Jem's rules for school that he gives Scout in Chapter 2 are essentially that Scout does not have to learn much out of books.
Miss Caroline is an adherent to the "Dewey Decimal System" according to Jem--he confuses this library cataloging system with John Dewey's educational philosophy of pragmatism. Nevertheless, Jem describes accurately this pragmatism of John Dewey:
"You don't have to learn much out of books that way--it's like if you wanta learn about cows, you go milk one, see?"
Scout elaborates on this system to which Jem has erroneously referred, but correctly described. After lunch she and the class are required to watch Miss Caroline's waving of "sight words" on cards. For instance, such words at the, cat, rat, man, and you are held up for the children to recognize.
This method of Miss Caroline's exemplifies what is also called progressive education, for which John Dewey is famous. Progressive education emphasizes the necessity of learning by doing (going out to milk the cow to learn about the cow, as Jem explains). This philosophy of Dewey that people learn through doing--a "hands-on approach--thus characterizes his philosophy of education as pragmatism. So, while Jem has the wrong name when he says "Dewey Decimal System," he does, indeed, understand the basic concepts of Dewey's philosophy of education.
Ironically, this "hands-on" approach is what Atticus has unconsciously used, although Miss Caroline tells Scout to have her father stop "teaching" her. Atticus has really not instructed Scout in reading; Scout has only affectionately crawled onto her father's lap just to be close to him while he is perusing his issue of The Mobile Register. She has simply "learned by doing," by sitting on his lap and seeing the words in the same manner as they are presented on the cards held up by Miss Caroline.
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