In the case of Miss Barton, the pupils misused a privilege which should have been reserved for special circumstances only. The study period is not a time for idleness or recreation on the part of the teacher. If she makes it so, she can not blame the pupils for following her example. ILLUSTRATION (HIGH SCHOOL) Miss Herrick had charge of the study hall in the Pittsfield High School the last period of every day. Her presence meant “Study.” There was no time for foolishness when she came into the room. She treated requests to speak in such a chary manner that a pupil would think twice before asking the privilege. “May I speak?” [Sidenote: Learn the Reason] Miss Herrick would not say a word, but would beckon the pupil to her desk. “What would you like to learn, Jessie?” “I wanted to ask Mary how to do an algebra problem.” “Bring your book up to the desk; perhaps I can help you.” So time after time a request to speak to a fellow pupil was turned aside for something more helpful. (3) _Studying aloud._ Probably few teachers realize the difficulty a child meets in learning to suppress tone and muscular movement of mouth and lips while reading. Indeed, the adult can assure himself that in silent reading, even he does not suppress all movement of tongue and vocal cords. CASE 115 (THIRD GRADE) When Miss Smedley took charge of the third grade in the Russell Sage School, she had to meet several new situations, one of which was most annoying. Almon Metcalf insisted on studying aloud. Most of the pupils in the room were accustomed to this, as he had been in the same room with them for years. [Sidenote: Studying Aloud] Miss Smedley was conducting a class in arithmetic in the upper division, when she heard a monotonous mumbling on the other side of the room. Almon Metcalf was studying his reading lesson. “Almon, I wish you would study silently. Don’t you know you are interrupting our arithmetic lesson?” All the children then turned around to look at Almon. Again she started to take up the lesson, but the children’s attention was all on Almon. Miss Smedley’s patience was taxed to the utmost. It was hard enough to pound two times two into the minds of children when they were interested, but to have their attention distracted by a boy who insisted upon studying out loud—this was too much. “Almon Metcalf, come here!” The scared little boy hesitantly walked up to the front of the room. “Aren’t you ashamed to take up my time this way?” Miss Smedley shook him while the rest of the room looked on the scene with greatest interest. CONSTRUCTIVE TREATMENT Give the boy an isolated seat for the time being. When with him alone apply a test whereby you can find out the cause of his studying out loud. Take a second grade reader and pick out a simple paragraph: “Almon, read this paragraph to yourself.”