LITERATURE IN PRIMARY GRADES II 



introductory work one day, at least, is given to Mr. Long- 

 fellow and his love for children. 



The childhood of Hiawatha is presented in several divi- 

 sions, some of which are : the cradle, lessons in the sky, the 

 fire-fly, the rainbow. Wherever an opportunity for a science 

 lesson presents itself, it precedes the literature. The fire-fly, 

 for instance, is studied before taking up that part of the 

 poem that tells about it. In this way the pupils understand 

 the references with perfect ease. The story is first presented 

 to the children in prose narrative. After it has been enjoyed, 

 understood, and reproduced, the partial version is read or 

 repeated to the pupils, who learn as much of it as can be 

 remembered without too great an effort. In fact, the greater 

 part of the memorizing is almost unconscious on the part of 

 the pupils. The first grades use from the sixty-fifth to the 

 two hundred and thirty-fifth line, and about one-third of this 

 amount is remembered by the majority of the pupils. 



During the year we have taken but a step, it is true, into 

 the wonderland of story ; but if we have created in the chil- 

 dren a desire that will lead them toward an enjoyment of the 

 best in literature, have we not done much? 



SECOND YEAR GRADE 



In this year the poems to be memorized are taken from the 



writings of the Gary sisters, Eugene Field, and Longfellow. 



They are first presented orally by the teacher, 



who tells the story involved, often using the 

 &ucL 

 Method words of the poet, if they are understood by 



the little ones. It is very desirable that the 

 children should form clear-cut mental concepts of the pic- 

 tures in the poems. To facilitate this, expressive drawings 



