The Oglala light. [volume], June 01, 1913, Image 14

About The Oglala light. [volume] ([Pine Ridge, S.D.]) 190?-19??

Image provided by: South Dakota State Historical Society – State Archives

                
MY METHOD OF TEACHING
ENGLISH TO BEGINNERS.
By Rebecca Brigance, Teacher,
No. 11 Day School,
Pine Ridge, South Dakota.
HE CHILD of school age can observe and imitate the
written as well as the spoken form. So in learning
a new language I find it best to let pupils name the
objects or actions with which he is most familiar
as, parts of the body, clothing, toys, etc. Afterward
a pupil may be taught the relation of the objects.
I commence by holding up an object in my hand, call the
name of the object the pupils repeat the word. I now draw the
picture of the object on the board and write the name. I read the
name and pupils read after me. After this has been done with sev
eral familiar objects, I require pupils to go to the board and imitate
the drawing and writing. After each writing, and drawing I re
quire the pupils to read what they have written.
Each day I add new words and drawings. To keep this work
from becoming monotonous, I let pupils occasionally use colored
chalk or colored pencils to draw with.
As soon as pupils become familiar with this work I make &
chart of the names of the odjects, and a picture chart with pictures
of objects pasted on it.
Each day one of the pupils plays teacher, and drills the rest of
the class in the words and objects this inspires confidence in them
selves. Later I remove the picture chart and let the pupils write
the names of objects and draw the picture from memory.
I now teach the pronouns I and my "my" can be used in con
nection with hand, foot etc., as, "my hand," "my foot." By this
time pupils can easily take up several action words together with
new objects each week. At this point of the work, a teacher must
be a child among children if he would teach correctly, I begin by
saying, 'I can skip.'' At the same time I motion to the pupils to
follow me, which they are only too happy to do, at the same time
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