EARLY EXERCISES IN LANGUAGE. CONSISTING OF SIMPLE SENTENCES. The most simple propositions, formed of a subject and a verb only, in the singular number*. Mother, pointing to a boy, to a bird, and to a dog, says: The boy reads. The bird sings. The dog barks. Children repeat. Mother. How many sentences have we spoken ? * If exercises of this description are given in a family or Infant School, consisting of two classes, the children of the second class, or the more advanced, answer the questions proposed by the teacher; and those of the first, or weaker class, to whom they are merely speaking exercises, repeat. B Children. We have spoken three sentences. Mother. Let us say them again. What did the first express? Of whom did I say something? Children. You said something of a boy. Mother. What did I say of him? Children. He reads. Mother. Of what did I speak in the second sentence? What did I say of it? What was spoken of in the third sentence? Recapitulate these sentences, beginning Children of the first class repeat. The Mother may proceed in the same manner with other sentences: The child plays. The fly sips. The parrot talks. Mother. Now I am going to pronounce a word, of which you may try to say something. What am I going to do? and what are you to do? Children. You are going to, &c. and we are to, &c. Mother. Duck. Children. The duck quacks. Mother. Cow. Children. The cow lows. Mother. Owl. Children. The owl screams. Mother. What have we been doing? What did I say? What did you say? Now I will say something, and you are to find a word of which I can say it. What am I, and what are you to do? Mother. Crows. Children. The cock crows. Mother. Twitters. Children. The swallow twitters. Mother. Bleats. Children. The sheep bleats. The children of the first class repeat separately each sentence, afterwards together; first forwards, then backwards. Mother. Now, Emily, propose to your neighbour a word of which he can say something. Now, Arthur, say something, and let Emily find a word of which she can say it. This exercise, equally adapted to make children think, and to occupy them in an agree able manner, may be varied and extended; also, the children of the first class may be desired to propose to those of the second, subjects to which they are to find suitable predicates. All sentences formed by the second class are repeated by the first. Similar sentences changed into questions and addresses, and both united. Mother. The boy reads. This sentence I shall turn into a question. What am I going to do? Children. You are going to turn the sen tence into a question. Mother. Does the boy read? Children repeat. Mother. What have you been doing? Mother. The boy reads. Is that a question? order. Does the boy read? is an interrogative sentence. Repeat both sentences. First in the affirmative, then in the inter rogative way. Put the last sentence in such a tone of voice that it may be distinctly perceived that you ask a question. What have you been doing? Children. We have spoken a sentence first in the affirmative, and then turned it into a question. Mother. The bird sings. Does the bird sing? Children repeat. Mother. What have we done? What is the object concerning which I ask? What do I ask concerning it? Mother. The dog barks. Some of you, surely, will be able to turn this into a question. Try. Children. Does the dog bark? Mother. Now we will express our three sentences first affirmatively, then interroga tively. The boy reads. Does the boy read? The bird sings. Does the bird sing? The dog barks. Does the dog bark? |