This essay examines English teaching practices in American rural schools from 1900-1940, with a special emphasis on rural schools in Iowa. The essay begins with an overview of rural education, focusing first on the “rural school problem” of the early 20th century and going on to discuss the Country Life Movement, a movement that proposed significant reforms for rural education and rural living. A survey of English teaching practices undertaken in the spirit of the Country Life Movement completes the descriptive text. The essay concludes with an assessment of the Country Life Movement and a discussion of its implications for current educational reform in American schools.