Notes of Lessons: Reading, Class III

Notes of Lessons: Reading, Class III

[We have thought that it might be of use to our readers (in their own families) to publish from month to month during the current year, Notes of Lessons prepared by students of the House of Education for the pupils of the Practising School. We should like to say, however, that such a Lesson is never given as a tour de force, but is always an illustration or an expansion of some part of the children’s regular studies (in the Parents’ Review School), some passage in one or other of their school books.—Ed.]

Subject: Reading • Group: English • Class III • Time: 25 minutes

By M. Hope Wiseman
The Parents’ Review, 1905, pp. 468-469

Objects

I. To exercise the vocal organs of the girls, and help to develop their lungs.

II. To train the girls in clear enunciation, and articulation.

III. To make them realise the value of individual words.

IV. To help them to read with suitable expression; and in an audible and clear voice.

V. To give them greater interest in their History by selecting a passage from King John in connection with their period.

Lesson

Step I.—Give the girls some breathing exercises, first asking their use.

Breathing exercise. Erect position of the body, hips firm, inhale deeply through the nose, taking care not to allow the shoulders to be raised. Hold the breath while mentally counting five, then let it out pronouncing the vowel “a.” Repeat, letting the breath out while saying “o” and then “oo.”

Step II.—Draw from the girls the principal things to be observed (a) in pronouncing words (b) in reading aloud.

Step III.—Give exercise in pronouncing words with difficult final consonants—

(a) jump, learnt, strength.

(b) tax, act, tack.

The act taxing food caused an attack from the people.

(c) Children love to feed chickens when they are young.

(d) Siegfried is pierced at the spring by the spiteful Hagen.

Step IV.—Ask the girls why they should pay attention to each individual word when reading a good author.

Step V.—Read to the girls a short extract from Modern Painters on language (Modern Painters, Vol. I., page 10).

Step VI.—Ask the girls what they know of King John, from what they have already read in Act I.

Step VII.—Give the girls the selected passage to look through, assigning parts to each. (King John, Act II., Scene I… to the end of Constance’s speech: “That hot rash haste so indirectly shed.”)

Step VIII.—Read the passage through with the girls, making corrections if necessary.

Step IX.—Help the girls to realise the scene better by asking them for the story of King Richard’s imprisonment.

To compare the description of the cliffs of Dover in King John, with that in Henry V., when England was again preparing for war.

Step X.—To read the passage through again.