Question

"With no steady hand to guide him, the boy takes naturally to idle ways. Caught in the street by the truant officer, or by the agents of the Children’s Societies, peddling, perhaps, or begging, to help out the family resources, he runs the risk of being sent to a reformatory, where contact with vicious boys older than himself soon develop the latent possibilities for evil that lie hidden in him. The city has no Truant Home in which to keep him, and all efforts of the children’s friends to enforce school attendance are paralyzed by this want. The risk of the reformatory is too great." – Jacob Riis

In a paragraph of 3–5 sentences, interpret the passage in your own words. Make your sentence simple, coherent, and intended for 9th grade.

Answer 1

Without a steady adult to guide him, the boy drifts into idle habits. If caught by a truant officer while selling or begging to help his family, he might be sent to a reformatory. In the reformatory, older, dangerous boys can influence him and bring out bad behavior. Because the city has no Truant Home to keep him safe and make him attend school, sending him to a reformatory is too risky.