The teacher should ask questions about the objects and incidents of thereading lesson; the most difficult words of the lesson should be placed on theboard and used as an exercise in rapid pronunciation and spelling; let thepupils pass rapidly through a paragraph, pronouncing the words of two-syllables,three-syllables, etc.; and, as soon as the advancement of the classwill permit, the pupil should pass through a paragraph naming the parts ofspeech, the phrases, the propositions, and the sentences, now and then classifyingthem.
Frequently, as a pupil reads, the rest of the class should be required toclose their books and turn their attention directly to what is being read; whenthe reader is through, the teacher should question the listeners carefully untilevery point of what was read is brought out clearly,—the reading itself to beproperly criticised. Rules of punctuation, and those concerning the use ofcapitals should be deduced from the reading matter, and frequently recited.Quotation marks, the hyphen, and the apostrophe must receive their share ofattention.
Geographical terms, allusions, and figures of speech should be noted; letthe places mentioned be located and described as in geography. If prominentmen are mentioned, let brief biographical sketches be given.
Before beginning the recitation, the teacher should question the classclosely in regard to what is set forth or told in the lesson. Give careful attentionto position, voice, emphasis, tone, etc. Good reading should strike ourattention as being very like good conversation.
As soon as practicable, the pupils should be required to write out as acomposition the thoughts and incidents of the lesson. Occasional exercisesin parsing and analysis may be given from the reading lesson.
Stories, extracts, etc., should of