Miss Caroline was Scout's first schoolteacher. The young woman was new to Maycomb, and not prepared for the way of life there. She had fresh ideas about teaching. When Miss Caroline found out Scout already knew how to read, she was shocked and displeased. Miss Caroline believes children should not be able to read before they start school. Miss Caroline gave Scout specific instructions to give her father:
"Now you tell your father not to teach you any more. It's best to begin reading with a fresh mind. You tell him I’ll take over from here and try to undo the damage. . . Your father does not know how to teach" (Chapter 2).
Miss Caroline thought it was damaging to Scout for her to read with her father. She insisted that Atticus was not a teacher, and therefore would not know and keep up with the various strategies for teaching reading. Scout could not even recall her father specifically teaching her. Instead, reading had seemed to come naturally to young Scout. She read well for someone her age, and reading was an activity she enjoyed.
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