"Little House on the Prairie"
School Mom (1974)

Director:

William F. Claxton

Writers:

Ward Hawkins (writer)
Jean Rouverol (story)

TV Series:

"Little House on the Prairie" (1974)

Original Air Date:

13 November 1974 (Season 1, Episode 9)

Genre:

Drama | Family | Romance | Western

Plot:

Caroline's special efforts to teach a shy, older boy to read while she is substitute-teaching for an injured Miss Beadle are ruined when mean-spirited Mrs. Oleson humiliates him in front of the class and he vows never to return to school. |

Plot Keywords:

Parenting Girls | Frontier Town | Bittersweet | Farm Life | Humor

Cast

Michael Landon	...	Charles Ingalls
Karen Grassle	...	Caroline Ingalls
Melissa Gilbert	...	Laura Ingalls
Melissa Sue Anderson	...	Mary Ingalls
Lindsay Greenbush	...	Carrie Ingalls (as Lindsay Sidney Greenbush)
Sidney Greenbush	...	Carrie Ingalls (as Lindsay Sidney Greenbush)
Richard Bull	...	Nels Oleson
Kevin Hagen	...	Dr. Hiram Baker
Alison Arngrim	...	Nellie Oleson
Scottie MacGregor	...	Harriet Oleson (as Katherine McGregor)
Jonathan Gilbert	...	Willie Oleson
Karl Swenson	...	Lars Hanson
Charlotte Stewart	...	Eva Beadle
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dirk Blocker	...	Abel Makay
Robert Hoffman	...	Sandy Kennedy
Jimmy McNichol	...	Harry Baker
Tracie Savage	...	Christy Kennedy
Kelly Thordsen	...	Baker Makay

Learning To Read!!

The opening clip of "School Mom" started with Caroline Ingalls assuming the role of teacher in Miss Beadle's position. Abel Makay had struggled to learn freely about reading and writing. Children in the school did not understand he maintained a severe learning problem. Adding insult to injury, most of the kids called him "Dumb Abel" all throughout school. Laura Ingalls mentioned that name contrary to her ma's wishes; moreover, someone's mouth would be washed out -- from the likes of Caroline Ingalls -- with lye soap if that name was ever mentioned again in her presence. From there, the children slowly started to announce consonants and vowels -- on individual pieces of paper -- for proper sounding to Abel Makay.

The school children started to form words that Abel Makay could say more freely. Significant progress was made in the school ... all in the hope for Abel Makay to read and write on a consistent basis. Mrs. Oleson then stuck her nose and disrupted the instructional day. She did so because she thought a student was obtaining some form of special privilege when -- in reality -- Abel Makay wanted to read so desperately. Caroline Ingalls became furious and immediately wrote "compassion" and "understanding" on the blackboard in hope the children would know the meaning of these words. The kids did not know those words at all; the same for Mrs. Oleson.

The whole school board came to the Ingalls house about this outburst in town. She spoke to Mr. Hansen about Mrs. Oleson's deliberate interference in the school. Mr. Hansen told Mr. Oleson that Mrs. Oleson would be punished harshly for her disruptions to the children in the school. Mrs. Ingalls had a discussion with Abel Makay about returning to school. He would return to school and learn how to read books ... albeit on a gradual basis. A Fat 14!! A highly recommended episode from the 1974-1975 Television Season!! A+++!!