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setting. It is the part of the poet to make his work intensely real and ideal, the two elements that appeal with trenchant force to children. The teacher needs not only to see the graphic pictures drawn by the artist, but to gather about these central points of view other collateral, explanatory facts that give a deeper setting to the picture. Fortunately, such study as this is not burdensome. There is a joyousness and sparkle to it that can relieve many an hour of tedium. Literature in its best forms is recreation, and brings an infusion of spiritual energy. We should not allow ourselves to confuse it with those more humdrum forms of school employment, like spelling, figuring, reading in the formal sense, grammar, writing, etc. Lite

armion," thoughtfully dwelling upon the historic pictures, calling to mind other of Scott's stories and the earlier struggle between Scotland and England, is drinking at the fresh fountains and sources of some of the best parts of European history. The clear and rock-rimmed lakes of Scotland, her rugged mountains and ruined castle walls, are not more delightful to the traveller than the pictures of life and history that appear in "Tales of a Grandfather," "Rob Roy," "Marmion," and "Lady of th

a typical portraiture of a historical epoch, it becomes the converging point for much lively and sug

l examination, even its elocution, should remain in the background both for teacher and children. Let the direct impress of the thought, motive, and emotion of the charact

f labor. If it brings a feeling of weariness, it is the kind that conduces to sound and healthy sleep. It invokes a feeling of inw

al setting. The chief aim of the assignment should be to awaken curiosity and interest which may be strong enough to lead to a full and appreciative study of the lesson. A second aim of the assignment is to pave the way to an easier mastery of verbal difficulties that arise, such as new and difficult words, obscure or involved passages. The first aim is a substantial and fruitful one. It approaches the whole reading lesson from the side of interest

stiveness of it, the problems raised, the questions whose answers lie in the examination of the lesson. The reference to p

assigned. Let the class read on and discover words or phrases that puzzle them. Let difficult forms be pu

ergetic and well-directed effort. Self-activity is not encouraged by requiring children to struggle with obstacles they have not the ability to surmount. Pronouncing new words and searching for dictionary meanings is often made a mechanical labor which is irksom

on on the teacher's part. There is always danger of giving too much or too little, of carelessness and unsteady requirements, overburdening the children one day, and even forgett

care has been taken in planning the next lesson, the time slips by with urgent work, a

cular references and sometimes even go to the library with them and search for the references, in grades from the fifth through the eighth, the result may be very helpful. In the c

ignorance, carelessness, and lack of preparation on the teacher's part. They are discouraging and unprofitable to children. But we desire to see children broadening their views, extending their knowledge of books and of how to use

children. It depends equally upon the pervasive spirit and energy of the teacher. If we try to analyze this complex phenomenon, we may find that, so far as the children are concerned, two elements are present, natural and spontaneous absorption in the ideas and sensibilities awakened by the author, and the bracing conviction that sustained effort is expected and required by the teacher. Children, to read well, must be free; they must feel the force of ideas and of the emotions and convictions awakened by them. They must also be conscious of that kind of authority and control which insists upon serious and sustained effort. Freedom to exercise their

on of difficult or unusual words that come up in old and new lessons, the vocal exercises in syllabication and in vowe

e children how to read by example, nor to be always explaining and amplifying the thought of the author. His aim should be to best call the minds of the chi

n is regarded as the central or zero point, there are many degrees below it in the art of questioning and many degrees above it. Below it is a whole host of half-rational or useless questions

omebody knows how it ought to be. Sarah, can't you pronounce it? Finally, after various efforts, the teacher passes on to something else without even making clear the true pronunciation or meaning. This is worse than killing time.

on is like a flash of lightning which suddenly reveals our standing-ground and surroundings, and gives the child a chance to strike out again for himself. His intelligence lights up, he sees the point, and responds with a significant rendering of the thought. But the teach

and leads to a more intense and vivid perception of the meaning. This is just the vantage-ground we desire in order to secure good expression. We wish children not to imitate

uestions will reach down into the depth of a child's life experiences and bring up concrete images which the fancy then modifies and adjusts to the present need. The teacher may often suggest something in his own observations to kindle like memories in theirs. Or, if the subject seems unfamiliar, he may bring on a picture from book or magazine. Sometimes a sketch or diagram on the board may give sense-precision and definiteness to the object discussed, even though it be rudely drawn. This constant appeal to what is real and tangible and experimental, not only locates things definitely in time and space, makes clear and plain what was hazy or meaningless, awakens interest by connecting the story or description with former experiences, but it sets in action the creative imagination which shapes and builds up new and pleasing structures, combining old and new. This kind of mental elaboration, which reaches back into the senses and forward into the imagination, is what gives mobility and adjustability to our mental resources. It is not stiff and rigid and refractory knowled

much, especially if it be concrete, graphic, picturesque, and bearing directly upon the subject. But as children grow more self-reliant they can look up facts and references, and bring more material themselves to the

. The main thing should not be lost sight of. We should learn to march steadily forward through lively and energetic thought toward expressive reading. There is no other right approach to good reading except through a lively grasp of the thought, sentiment, and style of the author. But the side-lights that come

lt. Reading is a school exercise in which the principles discussed can be immediately applied, and this is scarcely true in studies like history, science, and mathematics. There are many hindrances in the way of this fruitful result; the teacher is tem

apply to explanations, definitions, and questions. Unless they produce a pronounced effect upon the reading, they are largely superfluous. In view of this the teacher will learn to be sparing of words, laconic and definite in statement, pointed and clea

se there are several preliminaries and varieties of preparatory drill which conduce to good rendering of any selection. Such are vocal exercises in consonants and vowels; pronunciation and syllabication of new or difficult words; physical exercises to put the body and nervous system into proper tone; the assignment of the next lesson, requiring a peculiar effort and manner of treatment; the report and discussion of references; concert drills; the study of meanings-synonyms and der

ing is not like moving a house, when it is all carried along in one piece. We reach better results if we concentrate attention and effort during a recitation along the line of a narrow aim. At least this seems true of the more formal, mechanical side of reading. It is better to try to break up bad habits, one at a time, rather than to make a general, indefinite onslaught upon all together. Suppose, for example, that the teacher suggests as an aim of the lesson conversational reading, or that which sounds like pupils talking to each other. Many dialogue selections admit of such an aim as this. If this aim is set up at the beginning of the lesson, the children's minds will be rendered acute in this d

lay bare the kind of faults the children are habitually guilty of? Give them a chance to correct these faults, and awake the class spirit in this direction. It will not be difficult to convince them that they are not pronouncing their final consonants, like d, t, l, m, r, and k. Keep the attention for a lesson to this kind of error till there is recognizable improvement. Then notice the short vowel sounds in the unaccented syllables, and give them search-light attention. Notice later the syllables that children commonly slur over. Mark these fugitives, and see if they continue so invisible and inaudible. They

others that may be labored at similarly. Appreciation of the thought as expressed by the reading is a rich field for critical study of a piece, and as a basis for observing and judging the children's reading. This idea is well implied by such questions as follow: Is that what the passage means? Have you given expression to the author's meaning by emphasis on this word? Does your rendering of this passage make good sense? Comp

sympathy with his feeling, language, and mental movement. In Macaulay's "Lays of Ancient Rome," the ring of martial music is in the words, and it swells out into rapid and rousing speech which should correspond to the thought. In "Evangeline" the flow of language is placid and gentle and rhythmical, and in consonance with the gentle faith and hope of Evangeline. Eve

pportunity to bring all the varied elements and special ai

o hold vigorously to this final achievement is a clear sign of intellectual and moral lassitude. Reading, as noticed before, is one of the few studies in which the final application of theory to practice can be effected, and children may realize that things are learned for the sake of using them, and not simply against some future contingency. This implies, however, much resource an

efore the class. If the teacher has succeeded in calling out the live interest of the class during the previous study, such a lesson will be a joy to both pupils and teacher. One or two of the children may also volunteer or be appo

deserve particular and individual consideration, and may now and then become the dominant purpose of a lesson. Such are the correction of singsong reading, the use of the dictionary, the study of synonyms

baked chicken with parsnips, etc. Such a series of dinners gives a healthy variety and relish. It is better for most people than the bill of fare at a large hotel, where there is so much variety and sameness each day. When we try each day to do everything in a reading lesson, we grasp more than our hands can hold, and most of it falls to the ground. Children are pleased and encouraged by actual progress in surmounting difficulties when they

air measure of successful teaching. To have but one child read at a time while the others wait their turn or scatter their thoughts, is very bad. It is a good sign of a te

hing to feed upon the next moment and the next, or it will be wandering in distant fields. So great and indispensable is the value of attention, that some teachers try to secure it at too heavy a cost. They command, threaten, punish. They resort to severity and cruelty. But the more formidable the teacher becomes, the more difficult for a child to do h

to give them a few severe jolts; he must drop questions where they are least expected. He must be very alert to detect a listless child and wake him into action. The vigor, personal will, and keen watc

ne has not recently read a selection, he can usually detect a verbal error by the break or incoherency of the thought. Moreover, the teacher can better judge the expressiveness of the reading by listening to it than by following the text with his eye. Depending wholly upon the ear, any defect

ng through the like round of mechanical motions, should give way to a rational, spirited, varieg

d in the stories. In their revolt against excessive moralizing with children, some critics object to any direc

al conduct. It is also the motive of great writers, while dealing honestly with human nature, to idealize and beauti

other and others in the fireside circle of "Snow-Bound," of Antonio and Shylock in the "Merchant of Venice," of Cinderella and her sisters in the story,

udgments from lack of insight into the author's meaning, or from carelessness. There is the same possibi

here is no reason why a teacher should abdicate his place of instructor because he chances to come before moral problems. Literature is full of moral situations, moral problems, and moral evolutions in character, and even of moral ideals. Is the teacher to stand dumb before these things as if he had lost his wits? Or is he to consider it the greatest opportunity of his life to prudently guide young people to the correc

raced out. In this way children may gradually increase their insight and enlarge the range of their knowledge of social life. If these things are not legitimate, why should such materials be presented to children at all? We need not make premature moralists of children, or teach them to pass easy or flippant moral judgments upon others. But we wish their interest in these cha

izations in their natural setting in life. They specially cultivate moral judgment and insight. One of the ultimate standards which we apply to all novels and dramas is that of their fundamental moral truth. Schlegel, in his "Dramatic Art and Literature," in his criticisms of great writers, discusses again and again the

ure seems, therefore, natural and legitimate, while

values of reading will be the power it gives to interpret quickly and grasp firmly the ideas as they present themselves in the magazines, papers, and books we read. Good efforts in school reading will lead forward gradually to that readiness of thought and fluency of perception which will give freedom and mastery of new reading

n classic literature, and give ground for suggestive comparisons and reviews which should not be neglected. There is a strong tendency in our time to put inferior reading matter, in the form of information readers, science primers, short history stories, geographical readers, newspapers, and specially prepared topics on current events,

field of literature is so wide and varied that many things can only be suggested, which will remain for the future leisure and choice of readers. Children might, however, be made acquainted with some of the best books suited to their age for which there is not school time. Many of the best books, like

led on to freedom and self-activity. How to get the mastery of these forms in the

he dictionary; second, how to interpret the diacritical markings so as to get a correct pronunciation; and third, how to discriminate among definitions. Adults and even teachers are often deficient in these particulars, and children will not form habits of usi

e markings given, and the application of these markings to new words in the dictionary discovered. Lack of success in

xtended further to the study of synonyms, root words and their kindre