teacher indirectly aids and gives careful supervision and correction of the language. Original work in prose and poetry is given. The following poem, "A Song of Ships," is an example of the work of a boy about eight years of age : A Song of Ships The ships were in the harbor It was May Not a gust of wind was stirring In the bay And I heard the sails a-flapping As they lay Another poem by a girl of seven is interesting: Rose Blossom There was once a lovely princess fair, Her eyes were as blue as the bluest sky, Her lips were the color of the brightest red rose, And no fairy or witch could fly as swift, Her cheeks were pale pink like the wild rose And the only thing the princess did hate, plied, when questioned about the first sentence of a story, A Reading and Spelling Lesson of the Second The methods of correlation seen in the development of the literature work will perhaps be more clearly perceived by following a spelling and reading lesson, which the writer had the opportunity of observing. The children had been reading several weeks from "The Adventures of Mabel," by Harry Thurston Peck, and the lesson for the day was from the fourth or fifth chapter. The teacher stepped to the blackboard, asking the children to take their position with their books closed upon their desks. She held hers in her hand, and from the pages of the reading lesson for the day, she selected the word "omelet," and writing it upon the blackboard, turned to the class and called upon one, first to pronounce it, then spell 66 The following prose composition is by another girl of it, and finally to form a sentence in which the word could seven years: be used. The sentence was readily given: "I have some omelet." An exciting night. on. The next word was "sponge." "Mary had a sponge," was the sentence. Then the word "smooth" was written, "I will smooth it." "If I had a dog I could smooth its rough coat, and make it look nice." It was a sunny afternoon. The sun shone bright A little Cotage where two little childrene lived. A boy and. a girl. The little girl was only two years old while the and one little girl said: boy was eleven. It was so hot that the little girl wore her Calico dress. There was a Cannon in the lorn so as to preteckt the Childrene. It was twelve aclock at night and the girl was asleep but it was very luky indeed that the boy was not asleep. He just had his eyes shut. Just at that moment the boy opend his eyes. THe saw a flash of a lantern, and a voice said, I guess they have some money in hear." "Sister" cried the boy in teror it is truly a thief" "But" said the little sister streching "You are not going to shoot off the cannon The boy said "sure Jam" Then the sister fell asleep again. He wa lked straight up to the Cannon and shot it off. It waked the sister, and the thief lay dead upon the grow na. In the prose work we can easily sympathize with the pleasure the teacher must have felt at a time when the language lessons briefly outlined in this paper had been finished, and the class responded eagerly to the question, "What is the most important thing about a book?" Someone replied, "To have it interesting." Another said, "The pictures." The latter answer aroused a lively discussion among these little people of seven-that many times the pictures were not in the right place, and one urchin announced, "They disturb me," adding that "they never look as one thinks they ought to, and while I am studying the picture, I lose my place." In the same class one pupil re The words, "handsome," and "surprised," were followed by "ashamed." "I a m ashamed," said Genevieve. "That is not interesting," replied the teacher. Others followed quickly with the sentences: "You ought to be ashamed." "You had better be ashamed." "You had better be ashamed for that scolding." "You had better be ashamed about that table." "What about that table?" said the teacher. "You ought to be ashamed because you put that spot on the table-cloth," said Louise. "You ought to be ashamed for hitting me," announced William. "Has anyone ever been ashamed?” "Sometimes when I am home," replied Margaret. "Tell me of an experience when you were ashamed, Mabel?" "I was ashamed when I could not do my arithmetic table this morning." The teacher then said: "I am going to write on the board a queer word. How many like queer things?" A number of enthusiastic hands flashed in the air as the word "slouch" was written. "Fred, what is the word?" He pronounced and spelled it quickly, saying, "Papa has a slouch hat." When questioned what kind of a hat that was, he replied, "A hat that is not very nice, and comes way down over the face." "It is a felt hat and like a cow-boy's hat," said Thomas. Instantly a number of children pointed to a picture by Remington, that hung in the back of the room, saying that there were a number of slouch hats on the riders of the Indian ponies. "Very good; is it stiff and hard, or soft?" questioned the teacher. A distinction in the kind of hat was then made, and one small boy ventured to tell of three slouch hats that his grandfather owned, one of which he always wore when fishing. The last word written on the board was "wondered." The teacher then took her seat in the back of the room saying "I want to enjoy the reading without looking on my book." As each child was called upon he took his place, near the platform in front of the class, and read until the teacher was satisfied. The clearness, ease, and individual expression of the reading of three children was delightful. Finally, one little girl in reading, hesitated and stumbled over the words and sentences, losing completely all sense of the meaning and expression. "Elizabeth, I do not enjoy that one bit; try it again." The sentence did not prove any better expressed on a second reading, and when further questioned, she replied: "I forgot to study it." This was quite a confession to have to make before the whole class, and when Elizabeth took her seat, there was a determination on her face that made one feel that she would do better next time. When the reading lesson was finished, the children put their books in the desks and the spelling lesson was continued. Eight pupils were called upon, in turn, to go to the blackboard, choose a word, erase it, pronounce and spell it for the class. The interest aroused in the words by this simple method was very marked, and the children acquired the ability to spell and use them in a natural way. It was distinctly a lesson in observation, appreciation, and expression most carefully presented. What shall we say of results of this method? From time to time the work of the Horace Mann School is changing for the broader and more widely developed education of the child; but it is certainly equipping the child for healthier interests, because he has gained culture through his knowledge of man and the crafts, through knowledge, although comparatively slight, of the best stories, poems, and history of early peoples; the child learns by them and through them of the advance of civilization, unconsciously enriching his mind with valuable data for future and real experiences in life. The words of Horace Mann, quoted below, might present one of the strongest reasons for leading the minds of children towards ideals of the best in literature, if for no other reason than encouraging a talent: When once the impetus of native talent is aroused, you may as well attempt to stop the whirling of a planet, as to arrest the possessor of that gift. The Language Lessons for the Second Grade Dictation of simple sentences in which words are used, that occur in the nature study and reading lessons. Use of capitals, period, question mark, common abbreviations. Oral and written reproduction of stories. Spelling, writing, and telling of original stories. Poems Memorized The Cow-Stevenson Extracts from The Cloud-Shelley SCHOOL-ROOM The New Year Ring out, O bells, ring silver sweet o'er hill and moor and fell! In mellow echoes, let your chimes their hopeful story tell. Ring out, ring out, all-jubilant, this joyous, glad refrain · "A bright new year, a glad new year, hath come to us again." For a Happy New Year Here's to health and happiness throughout the glad New May ev'ry trouble fade away and ev'ry joy appear; But, while we toast the days to come, with hope and courage high, Let's not, with base ingratitude, forget the days gone by. Here's to friendships we may gain throughout the coming year, May they be strong and worthy all, and ev'ry day more But, while we toast the friends to be, and to their virtues bow, Here's to Past and Future both! For each shall hold its Of ever-blessed memories, both now and ever more; Blackboard Illustrations VI FREDERICK WHITNEY, Supervisor of Art in State Normal School, Τ' (All rights reserved) In making the sketch of the lighthouses use the same strokes as in the last sketch, varying them to suit the particular rocks or buildings you wish to draw. Draw the sky and water first, then add the rocks. In drawing the lighthouses use stroke a, which is produced by accenting with the left end of the chalk. A second stroke accented at the right will give the body of the lighthouse. Add to these the tops and windows in as simple a manner as possible. Let one touch of the chalk do the work whenever it can do So. To represent the spray, put a thick body of chalk next the rocks; then with the tip of the finger rub into it blending it softly into the water and sky. This sketch may also illustrate some poem or story learned by the children. Two pale sisters all alone, On an island black and bare.-Lucy Larcom Try to apply this lesson to drawing some other lighthouse, castle or tower. Nearly all the strokes given from month to month will be found useful in drawing all sorts of sketches. Our next illustration is taken from a school-room exercise given in the first grade. The horizontal line was drawn as in the previous sketches, and the foreground in a similar manner. The little huts were made with a curving stroke, the pressure being upon the upper end of the chalk, thus giving the outline. A few strokes like those given in the November number when drawing the basket, will finish the hut. For the icebergs make almost vertical strokes using the side of the chalk, accenting with the end of the chalk so as to produce the outline. A few very delicate strokes will give the reflection in the water and the rays in the sky. In this particular case, the woodwork below the blackboard was covered with burlap and bits of cotton batting, and the little boy who posed as an Eskimo was dressed in an impromptu costume of cotton batting. The result was very satisfactory. A wigwam in the forest might be represented as a background when studying the Indian. The costumes for these simple affairs are easily produced by using the simplest material at hand, and decorating them with colored chalk or water colors. HIS month we will try picture making; something in The Forty Teachers' Arithmetics the line of illustrative work for stories. These sketches may also be useful in the higher primary and intermediate grades when introducing such subjects as The Ocean, The Eskimo, The Coast, or The Lighthouses, in elementary geography or history. The beach sketch is so simple that it hardly needs explanation. Stroke a is made by placing the chalk in a vertical position and drawing it across the board, making a horizontal stroke, accented with the lower end of the chalk. This gives the sky, and the board below this mark gives the tone for the water. For the rocks try stroke b. It is made like other strokes we have had excepting that it is very irregular, and accented with the upper end of the chalk. The introduction of a little charcoal in the shadows will finish the rocks as seen in the illustration. The line of the beach is exactly the reverse of that drawn for the horizon, this being accented with the upper end of the chalk. In sketching the waves there is danger of attempting to Five teachers to a grade are working on the eight grades. of mathematics producing an approved set of materials for a whole year's work for an average class in each grade of public school life. A difficulty encountered in all city schools where the year lasts two hundred days is, that the text-books required do not afford sufficient practice work for the whole time and much time is wasted and eyes are injured by writing problems on blackboards which are never in proper range of vision for all pupils in the room. Knowing the seriousness of this difficulty, the editor of this paper has selected a corps of workers of special ability and careful preparation to go into the work with him as a contribution to the cause of education. After one year's work there is now on hand a great mass of materials for all grades and more is on the way. The work of the first two grades has been finished in the rough and will be presented to our readers in instalments during the present year. This will give about twenty thousand teachers a chance to judge of the work and favor us with their opinions of it if the matter should appeal to them enough to provoke them to write. We have specially invited four hundred Chicago teachers in the first and second grades to send in brief criticisms of the work as it is given for their grades. By building up a set of texts in this manner and having it tried out in class we hope to make it as nearly perfect as possible. Instead of filling the pages with puzzling and reasoning work for children whose reason, has not yet developed to any extent, we hope to present work which will appeal to the child and give rise to a desire to perform it and overcome its difficulties without help. The difficulties will be, of course, not so formidable as those usually found in texts, but will be such that the ordinary class will require help occasionally from the teacher, but which the child well endowed with arithmetical talent can figure right through without help from any source. Provision will be made for some of the precocious ones in the class without discouraging their mates. This is done by giving occasionally in the work some problems which are too difficult for the ordinary child and which will be designated as optional and no one required to solve them, but with some encouraging matter which will induce most of the 'pupils who have some spare time to devote it to them. The work is long in building, necessarily.-W. E. Watt, Principal of the Graham School, Chicago, and Editor of The School Weekly. (By permission of Principal Watt I shall give from time to time such work from this coming arithmetic as is adapted to primary grades. -THE EDITOR, Primary Education) Games from Forty Teachers' Arithmetics (All rights reserved) Number Games for First Grade Put the Horse in the Stall This game is preceded by the telling of a story about a number of horses which were so well trained and intelligent that they knew enough to pass at once to their own stalls as soon as set free from their work. It is interesting to all children, but it is one of the commonest facts of the farm, that the animals all know their places and are always glad to go into their own stalls to get the food there awaiting them. The horses of the fire department may also be mentioned, for they know how to come out of their stalls and stand before the engine or truck without guidance. Mark off on the blackboard with upright lines, spaces two or more feet wide, which are considered as stalls. Over each stall write a number from one to six, or whatever number is the highest the class has taken. The class stand in line before the stalls or sit at their desks ready for action in turn or as their names are spoken by the teacher. State the question first and call the child's name afterward if you wish to get the active co-operation of all in the class. The teacher, or leader in the game then says, "Two and three-Henry." Henry goes promptly into stall No. 5. As he stands there he says, "I find in my stall two quarts of oats and three quarts of oats. I may eat five quarts for my dinner." Nothing is said it he is right and he stands there till after the next question has been put. If he is wrong he is asked to step out of his stall while James steps in and sees what he can find there. The advantage of keeping the horse in the stall till the next horse starts for his stall is that the time consumed in walking back to his place is saved. There is also more pleasure in the game when two or three move off quickly at the same signal. The game may be used for subtraction in the same way. In fact, no one operation belongs to the game, but all of them may be brought in. "6 less 4-Mary." Mary goes to her stall and says, "There were 6 eggs laid in my stall by the hens when I was at work, but Jane has taken out 4 of them, and now there are 2 eggs left." "Twos-Nellie." Nellie goes to the stall called six, or four, as she prefers, and says something like this: "George gave me 2 quarts of oats, James gave me 2 more, and Fannie put in the third 2 quarts. I now have 6 quarts of oats to eat, and they are just enough for me." A Game for All in the Room Each child at his seat writes on slate or paper a number between 1 and 9. All pupils in back row come forward, telling each sitting child how many 2 and his number are. When all have passed, the pupils who think their visitor wrong may stand and when recognized by the teacher may ask the visitor of their row, "How many are 2 and―?" naming the number on card or slate. Another row of pupils may pass in the aisle and add 3 to the numbers presented. To use this game for subtraction let the pupils choose numbers between the subtrahend and the subtrahend plus 10. This will review all digit subtractions and avoid the difficulty of having an impossible subtraction like 4-6 presented. A Difficult Game Write numbers on three slips of paper, one of each. Place the papers face downward on the table after all have seen them, so as to remember. Let the first pupil put his hand on the papers successively and name the sum of its number and 2 or 3, or whatever number is chosen. Four or five papers may be used with some classes, but the exercise should not be prolonged or made serious. It is only a game. A Story for a Motion Game Going down the garden walk one cloudy day I met a toad. He hopped three times to get away from me and then took two more jumps to get a better location for flies. (Pupil imitates in five jumps on all fours.) A red squirrel sat up on a rail eating a nut. He took four bites and then five more. (Pupil imitates attitude of squirrel's paws in eating.) Horace came out with a pail to fill it with water at the pump. He said, "See how few strokes I have to make to fill this pail!" He pumped three times, then three more strokes, and then two, and the pail was brim full. The red-headed woodpecker struck the side of a dead tree so it sounded like a drum. If he had struck it three more times more than I noticed he would have hit it nine times. (Pupil strikes desk or wall six times-subtraction.) I shook the crabapple tree and got three apples the first time and four the next. I went into the pasture to see where the cows were, and the logs were so numerous all about me that I began jumping over them. There were seven logs near each other, but there were three that I did not try to jump over, they were so large. I found some blackberries, which I picked and ate, three from one bush, two from another and four on the last. The wild roses were not all gone, so I gathered a few. There were nine on the bush, but three of them I could not reach. Then I went down by the pond where George was rowing his boat. He took four strokes of the oars and then two strokes, and that brought him around the point and out of sight. I picked up eight round stones and put the two pretty ones in my pocket. The others I threw high up into the air so they came down into the pond and made rings of When George came back he had his two fishing poles. He let me take one and we fished till dinner-time. It was a good day and I pulled in three and George caught five. waves. Rhyme of the Months "The old doggerel beginning, "Thirty days hath September," is, no doubt, familiar to every one in one form or another, and I have run across eleven different versions of it. Among all the rhymes of the months and seasons the little skit of Sheridan's giving each month's characteristics is as good as any I remember. It is as follows: 'January, snowy; February, flowy; March, blowy; That wonderful "Song of the Syrian !" Thank you a thousand times for putting it complete into the October PRIMARY EDUCATION. M. C. J. Driving with a Freer Rein H RUTH ELLIOT OW far have your pupils been in number ?" asked the principal. "I am just developing eleven," replied Miss Lane. "How far have you been, Miss Gale?" "I have developed to twenty and taught through eighteen," answered Miss Gale. "I don't see how you get such results in your number work. Your class is always ahead of every second grade in the city," said Miss Lane. "Well, it occurred to me a few years ago, to try working from the whole to the parts. So, as our limit is twenty, I began by giving out the whole twenty counters, and let the children count them and arrange them in any way they chose. Of course I began at the same time, to teach the lowest combinations. At the end of two months a large part of the class had learned for themselves what it would have taken me six months to teach them. Do you know, I think we hold the children back many times, because we feel that everything that gets into their heads must be by our teaching. In old times, children went to school to learn now they go to be taught. We begin down here in the lower grades holding them back, especially in arithmetic. Many teachers will not allow their children to handle any larger number of objects than she has developed and taught. At any rate, I have found that my class can do double the work, now that I drive with a freer rein." "I think you are right," said the principal. "All along through the grades we make the same mistake. We seem to be afraid of treating our subject too broadly. We think more of developing the children than of giving them opportunities for developing themselves. We feel that we must not only drop in the seed, but have it all sprouted before it is dropped in. "We must keep our developing ahead of our teaching just as Miss Gale does in her arithmetic. A child cannot be said to know the fact that seven and nine are sixteen, until he can tell it without hesitation, but the more times his mind has received the impression of that fact, the easier it is for him to memorize it. And if the impressions are the result of his own mental activities, the more of a real fact it is to him. "It is the same in everything. I was in a third grade a few weeks ago. The children were reading beautifully and understandingly from a fourth year reader. The word "verb" occurred in the text of the lesson. Did the teacher do as many would have done? Did she say, 'We have not learned about verbs yet, children. That comes in the higher grades'? No, she said, 'Children there are words that tell about doing things, and there are words that are names of things. The words, ride, walk, sing and read, are "doing" words and we call them "verbs." The words book, pencil, desk and door are names of things, and we call them nouns. Tell me some words that are nouns. Some words that are verbs?' The class responded unanimously with hands, and the words which they gave showed an understanding of the matter. Yet they cannot be said to have learned verbs, but there has been an impression made which will revive whenever the thought recurs to it. "All through that teacher's work was the same endeavor to develop her children in all directions, whether she went beyond the limits of her grade or not. She kept her developing ahead of her teaching. A teacher should be to her class a fathomless fund of information stimulating them to thought and investigation. She cannot know too much or be able to do too many things. She should be to the mind of the child what the sun, air and soil are to the plant. She must furnish mental food, and surround him with a developing atmosphere, but the plant alone can do the growing. "Her task it is to provide the conditions favorable to growth, and each will grow according to its nature. "Well, I did not mean to deliver a lecture," said the principal, as he looked at his watch. "I am sure I thank you very much for what you have said, and I am sorry that you did not have a larger audience," said Miss Lane. |