Throughout the course in English, the pupils ought to be urged, if not actually required, to read considerable good literature in addition to that read and studied in class. A list of standard books as large and as wide in range of subjects as the library facilities of the school make possible, should be prepared each year, and the pupils should be encouraged to read as many of these books as their time permits. Reading that is done on the pupil’s own initiative is many times more valuable than that which he does simply because of a formal requirement. If the plan is followed of requiring that a certain number of books be read, precaution must be taken against making the outside reading a formal task rather than a pleasure. The teacher can do much toward interesting the pupils in the library reading. By reading aloud to the class a chapter or two of a book, he may lead many of the pupils to read the whole book. By referring in the class work to the characters, plots, and other details of the books on the reading list, or by quoting from them, he will often arouse the pupils’ curiosity and create a desire to read the books. By considering the tastes and needs of the individual pupils, he can suggest to each the books most likely to be of the greatest interest and value. To create and develop the desire to read good literature outside of the class room, is one of the greatest privileges of the teacher of English. In general the plan of having a written review, outline, or summary of these books, either as a part of the composition or the reading work, is to be discouraged. Since the writing of a book review is a difficult task for a man or woman of broad education, it is too much to expect that the immature high school pupil will be able to do it with any degree of intelligence or interest. The fact constantly emphasized by such a method, that every book which he reads must serve as material for a book review, a summary, or an examination, often defeats the purpose of his outside reading, since it tends to create a dislike rather than a love for reading. The books read by pupils may sometimes be discussed in class, however, as a means of arousing interest in the outside reading, and frequently pupils may be led to express their opinions freely, and spontaneously concerning the books under discussion. If the pupils can be turned from an oral to a written discussion of the book more or less spontaneously, there is less danger in having an occasional written exercise based on the library reading. V FIRST YEAR ENGLISH