How to teach prose to a child?

After teaching the skill of reading, the next in sequence comes the teaching of prose from the text book.

Aims of Teaching Pros:

There are two types of aims of teaching prose-general and specific. General aims are the same for every prose-lesson; whereas the specific aims differ from lesson to lesson.

General Aims:

1. To teach correct pronunciation.

2. To increase the vocabulary of the students.

3. To create interest in teaching.

4. To understand the meaning and the central idea while reading.

5. To increase knowledge through reading.

Specific Aims:

1. To enable the pupils to read the lesson with correct pronunciation.

2. To add new words in the working vocabulary of the students.

3. To comprehend the idea contained in the lesson.

Procedure of Teaching the Prose Lesson:

The systematic method or the technique of teaching prose consists of the following steps:

Previous knowledge test

The new lesson is generally commenced by giving a brief introduction or preferably by testing the previous knowledge of the pupils. This is done by putting three or four pointed questions to the students which help to create a sort of background for the new lesson, as well as arouse the curiosity of the students for the new lesson.

Announcement of the Aim

The answer of the students to the last question should naturally lead to the announcement of the aim of the lesson by the teacher.

The aim of the lesson must be announced in clear and concise words, preferably in one sentence only; e.g. ‘To-day, we shall study Lesson No. so and so.’

Model Reading by the Teacher

The prose-lesson should be divided into two or three parts to be taught one after the other. The same technique of teaching is followed in teaching all the parts.

The teacher gives model reading of the first part of the lesson, to be emulated by the students. The teacher should read the passage in the best possible manner; with correct pronunciation, keeping in view the punctuation marks, with proper intonation, and according to the ideas contained in the passage.

Reading by the Students

Two or three students may be asked to read the same paragraph turn by turn and their mistakes, if any, may be corrected by the teacher. This is done to enable the students to read the passage correctly and in the best possible manner.

Explanation of Difficult Words

After reading by the students, the teacher gives the meaning of the difficult words contained in the passage being taught by him. The difficult words as well as their meaning must invariably be written on the black-board, and the same must be noted down by the students in their note-books. The teacher should assure himself by having one or two rounds in the class-room that the students are actually writing the meaning of the difficult words in their note-books.

The teacher should also ask the students to use the difficult words in their own sentences, so that those difficult words are added into their working vocabulary.

Silent Reading by the Students

Before testing whether the students have followed and understood the contents of the passage, the teacher should direct the students to read the passage silently so that they , may be able to grasp the ideas and contents of the paragraph. This will also give them practice in the art of silent reading. Discipline must be properly maintained while the students are reading silently.

Comprehension Test

This is done by putting a few questions by the teacher. Through these, the teacher comes to know how far the students have been able to understand or comprehend the contents or the subject- matter or the idea contained in this passage.

The other parts of the lesson are also to be taught in the same way. After teaching each part of the lesson, the main points of the lesson are to be revised. This is called ‘Sectional Recapitulation’.

Recapitulation

This is called ‘Final Recapitulation’ of the lesson. In this step, the whole of the lesson is revised again. This is generally done by putting a number of questions by the teacher regarding, the main points of the lesson. During this step, the black-board should be rubbed off, and the note-books of the students should be kept closed.

(ix) Allotting of Home Work

After teaching the whole of this lesson, the teacher should give some work to the students to be done at home.

The home work should aim at revising the main points of the lesson, and should preferably be in the written form. It should not be too much and too difficult for the students, and it must be checked by the teacher the next day, and the mistakes, if any, be explained by the teacher.

To make the prose-lesson interesting and easily comprehensible, the teacher must make use of the relevant audio-visual aids.