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SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENING 



are graded for the purpose of meeting the needs of the child ; 

 and for supplying reading matter which will be diflficult enough 

 to call forth the best thought of the child. In many schools 

 enough reading matter is not furnished to accomplish this 

 purpose. Supplementary reading material is greatly needed, 

 both in. city schools and rural schools. A great failing on the 

 part of some reading books is their failure to use the language 

 of every-day things. The child uses words in his speech which 

 he has never seen in books. The reading lesson should not 

 only teach the child new words, but should show him the proper 

 uses of words of every-day life. 



Fig. 158. — This rural teacher makes the school garden the basis for much of the 

 other school work, in arithmetic, composition, spelling, etc. (Miss L. Cleaton.) 



Suitable reading lessons may be made by using bulletins 

 and books about the garden work. It is as important that the 

 child learn from such sources the right use of the words which 

 are to form a part of his daily vocabulary, as it is that he 

 should extend his vocabulary in learning new words which will 

 seldom be used. 



If school gardening is given a place on the program, which 

 to some extent uses the period for reading, that time is more 

 than made up by having the garden class read about the work 

 from any printed matter which is available. The lessons se- 

 lected from time to time should relate to the work being done 

 in the garden. Soils may be the subject when gardens are 



