I surely approve of the methods used by this teacher. The lesson shows good preparation and planning. The work does not drag out but is welcomed and enjoyed by the entire class. What a privilege to have the small chairs for group work! I liked the questions used by the teacher. They stimulated thought.

This on the whole is a splendid class recitation. The teacher's native ability figures prominently here. She can use and knows how and when to use facial expression to control and to inspire. Her orderly habits are caught by the pupils. She is living the life of the children in class and in school-they feel it-the community reaps the benefit. As splendid as this recitation is, I think the teacher could strengthen the work and help create interest by occasionally reading a sentence or paragraph especially well. Read for the child to deepen and clarify the thought. This teacher can do this beautifully. Her facial expression, coupled with her ability to hold words, to phrase, pause, read with speed, softly, etc., would challenge the little people to equal her. It would take scarcely no time and would put the finishing touch on expression which deepens the thought. I doubt the policy of asking children to read a verse orally as soon as they have read it through silently. Often, those who know or feel they can, will raise their hands before reading silently. To avoid this a check question should be first given. Several paragraphs chosen from different parts of the selection were read but there should be continuous reading of many paragraphs or of the whole selection. A finished reading of the whole or large parts will strengthen the work.

They did a good piece of work. A little praise would be well deserved here. I would suggest that she give children a little more chance for self-expression.

Rapid reading is not always a test of thorough reading. Is it wise to call on the pupils who read through the paragraph first to read it to the class?

One supervisor proceeded as follows:

Supervisor. What did you like best about your lesson? Teacher. The response of the pupils. I have tried to work for that.

Supervisor. Very good. I am glad to see your results. You have a fine spirit in your room. Your pupils are industrious and happy. What do you feel was a weakness in the lesson?

Teacher. I really don't know-please tell me. Supervisor. There are two phases of silent reading: one, a mechanical practice to improve skills, the other, the use (unconsciously) of those skills (1) to get information for its own sake, (2) to read for enjoyment, and (3) to read for others aloud later. Each of these phases should receive its due amount of attention, but as your pupils are normal, the chances are that reading to find answers to definite questions has been practiced until your pupils are sufficiently efficient. Their skill indicated this. This selection had many opportunities for developing appreciation. Did your method utilize them?

Teacher. I am afraid not. How could I have done it? Supervisor. Suppose you had said, "Let us read this story through to see what it is about. You may have five minutes to read it clear through." Wait for them, help them with hard words; then say, "Time is up. What is the story about?" Children will answer "a cripple," etc. "What can you do that Peg could not do?" Get answer. "Do you know any crippled children? I wonder if they would like this story, too?" Get answers. "What part did you like best? Read it aloud. Discuss these as to suggestions for us to use our eyes. Look out of the window and find cloud pictures if possible." Have several read and discussed. "What other title could the author have used for this story?" Get answer. "Which is better do you think? Why?"

I have tried to emphasize (1) the value of reading a story clear through to get the thread of the story, (2) a second reading for definite purposes (in this case appreciations because of similar experiences, probably.) A reconsideration at the end of the whole selection-organizing its parts, as it were (in this case supplying a better title). Are these features of good study? Are your pupils not ready to begin to practice these higher skills of study on material as simple as this? Teacher. I believe I see how I can raise the level of their work.

A critical evaluation of this recitation. It appears quite evident that the teacher had several definite purposes in mind. She was working principally for speed and comprehension. This she endeavored to obtain by

asking questions and requiring pupils to read until they were able to give the answers. She worked for appreciation of the humor in the story, and succeeded in her purpose. She attempted to combine with these purposes oral reading of an audience type. This is indicated by such directions as the following: "The one who reads it over first can read it to me. This is not a true audience situation. The teacher succeeded, however, in getting good results, not because the pupils felt the necessity of reading well orally in order that the teacher might understand and appreciate the story, but because of her personality and the desire on the part of the children to read acceptably to her. This method will succeed with second-grade children, though it might fail with older children.

There is much to commend in the recitation, and little to criticize. The wise supervisor will comment upon the happy attitude of pupils and teacher. He will discuss with the teacher the uses to which such a selection may be put; the results for which the teacher is working; how the teacher may test the accomplishment of the pupils; seat work of a type that will supplement and further the class accomplishment; other selections suitable for the purpose of this recitation; correlations of this recitation with language; the possibility of having the children read stories to unfortunate children at home, and how this may motivate oral reading in a separate class exercise; other methods of improving the speed of reading; using a progress book or record card. The teacher may be told that the supervisor hopes to send others to observe her work, or she may be asked to teach a demonstration class before a group of second-grade teachers.

The development of reading abilities. In addition to the development of certain fundamental reading habits

which are considered as the work of the first three grades, the teacher of reading should recognize her task of training pupils in a number of reading abilities usually included in the general term comprehension.

It is accepted by most teachers that through proper reading exercises pupils should learn to follow directions accurately as well as to comprehend and evaluate what they read. The girl who reads a recipe in a cookbook must be able to interpret and follow the directions given, otherwise her pie or cake will be indigestible. She must determine whether the directions given in the recipe are reasonably accurate or not. The boy who is making a toy airplane or a boat, guided by a blueprint or specifications given in a book on "How to Do Things," will meet disaster unless he has learned to interpret directions and to follow them accurately.

Teachers of reading and those who compile reading books, realizing this, have presented problems and practice exercises for the development and mastery of this special reading ability. Many attempts to use such exercises are of little value because too many unfamiliar problems not directly related to the purpose of the exercise are introduced. In other cases teachers do not realize that such exercises should be graded in difficulty of thought as well as in vocabulary, and hence fail to obtain the results desired.

A LANGUAGE LESSON, GRADE 4

1. Kind of school: City school in a cultured community. 2. Teacher: High-school and normal-school graduate with one year at the university and four years of teaching experience in elementary grades. Businesslike and stimulating. Has the happy faculty of securing a natural atmosphere in her room without undue freedom. Might be called by some a little too lenient. Able to control pupils without undue effort, if occasion demands.

3. Learning conditions: Comfortable room, morning period, adjustable seats which were fairly well adjusted, and blackboards which were clean. Class working as a whole, after a rather quiet manner.

4. Class activity: A language game for the purpose of ear training in the use of saw, lying, and haven't.

5. Children: Forty-three pupils in group, eight and nine years of age, except one border-line slow pupil, twelve years old. 6. Previous work and day's assignment: This class had been in the fourth grade three and one-half months, following the work in Potter, Jeschke, and Gillet's Oral and Written English, Book I, having completed approximately the first fifty pages of the book. This work had been supplemented by a great deal of outside work, furnishing opportunity for the use of oral composition. Also lessons had been given in appreciation of literature and in picture study. In the oral work of the past two or three weeks the teacher had discovered that several members of the class were habitually misusing the words noted above. This served as a motive for the lesson, and this need for work was brought to the attention of two pupils.

7. Materials used: A newspaper or two; a near-life situation; teacher's course, MEEK AND WILSON, English To-day, Book I, page 121, "A Newspaper Game."

8. The lesson: The children are seated in order and very expectant when the teacher begins the lesson. They have the attitude of pupils who anticipate a profitable exercise. Teacher. Any one in this room who sells newspapers? [One hand raised. Teacher nods appreciation.] We all know newsboys, do we not? [Children agree.] To-day we are going to play a newspaper game [displaying the newspaper]. All sit up straight. I am going to choose a nice newsboy, or it may be a girl. [Child chosen, who goes to the front of the room.] Now what would a newsboy say if he were going to sell a paper?

John [from his seat, exactly as a child on the street would say it]. Journals for sale right here!

Walter [from his seat]. Milwaukee Journals-right here! Teacher [to child in front of room]. Now I want you to walk back and forth as if you were selling papers in the street. When you see some one, leave some of your papers right