HARVARD COLLEGE PORARY CUT OF GINN & CO. COPYRIGHT, 1906 BY EATON & COMPANY MANUFACTURED BY BROCK & RANKIN, CHICAGO PREFACE The Second of the Eaton Readers is designed to furnish the child with reading matter adapted to the different seasons of the year and the holidays. A marked feature is the number of lessons referring to Special Days. The great festivals of the year, the days set apart for the promotion of patriotism and the birthdays of our country's most noted men are emphasized by stories, descriptions and poems. Stories, both old and new, furnish variety and awaken interest. The pleasures and experiences of the four children with whom the little readers of the First Reader have become acquainted appeal to the universal interest in a continued narrative. These stories of happy child life suggest amusements and games for the home and present in a natural manner the ethical ideas of kindness and unselfish giving. This book, like the first book of the same series, is written in accordance with the belief that a child's reading should increase his observation and love of nature as well as awaken a love for books. Both directly and indirectly many of the lessons supplement nature study and suggest appropriate language exercises. To the authors and publishers who have kindly granted the use of their beautiful selections, most grateful acknowledgments are rendered. THE AUTHOR. SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS READING. This book has been prepared in the hope that it will be of service both to teacher and to pupils by presenting lessons that will correlate with the other work of the year, and be appropriate to the several seasons and to special days. READING POETRY. The memorizing of poems by pupils, through their being required to look at each line and to repeat it after the teacher, is one of the best means of securing good expression in reading. In this way difficult words are readily learned, and memorizing poems becomes an enjoyable exercise. NEW WORDS. The more difficult words in this book have been selected and have been divided into syllables for drills in pronunciation. It is not expected that the children will be required to memorize the spelling of these words. Daily exercises in pronunciation, each syllable being spelled and pronounced distinctly, will greatly increase the child's power to acquire new words. OCCUPATIONS. Many of the illustrations furnish copies and suggestions for illustrating stories with paper-cutting or brushwork. Nearly all of the pictures may be copied with pencil or crayon. The copying and illustrating of memory gems will be found a favorite occupation with children. Suggestions for written work for language exercises may be found in the questions prepared for silent study. 4 |