Books for the Infant Classes.
By John S. Hart
INFANT classes are for children who cannot read, and who must be taught altogether orally. It may seem strange to some that books should be wanted for such schools, except, perhaps, a manual or two for the teacher. Indeed in many infant schools which I have visited, there were no indications of a library, or of books being used in any way. I think this is a serious mistake. Though children cannot read, they love dearly to be read to, and the writers and publishers of children's books have employed their energies largely in the production of this sort of books, namely, books to be read to the young. I hold it to be even more important for the infant scholar to take home a library book, than for the older scholars to do so. A book taken by an older scholar is usually read in silence, and read by him alone. But the book taken by the infant scholar is carried to the father or mother, or to some other member of the family, to be read aloud to the little one. Often indeed on the Sabbath evening, especially in the poorer classes of families, the father takes the little one on his knee and reads aloud to him the tiny volume brought from the school. Not only the father and the child thus get the benefit of its teachings, but frequently the whole family group cluster around in wrapt attention, and drink in its precious truths. Moreover, the truths thus simplified and brought down to the capacity of a child, often have a strange power over the feelings and consciences of adults, beyond that of truth presented in the ordinary way. There are on record numerous instances of persons who had grown old in impenitence, being brought to serious reflection by reading children's books and papers. That class of people whose children chiefly fill our mission schools, are often interested in religious subjects by means of the books brought home by their children, particularly by those brought by the young children who cannot read, and whose books must be read to them.—J. S. Hart.