Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

No. 21.

PAPERS FOR THE SCHOOLMASTER.

NOVEMBER 1, 1852.

Lotes of a Lecture ou Teaching to Read, Lu. 1.

It will simplify the consideration of the subject, if we assume, what in the majority of cases will be the fact, that for Reading purposes, a school may be divided into three sections.

We propose to consider first-Reading in the Lowest Section. The steps here usually are-letters, tablet-lessons, and First Reading Book.

1. Letters. Not a few schemes have been put forth, and tried for the purpose of removing the difficulties in the way of mastering the letters of the alphabet. These plans are of two kinds: those that propose to teach the names, and those proposing to teach the sounds of the letters.

The old method, as pursued in Dames' and other schools, by which the names of the letters were learnt individually in the order of the alphabet, is now generally discarded in elementary schools, as being purely dogmatic, and exercising no faculty but the memory. Other modes based on the shapes of the letters, and on the organs employed in their pronounciation, have shared the same fate..

The plans already named were synthetic in their character; another method called the "word," or "look and say system," calling in the aid of analysis, has been somewhat extensively used within the last few years. The word system proposes to take a word as a whole, and when known as a word, to analyse it into its elements, and so get at the knowledge of the names of the letters comprising it.

Whilst the "name" method is evidently on the decline, the Phonic or Sound Method, in which the memory is subordinated to the reasoning faculty, is fast taking its place. In reading we use, not the names of the letters, but the sounds of which the letters are the signs. The Phonic Method is founded on this fact, and is so called because it teaches the true sound of each letter, as it is brought into notice. The steps in the Phonic process are three: 1, show a print of a natural object having a monosyllabic name; 2, analyse the word so as to teach the children to discover, identify, and name the several constituent sounds; 3, beginning with the vowel sound, show the sign of each sound, and by synthesis their combination into words.

This method will be better understood after a careful reading of the following extracts, in which you will observe that either the board, or the letter-box, may be employed, and that only familiar and easy words are used.

66

The following lesson was given in a Prussian school, and recorded in "Mann's Tour." The teacher first drew a house on the blackboard; by the side of the drawing he wrote and printed the word house; with a pointer he ran over the forms of the letters, the children tracing the forms in the air. The word house was now copied both in script and in print, then followed not the "names," but the sounds," of the letters; in this way the letter (h) was set up in the reading frame, and the children gave a hard breathing, then the diphthong (au), the German for house being haus, the (h) and (au) were now brought together, and their sounds combined—then (s) followed in like manner. Sometimes the last letter is taken first, and so the word framed backward. The responses were either individual or simultaneous, according to the master's signal."

O'Malley, in his "Tour in Holland," gives the following description of a lesson by Mr. Prinsen, master of a Normal school at Haarlem.

On a tablet suspended from the wall in front of the pupils, were inscribed in large characters all the letters of the alphabet, with a print connected with each, of some object familiar to the learners, which, when strongly accented, gave distinctly its sound. Exercised on these, the children soon acquire a clear perception not only of the form, but of the force of every letter, that is, of the sound it represents. The letter box is next brought out, a letter put in the slide, the pupils giving its sounds, a second at a little distance, and a third and a fourth still apart from cach other, getting the sound of each separately; the letters were then brought together gradually, gradually comminglingly the separate sounds, till putting them close together, he announced distinctly the combined sound. In this way the intellect of the children goes along with the master in every step of this very first process of its development. Care was taken that a knowledge of things went along with their knowledge of words, the teacher never using a word of which he could not give a distinct conception, either by showing them the object itself, or a picture of it. Keeping the vowel he first formed, he changed the last or the first letter, and showed how easily words are modified or totally changed in their meaning; and this association of words, very like, yet very different, still further increased their stock."

For a full and complete exposition of the Phonic method, you may read the directions to Teachers, at the end of the "First Phonic Reading Book," published by Parker, under the sanction of the Committee of Council on Education.

2. Tablet Lessons.-After a good training on the Phonic method, the children will be prepared for the use of the Tablet lessons. In their previous lessons, whether for the board or the letter box, their attention has been directed mainly to single and familiar words; now the range will be wider, including many words not used before. Your object will now be to carry out the word system without its analysis, getting at the word as a whole, and not attempting to do so through the "names" of its component letters. To keep up the attention of the class, let the sentences be read by "word about," that is, each child naming but one word; by this plan the reading will go rapidly round the class, and no time be left for indolence. When it happens that the boy in turn cannot name his word, let it be done by the next that can, who then takes one

place upwards, and the defaulter is made to give the correction. Let great care be taken that the pronounciation is clear and full, and that no provincialisms, nor clipped words, are allowed to pass. As a variety, it is useful occasionally to make each child pronounce the word, and then spell it from the card, it will help to lay a foundation for correct spelling. You should endeavour here "to exercise their intelligence on the meaning of words and sentences, beginning with the easy and familiar, not expecting very accurate explanations, but encouraging them to say what they think, and practice under correction will enable them to do better."

3. First Reading Book.-The children, after having passed through the two foregoing stages, will be somewhat prepared to enter on the difficulties presented to them in the use of a book. Care will be wanting to train them to hold it right, and it will only be after many failures, that they will be able to follow the words and lines readily. Be prepared therefore to exercise a good deal of patience about loss of place and other little mishaps, and instead of scolding, give them words of encouragement, and you will find them gradually acquire the power of using a book profitably. Let the sentences be read by "word about," with much care that the pronounciation is slow, full, and clear. Watch the various little devices that children have for getting over the difficult words, and in every case, when the pronounciation is indistinct or imperfect, let it be repeated in a full, slow tone, till the effort is successful. An attempt may now be made at an analysis of the lesson, guarding, however, most carefully against travelling beyond the sphere of the intelligence of little children. It will accomplish much, if you can lay the foundation of a habit of always connecting ideas with written symbols. Lay hold especially on words and phrases representing ideas known to be familiar to children, and thus beginning with the known, you may with care lead on a step beyond, still keeping in view the cultivation of clear conceptions and correct expressions.

The spelling may be done at this stage with the books open, each child pronouncing with distinctness a word, and then giving the names of the letter composing it. This exercise has it value, not only as a spelling exercise, but as helping to form the habit of close attention.

R.

Decimal Fractions.

Multiplication of Decimal Fractions.-The rule of Multiplication will be understood when the meaning of the term decimal is fully comprehended. By a decimal fraction is meant a vulgar fraction having 10 or some power of 10 for the denominator. As this is always the case, the fraction is called decimal from decem, the Latin for ten. Thus, .5 expressed as a vulgar fraction is f, and .54 is, and .546 is 546 where it will be observed that the number of cyphers in the denominator corresponds with the number of figures following the decimal period in the numerator.

1000,

From all this it will follow that to multiply decimals will, in fact, be to multiply vulgar fractions whose denominators will have each of them 1 with so many cyphers after it. Hence using the rule of multiplication for vulgar fractions we shall have for our result another fraction, whose numerator will be the product of the numerators of the given fractions, and denominator 1 with as many cyphers as there are in both denominators. But since also these cyphers point out the number of decimal places, we obtain the rule.-Multiply the figures as if they were whole numbers, and mark off in the product as many decimal places as there are in both multiplier and multiplicand.

Ex. Multiply .54 by .3. Converted into vulgar fractions we have

[blocks in formation]

Division of Decimals.-From the same principles it will be seen that as the divisor, when expressed by a vulgar fraction, must (by the rule of division of vulgar fractions) be inverted, its numerator, when thus inverted, will consist of 1 and cyphers. These cyphers in multiplication will then cancel just so many cyphers in the multiplicand, and the excess of cyphers will denote how many decimal places should be marked off in the answer. But should there be more left in the numerator of the multiplier, than in the denominator of the multiplicand, the resulting product having no cyphers in the

By the power of any figure is meant that figure multiplied by itself, once or any number of times.

« ForrigeFortsett »