4. To explain the language. 5. To account for marks of punctuation. 6. To point out what is true, beautiful and good in the sentiment. 7. To show the manner of delivery, and give reason for it. The number of those who can be properly called good readers in our schools, is small; but how Remarks. large is the number who can read quite indifferently, or very poorly. As a general thing it must be admitted that reading has not been well taught in our schools. It has received formal attention and frequent inattention. Time enough is given to the exercise, but not enough attention. An intellectual exercise. The elocutionary part of reading should receive but little attention in the intermediate classes. With so many pupils under your training, it cannot be expected that you will go into all the minutia of elocutionary drill. Your aim must be to teach well what you undertake to teach. You cannot even hope to make all your pupils accomplished elocutionists, but you can make them good and intelligent readers. When you find a pupil that takes to elocution it may be well to encourage it, but not to the neglect nor the expense of other subjects of instruction. It may be asked, what is good reading? I call that good reading when a person reads distinctly, giving the sense with such intonation and emphasis as to be pleasant to the hearer, and in such a manner as to be easily heard and readily understood. 1 Take, for example, the following beautiful selection, and see how many pertinent questions may be asked in reference to it: An illustration. NELLY Nelly sat under the apple tree, And watched the shadows of leaves at play, Gathering sweets through the sunny day. Nelly's brown hands in her lap were laid; Nelly was full of a pure delight, Born of the beauty of earth and sky, Of the wavering boughs, and the sunshine bright, Nelly forgot that her dress was old, Her hands were rough and her feet were bare ; And the distant hills in their glory lay, And soft to her ear came the robin's call: And Nelly was learning the lesson sweet 1. Where did Nelly sit? 2. What two things did she do? 3. What is meant by the leaves at play? 4. What were the bees doing? 5. What is said of Nelly's hands? 6. What is said of her head? 7. What is said of the squirrel? 8. Of what was Nelly full? 9. What is meant by being full of pure delight? 10. Of what four things was it born? 11. What is meant by being born of these things? 12. What did Nelly forget? 13. Why did she forget these things? 14. What is meant by the sunlight pouring its gold? 15. What is meant by kissed by the summer air? 16. What is said of the distant hills? 17. What is meant by the phrase "in their glory lay"? 18. What is said of the robin? 19. Why was it sweet to live on that summer day? 20. What lesson was Nelly learning? 21. What is the meaning of gathering? Inclined? Peer? Boughs? Nature? 22. Make sentences in which those words in some of their forms shall be used correctly. 23. Write a short composition about Nelly. The piece is descriptive and should be so read as to give the hearer a clear idea of the scenes Directions. described. State each thing mentioned as though you were telling some person what you had seen. The frequent or occasional study of reading lessons in this manner will be attended with two advantages. The pupils will read them better, for they will have a sympathy for the author, and a more intelligent perception of the meaning. The answering of the question will prove very serviceable, by unfolding the sense of the piece, and thus enable one to read it more understandingly. It will produce thought, and whenever we produce thought we secure interest. In intermediate classes constant attention should be given to punctuation, accent, inflection, emphasis and correct pronunciation. Explanations of historical, biographical or scientific allusions, should be given by the teacher and reviewed in subsequent recitation. Higher classes may be taught the rhetorical divisions. Thus: No subject is of more importance than how to teach Reading understandingly. Good reading is General remarks. calculated to develop the mind, the body, and the imagination. Although so important, yet it is sadly neglected. Elocution is the art of speaking so as to be heard, so as to be felt, so as to impress. The first essential is to speak or read so as to be heard distinctly. Never speak above or below your natural voice; if you do so, the effect will be lost. The three great rules that all should observe in reading or speaking are: "Be sure you have something to say; as well as you can say it; and stop when you are done." Speak so that the listener may understand you; speak so as to be felt, hence be in earnest ; if you do not feel what you say, you cannot expect your hearers to feel it. If you have a fault, attend to it, overcome it by practice. Much time must be taken in correcting bad habits of reading, but you must take Attend to faults. the time. And whatever you do, be sure to teach the pupils to do it in the right way. If the teacher wishes to succeed he must learn how intonation and articulation are to be taught. Before he can teach it he must learn it. It can only be acquired through study. Rules in books might as well be omitted; correct reading must be taught by example. The object of teaching reading is to make good readers. Before good reading and good speaking can be taught it is necessary to learn how to articulate distinctly and pronounce correctly. If you are careless in one single point, your pupils will be careless not only on that point but on others. In reading you must give each sound its true value. The requirements in reading are two-fold: First.-To express rightly what you read; and A perfect understanding of what you read is the foundation; you must understand the thoughts of the author and make the thoughts your own. It is the exception to find good readers in our schools; the reason is because pupils are not required to study the lesson as in other branches. Study gives force, meaning, beauty and power to the passage. After the pupils can speak distinctly, they |