of the orchard?
Which birds stay here all winter?
Which do you think is the prettiest bird?
:
.
1
---------...
CHAPTER XXV
INTRODUCTION TO PROJECTS
After the pupils have thoroughly learned
to grasp words at sight in accordance with the
principles of the SILENT READING METHOD,
they are ready to undertake Project work
in connection with more advanced lessons un-
der the Silent Reading Method.
In this book the word "Project" is taken
to mean the performance of any plan of action
in which materials are used and a purpose
exists to do something.
This work differs from most project work
in that the children learn the vocabulary at the
same time.
The subjects of the projects have a wide
range,--from manual training and household
activities to the care of animals, etc. All pro-
ject work is based wholly on the Silent Read-
ing Method. In the course of each project
there is taught a vocabulary embracing every
activity connected with the project-the ma-
terials used, the use made of them, etc.
105
i
--
.
-
106
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
1
The care of a rabbit in the school room
forms the basis of an excellent project. Setting
a table and washing the table linen are others.
In this book only enough projects are given
to familiarize the teacher with the method of
undertaking a project and utilizing it to teach
the children both the activity and the words
involved.
Other projects will suggest themselves to
any teacher from her observations and from
local conditions.
By undertaking a comparatively simple
project and carrying it out with spirit under
the Silent Reading Method, an intelligent
teacher can work up gradually a large amount
of project material.
Let the children do the actual work.
CHAPTER XXVI
“WASHING THE CLOTHES” PROJECT
Explanation: In this Project are taught
words describing actions connected with wash-
ing table napkins and the materials and ar-
ticles used.
Vocabulary:
tub
wringer
washboard
clothes pins
clothes basket
clothes line
sapolio
bon ami
washing powder
soap
starch
Japanese napkins
water
rinse
heat
Direction: Teach the vocabulary words
after the manner prescribed in the lessons.
After the vocabulary is thoroughly learned,
talk with the pupils about the project:--Dis-
cuss heating the water, use of soap, washing
powders and starch, and the method of wring-
ing and drying.
While this talk was going on, and the actual
work being done by the pupils, the following
1
107
108
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
sentences and narratives were developed by
the pupils under the teacher's guidance, and
were by her printed on the board:
"The water was heated on the gas stove.
"Then Miss 6 _) 'counted out' to see
who would wash the clothes first.
“Frank was the first.
“He put all of the napkins in the water.
“Then he took one and put some soap on it.
“He rubbed it up and down the washboard
to get the dirt out.
Thelma was the next one.
“She put the napkin in the wringer.
'Dorothy washed the next napkin.
"Clark's turn came next.
(Other pupils took part.)
“When all of the napkins were washed, we
rinsed them in cold water.
“We hung them on the clothes-line with
the clothespins.
The teacher in this Project used Project
Sentences as in the "Setting the Table"
Project, the children inserting the missing
words from the vocabulary.
.
:
Project Sentences:
We clean windows with
(bon
ami)
makes clothes stiff. (starch)
.....
"WASHING THE CLOTHES" PROJECT
109
The.
are blue and white.
(Japanese napkins)
feels like fine sand. (sapolio)
We
the water. (heated)
made the water soft. (Wash-
ing powder)
Our is made of tin. (tub)
Note: The materials used in this project
were kept together on a shelf at one side of
the room.
The words of the vocabulary,
printed on cards, were secured by a rubber
band and placed with the material. The
children were made to feel at liberty to go to
the shelf, take the word-cards and material to
a large table and “match them" by first
laying the name card on the table then plac-
ing the object corresponding to it on it, as, on
the word SAPOLIO, the bar of sapolio was
placed on the table. The wringer was placed
on the card bearing the word WRINGER, etc.
-... --.--.--.-.--.-.-.
CHAPTER XXVII
"SETTING THE TABLE" PROJECT
Explanation: Eating is one of the most
regularly conducted acts of childhood, occur-
ring three or more times daily. The child's
ability or imagination to "make-believe"
is a most potent factor in teaching the
child accepted table manners and customs.
Teachers should realize that the greater part
of most children's lives is pretend. The pur-
pose of this project is to teach words used in
connection with setting the table:names of
articles, manner of setting the table, the tech-
nique of table manners.
Vocabulary:
plates
cups
saucers
glasses
knives
forks
teapot
cream pitcher
sugar bowl
eating
slowly
happy
quietly
table cloth
napkins
flowers
chairs
table
doilies
grace
right
left
point
between
together
tines
1
110

ist
c
c
c
Се
Setting the Table.
"SETTING THE TABLE" PROJECT
111
!
Direction: Teach the vocabulary words
after the manner indicated in the Lessons.
After the vocabulary is thoroughly learned,
talk with the pupils about the project:-
about setting the table. While this talk is
going on, the table is being set by the children.
Following are sentences developed in the dis-
cussion while setting the table:
The knife is at the right of the plate with
the cutting edge toward the plate.
The spoon, with the bowl turned up, next
to the knife.
The fork is at the left of the plate, with the
tines turned up.
The water glass is placed at the end of the
knife or just at the right of the end.
Fold the napkin and put it at the left of the
fork, or it may be placed between the knife
and fork.
The tea-pot or coffee-pot is at the hostess
right, with space enough between it and
the spoon to allow her to set down a cup
and saucer.
The sugar and cream go in front of her
plate, and the cups and saucers at the left.
Pile the cups at the hostess' left-hand side,
not more than two together, with the handles
turned so that she can easily reach them.
:
112
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
5
The children then sit at the table. Table
etiquette is discussed (see certain words re-
lating to etiquette in Project Vocabulary).
In this discussion the following Project
Sentences are developed:
Always say
before eating. (grace)
Wait until all are served before.
(eating)
Put the knife at.
(right)
Chew your food.
(slowly)
Drink
(quietly)
Never leave the spoon in the
(cup)
When being served, put the knife and
fork
on the plate. (together)
Place the napkin at the left of the fork
the knife and fork. (between)
Always serve from the
(left)
Elbows off
(the table)
The glass is at the
(point of
the knife)
Place the fork at the
(left)
The spoon is next to the
(knife)
or
The Project Sentences have previously
been printed on manila cards. The cards are
flashed before each pupil in turn, and he is
to supply the missing word. The missing word
has already been learned in the vocabulary.
2
"SETTING THE TABLE” PROJECT
113
In the course of the Project, the children
could with benefit learn the following mem-
ory gem:
“Eat at your own table as you would eat
at the table of the President.
Note: The dishes used in this project were
play dishes, large in size and of a pretty pat-
tern. The knives, forks and spoons were
purchased in sets at the Ten-cent store.
A low table, large enough to seat four
children, placed at the rear of the room, was
held in readiness for a “table setting" lesson.
So keen were the children, both boys and
girls, to exhibit their knowledge in table set-
ting that the teacher had to resort to her
usual method of "counting out" in order to
avoid the show of favoritism.
The parts to be filled by "counting out"
in this instance were a hostess and a maid.
The dishes, paper napkins and paper table
cloth were on a shelf at one side of the room
and built for the purpose of holding project
material.
After the table was set, the class and
teacher gathered around it to inspect the work.
A little party was held at the completion
of the "SETTING THE TABLE" project. Rules
1
8
114
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
of table etiquette were obeyed from the time
of standing behind the chairs until the
hostess gave the signal to be seated, to the
close of the meal. Cocoa and wafers were the
refreshments served. The "maid" waited
upon those children not seated at the table but
who were seated on little chairs grouped
around the table. The teacher was a guest.
2
$
/
CHAPTER XXVIII
THE RABBIT PROJECT
Explanation: The purpose of this Project
was to familiarize the child with the habits,
characteristics, and care of the rabbit, and
words indicating same.
Vocabulary:
tracks
clover
rabbit
gnaw
Molly Cotton Tail
weeds
oats
claws
2 months old
sweet milk
water
rodent
Mrs. Slemmons
Direction: The rabbit was kept in a
box which was made by the janitor with the
assistance of the little boys in the class.
Every morning the children cleaned the cage,
fed and watered the rabbit, and observed how
it ate and drank. The life and habits of the
rabbit were discussed; the children learned
that it belonged to the rodent family, that it
drank in a peculiar manner, its age, etc.
7
115
116
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
By observing the rabbit day by day, the
vocabulary was built up, the children becom-
ing familiar with the new words as each step
was discussed. Each new observation was a
basis for a Project Sentence, which sentences
are given below.
After the Project was completed, each
child being throughly familiar with the habits
and characteristics of the rabbit and the voca-
bulary involved, a test was given. The child
who won the most points, or, in other words,
who knew his vocabulary the best, was al-
lowed to take the rabbit home for a few days.
After the few days, the same test was given;
and again the privilege of taking "bunny"
home was granted to the pupil who stood the
highest. These tests continued with the same
reward until each child in the class had cared
for the rabbit in his home.
The teacher knew that the rabbit would be
well cared for in the children's homes, because
the Project has taught them its habits, etc.
Following are Project Sentences, which
were printed on manila strips as they were
developed in the discussion of the rabbit.
How old is bunny? (2 months old)
1
i
THE RABBIT PROJECT
117
What is the rabbit's name? (Molly Cotton
Tail)
Does the rabbit belong to the cat family?
(no)
What does the rabbit drink? (sweet milk
and water)
The rabbit has soft.
(fur)
Show how rabbit tracks look. (The child
runs to the board and draws a picture of
rabbit tracks.)
Who gave us the rabbit? (Mrs. Slemmons)
The rabbit is a Flemish
(Giant)
Does the rabbit drink as the cat does?
(no)
To what family does the bunny belong?
(rodent)
This rabbit has.
eyes. (pink)
Is rabbit meat used as food? (yes)
What does the rabbit eat? (clover, oats,
weeds)
With what does the mother rabbit line her
nest? (fur plucked from her breast)
Note: This Project may be worked out
with any small animal.
.-..-...- .-. ...
------
CHAPTER XXIX
THE TABLE PROJECT
MAKING OVER AN OLD TABLE
Explanation: In Part I the children are
taught the names of the materials used in
remaking the table, the names of the actions
involved in the process, the measurements,
etc. This instruction is given to the pupils in
the actual remodeling of the table and by the
use of name-cards, etc.
In this project all the work was done by
the pupils. The teacher guided, observed and
taught them words, as the need for new words
arose. Each child was so familiar with every
word that he could explain each step and
describe it.
Vocabulary:
remove
27 inches
barrels
copper
burnt umber
library
22 inches
varnish remover
linen
middle
outside
turpentine
gum
linseed oil
118
THE TABLE PROJECT
119
wax
}
flax
oak
separates
prepared
glue
table
resin
planted
IO feet
dresser
Belgian
sand table
children
putty
south
white pine
slash
yellow pine
Direction: After the Project was com-
pleted by the finishing of the table, the
children devoted a lesson to telling how it was
done. One child would stand behind the table
and tell of the need for a table. Then he called
on some child in the room for the next step.
That child, after telling his part concerned in
the next step of the project, called upon an-
other child, and so on until each step had
been related.
THE TALE OF THE TABLE
The teacher called upon Dorothy to begin
THE TALE OF THE TABLE. Dorothy rose from
her seat to take her place, standing behind
the table. The conversation was carried on
as follows:
Note: Following is from a stenographic
report taken May 12, 1920. The actual time
120
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
used to explain this project, including the
time taken by Richard in distributing and call-
ing the word-cards, was 12 minutes.
Dorothy:
Winston:
Miss Watkins needed a table.
Mr. Bright, the assistant super-
intendent of these buildings,
heard her ask for one. He said
that he could get one for her.
He found this one. It was all
scratched and dirty. It had a
big crack down the middle of it.
Winston will give you the mea-
surements of the table.
(picking up a yardstick and
measuring): The table is 22
inches high, 27 inches wide and
10 feet long. The outside legs
are of oak. The middle leg is
yellow pine. The top is white
pine. Rollin will tell you how
we removed the varnish.
(taking up blocks covered with
sand-paper): Some boys in the
third grade gave us some blocks
of soft pine.
We tacked sand-
paper on them. Joe Harding
drove the nails in. He can drive
nails the best of anyone in
the room. Betty will tell you
Rollin:
...
.-...

The Table Project-Removing the Varnish.
THE TABLE PROJECT
121
how we removed the rest of
the varnish.
can
Betty:
(holding up a bottle labeled
"Varnish Remover"): This is
varnish remover. We sand-pa-
pered the top of the table and
put this varnish remover all over
the sides and on the legs. Then
we wiped it all off with paper
toweling. It is easier to work
with varnish remover than it is
with sand-paper. Wendell will
tell you about the putty.
Wendell: (holding up a
labeled
“Putty"): We put this putty
in this long crack and in all the
nail holes and marks. We used
this knife to press it in. Miss
Watkins sent Frances to the
paint shop to ask how putty is
made. They said it was made
by mixing raw linseed oil and
whiting. They did not have any
whiting, so we had to buy our
putty. Mary Jane will tell you
about the stain.
Mary Jane: (holding up a bottle labeled
"Stain"): Stain is made from
turpentine and burnt umber.
We put this stain all over the
than
122
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
Muriel:
table and then let it dry for
two days. Burnt umber comes
from the South Sea Islands
where the cannibals live. Can-
nibals eat people. Muriel will
tell you about the varnish.
This is Varnish (holding up a
bottle labeled “Varnish"): In
the south they slash the yellow
pine trees and a gum comes out.
This gum is heated in copper
lined kettles. It separates into
resin (holding up the resin) and
turpentine (holding up a bottle
labeled “Turpentine'). The
turpentine is shipped in barrels
lined with glue so that the tur-
pentine will not leak through.
Geraldine will tell you more
about varnish.
Geraldine:
The reason why some varnish is
not as good as it used to be
is because there is too much
resin in it and not enough tur-
pentine. The best varnish is
made from boiled linseed oil.
Miss Watkins has a dresser
that is more than seventy-five
years old and she says that the
varnish on it is beautiful. Ed-
:
------
THE TABLE PROJECT
123
ward will tell you about the lin-
seed oil.
Edward: (holding up a bottle marked
“Linseed Oil"): This is lin-
seed oil. (Holding up a bottle
of flax-seed), this is flax seed.
They both come from the flax
plant. Flax is planted every
year and grows to be ten feet
tall. This is linen, (holding up a
handkerchief). It comes from
the flax plant, too. The best
linen comes from where the little
Belgian children live. Joe
Harding will tell you all he
knows about the paint brushes.
Joe:
(holding up
a paint brush):
Paint brushes are made from
squirrels' fur, horsehair, camels'
hair and pigs' bristles. The
finest brushes are made of ca-
mels' hair. This one is made of
pigs' bristles.
Dorothy, the Librarian, taking up the tale:
Now we have a library table.
We shall put books on it and
little chairs beside it. I am the
librarian. The librarian's work
is to keep the books in order and
to keep the table dusted. We
124
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
Richard:
use,
use prepared wax to keep the
table well polished. Richard
will give out the name-cards.
We like to know the words we
I shall give each one of
you a card, then I shall call for
the words. (Richard stepped to
the table, took up the pack of
cards containing all of the words
in the vocabulary and which are
printed under VOCABULARY in
this lesson. He passed quickly up
and down the aisles, depositing
one on each desk. After each child
had received one card Richard
proceeded to give them out
again until all were out. He
then stepped to the front of the
room and called the words.
(The cards were printed on both
sides so that they could be seen
from front and back.) As each
child heard his word or words
called he ran quickly to Richard,
who, after he had received all
of them, placed the rubber band
around the pack and put them
on the table with the other
materials used to demonstrate
the project.)
1
:
.
THE TABLE PROJECT
125
Project Sentences
How did we
the varnish from the table? (remove)
The middle leg is
(yellow pine)
The barrels are lined with
(glue)
How high is the table? (22 inches)
How wide is the table? (27 inches)
How long is the table? (10 feet)
What is made from gum? (turpentine and resin)
Where does burnt umber come from? (South Sea Islands)
How do we keep the table polished? (prepared wax)
What does the librarian do? (keeps books in order)
Where does linen come from? (flax)
Where does linseed oil come from? (flax)
Where do the pinetrees grow? (in the South)
Paint brushes are made from
(camel's hair, pig's bristles, horsehair, squirrel's hair)
The best brushes come from
(camel's hair)
The four outside legs are
(oak)
The top is
(white pine)
What did we fill the cracks and holes with? (putty)
What comes from the yellow pine tree? (gum)
The kettles are lined with
(copper)
into turpentine and resin when heated.
(separates)
The gum
!
!
CHAPTER XXX
PHONICS
Any standard method of teaching PHONICS
may be followed in connection with the SILENT
READING METHOD.
For the first few days of school, while the
teacher is organizing her classes, it is best to
defer the teaching of PHONICS. After the
children are classified and arranged in their
respective groups, the daily work in PHONICS
should begin. This allows the late comers
to get a fair start.
The sole aim of teaching PHONICS is for
the instant recognition of words as wholes.
Points to be emphasized in teaching PHO-
NICS are:
(1) A regular time on the daily program
for phonics.
(2) Drill upon WORD-CARDS and PHO-
NETIC CARDS be kept entirely sep-
arate.
(3) While "working out” words, pho-
netically, the child should be trained
to think the sound and pronounce
the word as a whole, without lip
movement.
126
.....
........
PHONICS
127
(4) Use the same method in presenting
PHONICS as in presenting new words
in the SILENT READING METHOD,
vis.:
(a) have the child's undivided at-
tention
(b) present the symbol, that is a
picture of the sound, at the same
time that the sound is given
(c) perform actions, when symbol is
shown, to fix the sound in mind
(d) play games to stimulate the inter-
est of the children
(e) do individual work entirely
(f) insist upon the proper position of
the organs of speech
(g) work for speed but not at the
expense of accuracy
(h) put as much spirit into the PHO-
NETIC LESSON as in the READING
LESSON
REMEMBER
That a child either knows a thing or
does not know it. There must be no
.
Teach each unit as though it were the
last time it would ever be presented to
the child.
guess work.
TEST WORDS
CHAPTER XXXI
TEST FOR PROMOTION
At the close of the first school year, the
teacher tested each of her forty pupils individu-
ally as to his knowledge of the entire vocabu-
lary learned throughout the year.
She made
typewritten hectograph copies showing these
words, and gave each pupil a copy containing
twenty-four exercises on different subjects, the
whole covering thirteen typewritten pages.
(See the following pages.) Each child was given
a copy to take home and keep.
This test was the basis of promotion to
Grade II.
As an illustration of the interest and pride
shown by the pupils in their work and achieve-
ments, one little boy was in the habit of taking
his set of test questions, tightly rolled and held
with a rubber band, to bed with him every
night, not to read but to keep under his pillow.
--------
4
128
TEST FOR PROMOTION
129
Test Words, Phrases and Sentences
DIRECTION
Come to the class.
Go to your seat.
name
school
grade
age
PERSONAL HISTORY
teacher
telephone
city
county
father's name
state
country
place of birth
date of birth
good morning
good afternoon
good bye
How are you?
SALUTATION
How is your mother?
Isn't this a beautiful day?
Shake hands with me.
ACTION
stand
sit
clap
fly
come
go
run
walk
bend
hop
jump
nod
whisper
skip
cry
laugh
touch
scratch
write
draw
kneel
wave
ANIMAL CHARACTERISTICS
gives milk
chirps
barks
hibernates
has two humps
says, "quack"
lays eggs
says, "gobble'
grunts
gnaws
has long wool butts
crowS
squeaks
is sly
has a long trunk
has pink eyes
neighs
NUMBERS
four
seven
ten
two
five
eight
eleven
three
six
nine
twelve
roars
one
ROMAN NUMERALS
I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII
DIGITS
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12
9
1
130
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
spool
brush
woolly lamb
basket
scissors
OBJECTS
motor boat buffalo
monkeys clothes pin
block
shoe horn
telephone chair
tea kettle
dog
rabbit
pan
automobile
pencil
up
down
in
out
PREPOSITIONS
around
left
behind
top
before
bottom
on
beside
right
under
from
beneath
between
across
CALENDAR
today
two weeks
tomorrow
last day of the week
yesterday
first day of the week
next week
Sunday
this week
Monday
last week
Tuesday
year
Wednesday
month
Thursday
date
Friday
last day of the month Saturday
first day of the month last quarter of the moon
school days
first quarter of the moon
holidays
full moon
day before yesterday
day after tomorrow
a week ago today
one week
a week ago yesterday
new moon
MORNING DUTIES
Comb your hair.
Take a deep breath.
Brush your teeth.
Brush your clothes.
Wash your hands.
Tie your shoe.
Wash your face.
Drink some water.
cupboard
table
big chair
little chair
window
THINGS IN THE ROOM
door
blackboard
picture
basket
swing
chalk
electric light
brush
------
TEST FOR PROMOTION
131
PARTS OF THE BODY
head
neck
fingers
nose
foot
feet
eyes
hair
knees
ears
stomach
abdomen
upper lip
lower lip
chest
cheeks
temples
lungs
heart
shoulders
heel
elbow
arm
wrist
pulse
spine
back
COLORS
purple
violet
blue
green
yellow
orange
red
black
grey
brown
white
pumpkins
grass
violets
COLOR OBJECTS
grapes
summer sky
tar or midnight lemons
Snow
cherries
bark
smoke
ANIMALS
COW
bear
hen
rat
rooster
elephant
horse
robin
camel
turkey
donkey
sheep
mouse
lion
dog
duck
pig
goat
fox
rabbit
frog
TELLING TIME
clock dial
midnight
noon
twelve o'clock
three o'clock
six o'clock
nine o'clock
two o'clock
five o'clock
eight o'clock
one o'clock
four o'clock
seven o'clock
ten o'clock
eleven o'clock
hour hand
minute hand
five minutes of
five minutes after
quarter after
fifteen minutes
twenty minutes after
half past six
When do the groceries close?
When does your father go to work?
When do you go to bed?
When shall you eat your next meal?
When does the last bell ring in the
morning?
When does the last bell ring in the
afternoon?
132
HOW TO TEACH SILENT READING
SIGNS
school-slow down to ten miles
post no bills
bridge go slow
inquire at the office
scarlet fever
measles
influenza
push
pull
please shut the door
come in
press the button
fire escape
red light
we close at five
stop-look-listen
cook-light-heat with gas
boy wanted
do not dump ashes here
closing out sale
knives and scissors sharpened
here
keep your credit good
rooms for rent
house for sale
keep to the right
keep off the grass
safety first
danger-keep out
obey the motor vehicle law
do not hitch to these trees
no hunting allowed on these
grounds
exit
entrance
please do not ask for credit
kindling sold here
welcome
city park
free air
gasoline
garage
CONDUCT
give people half the sidewalk
be kind to the animals
keep off people's lawns
mark public buildings
throw paper on the streets
enter peoples' rooms without
knocking
keep to the right in passing
quiet manners on the street
play in the street
waste food
look up and down the street
before crossing
OPPOSITES
rude
fine
quiet
long
north
east
good
up
fat
hard
in
polite
coarse
noisy
short
south
west
bad
down
thin
soft
out
slow
old
high
ugly
friend
false
far
vulgar
over
like
fast
young
low
beautiful
enemy
true
near
refined
under
dislike
TEST FOR PROMOTION
133
WASHING PROJECT
clothes pin
clothes basket bon ami
clothes line washing powder
tub
wringer
washboard
sapolio
soap
starch
sugar bowl
SETTING THE TABLE PROJECT
plates cream pitcher table cloth
grace
cups
flowers
right
saucers eating
napkins
left
glasses happy
chairs
point
knives slowly
table
together
forks
quietly
doilies
tines
tea pot
FLOWERS
pansies
lilies
wistaria
asters
tulips
golden rod
sweet peas
holly hocks
geraniums
dandelions
Johny-jump-ups morning glories
roses
bluebells
four o'clocks
brown-eyed Susans nasturtiums
carnations
snow balls
RABBIT PROJECT
tracks
weeds
sweet milk
clover
oats
water
rabbit
claws
rodent
gnaw
2 months old
Mrs. Slemmons
Molly Cotton Tail
TABLE PROJECT
barrels
22 inches
prepared Belgian
copper
varnish remover wax
children
burnt umber linseed oil
resin
south
library
oak
Io feet
slash
insects
fruit
tail
legs
body
friends
return
scarlet tanager
song
sing
BIRD STUDY
seed
spring
food
beak
Worms
meadow lark
crumbs
wren
migration build
south
trees
throat
chickadee
bird
bluejay
eggs
wings
helps
plumage
nest
brown thrush
swallow
pigeon
mother
bluebird
robin
eye
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