Teachers Outlines for Studies in English | Page 2

love for literature and to
help him to discriminate between what is true and what is false;
between what is cheap and what is worth while. Moreover, the study of
the novel is the study of life and character. It is of great human interest,
and it may be made an important factor in developing the pupil's
ambition, judgment, ideals, and character. Good stories grow in
meaning with the growth of mental power. The Iliad and The Odyssey
are full of delightful stories for boys and girls, but these same stories,
securely fixed in the youthful mind, gain a deeper meaning from
experience as the child develops into the man or the woman.
Furthermore, interest in a good story leads to other interests. It may
encourage a love of nature, stimulating to closer observation. It may
awaken a love of history, or of travel, or of some of the innumerable
interests of human activity.
Unfortunately, young people's delight in the reading of the novel is a
source of danger. The drama and the essay appear so full of difficulties
that the student regards their study seriously, as a task, and finds it
necessary to apply himself vigorously in order to master them. On the
other hand, the novel is so delightful, so easy, that he looks upon it as a

pastime. A superficial reading often gives him knowledge of many of
the main facts, and a mistaken idea that he knows the story. It is the
task of the teacher to get him to read with careful attention and with
imagination keenly alive. When a fair mastery of the facts of the story
has been gained, and clear mental images of the scenes portrayed and
suggested have been formed, studies of plot, character, interpretation,
etc., should follow. These studies, if they appeal to the class as
reasonable, will stimulate thought and imagination and will help to
form a basis for sound judgment and a habit of just criticism.
The practical plan here presented for the accomplishment of these ends
involves three steps: first, preparation of the class for taking up the
work; second, reading and study for the purpose of getting the facts;
third, comprehensive study of the book as a whole, in addition to a
comparison of it with other books. The purpose of the first step is to
arouse an interest in approaching the story, and to prepare the pupil for
an intelligent reading. In the case of some books it is of little
importance, but in the case of others it is almost essential for success.
Appreciation of the difficulties of the book and of the limitations of his
pupils will enable the teacher to make the wisest choice of his material.
The second step is certainly the most important because it is
fundamental. Students often read a book without any adequate
conception of the facts of which it treats. Even after honest endeavor
they frequently have gross misconceptions and fail to see much that
was intended for their observation. To keep the class alert and
interested, and at the same time to see that the work has been well done,
requires patience, tact, and ingenuity. Sometimes difficulties and
consequent discouragement are avoided by assigning with the lesson a
few general questions to aid the pupil in getting a connected idea of
essential details. Sometimes the same result is reached by requiring the
class to write in their notebooks brief summaries of each chapter. The
recitation period gives the teacher an opportunity to arouse in the class
a thorough interest in the work in hand. This can be done in a variety of
ways. Different parts of the story may be told by the students; questions
may be asked to test the understanding of certain passages, to enable
the pupil to read between the lines, and to awaken curiosity;

supplementary facts may be given by the teacher, or by members of the
class, to throw light on certain parts of the story.
For the third step,--the study of the book as a whole,--the following
topics are suggested:
Setting and situation, plot, characters, interpretation, method of
narration, style, life and character of the author, comparison with other
books. Although some of these topics may have been taken up in
connection with previous study, they will be found none the less
valuable at this more advanced stage of the work. Certain ones are of
course more important than others. The method of narration and the
style, for example, should always be treated lightly, if at all, since their
consideration is rather for the maturer student. To reach the best results
every topic that is studied should send the pupil again and again to the
book to find definite answers to the questions given and to establish the
proof of his opinions.