4. Library Reading
Throughout the course in English, the pupils ought to be urged, if not actually required, to read considerable good literature in addition to that read and studied in class. A list of standard books as large and as wide in range of subjects as the library facilities of the school make possible, should be prepared each year, and the pupils should be encouraged to read as many of these books as their time permits. Reading that is done on the pupil’s own initiative is many times more valuable than that which he does simply because of a formal requirement. If the plan is followed of requiring that a certain number of books be read, precaution must be taken against making the outside reading a formal task rather than a pleasure. The teacher can do much toward interesting the pupils in the library reading. By reading aloud to the class a chapter or two of a book, he may lead many of the pupils to read the whole book. By referring in the class work to the characters, plots, and other details of the books on the reading list, or by quoting from them, he will often arouse the pupils’ curiosity and create a desire to read the books. By considering the tastes and needs of the individual pupils, he can suggest to each the books most likely to be of the greatest interest and value. To create and develop the desire to read good literature outside of the class room, is one of the greatest privileges of the teacher of English.
In general the plan of having a written review, outline, or summary of these books, either as a part of the composition or the reading work, is to be discouraged. Since the writing of a book review is a difficult task for a man or woman of broad education, it is too much to expect that the immature high school pupil will be able to do it with any degree of intelligence or interest. The fact constantly emphasized by such a method, that every book which he reads must serve as material for a book review, a summary, or an examination, often defeats the purpose of his outside reading, since it tends to create a dislike rather than a love for reading. The books read by pupils may sometimes be discussed in class, however, as a means of arousing interest in the outside reading, and frequently pupils may be led to express their opinions freely, and spontaneously concerning the books under discussion. If the pupils can be turned from an oral to a written discussion of the book more or less spontaneously, there is less danger in having an occasional written exercise based on the library reading.
V
FIRST YEAR ENGLISH
In outlining the work of the first year, it is assumed that English will be pursued for five periods a week throughout the year. Of this time one-half should be devoted to composition, and one-half to reading. These two phases of the first year English, as has already been indicated, should be closely correlated, and must, of course, be taught by the same teacher. By suggesting that one-half of the time be devoted to each phase of the subject, it is not intended, as has already been said, that the time should be formally divided. Instead of setting aside two or three periods a week for composition it is frequently more satisfactory to devote a portion of each period to a study of the principles of composition as exemplified in the reading or to a discussion of subjects for composition, and thus not to interrupt the continuity of the reading.
In Wisconsin high schools the present course of study for one course, generally called the English course, presents one serious difficulty in connection with first year English; i. e., the arrangement by which grammar and composition for five periods a week and reading and composition for five periods a week are required of all pupils in this course. It is manifestly undesirable for any pupils in the first year to pursue two courses in English for ten periods a week throughout the year. This arrangement gives the pupils in this course seven and one-half periods of composition work during the second semester if the course in grammar and composition is divided so that grammar is required in the first semester and composition in the second. It also divides the composition work between two separate classes, part of the instruction in composition being given in the course in grammar and composition and part in the course in reading and composition. Since instruction in the principles of composition without practice is of little value especially for the immature pupils in the first year, and since from five to seven and a half periods is too much time to devote to composition when the amount of practice that is possible or even desirable is necessarily limited, the best solution of the problem seems to be to devote the time to additional reading and not to attempt to give more than two and a half periods, the amount assigned for other courses, to composition work. The question of teaching grammar is considered on page [32].