THE A L DINE METHOD
AMANUAL
Aldine First Language Book
UC-NRLF
*B 3DS 3bl *
■■■■
liiiiiUiiHsiu;
SPAULDING
1
ill I
NEWSON & COMPANY
Hi (II II I 111 11 !
GIFT OF
H.D -LINQUIST
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2008 with funding from
Microsoft Corporation
http://www.archive.org/details/aldinefirstlanguOOfranrich
ALDINE
FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK
A MANUAL FOR TEACHERS
BY
FRANK E. SPAULDING
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, NEWTON, MASS.
AND
CATHERINE T. BRYCE
SUPERVISOR OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS, NEWTON, MASS.
COMPLIMENTS
OP
JJEWSON & COMPANY
NEWSON & COMPANY
NEW YORK
<?
.0'
Copyright, 1913, by
NEWSON & COMPANY.
All rights reserved,
1377 GHt
K.D-L1NQUIST
EDUCATION DEPT.
CONTENTS
PAGE
Introduction i
Chapter One 7
I. Reading 8
II. Teaching Pupils to Study 9
III. Conversation: Questions and Answers . . .11
IV. Dramatizing the Fable, "Grand Tusk and Nimble" . 14
V. Oral Reproduction of the Story .... 16
VI. Finishing a Story . . . . . . .18
VII. Oral Reproduction and Completion of Uncompleted
Story ......... 20
VIII. Telling Original Stories 21
IX. Reading a Story in a Picture 23
Supplementary Work 27
X. More Picture Stories 28
XI. Learning to Describe . . . . . 31
XII. Games of Description 31
XIII. Getting the Story from the Poem, "The Mountain
and the Squirrel " ...... 32
XIV. Telling the Story of the Poem 34
Chapter Two 35
I. Reading . . 36
II. Studying the Story of the Linden .... 37
III. Conversation and Dramatizing ..... 38
IV. Oral Reproduction of the Story of the Linden . . 42
V. Telling True Stories ....... 44
VI. Sentences, Capitals, Statements, and Periods . . 46
VII. Copying Sentences to Learn the Use of Capitals and
Period 48
VIII. Studied Dictation for Drill in Use of Capitals and
Period 50
iii
R7K7QA
iv CONTENTS
PACU
IX. Unstudied Dictation to Test the Use of Capitals
and Period 52
X. Questions and the Question Mark .... 53
XI. Copying Questions to Learn the Use of Capitals
and the Question Mark 53
XII. Using Capitals and the Period .... 54
XIII. Picture Stories 54
Supplementary Work 56
XIV. More Picture Stories . . . ... 58
Supplementary Work 59
XV. Telling True Stories 59
XVI. Studying the Poem, "Spring Waking" . . . 60
XVII. Part Reading and Dramatizing the Poem . . 61
XVIII. Learning to Tell a Story 62
XIX. Oral Reproductions .63
Chapter Three 64
I. Reading the Story, "Mabel and the Fairy Folk" . 65
II. Dramatizing "Mabel and the Fairy Folk" . . 67
III. Oral Questions 68
Supplementary Work 70
IV. Writing Questions . . . . . 70
Supplementary Work 71
V. How Titles are Written 72
VI. Copying a Story 72
VII.* Dictation: " The Trees and the Woodcutter " . 7^
VIII. Copying Titles 74
Supplementary Work 75
IX. Writing Titles from Dictation .... 75
Supplementary Work ...... 75
X. Giving Titles to Pictures 76
XL Picture Stories 76
Supplementary Work 78
XII. More Picture Stories 78
XIII. Telling True Stories 80
XIV. A Class Exercise in Written Reproduction . . 80
Supplementary Work ...... 84
XV. Copying Story from the Board .... 84
CONTENTS v
PAGE
XVI. Studying a Poem 84
XVII. Writing a Stanza from Memory .... 85
Chapter Four 86
I. Study and Oral Reproduction of the Fable, " The
Four Oxen " 87
Supplementary Work ...... 89
II. Their and There 89
Supplementary Work ...... 90
III. Writing the Story, u The Four Oxen" ... 91
Supplementary Work 94
IV. The Use of Capitals in Writing the Names of Per-
sons 94
V. The Game of Names 95
VI. Writing Names .96
Supplementary Work 96
VII. Copying 96
VIII. Dictation 97
IX. The Use of Two, Too, and To .... 97
Supplementary Work . . . . -99
X. Dictation to Drill and Test the Use of Too, To,
Their, and There 99
Supplementary Work . . . . . .100
XI. Enlarging a Story for Dramatizing ; Pupils 1 Prepara-
tory Study 101
XII. Enlarging a Story for Dramatizing; Class Exercise 102
XIII. Dramatizing the Story, "The First Buttercups" . 104
Supplementary Work 105
XIV. Picture Stories 105
Supplementary Work . . . . . .105
XV. More Picture Stories 106
Supplementary Work 106
XVI. Telling True Stories 107
XVII. Studying a Poem 107
XVIII. Telling a Story from a Poem 107
Chapter Five 109
I. Reading ........ 109
II. Studying the Story, « The Little White Flower " . no
vi CONTENTS
PAGE
III. Conversation and Dramatizing in
IV. Oral Reproduction 113
V. Quotations . . . . . . . . 113
Supplementary Work 116
VI. Copying to Learn the Writing of Quotations . .116
VII. Dictation to Teach the Writing of Quotations . . 117
VIII. Finishing a Story Orally 122
Supplementary Work 124
IX. Finishing a Story in Writing 124
Supplementary Work 125
X. Words that can be Used in Place of Said . . .125
XI. Questions for You . . . . . . .128
XII. Picture Stories 128
Supplementary Work 131
XIII. More Picture Stories 132
Supplementary Work . . ... . . 136
XIV. Studying a Poem 136
Supplementary Work . . . . . 137
XV. Memorizing a Poem 137
Chapter Six 139
I. Further Study of Quotations ; Capital I . . . 141
II. Copying to Learn the Writing of Quotations and the
Capital I 142
III. Pupils' Study in Preparation for Dictation . . 143
IV. Testing and Teaching through Dictation . . . 145
V. Unstudied Dictation .......' 146
VI. A Written Reproduction 147
VII. Summary of the Uses of Capitals .... 147
Supplementary Work . . . . . .148
VIII. A Written Exercise on the Use of Capitals . . 148
IX. Reading 148
X. Studying the Story, "The Star Visitor" . . .149
XI. Dramatizing the Story, "The Star Visitor" . . 149
XII. Writing a Conversation in Dialogue Form . .149
XIII. Picture Stories 150
Supplementary Work . . . . . .152
XIV. More Picture Stories 152
Supplementary Work 152
CONTENTS vil
PAGE
XV. Studying a Poem 155
XVI. Telling the Story from the Poem . . . .155
XVII. Playing " One, Two, Three " 155
Chapter Seven 157
I. Studying a Story ; Quotations Reviewed ; Capitals to
begin Days of the Week . . . . 159
II. Dictation, Studied and Unstudied . . . .161
III. The Days of the Week; Origin of their Names;
Abbreviations; Use of Capitals . . .161
IV. Original Exercise involving the Writing of the Days
of the Week in Full and Abbreviated . .162
Supplementary Work . . . . . .163
V. A Story from a Rhyme; The Apostrophe to Denote
Possession . . . . . . -163
Supplementary Work . .. . . .164
VI. Reproducing a Story from Different Standpoints . 166
Supplementary Work 169
VII. Possessives 169
Supplementary Work . . . . . .170
VIII. Unstudied Dictation 170
IX. Studying a Poem . . . . . . -171
X. Dramatizing the Poem, "When the Little Boy Ran
Away' 1 174
XI. Writing a Dialogue 175
Supplementary Work . . . . . .176
XII. Finishing a Story . . .' . . . . 176
XIII. A Picture Story 177
Supplementary Work 179
XIV. Writing a Story 180
XV. More Picture Stories 180
XVI. Writing Stories . . . . . . .182
XVII. A Fairy W T ish 182
Supplementary Work 182
Chapter Eight 184
I. A Study of Fables 184
Supplementary Work 189
II. The Study of the Fable, " The Wise Boar " . .189
viii CONTENTS
PAGE
III. Writing a Fable from Dictation . . 191
IV. Telling Original Fables 191
V. Writing an Original Fable 192
Supplementary Work . . . . . . 193
VI. The Wise Judge : A Story to be Read and Studied . 194
VII. Dramatizing "The Wise Judge" . . . . 195
Supplementary Work . . . . . .196
VIII. Study of a Fable in Dialogue Form .... 196
Supplementary Work 197
IX. Writing a Story from a Dialogue .... 197
X. Picture Stories 198
Supplementary Work . . . . . . 199
XI. More Picture Stories 200
XII. A Poem to Read and Study 200
XIII. Copying the Poem, " Little Blue Pigeon " . . 201
XIV. Memorizing the Poem, " Little Blue Pigeon " . . 201
Chapter Nine 203
I. "What Frightened the Animals." — The Use of the
Exclamation Mark ; the Use of the Comma with
Noun of Direct Address 203
Supplementary Work ...... 204
II. A Copying Exercise to Give Practice in the Use of
the Comma Learned in the Last Lesson . . 204
III. Studied Dictation to Give Further Practice in Uses of
Exclamation Mark and Comma . . . 204
IV. Unstudied Dictation to Test Use of Exclamation
Mark and Comma 206
Supplementary Work 208
V. The Months and their Abbreviations . . . 208
VI. Writing the Names of Holidays .... 208
VII. Writing Dates 209
Supplementary Work . . . . . .210
VIII. My Birthday: Original Written Composition . . 210
IX. How the Months were Named : A Study and Writ-
ing Exercise 212
X. A Written Exercise on the Months . . . .213
XI. Study of Quotations about the Months . . . 213
XII. Memorizing Quotations 213
CONTENTS
IX
PAGE
XIII. Picture Stories 214
XIV. More Picture Stories 215
Supplementary Work . . . . . .216
XV. Review of the Uses of Capitals and Punctuation
Mafks 216
XVI. Studied Dictation 216
XVII. Writing the Ending of a Story . . . .217
Supplementary Work 217
Chapter Ten 218
I. "For the King" 218
II. Studying the Story 219
III. Dramatizing the Story ...... 220
IV. Oral Reproduction of the Story . . . .221
V. Why Marks of Punctuation are Used . . .221
Supplementary Work ...... 223
VI. A Fable to Study and Copy 224
VII. Writing a Fable from Dictation .... 224
VIII. Telling Original Fables 225
Supplementary Work 226
IX. Writing Original Fables 226
Supplementary Work 227
X. Contractions, Don't, Doesn't 227
XI. A Contraction that is always Wrong, Ain't . . 228
XII. The Exclamation Mark 229
XIII. Writing Exclamations ...... 230
XIV. Picture Stories 230
XV. "The Dumb Soldier" 231
XVI. "The Lost Doll" 234
XVII. Writing the Stories of the Dumb Soldier and the
Lost Doll 235
Supplementary Work ..'.... 235
XVIII. Writing True Stories -235
Chapter Eleven . . .237
I. Making a Story from an Outline .... 237
II. Writing a Story from an Outline .... 240
III. "The King's Dream" 243
x CONTENTS
PAGE
IV. Dramatizing the Story ...... 244
V. Oral Reproduction of the Story .... 244
Supplementary Work ...... 245
VI. Dates 246
VII. Writing Dates from Dictation .... 246
VIII. How to Write a Letter 247
IX. Letter Writing {Continued) ..... 249
X. Answering a Letter . . . . . .251
XI. Writing a Letter to a Friend 251
XII. Answering a PYiend's Letter 252
XIII. A Fable to Study 252
XIV. Writing a Fable from Dictation .... 253
XV. Making New Fables 253
XVI. Writing a Fable 255
Supplementary Work 256
XVII. "America" ........ 257
Supplementary Work 258
XVIII. Writing " America " from Memory . . . . 258
XIX. Picture Stories ....... 259
Supplementary Work 259
XX. More Picture Stories 259
Chapter Twelve 260
I. Suggestions for Using the Stories and Rhymes . 260
II. Poems for Additional Work 269
III. Books 272
INTRODUCTION
A traveler crossing a plain in India saw at a
distance a slave who was busy drawing a bucket
from a well. The traveler approached the well,
hoping to get a drink. On reaching it he saw, to
his surprise, that the bucket came to the top of the
well empty. Again and again the slave let down
the bucket, and ever it came to the top empty.
" Hold ! " cried the traveler at length. " Do you
not see that the well is empty? In order to get
water from the well, you must either fill it from the
reservoirs on the hills or dig down till you reach
the natural springs in the earth."
This little story well symbolizes much that is
called language work — routine efforts to draw from
the shallow surface of the child's mind full meas-
ures of thought and feeling, efforts that we often
thoughtlessly allow to become ends in themselves.
Like the slave with his bucket, we go through the
motions ; we draw from our pupils words, sentences,
paragraphs, and punctuation marks, but they are
empty. And they will continue to be as empty as
the slave's bucket until we change our procedure.
But the story does more than symbolize our
futile efforts ; it suggests to us, as did the traveler
to the slave, what we must do if we would see our
efforts crowned with success. We must see to it
2 INTRODUCTION
that the sources from which we attempt to draw are
well supplied; we must see to it that the child con-
tains — has command of — something expressible
before we attempt to draw anything forth. The
slave was told to supply his well either by drawing
from the reservoirs on the hills or by sinking the
well down to the natural springs. We must supply
the child freely from both sources. We must open
the ways for an unfailing supply of language ma-
terial from the "reservoirs on the hill," — the reser-
voirs of fable, fairy tale, legend, myth, story, poem,
— literature ; we must also tap the abundant and ever
renewed resources of the child's own experiences,
the springs deep down in the child's reactions to the
world about him — his ideas, his ambitions, his feel-
ings and emotions. We must see that from these
two inexhaustible sources the materials of thought
and feeling flow together and make up the abundant
stream of the child's mental life ; when we do this*,
we may draw deeply and without disappointment.
These books, this Manual and the pupils' book
accompanying it, — the Aldine First Language
Book, — have grown out of many years of experi-
ment in teaching "language," so called, — out of
experience in which the reservoirs of literature and
the springs of the children's lives have been tapped
successfully, have been made to flow together into
a rich mental child life and to flow out, on occa-
sion, into correct forms of expression bearing the
INTRODUCTION - 3
precious stamp of the child-author's individuality.
The two books together furnish and suggest abun-
dant and varied material; they show just how this
material may be used most successfully ; they are
full of little plans and devices, every one of them as
interesting to the children as a game, but every one
purposeful and effective.
The literary materials which the books provide —
fables, myths, legends, stories of all kinds, rhymes,
and poems — the delight of childhood, answer three
tests. They are fully within the range of the child's
understanding and appreciation, within his interests,
his experiences, and imaginative powers; they are
of that type of literature of which some, at least,
must be known, assimilated, by every one who
would appreciate the best in adult literature ; they
are expressed in forms that may safely be followed
as models. Moreover, although classic, little of this
material has become hackneyed by general use in
Readers and other texts.
The variety of ways in which these materials are
presented arouses the keen interest of the children,
stimulates their thought, and quickens their whole
mental life. They discuss freely, they dramatize,
they reproduce orally and in writing, they work over
into new forms, they live and love the contents of
stories and poems. These become a precious and
an integral part of the children's inmost lives.
In the light of these childhood experiences of the
4 INTRODUCTION
race, which are the basis of much of this literature
of childhood, the child becomes conscious and
appreciative of his own objective experiences —
experiences which arise from his association with
animate and inanimate nature — plants, animals,
playmates, mountains, valleys and streams, winds,
sun and moon. The child interprets, appreciates,
and assimilates the contents of literature only
through his own experiences, his own feelings and
emotions, that the literary contents recall and arouse.
On the other hand, and just as truly, literature re-
veals to the child his own experiences, makes him
conscious of them and their significance.
The method and spirit of freedom and individu-
ality which pervades all the work — or shall we call
it play, it is so spontaneous? — gives every child a
confident control of his own resources, his language
material. Expression in a language exercise be-
comes as natural, as abundant, and as individual as
on the playground.
With all this attention to content, what becomes
of form, the mechanics of language ? Are the uses
of the marks of punctuation, of capitals, of sentences,
paragraphs, and the rest neglected ? Not at all ;
the learning of correct language forms is emphasized,
but never as an end in itself, always as a means to
an end. In the study of the bits of literature which
the child understands and loves, he learns that cer-
tain forms are necessary to the expression of the
INTRODUCTION 5
content; he learns to appreciate the significance of
forms, When he attempts to give expression to his
own language material — at first taking a bit of
literature as a model — he uses the conventional
language forms with discriminating intelligence.
Forms are taught only as the child needs them to
use ; but once taught, it is uniformly insisted that he
shall always use every language form correctly, and
that he shall know why he uses it. This conscious
and discriminating use of language forms from the
first soon grows into right habits.
Questions are used throughout the pupils' book,
for the most part, not to test the pupil's knowledge
but to arouse and direct his thought. This accounts
for the character of those questions, sometimes quite
frequent, that strongly suggest their answers. This
type of question is often necessary to insure the
trend of thought desired.
The division of the chapters into sections marked by
Roman numerals indicates relatively complete units
of work rather than lessons. Many of these units can
be completed in a single exercise ; some will require
two, three, or even more periods. The time required
to cover a section or a chapter will vary much, of
course, with different classes and different teachers.
Between the minimum amount of work that must
be done and the maximum that may be done in the
completion of the pupils' book there is a margin
wide enough to meet all the varying conditions of
6 INTRODUCTION
time usually devoted to language and the varying
abilities of teachers, classes, and individual pupils.
Carefully timed experience shows that the average
class devoting two or three periods a week to lan-
guage can cover the minimum requirements — that
is, the regular, omitting all supplementary, work —
in two years, while the exceptional child, giving a
period a day to language, for the same length of
time, will hardly exhaust the possibilities both of
the regular and the supplementary work. With the
same number of language periods per week for the
two years, the first five chapters should be com-
pleted the first year ; the sixth chapter may also be
covered. In either case, the second year's work
should begin with Chapter Six.
The pupils' book is designed strictly for the pupils'
use ; it is addressed to the pupil, every line of it ; it
speaks to the pupil. It is a book for the pupil to
study and understand himself. This does not mean
that the teacher must give no aid. On the contrary,
the teacher should help the pupil to use his book,
teach him how to study, make him independent as
early and as fully as possible. The directions and
suggestions given to the pupils are made as simple
and as clear as possible. They must be taught to
read, to understand, and to carry them out. They
should be given whatever help they really need in
this, but no more. Learning to use their books is
an important part of their language work.
TEACHER'S MANUAL
CHAPTER ONE
Before taking up the first lesson with the children,
the teacher should make herself entirely familiar
with the whole chapter, as given in the pupils' book
and in this Manual, that she may at the outset get
fully into the spirit of the work, appreciate the pur-
pose of the chapter as a whole and of every lesson,
and see the mutual relations of the lessons. The
following brief summary may be helpful.
The general purposes of the chapter, which con-
sists entirely of oral work, are to give the pupils
something interesting to think and to talk about ;
to get them to think their own thoughts freely and
to express their thoughts in their own language;
and to establish in the schoolroom informal, friendly,
cooperative relations between pupils and between
pupils and teacher.
In the carrying out of these general purposes,
definite and important beginnings are made in sev-
eral kinds of exercises which will be carried on and
developed throughout the book. Chief among them
are these:
8 TEACHER'S MANUAL
1. Expressive reading.
2. Learning how to study so as to get out the full
meaning of printed thoughts and feelings.
3. Practice in the vivid recall, the mental imaging of
events and actors about whom a story has been read ; con-
versing freely about them, using the language of the actors,
representing them.
4. Learning to dramatize, to turn a story into dramatic
form and to act it out.
6. Reproducing in the child's own words and manner
the essential ideas of a story that has been learned.
6. Making an appropriate ending to an unfinished story.
7. Telling original stories.
8. Reading stories in pictures.
9. Learning to describe.
10. Studying a poem : turning the ideas into story and
into dramatic form.
I (i). Reading*
Read with the pupils the fable, " Grand Task and Nimble."
This reading must be full of life and interest;
it must be marked with discriminating expression.
* Each section of each chapter of this Manual marked with a Roman
numeral refers to the section identically marked in the corresponding chapter
of the pupils' book, the Aldine First Language Book. The number in the
parenthesis following the Roman numeral in this Manual indicates the page
in the pupils' book on which the corresponding section may be found. The
titles given to corresponding sections in the Manual and in the pupils' book
are not always the same.
A section should be considered a unit rather than a lesson. No section
will require less than a lesson period; some may require several lesson
periods, depending upon circumstances. (See Introduction, p. 5.)
TEACHING PUPILS TO STUDY 9
The actors and events of the story are rich in
contrasts. These contrasts, — the slow, colossal
bulk and pride of the elephant meeting the little,
alert, agile form and intense pride of the mon-
key, both of these presenting themselves before the
calm, dignified, wise owl, the joyful confidence of
the elephant and the terrified despair of the monkey
at the river, the helplessness of the elephant and the
efficiency of the monkey at the mango tree, — these
contrasts must be made to stand out, clear-cut.
This can be done through the voice, the bearing, the
expression of the countenance. The one aim now
is to read this story so well that every child will be
filled with its meaning, will feel with every actor in
it, will live through every incident. A single read-
ing will hardly accomplish this ; parts will need to
be reread again and again, by the teacher and by
different pupils, until the best, the most appropriate
rendering has been secured. No perfunctory reading
of one pupil after another, merely for the purpose of
giving all a fair part in the exercise, no rereading that
serves only to fill up the time allotted, will suffice.
II (3). Teaching Pupils to Study
1. Reread the fable, " Grand Tusk and Nimble."
A single, uninterrupted reading by the teacher,
by a pupil, or by five pupils, each reading one part,
should be so well done that every pupil will be tin-
gling with desire for expression.
10 TEACHER'S MANUAL
2. Teach the pupils to study the fable
Begin by asking them some of the easier questions
in their book, under Studying the Story, " Grand
Tusk and Nimble" such as :
Why was the elephant called Grand Tusk?
Why was the monkey called Nimble?
Where did the owl live?
How did the elephant and the monkey cross the river?
These questions should be asked by the teacher
and answered by the pupils with all books closed.
Questions and answers should spring from the vivid
vision of the story, with all its actors, scenes, and
events, as it fills the minds of teacher and children.
With their interest keen, have pupils open books
to the section, Studying the Story, " Grand Tusk
and Nimble" (p. 3). Show them in detail how to
study as their book directs. This is, quite probably,
the first lesson they have ever had in studying ; it is
of the utmost importance. Learning how to study,
and forming the habit of studying independently,
are fundamental to all sound advancement in lan-
guage or in any other subject. Help them patiently,
with individual discrimination, giving each one skill-
fully, by suggestion or by direct information, just the
aid he needs, and no more. Each succeeding lesson
of this kind should require less help from the teacher,
until the pupils become able to go about the study
of such lessons quite by themselves, intelligently and
effectively.
CONVERSATION: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS n
Have the children first read the directions about
answering the questions, sentence by sentence, and
make sure that they realize what every statement
means. Then have them read and answer the ques-
tions one by one, as though they were studying
from the book alone. See that they follow the
directions in doing this. A few of the easier ques-
tions may be left for them to answer to themselves
in the short study period that should immediately
follow this exercise. In this study period, each
child should answer to himself every question in
order, both those that have already been gone over
in this class study and those that were omitted.
See that the children understand the directions
about bringing a picture and thinking of questions
that they would like to ask.
Ill (6). Conversation : Questions and Answers
The immediate dominant purpose of this con-
versation exercise on the fable, Grand Tusk and
Nimble, is to prepare the pupils for the dramatization
and the reproduction of the story which are to fol-
low in succeeding lessons. To carry out this pur-
pose, the characters and places in the story must be
recalled and described vividly and clearly, the events
must be reproduced and seen distinctly in the order
of their occurrence. To effect this orderly recall
and clear description, the teacher's questions must
be systematic, progressive, and pointed. She must
12 TEACHER'S MANUAL
herself avoid and discourage in her pupils all irrele-
vant questions and remarks. The whole exercise
should give excellent training in orderly thinking
and clear expression. It will test the success of the
pupils' study period, and prepare them to study the
next similar exercise more successfully.
Substantially the following questions should be
asked, and asked in about the order given. These
questions include the questions that the pupils
studied in preparation for this exercise. Many
other questions may suggest themselves ; only such
as are consistent with the continuity of thought
should be asked. Do not forget to call for questions
from pupils. If they have no opportunity — if they
are not required — at this exercise to ask any of the
questions that they were directed to think of in their
study period, they will prepare none next time.
Suppress at once or hold in abeyance all questions
that tend to divert the thought from the orderly
essentials of the story. If this is skillfully done, the
questioner will not be discouraged, but he and all the
class will be given a lesson in discriminating between
the relevant and the irrelevant, — a power indispen-
sable to effective thinking.
The teacher should prepare herself so thoroughly
for this exercise that she will need no book. With
the story held vividly in mind, the questions will
come easily and in the right order. Of course, the
pupils are without open books.
CONVERSATION: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 13
People in the story.
Why was the elephant called Grank Tusk? Have you ever
seen an elephant? (Show pictures of elephants children have
brought, and ask the children to point out tusks. Have a picture
ready to show in case no child has remembered to bring one.
Keep for use in Section VIII all pictures of elephants that you can
collect.) Why was the monkey called Nimble? What does
nimble mean? Have you ever seen a monkey? Where? What
did he do that proved he was nimble? Where do monkeys and
elephants live when they are wild ? (The story does not tell this,
but a few words of description of an Indian forest or jungle will
make the story more real to the children.) Have you ever seen
an owl? Where? If not an owl, have you ever seen a picture of
one ? What kind of eyes did he have ? Did he look wise ?
Places in the story.
Where do you think the elephant and the monkey were when
they began to quarrel ? To whose house did they go? Where
did the owl live ? After leaving the owl's house, where did they
first stop ? What was their next stop after crossing the river ?
The talking in the story.
Who began the quarrel? What did he say? Say, "Behold
me ! See how big and strong I am !" just as you think Grand
Tusk said it. Say, " Behold me ! See how little and clever I
am ! " just as you think Nimble said it. When they asked the
owl which was better, to be big and strong or to be little and
clever, what did he tell them to do? Say these words just as
Nimble said them — that is, show how frightened he was : " Oh,
I never can cross that wide river. Let us go back ! " What did
Grank Tusk answer? What did Grand Tusk say when he found
he could gather no fruit? Give Nimble's answer just as you think
he spoke. When Grank Tusk and Nimble returned to the home
of Dark Sage, what questions did he ask them? What did each
answer? What wise words did Dark Sage speak?
14 TEACHER'S MANUAL
Something to think about.
Do you think the owl knew just what would happen when he
sent Grand Tusk and Nimble for the mangoes, or do you think
he only wanted to get some fruit for himself? Was Dark Sage
a good name for the old owl ?
IV (9). Dramatizing the Fable, "Grand Tusk and
Nimble "
The initiative in dramatizing should always be
taken by the children. They will have to learn
how to plan and carry out a play ; but even in this,
which is possibly their first experience, they should
be allowed and encouraged to think out all they can
for themselves. Hence the questions and sugges-
tions addressed directly to the children. The
teacher must help them, in class exercise, to study
this section, Playing the Story, " Grand Tusk and
Nimble" taking up question by question, with their
books open before them, much as in the study of
Section II. Guide them as much as necessary, but
let the plan worked out for the dramatizing be really
the children's own. Where there is opportunity, as
in the assignment of parts, the location and width of
the river, the choice of something for a mango tree,
encourage a variety of suggestions, and then let the
children decide, so far as possible, on what is best.
The imagination should be depended upon to
furnish nearly all the setting. Almost any place in
the room will serve for the scene of the beginning
DRAMATIZING 15
of the quarrel, a dark corner, or closet, for the owl's
home, a five or ten foot space between two cracks
in the floor for the river; and a chair or bench will
enable Nimble to climb the entirely imaginary mango
tree. An imaginary basket is quite sufficient for
the carrying of imaginary mangoes.
Have the play follow immediately upon the prepa-
ration for it. In the play, as well as in the prepara-
tion, encourage originality and initiative. There is
no value whatever in a mechanical dramatization in
which each actor remembers just what he is to do
and the exact words which he is to speak. Each
one must feel, live, be, the part he is taking ; then
he will act and speak spontaneously, naturally, and
fittingly. No two children, playing in this way, will
act and speak just alike in the same part.
To guard against mechanical uniformity — a stiff
and wooden production, — which is quite likely to
grow out of the teacher's desire to have the play go
off smoothly, this very first play should be repeated
several times, as convenient, but with different pupils
taking the parts. Each little actor should always be
encouraged to play his part as he conceives it, not
as some one played it before. This originality may
be encouraged by discussing the performances with
the children, comparing, commending excellencies,
and suggesting improvements.
In this first, as in subsequent plays, it will be best
to have some of the more capable children give the
1 6 TEACHER'S MANUAL
first production. In repetitions, less capable chil-
dren should have full opportunity. It is not wise,
however, to make up the whole cast of second or
third rate little players ; there should always be at
least one strong actor who will unconsciously set a
standard for the others.
It is always to be remembered that dramatizing
is not an end in itself. A finished, smooth produc-
tion, which has been achieved by endless repetition
and drill of the selected few, while the remainder of
the class have sat passively by, is to be condemned
from every point of view. The passive onlookers
get no benefit from it ; the participants get scarcely
more. Dramatizing must always be treated as a
means to an end. As a means, rightly used, it is
quite likely to be quite as efficient with those of
least as with those of most histrionic talent.
Make the atmosphere such as to dispel all timidity.
Make every child feel like throwing himself freely
into his part. This will aid, rather than hinder,
good "discipline."
V (9). Oral Reproduction of the Story, " Grand Tusk
and Nimble"
The oral reproduction of a story may be easy, or
it may be difficult ; it may have much or little edu-
cational value. The mere verbal reproduction of a
story, exactly or approximately as it was heard or
read, is easy for any one with a good verbal memory ;
ORAL REPRODUCTION 17
but it is an exercise of little value. The reproduc-
tion of a story in the reproducer's own words, or in
words that he has made his own, after every thought
and act and event of the original has been assimi-
lated, is difficult and valuable. The children should
now be well prepared for this difficult and profitable
kind of reproduction. The expressive reading, the
study, and the dramatizing of the story, if these ex-
ercises were effective in themselves, must have con-
tributed strongly to this end. The teacher must see
to it that the cumulative effect of all these exercises
tells in every child's reproduction.
Be sure that the children understand the directions
given them in their book for the immediate prepara-
tion for the story, and that they have time to carry
them out. The story may be reproduced in five
parts, by as many children, one following the other
in quick succession, or entire by a single child. The
reproduction, entire or in part, should not be re-
peated by several children, just for the sake of test-
ing them on it, or of giving them an opportunity;
every repetition should be for a definite purpose
which every one understands, such as a more appro-
priate rendering of the conversation of one of the
actors, greater fluency, or the omission of unneces-
sary words.
To make this exercise as valuable as it should be,
the teacher must have prep'ared herself to reproduce
the story as the children are expected to reproduce
1 8 TEACHER'S MANUAL
it ; that is, not through verbal memory, but on the
basis of assimilation. She will then be more capa-
ble of appreciating the children's efforts and of
giving them helpful, constructive criticism. At the
opportune occasion, she should give her reproduc-
tion of the story, entire or in part, not as a form to
copy, but as an inspiration.
VI (10). Finishing a Story
This lesson in the pupils' book is presented as
though each pupil were expected to finish the in-
complete story for himself. This each one should
be shown how and helped to do. In subsequent
lessons of this kind, less and less help will be re-
quired, until finally the pupils will be able to com-
plete stories entirely by themselves — and stories in
which much more invention is necessary than in
this. As this is perhaps their initial attempt, the
exercise should first be studied with the pupils
something as follows.
First, read the story, as far as given, with the
pupils. Let it be so read that they get fully into
the spirit of it. Make sure that they recognize and
feel the similarity to the fable of Grand Tusk and
Nimble. Then finish the story under the guidance
of the questions and suggestions given in their
book. Give as little direct aid as will suffice. By
skillful questioning, selecting, rejecting, and com-
bining the contributions of one and another, what
FINISHING A STORY 19
may be finally accepted as a satisfactory ending
may well contain only the thoughts of the children.
The ending, beyond that suggested in the pupils'
book, may be something like this :
George knew he could not run very fast, so he said to Tom,
"You go."
Never before had Tom run so fast as he did that day. Still, in
all his haste, he had time to think : " I was right. It is better to be
quick than to be strong."
He found the doctor at home, and they hurried back to the old
man's bedside. The doctor knew just what to give the sufferer,
who soon became better.
Then the doctor said to the old lady : " It is a good thing for
you, my friend, that George was strong enough to carry your hus-
band into the house and that Tom could run so fast to bring me
to your aid. Had it not been for these boys, I am afraid your
husband would have died."
The boys looked at each other and thought, " Sometimes it
is better to be strong, and sometimes it is better to be quick."
At the conclusion of this study and invention
together, one or two of the most capable of the
children may try to reproduce the complete story,
with the ending as worked out in class, or with their
own. After further study, for which time should be
given, each pupil should be prepared to reproduce
the story with the ending which he has thought out.
Encourage the pupils, in preparing themselves
for this next exercise, to think out, each one for
himself, the ending to the story, rather than to try
to recall the ending worked out in class. While
there is, obviously, no great opportunity for origi-
20 TEACHER'S MANUAL
nality, consistent with the general harmony of the
completed story, every child's ending of the story
should be individual in-some of its details, as evidence
that he has not simply memorized what others have
thought out. For the child who only so memorizes,
the exercise has fallen short of its purpose ; the child
has invented nothing for the completion of the story,
but merely reproduced the completed story, the
first part from the book, the last from the invention
of other children.
VII (12). Oral Reproduction and Completion of the
Uncompleted Story, "Strong and Quick"
Some children should tell the story from the
beginning; others need only give the ending sup-
plied by the pupils. To avoid monotonous uni-'
formity of these endings, insist that every child shall
make his ending vary from others in some notice-
able respect. Have the children who are listening
watch for this variation and comment upon it. It
may well be expected that some one's completion
of the story — perhaps modified by the suggestions
of others — will be more satisfactory than that
worked out together at the last exercise.
VIII (13). Telling Original Stories
The children should be able, and should be
allowed, to prepare their stories to tell without
direct help from the teacher. Encourage them to
TELLING ORIGINAL STORIES 21
prepare original stories, or stories that they make
up from the suggestions given them. No child
should tell the story of the blind men and the ele-
phant except as a last resort.
The class exercise must not be spent merely in
the telling of the stories, as the children have pre-
pared them. Every story told should be com-
mented upon. The teacher should make her com-
ments, and the children should be encouraged, taught,
to make theirs. These comments, for the most part,
should be in the form of helpful, encouraging, discrim-
inating, appreciative, constructive criticism. It is
not enough to remark that a story is "good," or "in-
teresting," or "flat "; the definite things about it that
are good, that are interesting, should be pointed out ;
the reason for its flatness should be made clear.
In the teacher's criticism, particularly with begin-
ners, the pointing out and the approval of good
features should always predominate over the atten-
tion given to defects. This is a principle whose
application is by no means limited to story telling.
Children should also be taught to criticize in this
way. When this is done, criticism will cease to
suggest faultfinding and censure.
In this, and in similar exercises in story telling,
the teacher must keep ever in mind — and keep also
in her pupils' minds- — the main purpose in the tell-
ing of each story and in the critical comments made
upon it. That purpose is this : To help the teller
22 TEACHER'S MANUAL
and every other pupil to tell a better story, the next
time he tries, than he otherwise could. In other
words, every story told should be made to yield
some definite suggestion that will be helpful to
every one in the telling of stories. That every
story told may be made to serve this purpose fully,
the teacher must begin now, at the very outset, to
treat the matter in the way here suggested. Noth-
ing approaches nearer to mere time killing than an
exercise in which one pupil after another tells a
story, while all the other pupils sit passively by
except as here and there one may be occasionally
aroused by something striking or of unusual interest
in the story. Every child who is not telling the
story should be trained to listen attentively, — re-
gardless of the interest or dullness of the story, — to
think positively and discriminatingly, so that when
the story is ended he can make definite, critical
comments on the performance. To develop this
power and habit in children, the teacher's consistent
example alone will hardly be sufficient, but it is
indispensable ; it will do more than all else com-
bined to effect the desired result.
IX (14). Reading a Story in a Picture
(Picture of children at garden wall, p. 15)
To stimulate and at the same time to direct the
constructive imagination, to loose the individual
powers of invention, to encourage real and orderly
READING A STORY IN A PICTURE 23
thought in every young pupil, nothing surpasses a
suitable picture rightly used. To use a picture
effectively for this purpose requires teaching skill
and insight of the highest order, especially in the
beginning. Here the teacher's task is that of teach-
ing children to read picture stories, not to describe
pictures.
A story picture contains a story just as truly as
a printed narrative does. But like the printed
page, the picture reveals its story only to those who
know how to read. Reading pictures is an art to
be taught and learned just as truly as reading
printed language is an art to be taught and learned.
Naming the objects in a picture, or telling what
one sees in it, or describing it, is not reading the
story that it tells any more than the naming at
random of the words in a written narrative or de-
scribing the way the narrative looks on the page,
is reading the story that the narrative contains, and
pupils must not be permitted, much less encouraged,
to talk about story pictures in this way. They
must be taught to read pictures.
How can this be done ? First of all, the teacher
must know, or learn, how to read pictures herself,
how to read them expressively and with a touch of
originality. If you are not accustomed to picture
reading, you will need to make most thoughtful and
careful preparation for these early lessons. In prep-
aration for the lesson with the garden wall picture,
24 TEACHER'S MANUAL
see how many distinct stories you can read from
that picture.
Obviously, your interpretation of the center of
interest in the picture will determine the heart, the
essentials of the story ; all else will be mere setting.
The center of interest in the garden wall picture is
just outside your range of vision. But the boy on
the wall sees it. What does he see ? What is he
pointing at? Is it a house on fire, a runaway
horse, an automobile smash-up, a big ship on the
sea, a brass band, a company of soldiers, a circus
parade, an explosion, a race of some kind, — foot,
horse, boat, automobile, — a father or mother re-
turning home after a long absence, a flying machine
just alighting or just arising from the ground, a
balloon landing, — or what is it ? Whatever you
decide it is, that will determine the story that you
will read from the picture. The setting, which in-
cludes the introduction and the conclusion, must be
consistent with the heart of the story and with what
the picture plainly shows. The whole story — in-
troduction, heart, and conclusion — should be brief
and pointed.
Think out in some detail several stories that you
might read from this picture. Tell or write out
one or two of them. If you start with the assumption
that the boy on the wall sees a circus parade, perhaps
you will read a story from the picture something
like the following :
READING A STORY IN A PICTURE 25
The Circus Parade
One morning in June, Tom, Ned, Mary, and Baby were playing
in the garden. A ladder was leaning against the garden wall.
Tom climbed to the top.
At once he cried, " Oh, I see a big circus parade ! There is
an elephant and a camel and a clown and ever so many horses !
Hurry, come up !"
Ned helped Baby and Mary to climb the ladder, and soon they
were all seated on the wall.
The circus parade came nearer. It marched right by the
garden. The children watched all the queer animals until they
had passed.
" What a grand parade ! " cried Tom. " Let us go in and ask
mother to take us to the circus this afternoon."
Neither this story nor any other of the many
possible stones which you have found the picture to
contain is to be imposed or intruded on the children
when you take up the study of the picture with
them to teach them to read it. Your ample prepara-
tion should fit you at once to follow the lead of the
children with confidence, and at the same time so to
direct their thought that an orderly and consistent
story will result.
Study with the children the questions in their
book. Hold them always to the point to be brought
out by any question or group of questions. , Help
the children to answer, skillfully suggest, and direct
the answers to these questions, as may be necessary,
but do not answer the questions for the children.
26 TEACHER'S MANUAL
The exercise, to serve its purpose, must enlist the
mental activity of the children — their constructive
imagination, their powers of inference and reason-
ing; accepted by them in a state of passive recep-
tivity, the exercise is valueless. Of course the
degree of activity and originality will vary greatly
from child to child; but every child should show
some touch of independent imagination in response
to the questions concerning the center of interest in
the picture. Encourage great variety of replies to
these questions, but insist that they be in harmony
with what the picture plainly reveals. For example,
these are not satisfactory answers to the question
concerning what the boy on the wall sees : " a robin,"
" a horse," " a boy," " a dog," " a house." Why not ?
Because such commonplace things would not excite
the children as they are obviously excited. Refuse
such answers and be sure that the children under-
stand why you refuse them.
By a little informal dramatizing, get the children
thoroughly aroused and into the spirit of the story
that must be told. If the boy on the wall is sup-
posed to see a balloon descending, let a child imi-
tate his look of excitement and gestures as he rushes
to a window, climbs up on a chair (ladder), looks
and points off, and let him cry out, " Oh, look, look,
the balloon, the balloon ! " Let the other children
answer, " Where ? Where ? Let me see," etc.
From the variety of answers that you get con-
READING A STORY IN A PICTURE 27
cerning the center of interest, select one with the
approval of the children. With this as a center
construct out of the children's answers to other
questions a brief, harmonious story, taking care that
the children understand every step as fully as possi-
ble and that they be given the feeling of cooperat-
ing. Of course the resulting story will not express
any considerable amount of the originality of any
single child ; yet through the process of working
out stories together in this way each child will soon
learn how to read a story from a picture all alone
and to put into it his own conceptions throughout.
After the story has been worked out to comple-
tion, have one or more children reproduce it.
Supplementary Work
1. Dramatizing the picture story.
Under your guidance encourage the children themselves to do
all they can in deciding upon the parts, the actors, the scenery,
etc., and in carrying out the dramatization. See the discussion of
the function and conduct of dramatizing (p. 14).
Supposing the story that you have to dramatize is substantially
that of The Circus Parade, these are some of the matters that the
children should be led to decide and carry out.
Children in the garden: How many? Who shall take part?
What shall they be doing at first? (Digging, hoeing, raking,
gathering flowers, playing tag.)
What shall serve as a wall and ladder? (Window sill with chair
beside it.)
Why does Tom climb the ladder? (Perhaps he heard a noise
over the wall that made the children stop what they were doing.)
28 TEACHER'S MANUAL
What does Tom say — exact words — as he runs to the ladder?
What does he call out as he reaches the top of the wall (window
sill) and looks and points off (out of the window) ?
What do the other children cry out as they reach the top of
the wall? ("Oh, see that big elephant!" "Hear the lion
roar ! " "Just look at those funny camels ! " etc.)
The dramatization might end, as the story ends, with a proposal
from Tom to see mother about going to the circus. (Children
all rush off to mother.)
2. Working out with the children other stories from the same
picture.
Take for the heart of these stories suggestions made by the
children in the first exercise. Let the stories be as different from
the first as possible. Expect the children to assist more in putting
these stories into form than they were able to do in the first
exercise.
3. "Original" stories told by the children.
From any of the unused suggestions that have been made
children may tell " original " stories. Only a few of the best
pupils should be called upon for these stories. Insist on point,
brevity, and consistency.
X (17). More Picture Stories
(Picture of children at window, p. 19)
As a result of the study of the last picture, chil-
dren should be able to make stories with a little
more independence. Still they must be well started
in the study of this picture.
While the stories that may be told from the
children at the window picture are very different
MORE PICTURE STORIES 29
from those of the garden wall picture, their funda-
mental characteristics are the same, and they are
worked out in the same way. There must be
a center of interest in the story, something that
the children see, but that is not revealed in the
picture. It must be something quite amusing, as
shown by the children's faces. What is it? What
are children likely to see from a window that
amuses them ?
In taking up the study of this picture with the
children so as to get them started right, refer to the
garden wall picture and the way that the stories
were worked out of that after determining the
center of interest, and lead the children to see that
this picture is to be studied in the same way. Per-
haps the children will think that four of these chil-
dren resemble the children in the garden wall
picture. If they do, it may add to the interest to
let these stories be really a continuation of the
stories from that picture.
Get the children to give you a large variety of
things that would be appropriate for the center of
interest in a story which this picture would illus-
trate : as, a monkey with an organ grinder; a
dancing bear; a circus clown cutting up antics; an
exciting game played by other children ; a funny
upset with nobody hurt ; some harmless April Fool
trick. Encourage the children to enter heartily
into the spirit of the various suggestions, perhaps
30 TEACHER'S MANUAL
with the aid of bits of appropriate dramatization as
proposed in the study of the last picture.
With this aid at the beginning, the children may
be able to work out, each one for himself, under the
guidance of the questions and suggestions in their
book, appropriate stones. If they need more help
from you before attempting this, study further with
them, somewhat after this manner :
Outline of Stories from Children at Window Picture
Tom had a birthday party. He invited several of his little
friends. As they were playing (pupils suggest games), or as they
were eating (pupils suggest what), they were startled by (pupils
tell what). They rushed to the window and saw (what?).
Here have pupils supply the exact conversation of the children,
making it interesting, animated, and appropriate to the thing that
they are supposed to see.
Let the outside incident be ended.
What do the children say ?
Then they return to their game (how might they change their
game as suggested by what they have just seen?) or to their
lunch.
Give the children time to think out a story, each
one for himself. Encourage them to vary their
stories as much as possible from the one that you
may have worked out with them. There should
be enough unused suggestions regarding the center
of interest to enable every child to put a little of his
own thought, his inventive imagination, into the
construction of a story.
LEARNING TO DESCRIBE 31
Do not mind that the results are crude, so long
as the children are thinking. The main purpose
of these exercises is to stimulate the pupils' im-
agination and to give them practice in expressing
the results of their imagining in orderly, connected,
pointed language. Stories in good form and full of
originality will come in due time.
XI (18). Learning to Describe
Read with the children The Blind Men and the
Elephant. Let them answer the questions follow-
ing. Then help them — as little as will suffice —
to read understand ingly and to carry out the direc-
tions under Something to Do. Be ready to provide,
if necessary, one or more pictures of an elephant.
Then call for several descriptions. Give the chil-
dren opportunity and insist that they judge and
comment on the descriptions, as suggested in their
book. This is just as important as the descriptions
themselves.
XII (21). Games of Description
The following " games of description " should in-
volve careful, discriminating observations, the accu-
rate oral use of language, and the interpretation of
this language in appropriate mental pictures and
ideas. See that the children, in their descriptions
and in their criticisms, follow the directions given
and practiced in the last lesson.
32 TEACHER'S MANUAL
Game 1. The Four Blind Men.
The teacher blindfolds four children. Each in turn stands be-
fore the class and describes, from touch, an object which the
teacher places in his hands. The object should not be too
familiar — a piece of wood, a stone, a leaf, a feather, a nail, will
serve — and the pupil describing it must not name it. The pupils
at their seats criticize the descriptions and decide which is best.
Game 2. What Is It?
One child leaves the room. The teacher points out to the
other children some familiar, rather easily described object, as a
book, a pointer, a window. The child returns to the room, and
several children in turn describe the object that was designated
by the teacher. Of course they must not name it ; nor should
they, at first, give any peculiarity about it, such as its use, which
would make its recognition certain without real description.
In this game, the children are not blind men ; they can see be-
fore them the object that they are describing. After a few
descriptions, the child is asked to guess the object. If he does
so, he should tell whose description first enabled him to guess it.
The other children should pass judgment on the several descrip-
tions, as directed in the last lesson. The one that gave the best
description may be the next one to leave the room.
Game 3. Who Is It?
One child describes as clearly as possible another child in the
room. The pupil who first guesses which child is being described
may describe another. And so the game may proceed.
XIII (21). Getting the Story from a Poem
Read The Mountain and the Squirrel to the chil-
dren, trying to express its meaning as clearly as pos-
GETTING THE STORY FROM A POEM
33
sible. Study it carefully and in detail with the
children, as suggested in their book. The recall and
comparison of the story of Grand Tusk and Nimble
will help much. The essentials, including the final
moral, are the same in both stories.
A further aid to the complete appreciation of the
poem will be a dramatization of it. Following the
suggestions for dramatizing Grand Tusk and Nimble
(p. 14), help the children to turn the poem into
dramatic form. Encourage free use of their imagina-
tion in the form of expression, but hold them to the
facts and meaning of the poem. Perhaps it will
work out something like this :
Mountain : Behold me ! See how big I am !
Squirrel : Behold me ! See how little I am !
M. : It is better to be big than to be little.
S. : No, it is just as well to be little. I am as good as you.
(Doubtless it was some such pert reply of the squirrel, making
himself equal to the great mountain, that brought forth the next
words of the mountain.)
M. : Little prig !
S. : I know you are very big. But every one can't be as big
as you are. I am not ashamed to be my own little self. If I am
not so big as you, you are not so small as I, and you can't run
around and climb trees as I can.
M. : Run around ! Climb trees ! I am of more use than
that!
S. : Yes, you are good to run over. You are covered with my
tracks.
M. : I am covered with more than squirrel tracks. Just see
the great forests I carry on my back ! You cannot carry a single
tree !
34 TEACHER'S MANUAL
S. : We were not all meant to do the same kind of work. It
is true I cannot carry forests on my back as you do, but — neither
can you crack a nut.
After the poem has been worked out in dramatic
form, let two children, adapted to the two parts, act
it. Encourage the use of their own language.
XIV (24). Telling the Story of the Poem, " The
Mountain and the Squirrel"
i. Read the poem to the children.
2. Have one or two children read it.
3. Have it dramatized — by children other than
those who took part at the last exercise.
4. In preparation for telling the story, question
the children somewhat as follows, requiring them to
answer with complete statements.
One day who had a quarrel?
Who began it?
What did the mountain say?
What did the squirrel say?
Let several children tell the story, each one in his
own way. If one uses the words and expressions of
the poem, well and good. If another follows rather
the dramatized form, accept that. If still another
uses original words or expressions, commend him,
so long as his story is true to the essentials. The
purpose is to get each child to enter fully into the
meaning and spirit of the story, and to tell it freely,
without self-consciousness, as an interesting incident.
CHAPTER TWO
If the spirit and purpose of the varied exercises
of Chapter One have been realized, you are now on
intimate terms with your class as a whole ; more
than this, you are at least beginning to understand
sympathetically the interests, capacities, tempera-
ment, the possibilities of each child. Before taking
up the work of this chapter with the children, read
again the opening paragraphs of Chapter One
(pp. y-8) in which the content, the character, and
the purpose of that chapter are summarized and ex-
plained ; review carefully in your mind the way the
exercises of that chapter were carried out, and try
to determine to what extent the purposes of the
chapter have been realized. Then study this chap-
ter thoroughly, both in this Manual and in the pupils'
book, always using the two together, in order that
you may understand how this chapter continues the
exercises and aims of Chapter One, what advance-
ment is made, and especially the intimate, interde-
pendent relations of the various exercises. You will
find in all the wide variety of exercises offered —
which insures the constant, undulled interest of the
children — that not only has each exercise a definite
purpose, but that every purpose accomplished con-
35
7,6 TEACHER'S MANUAL
tributes materially to the accomplishment of every
other, and that all together advance the realization of
the larger purposes of language study — the enrich-
ment, control, and effective use of mental resources.
The contents of this chapter may be summarized
as follows :
1. A continuation of the work begun in Chapter One:
expressive reading; intimate study of simple stories; con-
versations; dramatizing; oral reproductions; picture study
and oral picture stories ; the study of a poem, and the render-
ing of it in dramatic and in story form.
2. New work.
(a) Sentences : statements and questions.
(b) The use of the capital to begin the first word of a
sentence.
(c) The use of the period at the end of a statement.
(d) The use of the question mark.
(e) Copying statements and questions.
(/) Writing from dictation: studied and unstudied
matter.
(g) Writing original statements.
(h) Relating original experiences.
I (25). Reading
Read with the children the myth, How the Linden
Came to Be. Let it be so read that every character
in it will stand out distinctly, — the strong, self-
satisfied oak, the frail, timid plant, the scornful
crow, the rough, unsympathetic wind, the kind sun
STUDYING THE STORY OF THE LINDEN 37
and rain. Every reader must feel and appropriately
express the attitude of each of these characters.
With this purpose distinctly before teacher and
pupils, this story should be read and reread until
every child can at once throw himself sympatheti-
cally into the attitude of oak, plant, crow, wind, sun,
and rain. The child who can not do this has not
read the story; he has read only words, and the
lesson has not served its full purpose for that child.
II (27). Studying the Story of the Linden
This is a lesson for the children to study and pre-
pare by themselves. They should probably be
given considerable help about it; just how much
they need to make their study effective the teacher
must determine. (See suggestions for teaching
children to study a similar lesson, p. 9.) Probably
the greatest difficulty of many will be found in real-
izing just what every direction means. Read with
them these directions — also the directions in the
last chapter to which they are referred — and make
sure that they not merely understand what these
directions say, but that they are moved to do as
they say. To learn how to formulate and ask good
questions, as they are directed to do, is quite as im-
portant and just as difficult as the answering of
questions. Encourage them in this, and call for
their questions at the next lesson without fail.
The things to "do and say" serve not merely as
38 TEACHER'S MANUAL
a preparation for dramatizing the story; the prac-
tice of these things develops in the child discrimi-
nating feelings for the meaning and use of words
and expressions. Children should be encouraged to
abandon themselves to these exercises. In doing
so, they think, feel, act, live through and through.
Mechanical, perfunctory performance and speech
serve no good purpose whatever; they merely help
to develop and confirm the habit of making the
minimal use of language, — of getting the least
possible meaning out of language that is read or
heard, of putting the least possible meaning into
language that is used.
Children naturally abandon themselves sympa-
thetically to such exercises as these, when they feel
free to do so. You may find the recess period the
most suitable time for you to start the children —
and to join with them — in these exercises. They
will be found as interesting as any games. When
these exercises are taken up in the classroom, let it
be with all the wholesome freedom and spontaneity
of the recess period.
Ill (30). Conversation and Dramatizing
The children come to this exercise prepared — as
far as they can prepare — to dramatize the story of
the Linden. They have read it and reread it; they
have answered to themselves questions that bring
out the chief events of the story and the main char-
CONVERSATION AND DRAMATIZING 39
acteristics of the actors; they have prepared other
questions which they wish to ask ; they have prac-
ticed doing and saying things as they were done and
said by the people in the story ; each one has thought
which parts he would like to play, and which children
he would like to have play the other parts.
What preparation shall the teacher have made,
and how shall she conduct this exercise — which is
to culminate in the dramatization of the story —
so as to enlist fully the thought and the activity of
the children ? She must have so mastered the sub-
ject matter of the story, have formulated so clearly
the plan of procedure, that she may be entirely un-
hampered by books, either the pupils' or her own.
The exercise may well consist of two parts: First,
questions and answers on the actors, actions, events,
and conversation of the story, and the choice of
children to take the various parts ; and, second, the
dramatizing.
The first part should be carried out in systematic,
progressive order, so that everything may stand out
clearly, with no confusion, in the pupils' minds. It
must be so carried out that the children will have,
and wall feel that they have, a large active part in
the matter. They must ask questions, they must
make suggestions about the children to take the
different parts, and about the way these parts are
to be acted. The teacher will direct and make ef-
fective the questions and suggestions of the children.
40 TEACHER'S MANUAL
The following outline of questions and sugges-
tions, to be supplemented by such others as the
children may ask or offer, or as the teacher may
find necessary, will indicate more definitely the
course which the first, or preparatory, part of the
exercise should take.
People in the story.
Little Plant.
Where did the little plant live?
Choose a child to be the little plant.
At the beginning of the play should she stand or sit?
Where shall we have her seated?
Oak Tree.
What kind of tree was the oak ?
What kind of voice do you think he had ?
Choose a child to be the oak tree.
Did the oak tree grow near the little plant?
Then where should the child who plays the oak tree stand ?
Did any other trees grow near the oak tree and the little
plant ?
Choose five children for these other trees.
The Crow.
Show how the old crow came to the little plant.
Choose a child for the crow.
This child may hop to the little plant.
The child calls " Can't ! Can't ! " just as a crow calls
" Caw ! Caw ! "
The crow flew away from the little plant — you may show
how.
CONVERSATION AND DRAMATIZING 41
The Wind.
How did the wind blow?
Choose a child for the wind.
Blow, " Oo-00-ooo," like the wind.
The little plant moved when the wind blew, — show how.
The Sun and the Rain.
How did the sun speak to the little plant?
Whom did he ask to help?
Choose children for the sun and the rain.
The sun and the rain gave the little plant a friendly hand to
help her grow, — show how.
Let the pupils playing the sun and the rain give the child
playing the little plant a hand, and lift her slowly to her
feet.
While the above questions occupy considerable
space, the points that they cover, and others that
will be suggested, can be brought out very rapidly
in an oral exercise for which teacher and pupils are
thoroughly prepared, and which is conducted with
spirit and animation. Dawdling, either of pupils
or teacher, will spoil the exercise and leave it un-
finished at the end of the language period.
All is now ready for the first dramatization of
the story. The children who have been chosen for
the several parts should be allowed to carry it out
as they conceive it. Encourage and commend
freedom and originality in action and conversation.
Each one should be true to the character of the
part he is playing ; he will be so the more easily if
42 TEACHER'S MANUAL
he makes no effort to remember the exact words
that were used in the story.
When the play is completed, discuss with the
children briefly the merits of it, encouraging each
one to form discriminating judgments concerning
its merits and defects. Make up quickly another
cast, with suggestions from the children, and have
it played again. The second group of players will,
of course, try to improve upon the performance of
the first. If there is time, a third and even a fourth
group may dramatize.
Reread the suggestions about dramatizing made'
in connection with the dramatizing of Grand Tusk
and Nimble (p. 14). The dramatizing of stories
need not be limited to the formal language period.
Nothing will better serve for a few moments of re-
laxation, when that is needed. By introducing
dramatizing in this way, every child may have fre-
quent opportunity to take part, and every story
dramatized is kept fresh in the children's minds.
Care must be taken to improve the performance by
repetition, to make it more spontaneous and natural,
to give it new touches of interest ; if this is not
done, it will become mechanical and perfunctory.
IV (30). Oral Reproduction of the Story of the Linden
First, have the story dramatized as effectively as
possible, that the actors and events may be brought
vividly and in order to the mind of each child.
ORAL REPRODUCTION 43
The story should be reproduced from beginning
to end, if possible without interruption. One child
may reproduce it entire, or each part may be repro-
duced by a different child. Let the first reproduc-
tion be undertaken by a child, or children, who can
do it well.
Discuss the reproduction with the children, train-
ing them to discriminate the good and the weak
points. Perhaps it will be agreed after the first
reproduction that the events were related clearly
and in the right order, and that the several actors
were made to say what they should, but that the
distinctive characteristics of these actors, as the
weakness and earnestness of the little plant, the
strength of the oak, the scorn of the crow, the cold
roughness of the wind, and the warm sympathy of
the sun and the rain, were not adequately represented
by voice and manner. The next child to try the
reproduction must aim consciously to reproduce the
events and the ideas of the conversation just as well
as was done at first, and to bring out the character-
istics of the little plant, the oak tree, and the rest,
better. When he has finished, all the listening
children must be able to tell whether, and to what
extent, the child succeeded in his effort, and wherein
he failed. Perhaps he maintained the first satisfac-
tory reproduction of the events and the ideas of the
conversation, and brought out well the characteristics
of all the actors except those of the mocking crow
44 TEACHER'S MANUAL
and the rough wind. Let the next child try to
equal all the good points of this performance and to
represent more adequately the characters of the
crow and the wind.
So with every reproduction. The child who is
giving it must try consciously for a definite, superior
result; the listening children must judge the success
of this definite effort. Never allow a single repro-
duction in which the child is reproducing merely
because you have told him to reproduce. Never
call on a child to improve a reproduction already
given until it is perfectly clear to that child and to
all the children just wherein the improvement is to
be attempted.
V (31). Telling True Stories
As essential truth is necessary to the story of the
imagination, so imagination is necessary to the true
story ; both truth and imagination are indispensable
to all real stories. The truth of the one is generic,
of the other concrete ; both live in the imagination.
The study and appreciation of both types of
stories is necessary to the fullest enjoyment and use
of either. Rightly handled, there is not the slight-
est danger that this will lead to confusion of fact and
fancy in the child's mind.
Study with the children the suggestive questions
in their book and help them to weave their experi-
ences which these questions suggest into connected
TELLING TRUE STORIES 45
narratives. These stories might work out some-
what as follows :
1. One day I had a package of radish seeds. I planted them
in my plot in the school garden. I helped the little seeds to grow
by making the ground soft. I pulled up all the weeds. I watered
the seeds. After a while my radishes were grown. I pulled them
and took them home. We had them for supper.
2. One day as I was coming to school I met a little girl about
three years old. She was crying. I asked her, " What is the
matter?" She said, "I can't find my mother." Then I knew
she was lost. So I took her home and then ran all the way to
school, for I did not want to be late.
The above are merely suggestions of the form and
simplicity of scores of stories that children are — or
may easily become — capable of telling ; they have
only to learn to command their own experiences, to
read the stories in their experiences, much as they are
learning to read the story in a picture. You must
help them, much as you help them to read pictures ;
you must help them to become conscious of their story
material. You must help each one to appreciate
and use his own story material — different from that
of any other; this will give a wealth of individuality
in the stories.
Numerous, varied, and suggestive questions will
help every child to recall something from his own
experience that may serve for the basis of a story.
For example, if the thought of the story is to be
helpfulness, ask questions such as the following:
46 TEACHER'S MANUAL
Did you ever help a smaller child who had fallen ? had hurt
himself? had lost something ? was in the road in danger ? was
near the water? near the fire ? Did you ever help a child who
could not do some work that had been given him — at home or in
school ?
Did you ever tell or show any one how to find some place, as a
certain street, or the station, or the post office ?
Did you ever carry anything for an old person? help one
across a crowded street ? along a slippery walk ? up a steep hill ?
into a car or train? Did you ever give your seat in a car to some
one older or weaker than yourself ?
Did you ever shovel a path, weed a garden, run an errand,
bring in wood, care for baby, sweep a room, wash dishes ?
Such questions as these will not only help the
children to recall their experiences, they will suggest
experiences that they may make their own. To
reenforce this suggestion, tell them that in one week
you will have another exercise in telling true stories
of helpfulness.
Let all stories be short, clear, and pointed. When
conversation is involved, encourage the use of direct
quotation ; this makes the narration more vivid.
VI (32). Sentences, Capitals, Statements, and Periods
Study this lesson with the children. Do not do
for them what their book tells them to do, but help
them, when they need it, to understand just what
everything means in their book, and see that they
do as directed.
This first lesson in the use of forms, the capital to
SENTENCES, CAPITALS, STATEMENTS, PERIODS 47
begin the first word of a sentence and the period
after a statement, is typical of the method employed
throughout in developing the habit of correct usage.
Note these steps in the process of developing the
habit of using a capital to begin the first word of a
sentence.* First, a clear grasp by the pupil, through
directed observation, of the fact that a capital letter
is used to begin the first word of sentences; second,
the statement to the pupil, and the understanding
by him, of the general rule that the first word of
every sentence must begin with a capital ; third, the
examination of sentences to find out with what kind
of letter the first word of each begins, and the
application of the rule to justify the use of capitals;
and fourth, the conscious application of the rule in
writing — at this time merely in copying — capitals
to begin the first words of sentences. Observe that
the steps in teaching to use the period after a state-
ment are exactly the same.
This one lesson has taught the child how to
begin every sentence and how to end every state-
ment. There is no exception to these rules, and
there is absolutely nothing more to teach on the
subject. The one thing still necessary — and this
is necessary — is that the child put into practice
* Any definition or characterization of a sentence at this time will confuse
rather than enlighten the pupil. Talk about sentences freely, refer to them
as sentences, and children will gradually and unconsciously learn the essential
characteristics of a sentence, something that no definition yet framed can
impart to them.
48 TEACHER'S MANUAL
what he has learned about the use of capitals and
the period. At first, and for a long time, this prac-
tice must be conscious. Every time that he begins
a sentence or ends a statement, the child must tell
himself, or some one else, why he is using the capital
and the period. If there be permitted no break —
and there must be none — in this consciously correct
use of the capital and the period, it will never again
be necessary to teach this matter to the children
who have learned this lesson. As the habit be-
comes fixed through many and frequent repetitions,
the explicit thought of the reason for these usages
will become unnecessary, and will fade away of its
own accord, subject to recall only when needed.
The conventional forms to be learned in order to
write correctly are but few. The correct use of most
of them is learned just as easily as that of the capital
at the beginning of a sentence and of the period
at the end of a statement. And all of them are best
learned in substantially the manner outlined above.
Little teaching and nt7ich practice is required. The
simple secret of progress is to hold fast to what has
once been learned by always using it correctly.
VII (35). Copying Sentences to Learn the Use of
Capitals and Period
This is the child's first written language lesson.
The teacher should read with the children the direc-
tion about telling themselves why they make every
COPYING SENTENCES
49
capital and every period, and make sure that every
child understands and will carry out this direction.
The children may need reminding occasionally as the
copying proceeds. All these precautions will reduce
the number of mistakes, — which are better avoided
than corrected.
In this first written exercise, every child must use
correctly, must be made to use correctly, must know
that he is using correctly, the capital and the period
as he learned in the last lesson that these must be
used. Hence, every child's paper must be examined
by the teacher and corrected, if necessary, by the
child, at once. This examination and correction is
a part of the exercise. It were better to omit the
exercise altogether than to omit the correction of it,
— and to defer this is nearly as bad as to omit it.
The teacher should begin her examination as
soon as the pupils begin to write, passing by their
desks, and stopping for the immediate correction of
every error that she discovers. Corrections should
be made as follows :
If a child has begun a sentence with a small letter, the teacher
asks, " What kind of letter should you have used? Why?"
When this answer, which the teacher must exact, has been
made by the child, " A capital letter, because the first word of
every sentence should begin with a capital letter," the teacher
says, " Do it."
If a child has omitted the period at the end of a statement,
the teacher asks, " What should you have placed after this state-
ment? Why?"
SO TEACHER'S MANUAL
She must insist on the answer, " A period, because there should
be a period after every statement." The correction by the child
then follows.
Do not let your questions calling attention to the
error, be merely a signal for the child to correct it.
It is quite as important that the child answer your
questions as it is that he make the correction. An-
swer and correction together insure that he does the
thing right and that he knows why he does it. Will
not the frequent repetition of these answers finally
make them perfunctory ? Of course ; so will the ac-
companying correct use of capitals and the period
finally become perfunctory. But this is only another
way of saying that the habit of using capitals and
the period under the conditions given is formed.
Errors in other things than the two for which this
exercise is given, as in spelling, should be called to
the attention of the pupil, and he should correct by
making his copy like the original.
VIII (35). Studied Dictation for Drill in Use of
Capitals and Period
Three minutes of real application should be quite
time enough for pupils to prepare the lesson to write
from dictation. See that each one applies himself
to it as he is directed to do in his book.
Have pupils close their books. Let one pupil —
not one of the best nor one of the poorest — go to a
blackboard in plain view of the class. With the undi-
STUDIED DICTATION 51
vided attention of every one, dictate a complete sen-
tence, clearly, distinctly, and slowly. Have all pupils
in concert repeat the sentence, clearly, distinctly, and
slowly. Then let the one at the board write it. The
others watch closely to detect any mistake.
Let each sentence be corrected as soon as written.
Let the corrections be made just as directed in the
last lesson. Pupils at the seats, as called upon,
may indicate where there is an error, and the one
at the board may tell, if he can, what the correction
should be, and why ; then he may make it. Or
pupils at seats, as called upon, may tell what correc-
tions to make, and why ; then the one at the board,
or some other, as directed, may make the correc-
tions. Never fail to have given, by some one, the
reason for the correct form before it is made.
Proceed in this way with each sentence. If
there is time, erase the sentences from the board,
and have them written and corrected again in the
same way. This time let the dictation be taken
by one of the poorer pupils.
Never break a sentence in the dictation, reading
only two or three words at a time. The exercise
is not on the writing of words, but of sentences.
Given as directed above, it is not difficult for chil-
dren to grasp and to hold in mind the whole sen-
tence while they write it. Far fewer mistakes will
be made when dictation is taken by sentences,
rather than by words, or even by phrases. Do not
52 TEACHER'S MANUAL
be swerved from this plan just because some children
forget the sentence before they have completed it.
Let them do better with the next one. Much prac-
tice of this kind in grasping sentences as wholes has
a most important influence on the development of
the sentence sense, of the feeling for a completed
thought adequately expressed in a definite group of
related words.
IX (36). Unstudied Dictation to Test the Use of
Capitals and Period
The sentences below contain no word not used*
in 1, page 34, of the pupils' book. Hence, they
should be able to spell every word without study.
If you think it necessary, however, write on the
board the two or three that may give trouble,
let the children pronounce and spell them aloud,
then erase them. Now dictate, as directed in the
last lesson, these sentences. Let the children
write on paper ; it is a test exercise, in which each
one should show what he can do absolutely alone.
Let them understand clearly the two things for
which the exercise is especially given, the use of
the capital to begin every sentence and the use of
the period to end every statement.
The little plant was sad.
She tried to grow.
The oak tree tossed his branches.
He was proud.
He looked down on the little plant.
QUESTIONS AND THE QUESTION MARK 53
Have the pupils correct their work at once, just as
directed in a previous exercise (p. 49).
X (36). Questions and the Question Mark
Study with the children their first lesson on
questions and the use of the question mark.
Merely help them to study out and to understand
the lesson for themselves.
Note that this is a type lesson, similar to the
lesson on the use of capitals and the period. As
that lesson taught everything that can be taught
about the use of a capital to begin a sentence and
a period to end a statement, so this lesson teaches
all that can be taught about the use of a capital to
begin, and a question mark to close a sentence that
asks a question. The study and the practice now
necessary to form the habit of correct usage in
this matter must follow the principles and plan
outlined in connection with Exercise VII (p. 48).
Study that lesson again most carefully. The ap-
plication of its teaching is fundamental to your
success as a language teacher.
XI (38). Copying Questions to Learn the Use of
Capitals and the Question Mark
Have pupils correct mistakes in this copying
exercise at once. Begin the examination of their
work as soon as they begin to write. Follow di-
rections already given (VII, p. 49).
54 TEACHER'S MANUAL
If a child has failed to place a question mark at
the end of a question, ask : " What kind of mark
should be used after this sentence ? Why 4 ? " Insist
on the answer : " A question mark, because a ques-
tion mark must be placed after every sentence that
asks a question." Then let the child make the
correction at once.
XII (39). Using Capitals and the Period
This is a lesson to be corrected as it is written,
and according to previous directions (VII, p. 49).
XIII (40). Picture Stories
(The toy shop picture, p. 41)
Make preparation for the study of this lesson with
the children, as directed in Chapter One (p. 22). The
number of distinct and interesting stories, that may
be worked out of this picture is almost unlimited.
The pupils' book and the supplementary work below
suggest several ; sketch in your mind the possibili-
ties of several more stories, so as to be prepared to
encourage every sign of originality that the children
may show.
Help the children to understand and study the
lesson as outlined for them in their book. The
center of interest in any story that may be worked
out is in the actions of the children before the win-
dow. Experience with the picture, however, shows
PICTURE STORIES 55
that pupils direct their attention first to the toys;
hence the order of the questions in their book.
When they have somewhat satisfied their own in-
terest in the toys they are ready to consider the
picture children, their relation to the toys and to
each other. The children's own interests in the
toys to which they first give expression prepare them
to interpret sympathetically the interests of the
picture children. Encourage such interpretation in
working out the stones ; for instance, let the pupils
choose the presents they would select if they were
the poor children.
Help the children to finish the stories suggested
in their book, but let them do the thinking. This
is the opportunity for them to show their originality ;
do not deprive them of the opportunity. Your
function is to help them to express their conceptions
in an orderly and effective way.
When the lesson has thus been worked out, have
several children tell a complete story. Let each one
choose his own standpoint, that of the rich or the
poor children. Encourage originality in the
stories — even in those told from the same stand-
point. Do not let a child merely repeat from
memory the story that another child has told ; this
has slight value and is not in harmony with the
spirit and purpose of all this picture story work.
Without discouraging, try to prevent the children
rambling in their story-telling, bringing in many
56 TEACHER'S MANUAL
irrelevant details. Encourage concise, connected
thought and statement, point and climax; let every
statement advance the story a distinct point toward
the climax. All of this makes for brevity.
Have children choose good titles for their stories.
Supplementary Work
i. Have one of the poor children tell the story to
his mother on his return home.
2. Let one of the rich children tell the story to
his mother.
3. Let any one of the toys tell the story.
In order to tell consistently any of the stories
above suggested the pupil must become as com-
pletely as possible the poor child, the rich child, or
some particular toy, that he decides to represent.
This is not a difficult thing for children to do when
they understand clearly what is required and when
you insist that they maintain to the end the char-
acter once assumed. Do not permit a child to begin
a story in the character of a toy, for instance, and
then forget his role and finish the story as a child —
himself or one of the children of the picture.
Suppose the doll is to tell her story. It might
run something as follows :
The Doll's Story
I was born in a far-off land called Germany. I came across the
great ocean in a ship full of toys that were coming as Christmas
SUPPLEMENTARY WORK 57
gifts for little boys and girls in America. I was taken from the
ship to a large shop and placed in the wide window with ever so
many other toys. But oh, how lonely I felt, for there was not
another German doll in sight. How I wished some dear little
girl would buy me and love me, O so much !
The day before Christmas three poor children came and stood
before the window.
(It will be easy to finish the story, telling what the poor chil-
dren said, the coming of the rich children, who bought the doll,
who took it home, etc.)
After making sure that the children understand
what is required, perhaps by working out with them
the doll's story, let each child choose for himself the
story he will tell — that is, the child or the toy that
he will represent. Allow the children a few min-
utes, with their books open at the picture before
them, to think out their stories. Then have told
orally as many different stories by as many different
children as time permits.
See that the children choose appropriate titles for
their stories.
4. The story lends itself readily to dramatization.
In the simplest form, the shop window and toys may
be entirely imaginary, or sketches might be made
of them on the blackboard. To make it more real-
istic, pupils might bring a variety of toys from home
and arrange them in a " shop window." In addition
to the six children representing those shown in the
pictures, other children might take the parts of their
mothers. Thus the whole dramatization could be
58 TEACHER'S MANUAL
elaborated sufficiently for a Christmas entertain-
ment.
5. Tell the story of a toy that wanted to be chosen
but was not.
XIV (43). More Picture Stories
(Outside the garden picture, p. 45)
On account of the fundamental similarity in the
stories suggested by this picture and those of the
shop window picture, the children come to this
study somewhat prepared. They should here show
the results of their previous work.
Study with the children the lesson as presented in
their book. Do not forget that they, not you, are to
take the lead in thinking. Note that in the children's
book, following the fourth question, suggestions are
given for three distinct stories. Each of these sug-
gestions may be developed something like this:
1. Suppose the boy has no home. Obviously he must find a
home. Where? In this big house as an adopted son? With the
gardener as his helper?
2. Suppose the bofs father wants work. How can the little
girl help him to get work? If the boy's father should become
gardener, where will the little boy perhaps live?
3. Suppose the boy's mother is ill. What will the little girl do?
Will any one go to see the sick mother? What will be taken or
sent to her? When she is better what will be done for her?
What part will the boy play in all this?
These three are only a few of the many stories
that might be told. Before developing any one of
TELLING TRUE STORIES 59
these beyond the mere suggestion, have the children
suggest as many other possible stories as they can.
Encourage each one to think out his own story.
Show them how to weave their thoughts together
into a straightforward, complete story. To do this
it will probably be necessary to work out with them,
perhaps to tell them, one whole story as a model of
form, — not of content. When they are ready, let
several children tell their stories.
Children should be taught to give an appropriate
title to every story they tell.
Supplementary "Work
1. Telling additional stories.
An exercise may well be devoted to the thinking out
by the children — with such help as they may need —
and the telling of several stories differing materially
from those suggested in the pupils' book, but involving,
of course, the boy and the girl as the chief characters.
Encourage each pupil to tell more than one story.
2. The story may be easily dramatized.
XV (44). Telling True Stories
Help children — as much as necessary, but no
more — to put their answers to the questions in their
book into good story form. If they are able only to
answer these questions disconnectedly, show them
how to join their thoughts, then let them reproduce
the resultant story. They will quickly learn to con-
nect their thoughts themselves.
60 TEACHER'S MANUAL
XVI (46). Studying the Poem, "Spring Waking"
i. Read the poem to the children ; bring out the
meaning and the various and contrasted feelings as
fully as possible.
2. Help the children to study the poem, following
the questions in their book.
The poem is just full of delightful little scenes —
the snowdrop curled up fast asleep in the dark
ground with a blanket of white snow over all, the
bright sun shining warm and calling cheerily to the
snowdrop, the awakening, the popping of the little
snowdrop out of her bed in her white nightcap, and
all the rest. All these pictures the children must
see clearly in their imaginations — this is not diffi-
cult if the matter is rightly handled; they must also
feel with the sun and with the snowdrop, as the con-
versation between the two and the brief descriptions
suggest. The questions in the pupils' book and the
reading of certain lines are designed to help the
children to see the scenes in imagination, and to feel
with the sun and the snowdrop. Have them read
and reread the lines suggested until you are sure
from their emphasis and expression that they
are expressing the feelings, the thoughts, the mental
pictures that they are actually experiencing. This
is reading; this is appreciating literature.
If any child has never seen a snowdrop, show one
if you can. The next best thing is a picture or a
PART READING AND DRAMATIZING 61
drawing on the blackboard, with such description as
will enable the child to form an approximately correct
mental picture.
Your skill as a teacher is shown in your insight
and resourcefulness in aiding the children to utilize
such experiences as they have had in their efforts to
appreciate thought and feeling represented by printed
words. For instance, it may help the children to a
sympathetic appreciation of the snowdrop's part if
you make reference to their feelings at the call to
get up early on a cold morning. When they have
finally made up their minds to arise, do they do it
slowly, or do they "pop " out of bed just as the snow-
drop did ? After they are up and dressed and out
in the cheerful sunlight, do they want to go back to
bed again, or are they glad, as the snowdrop was ?
The general lesson of the poem is quite similar
to that of the myth, The Little Plant and the Oak
Tree, the first story in this chapter. It will be a
good test of the children's understanding of both the
myth and the poem to see whether they will note
the similarity. Perhaps a few questions, helping
them to recall and to compare the myth with the
poem, will be necessary.
XVII (50). Part Reading and Dramatizing a Poem
Let the teacher read the narrative parts of Spring
Waking while two children take the parts of the
sun and the snowdrop, like this:
62 TEACHER'S MANUAL
First Stanza.
Teacher : A snowdrop lay in the sweet dark ground,
Sun : Come out, come out !
Teacher : But she lay quite still and she heard no sound ;
Sun : Asleep, no doubt !
Second Stanza.
Teacher : The snowdrop heard, for she raised her head,
Sun : Look spry, look spry !
Snowdrop : It's warm here in bed.
Sun : Oh, fie ! Oh, fie !
Such part reading is excellent preparation for
dramatizing, which should follow the reading. The
snowdrop may be covered with a white apron (the
snow). The conversation between the sun and the
snowdrop should follow the order and the ideas of
the poem, but not necessarily the exact words. A
third child might be introduced to represent the
robin, who speaks or sings something like this :
" Cheer-up, cheer-up ! Snowdrop is awake ! The
air is growing warm ! Cheer-up, cheer-up ! "
XVIII (50). Learning to Tell a Story
Help pupils to work out an interesting, connected
story from the poem, Spring Waking, following the
suggestions given in the pupils' book. This is no
trivial requirement of the pupil at this stage of his
progress. He must get the thought from the poem
in connected, progressive order, and then express it
clearly and connectedly in his own language. It
ORAL REPRODUCTIONS 63
will not do to make a dry, condensed statement of
the main ideas of the story, as, " The snowdrop was
asleep under the snow, the sun called her, and she
got up." On the contrary, the story should contain
rather more detail than the poem gives ; especially
may the conversation be elaborated to advantage.
The expression should be appropriate ; a colorless
statement of facts does not make a story. The con-
versational parts call for animation and inflection;
even something of dramatic action will aid.
In helping the children to work out the story, they
may well take turns, one telling a portion, that one
followed by another telling the next portion, and so
on. Each child's contribution should be encour-
agingly criticized and suggestions for improvement
made when necessary ; then the child should try
again until he has made his part satisfactory. This
will help the children to form the habit of judging
their own efforts critically.
XIX (51). Oral Reproductions
Have pupils tell the complete story of the sun
and the snowdrop. This must not be mere perfunc-
tory repetition. Each pupil should do his best ; then
his production should be definitely criticized by pupils
and teacher, in a kindly way of course, and always
with suggestions for improvement. Then each one
following should try to retain all the good points of
previous ones and to make improvements.
CHAPTER THREE
Before taking up this chapter with the children,
master its content and purposes yourself. Study it
thoroughly both in the children's book and in this
Manual so that you may understand clearly what
you are to do and what the children are to do —
alone, and under your guidance. Compare carefully
the exercises of this chapter in content, form, and
purpose with the work already done in previous
chapters. Read again the introductory paragraphs
of Chapters One and Two (pp. y-8, 35-36) ; they
apply equally here.
Several things that you should observe in this
preparatory and comparative study:
1. In the continuation of the several different types of
work already begun — reading, dramatizing, oral story
telling, and the rest — there is gradual and constant advance
in the opportunities and demands made upon the children
for original, independent thought and effort. For examples,
they must learn to take the initiative more and more in the
preparation and execution of a dramatization; to study more
independently; to use more originality in conception and
expression.
2. Copying and dictation are used always with definite
purpose — usually to teach, fix, and test pupils' mastery of
the use of various language forms.
64
READING THE STORY 65
3. The new work presented in this chapter :
(a) Titles — studied, copied, and written from dicta-
tion; making and writing original titles.
(b) The first lesson in written reproduction of a story.
(c) Copying, memorizing, and writing poetry from
memory.
I (52). Reading the Story, " Mabel and the Fairy Polk "
Let the teacher read this story to the children,
and read it so well that every one will be inspired
to read up to the teacher's standard, when he has
the opportunity. Even teachers cannot do their
best without practice and rehearsal.
Now have the story read in dialogue form by the
children. Thus, in the first part, " Mabel and the
Fairy Queen," have one child take the part of
Grandmother, another the part of Mabel, and a third
that of the Fairy Queen, each one reading only
what is said by the one he represents. All short
explanatory parts that are not generally necessary
to the understanding of the conversation, such as,
" said Grandmother one morning," should be omitted.
Longer descriptive or narrative parts, like the fourth,
sixth, eighth, the end of the ninth, and the tenth
paragraphs of the first part, should be read by a
child designated for this, or better, in this first
exercise of the kind, by the teacher.
For the second part, " Mabel and the Brownies,"
five children are necessary to take the parts of
66 TEACHER'S MANUAL
Grandmother, Mabel, and three Brownies. For the
last part, " Mabel and the Elves," Rve children are
also necessary for Grandmother, Mabel, and three
elves.
To take any of these parts well, the one taking it
must have some rather clear conception of the
character of the person he is trying to represent.
Without that conception, it is manifestly impossible
to speak intelligently as that person did. What
kind of person was Grandmother ? Mabel ? the
Fairy Queen ? What kind of people were the
brownies? the elves? Discuss these matters briefly
with the children before their reading begins. It is
not necessary that there be agreement ; it is impor-
tant that each one have some conception of the
character of the persons who speak in the story, and
whose conversation is now to be taken by the
children.
Discuss with the children the rendering of the
several parts, to bring out clearly — in a way that
every child can understand — the good features of
each one and those features needing improvement.
With every child knowing just what improvements
in each part are to be made, have the story reread
— a section at a time — by children who have not
previously taken part. Let the listening children
determine whether each desired improvement has
been made. Do not leave the story, or any part of
it, until the improvement determined upon has been
DRAMATIZING . 67
made, until the children recognize that it has been
made, even if you have to make this improvement
yourself.
II (55). Dramatizing "Mabel and the Fairy Folk"
Have the story read once again, in dialogue form
as before'. Let the principal parts be taken by chil-
dren who took minor or no parts at the previous
readings. Let the reading be the very best of which
the children are capable.
This, with the previous readings, should be suffi-
cient preparation for the dramatizing. The pupils
must be made, from the beginning, to feel large
responsibility for a successful dramatization ; and
yet, on no account must they be allowed to fail.
This means that the teacher must have clearly in
mind, at the outset, just how the dramatization may
be arranged and carried out in its every detail. It
means equally that the teacher must hold her concep-
tions severely in reserve. The teacher's concep-
tions are for her own use, not for the direct use of
the pupils ; they are to enable the teacher at every
point, and without hesitation, to ask the question, to
give the hint or the suggestion, that will enable the
pupils to make and to carry out their own plans for
the dramatization.
So give to your pupils — and do this with con-
fidence — the initiative in assigning the parts, in
locating the different scenes, and in suggesting the
68 TEACHER'S MANUAL
scenery — spring, pitcher, trees, flowers — which may
all be imaginary. Recall the directions and sug-
gestions given for dramatizing in previous lessons.
(See pp. 14, 38.)
Ill (55). Oral Questions
Allow the pupils not more than eight or ten
minutes to prepare this exercise ; even five minutes
of application is vastly better for them, and will give
better results, than will a half-hour of dawdling.
See to it that they are concentrating their attention
every instant on the work before them. Remember
that they are just beginning to learn how to study;
it is a critical time. If you take this study period
as a convenient time for you to do something not
connected with the pupils' study, if you forget them
for fifteen minutes, then find, on inquiry, that none
of them has " had time " to get through with all the
questions, if you then allow them a "few minutes
more," — while you continue with your own affairs,
— and if, finally, when you take up the recitation,
you find wandering attention, little interest, and less
knowledge, do not be in the least surprised. That
is just what you should expect with that kind of
preparation. And if you permit such study periods
regularly, frequently, or even occasionally, and if later
you hear grammar teachers, high school teachers,
and college professors complain that their pupils
have never learned to study, to concentrate their
ORAL QUESTIONS 69
minds on the task before them, do not be surprised.
You might have foretold this result, because in
those pupils' first study lessons you did all that
could be done then to bring it to pass.
The pupils' study period — particularly when pu-
pils are just learning how to study — demands the
undivided and concentrated attention of the teacher.
The pervading influence of this example, were there
really nothing for the teacher to do, would be abun-
dant warrant for it. But the teacher thus con-
centrating her attention on her studying pupils will
be fully occupied; this pupil will need a hint or a
suggestion, that one a question, another a bit of
encouragement, still another perhaps a sharp recall
to his task, and so on. The teacher must realize
that the habit of concentration — or of dissipation —
which the pupils are now forming, is of infinitely
more importance than is the learning of the lesson
before them.
At the end of this brief but concentrated study
period — it is not at all necessary to wait for every
pupil to have answered to himself every question —
have all books closed, your own as well as the
pupils'. Ask questions to bring out systematically
and progressively the main ideas of the story ; see
that your questions include most of those that the
pupils have been studying in their book. Do not
fail to have the pupils ask at least the questions
they were directed in their book to prepare ; en-
70 TEACHER'S MANUAL
courage them to ask others. Do not, however,
permit questions or comments that are irrelevant.
Train to concentration of thought, and give a con-
stant example of it ; this is just as important in the
recitation as in the study period.
Supplementary Work*
The story, Mabel and the Fairy Folk, may be re-
produced orally. The reading, the dramatizing, and
the study should have prepared pupils to do this
well. Recall the directions and suggestions about
oral reproduction already given (pp. 16, 42). Sup-
plementary work, if undertaken at all, must, of
course, be just as well done as though it were
regular work.
IV (57). Writing Questions
Give your undivided attention to the pupils while
they write the questions as directed in their book.
First, see that every one understands what his book
tells him to do ; then see that he does it as quickly
and as well as possible. Let the quicker pupils
keep busy, by writing more than three questions.
Do not give more than eight or ten minutes to this
part of the lesson, even though not all pupils com-
plete three questions.
* From this point on, supplementary work will be suggested frequently.
This work is what the designation of it indicates ; none of the regular work
depends upon it. It is offered for teachers to use in their discretion, when-
ever time permits, or the needs of their class make it desirable.
SUPPLEMENTARY WORK 71
Impress upon the children the necessity of asking
good, sensible questions. Give individual sugges-
tion and help to those who need it.
Now have papers exchanged, questions read, and
answered orally, as follows : A child reads a ques-
tion. If it is correctly written, he answers it in a
sentence ; if anything is wrong about it, he says, " I
shall not answer this question, because " (giv-
ing the reason, as, " it does not begin with a capital
letter "). Other questions are read and answered, or
rejected, in the same way. The teacher should be
in a position to see what mistakes, if any, the pupil
reading makes.
Supplementary Work
1. Have papers read and answered that, for lack
of time, may not have been taken up at the regular
exercise.
2. Have questions corrected by pupils who wrote
them, giving reasons for their corrections, as directed
in Chapter Two (VII, p. 48).
3. Distribute the pupils' papers, which have
been preserved for the purpose. Let pupils write
answers to the questions, making a complete sentence
for each answer. They should be reminded of the
correct beginning and ending of statements. If this
exercise is given, it must be carried out and cor-
rected just as carefully, and in the same way, as a
regular exercise.
72 TEACHER'S MANUAL
V (58). How Titles are Written
Study this lesson with the pupils, making sure
that they understand it, but giving only such direct
help as may be necessary. This lesson contains
the model for the study of titles.
VI (59). Copying a Story
The purpose of this lesson is to give the pupil
drill in writing a title properly and to review the
use of capitals to begin sentences, the period to end
statements, and the question mark to end questions..
On the blackboard, or on a sheet of paper held up
before the class, show pupils: (1) where to place
the title (in the middle of the page), (2) the space
to leave between the title and the first line, and
(3) the indention of the first line. About the in-
dention of the first line, it will be sufficient at this
time to tell and show them that there should be left
a space of about one inch between the edge of the
paper and the beginning of the first line, while that
between the edge and other lines should be only
half as much. The subject of margins will be
taken up later.
As the pupils copy, the teacher should be moving
about among them, helping them, by a hint or a
question, to avoid errors and to make corrections
when necessary. The corrections are to be made
as previously directed (p. 49).
DICTATION 73
VII (60). Dictation: "The Trees and the Woodcutter"
The purpose of this exercise is to test and to
apply the pupils' knowledge of the writing of a title
and the correct use of capitals, period, and question
mark. Dictate the story already studied and copied,
The Trees and the Woodcutter. Let the exercise
proceed like this :
Teacher : This is the title, The Trees and the Woodcutter.
Pupils repeat the title, The Trees and the Woodcutter, slowly
and distinctly in concert. Then all write.
Teacher : This is the first sentence, A woodcutter, etc.
Pupils repeat the sentence in concert, then write it.
Teacher : This is the next (or second) sentence, The trees, etc.
Pupils repeat and write.
The other sentences are dictated, repeated, and
written in the same manner. It is worthy of note
that whenever speaking of a sentence, the teacher
uses the word "sentence."
Pupils must be trained to concentrated attention
in taking dictation. As a rule, the teacher should
give a sentence only once ; pupils should repeat
only once. Sentences must be given as wholes,
never broken up into words. If your pupils are
not yet capable of taking this dictation in this way,
simplify and shorten it. Two short sentences can
easily be made of the first rather long one ; the rest
may be abbreviated and changed. Thus simplified,
it might read as follows :
74 TEACHER'S MANUAL
A woodcutter went into the forest. He asked the trees to give
him a handle for his ax. The trees gave him a young ash tree.
He made a handle of it. Then what do you think happened?
The woodcutter began to cut down the trees. Soon all the tall
trees were laid low. Were they not well punished for giving up
their little brother?
Read again carefully the suggestions about dicta-
tion (p. 50).
Let the exercise be corrected at once, as directed
in Chapter Two (p. 51).
This correction should take but a few minutes, if
the teacher is accustomed to see quickly and to work
rapidly. Pay especial attention to the correction of
any mistakes in the title, as this is the new subject:
which is being taught. If a child has omitted a
capital, insist that he give an exact and full state-
ment of the reason for using it, thus, " The should
have been begun with a capital because it is the first
word of a title," or, " I should have begun trees with
a capital because it is an important word of a title."
VIII (60). Copying Titles
The corrections of errors by the pupils should
begin as soon as the first title is copied. The teacher
passes about among the children as they work, and
calls their attention to errors, as directed in Chapter
Two (p. 49, VII). The reason for the correction
must always be insisted upon before the correction
is made by the pupil.
SUPPLEMENTARY WORK 75
Supplementary Work
Write lists of titles upon the board for pupils to
study and to recite upon. These may also be
copied, and the work corrected.
IX (61). Writing Titles from Dictation
Dictate the titles copied in Section VIII, p. 60.
Have work corrected at once.
Supplementary Work
Without study by the pupils, dictate several easy
titles taken from stories in the reading book. Diffi-
cult words should be spelled orally before pupils
write them. One pupil may write at the board,
while others look out for errors, or all may write at
their seats. In either case, errors should be cor-
rected, and reasons given for every correction, just
as conscientiously as though this were regular
instead of supplementary work. Better omit the
supplementary work altogether than to let it be
done shiftlessly.
Some pupil may call attention to the fact that in
some printed titles capital letters are used through-
out. If this should happen, it would be well to
have pupils examine titles in several of their books.
They will probably discover that in some books the
first letter of some words of the title is larger than
the other letters, though all are capitals. When
such is the case, let them discover, if they can, that
76 TEACHER'S MANUAL
the words beginning with the large capitals are the
first and important words of the title.
It may be easily explained that the rules given in
the pupils' book concern written not printed titles.
X (61). Giving Titles to Pictures
Prepare pupils to make good titles by studying
with them possible titles of pictures in Chapters One
and Two. Get the children to give as many titles
as possible that they think suitable for these pictures.
Write all titles given on the blackboard. Criticize
each, rejecting the poor ones and retaining the good
ones. For example, such titles as the following may
be suggested for the garden wall picture :
The Boy Pointing. (Poor, because it does not recall the pic-
ture as a whole, nor does it suggest any story that can be easily
read from the picture.)
The Ladder. (Poor, for reasons just given.)
The Garden Wall. (Rather poor ; suggests little.)
The Children Who Climbed to the Top of the Garden
Wall. (Better than the preceding, but too long.)
" O Look ! " (Good ; it arouses interest at once and suggests
something of the story.)
Seen from the Garden Wall. (Good, for reasons just given.)
XI (61). Picture Stories
(Santa Claus picture, p. 63)
Let the pupils study the lesson in their book
alone ; it should not be too difficult for them after
the picture stories they have told in preceding
PICTURE STORIES 77
chapters. After the study, allow several to tell
their stories in their own way, just as they have
thought them out. Then you may offer sugges-
tions for improving the stories. Probably sugges-
tions will be chiefly needed to aid the children in
putting their stories into better form.
Perhaps some stories will run something like
this:
It was Christmas Eve. Will, Dick, and Lucy hung their
stockings by the fireplace and went off to bed.
" Don't go to sleep," said Dick. " Let us go into the sitting
room and wait by our stockings till Santa Claus comes, and then
we can tell him just what we want for Christmas."
" Good ! " said Lucy. " I want to tell him just what kind of
doll I want."
"No," said Will. "Don't go. Santa does not like children
to watch for him."
But Dick and Lucy would not listen to Will. They crept
softly into the sitting room and sat down before the fire to wait
for Santa.
Perhaps the remainder of the story will answer
the following questions :
How long did they have to wait?
At last what did they hear?
What did they say?
What did Santa say when he saw them?
(" Ah, ha ! There are Dick and Lucy waiting for me. I'll
go away and come back after they are asleep.")
What did Santa Claus do?
How did Dick and Lucy account for the noise they had
heard? (The wind, snowslide, etc.)
78 TEACHER'S MANUAL
What did they do?
When Santa returned what did he put in Dick's and Lucy's
stockings to show them that he did not like them to wait for
him?
What did he give Will ?
Did the children ever wait up for Santa Claus again?
Supplementary Work
Have the Christmas story told from different
standpoints. Let the children choose freely who
they will be ; then see that they keep to their
chosen characters consistently in telling their story.
i. Let the little boy who watched for Santa tell
his story next day to one of his friends.
2. Let the little girl tell her story to one of her
friends.
3. Let Santa Claus tell the story as one of his
Christmas adventures.
See that every story told is given a suitable title.
XII (62). More Picture Stories
(The monkey and the mirror, p. 65)
After the pupils have studied the lesson in their
books alone for a few minutes, let several of them
try to tell the story. Help them only as much as
is necessary to bring their ideas into connected,
progressive order.
Encourage all signs of originality. Work for
brevity, life, point. If the children's stories soon
get to be all alike and expressed in the same Ian-
MORE PICTURE STORIES 79
guage, you may be sure that they are not really
telling their own stories, but merely parroting the
stories of others. That must be stopped, even if, as
a last resort, you have to stop the exercise to do it.
As soon as the children's originality seems about
exhausted, tell them this y£sop fable.
The Dog and his Image
A dog with a piece of meat in his mouth was one day crossing
a stream. Looking down into the clear water he saw his own
image. The silly dog thought he saw another dog with another
piece of meat. He made up his mind to get the second piece
of meat, so he made a grab at his own shadow. But, in trying to
get the image of a piece of meat, he lost the real piece he already
had.
This fable will serve as a model. It will stimulate
the slower, less imaginative children ; it will show
the more original how to arrange and present their
ideas effectively. It will add a bit to the literary
material that all children should be accumulating.
After this fable has been told, discussed, and com-
pared with the stories suggested by the monkey and
mirror picture, have several children — particularly
some of the slower ones — tell their stories of the
monkey. Note the effect of the fable on their ren-
dering.
Have every child give an appropriate title to his
story. As an attractive or suggestive title is an
important part of any story, it is worth while to
spend a good deal of time in criticizing, modifying,
80 TEACHER'S MANUAL
and comparing titles until the best one is found.
Not all the stories, if they have any considerable
individuality, should be fitted with the title, The
Monkey and the Mirror; there might well be stories
that such titles as these would fit better : The Greedy
Monkey, The Two Monkeys, The Mirror s Trick,
What the Candles Saw, He Will Know Better Next
Time, He Will Never Do That Again.
XIII (66). Telling True Stories
Help children to make stories of their experiences
suggested by the questions in their book. (See
p. 44.)
XIV (67). A Class Exercise in Written Reproduction
Tell the children the following story:
One night some Indian children saw a star fall into a pond.
The next morning they found a new flower growing there. It
was sweet and white. It had a golden heart like a star. This
was our first water lily.
Let the exercise proceed somewhat as follows :
Teacher : What would be a good title for this story ?
The children are allowed to decide on one of several good
titles that will undoubtedly be given by them, such as The Star,
The Water Lily, or The First Water Lily ; perhaps they decide on
The Star.
Teacher: I will write the title on the board if you will tell me
just how to do it. (Pupils must be required to be definite and
exact.)
CLASS EXERCISE IN WRITTEN REPRODUCTION 81
First Pupil: The, capital T-h-e ; The begins with a capital be-
cause it is the first word in a title. (Teacher writes.)
Second Pupil: Star, capital S-t-a-r ; Star begins with a capital
because it is an important word in a title.
Teacher : Give me the first sentence of the story, telling what
the Indian children saw one night.
(The teacher should insist on a good, clear sentence ; it may
well not be the same as the one used by the teacher in telling the
story.)
Third Pupil : One night some Indian children saw a star fall.
(Of course this is only a sentence that may be given. After any
satisfactory sentence for the beginning of the story has been given,
have that sentence repeated by the class in concert. Then let
the children stand, a row at a time, and each child in the row
give, in his turn, directions for writing the word of the sentence
that falls to him. The teacher writes as directed. No time should
be wasted in calling pupils by name, or even in calling " next.")
First Pupil : One, capital O-n-e ; One begins with a capital be-
cause it is the first word in a sentence.
Second Pupil: Night, n-i-g-h-t.
Third Pupil : Some, s-o-m-e.
Teacher : Indian, capital I-n-d-i-a-n ; Indian begins with a
capital because it is the name of a people. (This is all that it is
necessary to tell the children now ; later they will learn about the
use of capitals to begin proper names.)
In this manner the work continues until all the words of the
sentence have been spelled by the pupils and written by the
teacher. Finally, some pupil concludes the dictation with this
statement : " There must be a period at the end of this sentence
because it is a statement." The exercise is continued with other
sentences similarly dictated and spelled by the children and
written by the teacher, somewhat as follows :
Teacher : Give the second sentence, telling where the star fell.
A Pupil: It fell into a pond.
(Teacher writes as children spell the words.)
82 TEACHER'S MANUAL
Teacher : Give the next sentence, telling what the Indian chil-
dren found the next morning.
A Pupil : The next morning the children found a new flower.
(Children spell ; teacher writes.)
Teacher : Give the next sentence, telling what kind of flower it
was.
A Pupil : It was sweet and white, and it had a star in its heart.
(Children spell; teacher writes.)
Teacher : Give the last sentence, telling what this new flower
was.
A Pupil: This flower was our first water lily.
(Pupils spell; teacher writes.)
When finished, the story on the board may be
something like this :
The Star
One night some Indian children saw a star fall. It fell into a
pond. The next morning the children found a new flower. It
was sweet and white, and it had a star in its heart. This flower
was our first water lily.
Of course no reproduction will work out exactly
like the above. The teacher should make no effort
to have it so. This exercise is given merely to
show concretely and in detail the essential features
of any exercise of this kind which is to be effective.
Some of these essential features may be summarized
as follows :
First, clear, definite, and complete thoughts must
be aroused in the children. Each thought must be
expressed in a sentence. Thoughts and sentences
must be arranged in logical order. The word
CLASS EXERCISE IN WRITTEN REPRODUCTION 83
" sentence " is to be used by teacher and pupils
whenever speaking of a sentence.
Second, the exercise must engage the attention
and activity of the whole class. A few of the bright-
est children must not be allowed to do all, or even
most of the work. It is all within the capacity of
every child in the class; the slow and the dull must
be made to do their full share. If this is not done,
they will become still slower and duller ; they are not
yet too dull to observe that others are depended upon
for all the work — if such be the case — and they re-
spond as any one would do under similar conditions,
with inattention and lethargy. The exercise, espe-
cially the spelling and writing, should be conducted
rapidly, with energy and snap. Every child should be
taught to be ready and to respond promptly when his
turn comes, without waiting even to be called upon.
Third, every word should be spelled in the first
exercises of this kind. Later, the spelling of only
the more difficult words need be called for. It is to
be remembered that most mistakes made in written
spelling occur in the common, much-used words.
Fourth, every exercise of this kind is to be made to
afford the best kind of drill in the correct use of cap-
itals and marks of punctuation, as these are taught.
Finally, and in a word, the exercise is training the
children to think clearly and connectedly, to express
their thoughts clearly and definitely, and to put that
expression into mechanically correct form.
84 TEACHER'S MANUAL
Supplementary Work
Have reproduced in the same way the story, The
Trees and the Woodcutter. (Pupil's book, p. 58.)
XV (67). Copying Story from the Board
Let the children copy the story, The Star, from
the blackboard. Before they begin, direct their
thoughts to certain things which the copying is de-
signed to make habitual. This may best be done by
asking such questions as these :
With what kind of letter does the first word of a title begin?
How do the important words in a title begin?
How does the first word of every sentence begin?
With what does every statement end?
Have pupils correct any mistakes at once, as
directed in previous lessons. Do not fail to get a
clear statement of the reason for every correction
before the pupil makes it.
XVI (67). Studying a Poem
Read the poem, Autumn Fires, to the children ;
read it so that they will see the pictures that each
stanza paints; read it so that they will feel the
atmosphere and the spirit of it. Have the children
read it, individually and in concert.
Study with the children the questions following
the poem. Ask other questions; encourage the
children to ask questions and to make comments,
WRITING A STANZA FROM MEMORY 85
remembering that only relevant questions and com-
ments are allowable.
After the children have studied the last stanza
for a minute or two, as directed, let as many as can
say it, recite it aloud, the others listening. This
repetition will help to fix it in the minds of the
slower children who have perhaps not learned it
alone. After several have repeated it, the whole
class may say it together.
XVII (69). Writing a Stanza from Memory
This is a lesson for the teacher to study with the
children. Try to insure a reasonable degree of
success in writing the stanza from memory. This
may be done by seeing that the children try to re-
call the stanza as they are directed to do in their
book; that they look back to it, and study it care-
fully, if this seems necessary. It will do none of
them harm and it may aid many to have the stanza
repeated once or twice in concert, before any try to
write it from memory. Ask about the beginning of
each line and the mark at the end. In all of this,
remember that the best time to correct mistakes is
before they occur.
See that the pupils correct any mistakes by com-
paring their copy with the original.
Look over their statements to see that they are
correctly written and punctuated. Have any errors
corrected, as directed in previous lessons.
CHAPTER FOUR
The careful preliminary study and comparison of
the work provided in this chapter with that already
given in preceding chapters — a study which should
invariably be made before entering on the work of
any chapter with the children — should impress you,
among other things, with the following:
1. The different kinds of exercises, once introduced, are
kept up from chapter to chapter. Instead of becoming
monotonous they become more interesting as children gain
in power — in originality and independence. As examples,
note the varied stories, fables, and myths, all intensely in-
teresting, that furnish material for conversation, study,
dramatizing, and reproduction; the use of riddles (Chapter
Two) in the study of questions, statements, and their marks
of punctuation; and the game of names (Chapter Four) in
teaching the writing of proper names.
2. Increasing originality and independence is expected
of the children in all the exercises — reading, study, dram-
atizing, reproducing.
3. The distinctly new work consists of the following
only:
(a) The use of capitals in the writing of proper names.
(b) The use of their and there; of to, too, and two,
86
STUDY AND ORAL REPRODUCTION 87
I (71). Study and Oral Reproduction of the Fable,
"The Four Oxen 11
This is a lesson for the pupils to study carefully
in preparation for the oral reproduction. In their
book, they are told, in considerable detail, how to
study the lesson. It is of the utmost importance
that they study it systematically and carefully, as
directed. Probably many of them will need some
help, — a hint, a word of encouragement, a bit of
stimulus. This help should be individual; it should
be just sufficient — not too much — to enable the
pupil to do for himself.
Just because this lesson culminates in the oral
reproduction of the story, do not fall into the griev-
ous and common error of accepting — even of encour-
aging — the memorizing of the words by repeated
reading, by concentrating attention on these. It
is quite possible for a child, with two or three min-
utes' study, to reproduce this story glibly, without
having really read it, without having constructed the
picture in his mind at all. It is even possible for
the same child to answer the questions asked in his
book, and other similar questions. He does this
merely from word memory. This possibility will
become actuality in many cases, and that, too, with
the most capable children, if the teacher permits it.
Does a child hesitate and grope for a word ? Do
you help him by giving him a word, the next word?
SS TEACHER'S MANUAL
Does he, for instance, recite the first two sentences
of the story of the four oxen and the lion in the
words of the book ? Does he start the third sen-
tence, "But whenever "and stop; do you, or
does some pupil, help him out by saying, " the
oxen " ? Words, words, words ! Such an exercise
is worse than a waste of time and opportunity; it is
positively pernicious. It is training the child's
mind to carry on its processes with forms that lack
substance, with husks that cover no kernels; it is
starving instead of feeding the mind; its end is men-
tal vacuity, at best, or at worst, the ability to talk
without saying anything.
In a word, there is little or no value for the child —
there may be positive harm — in memorizing and
reproducing the words of this story. There is much
value in studying the story as the child's book
directs. By such study, the child is learning really to
read, to form in his mind the thoughts, the pictures,
which the words describe; to hold those pictures jn
mind, to examine, to analyze them freely ; and, finally, .
to describe the pictures in his own fitting words.
When it comes to the recitation, this must be
conducted in harmony with the study that has pre-
ceded. Encourage pupils to use their own language ;
commend originality of expression. Insist, only,
that the essential facts of the story be observed.
Encourage free and full expression, but put no
premium on verbosity. Do not commend a child
for much speaking, but for speaking effectively.
THEIR AND THERE 89
Study again the suggestions and directions given
in previous chapters for conducting exercises in oral
reproduction (pp. 16, 42, 63). In the criticism, be
especially careful that every child knows just where-
in his work was good and wherein it should be
improved. In every effort at improvement, whether
of his own previous performance, or of the per-
formance of another, make sure that the child has a
clear conception of what he is trying to do.
Supplementary Work
Let the children study in a similar manner and
reproduce any short, suitable story. Some of the
stories already given in their book may be used, as
The Blind Men and the Elephant (p. 18), or The
Trees and the Woodcutter (p. 58).
II (73). Their and There
Study this lesson with the children. Just before
they copy the sentences, filling the blanks, give them
several sentences, orally, containing their and there,
and have them tell which word is used, spelling the
word and giving the reason for its use. For illus-
tration :
Teacher : The naughty kittens have lost their mittens.
Pupil: Their, t-h-e-i-r (spelling) ; because in that sentence
their means belonging to the kittens.
Teacher : Look up, little kittens, there are your mittens.
Pupil : There, t-h-e-r-e; because in that sentence there means
in that place.
90 TEACHER'S MANUAL
Have pupils correct their written sentences as a
part of the exercise. Let them give the reason for
every correction before making it, as already directed
(p. 49). For example, if a child has used their in
the second sentence, he will say, when he discovers
his mistake, " I should use there in this sentence,
because it means in that place" and make the cor-
rection.
Supplementary Work
i. Additional sentences, with blanks to be filled
with there or their, may be written on the board.
2. Pupils may make original sentences, using
there or their in each. Teacher may assign subjects
about which to make these sentences, as, boys and
marbles, girls and hoops.
This work must be carefully done and rapidly
corrected. Neglect of the correction makes pupils
careless of errors, and their repetition fixes the habit.
If you have not time to see that these exercises are
done correctly, do not give them. They cannot be
safely used to " keep pupils busy "; it were far better
to let the pupils go out to play. These exercises
should never be required of pupils who already have
the habit of using these two words correctly; no
improvement is possible, so such exercises are a
waste of pupils' time at best. At worst, they invite
careless work, and foster the formation of bad hab-
its ; they make too little demand on the pupil to
hold him up to his best.
WRITING THE STORY 91
III (75). Writing the Story, "The Pour Oxen"
See that each child understands how to study the
story preparatory to writing it. See that each one
does study it as directed. Give individual help
when needed.
Do not try to keep the children together in this
study. It is an individual matter. Some will know
how to spell all words with little or no study, others
will have to study many words ; some will be pre-
pared to write much sooner than others. All should
be provided with paper and pencil at the beginning
of the exercise ; each one should be allowed to write
as soon as he thinks he is ready.
In this preparation, and in the writing of this
story, the children will need your full attention.
Watch especially the work of the poorer pupils.
Anticipate their tendency to disregard the division
of the story into sentences, by having them write
complete answers to a series of questions suitable to
bring out connected statements, as :
Where did the four oxen feed? (Four oxen fed together in a
field.)
What did a lion try to do? (A lion tried to kill one of the
oxen.)
What did the oxen do ? (The oxen stood together and shook
their horns at the lion.)
Do not hamper with such questions the work of
any child who is able to write good sentences with-
92 TEACHER'S MANUAL
out them. They are but crutches, to be leaned
upon only as a last resort.
Each child's paper is to be criticized for the fol-
lowing :
i. The completeness and clearness of the story.
2. The use of capitals and period.
3. The spelling.
4. The appearance of the paper, — arrangement, neatness,
penmanship.
Criticizing — let it always be remembered — means
commending, when that is possible, quite as much
as it means censuring, or pointing out faults.
While the points for criticism, as given above,
may, at first thought, seem rather numerous and
formidable, a moment's reflection will show you that
they are merely the result of the briefest analysis of
the essentials in which the goodness or the poorness
of the child's work consists. It may seem simpler
to say to the child, " Good," or, " Poor ; try to do
better next time." But such criticism is simple
only for the teacher ; for the child, it is merely the
source of unintelligent pleasure or discouragement.
It is not enlightening ; it does not point the way to
definite and sure improvement.
A paper may be neat in appearance, correct in
spelling, and in the use of capitals and period, but
lacking in completeness or clearness of statement.
This the writer, or any other child, may be made to
see by questioning, or by comparing the paper with
WRITING THE STORY 93
another that is complete and clear. So may the
quality of any paper, in the other respects, be brought
out clearly to every child, by questioning and by
comparison. Of course, the comparison of papers
must be made tactfully.
It is true that such definite, detailed criticism
means much painstaking work for the teacher. It
is easier to gather up the results of the pupils' efforts,
glance them over, make a few general comments on
the papers as a whole, and drop them all quietly
into the wastebasket ; and this process may be
repeated, day after day, with little exertion or thought
on the teacher's part. But this is not teaching
children to think or to write ; it is not teaching
them to take any intelligent satisfaction or interest
in their work.
Progress in language maybe just as sure and almost
as definitely noticeable as progress in learning the
multiplication table. But such progress depends
upon the intelligent doing of definite things every
day, in every exercise ; upon the intelligent and
definite criticism of the pupils' definite efforts ; and
upon definite, intelligent attempts to do definite
things better at each trial. The pupil must be held
up to his best all the time ; he must be made to apply
everything that he has learned, and to apply it not
merely in the lesson in which he has learned it, but
whenever there is occasion. Thus does the child
become helpfully critical of his own work. He
94 TEACHER'S MANUAL
takes intelligent delight in the realization of his
growing powers.
Each pupil should correct his own work, if possible
at once. (See directions, p. 49.)
Supplementary Work
In most classes it will be advisable soon to have
another short story reproduced in writing. For
this reproduction the following story may be used.
Let this be written upon the board, studied by the
children under the teacher's direction, and finally
written and criticized as has just been directed.
The First Fountain
Flora was a little girl who liked to play in the water. One day
she was wading in a little stream. She played until she grew
tired. Then she tried to step out on the bank. But her feet
were held fast. Her hair became little streams of water. A fairy
had turned her into a fountain.
IV (76). The Use of Capitals in Writing the Names
of Persons
The one new point in this lesson is the writing of
personal names with capitals ; the rest is a review of
the use of capitals in titles and at the beginning
of sentences, and the use of the period at the end
of statements. See that the pupils study the lesson
through carefully as directed ; test them upon this
in oral recitation.
Then tell them about the game of names de-
THE GAME OF NAMES 95
scribed and to be played in the next lesson. As a
preparation for this, have every child write his name
on the blackboard ; let only full names be written,
not initials. Have the names spelled from the
board by the children, each child spelling the name
of some other child. Call attention to the capital
beginning every name, and insist that the child
spelling say " capital " before naming the first letter
of a name.
Leave the children's names on the board until
the next lesson, or better, rewrite them yourself in
columns as they are spelled from the board by the
children. Let the pupils understand that those
who learn how to spell the largest number of names
correctly before the next lesson, and who are careful
about the capitals, will be most successful in the
game.
V (77). The Game of Names
The game of names is played as follows :
Harry Brown : Mary Smith, spell my name.
Mary Smith : Harry Brown, capital-H-a-r-r-y, capital- B-r-o-w-n.
John Pope, spell my name.
John Pope: Mary Smith, capital-M-a-r-y, s-m-i-t-h.
Mary Smith : No, that is not the way to spell my name.
Frank Ball, spell my name.
Frank Ball: Mary Smith, capital-M-a-r-y, capital-S-m-i-t-h.
Charles Marsh, spell my name.
And so the game continues as long as desirable.
The one who makes a mistake loses his chance to
96 TEACHER'S MANUAL
call upon another. If the one whose name is mis-
spelled does not notice the mistake at once, and
calls upon some one else to spell his name, any other
child may note the mistake, by saying, " No, that is
not the way to spell 's name," and spell
the name correctly. Then the child making the
correction may call on another to spell his name.
VI (yy). Writing Names
Have pupils correct mistakes as part of the exer-
cise, giving reason for correction.
The second part of the exercise, writing the
names of as many classmates as possible, may be
turned into a game. Allow a certain number of
minutes for this, say ten. The one that writes the
largest number of names correctly wins ; incorrectly
written names are not counted.
Supplementary "Work
i. Pupils may write names from dictation.
2. They may write a certain number of names,
either of people they know, or names that they
may invent.
VII (77). Copying
Fordirectionsand suggestions regarding the super-
vision of an exercise in copying and the correction
of errors, see p. 48, VII. The teacher must work
with the children throughout this exercise.
THE USE OF TWO, TOO, AND TO 97
VIII (78). Dictation
Give pupils not more than two minutes to look
carefully at and to read to themselves the story,
Kindness (p. 76), in preparation for writing it from
dictation. That they may have prominently in mind
the principal things on account of which the dicta-
tion is given, ask the following questions :
Where are capital letters used in titles?
With what kind of letter must every sentence begin?
With what mark must every statement end?
With what kind of letter must every name of a person begin?
How are these words spelled (giving those that you think may
cause trouble) ?
Dictate complete sentences. Dictate slowly and
distinctly. Secure perfect attention and expect
pupils to get the sentence from a single dictation.
Have pupils repeat the sentence distinctly, in con-
cert, before beginning to write. Have errors cor-
rected as part of the exercise. For further direc-
tions and suggestions about dictation exercises and
the correction of errors, see pp. 48-50.
IX (78). The Use of Two, Too, and To '
Study this lesson with the children. It is easy
for them to learn when to use two, the word mean-
ing a number.
The use of too is not so easy to express. Chil-
dren will learn it better from example than from
98 TEACHER'S MANUAL
rule. Have them study carefully the sentences
given in their book in which too is used. Make
for them other similar sentences, orally, and have
them give the spelling of too.
The use of to is still more difficult to explain,
and no explanation should be attempted. The
best practical rule for the correct use of these
troublesome little words that can be impressed
upon the children is that they should use to only
when two or too will not do. Two is almost never,
too, seldom, mistakenly used; the tendency is to use
to indiscriminately. Insist that the children never
use to until they are sure that it is not two, nor too,
that they need.
Before the children copy the sentences, filling
the blanks, dictate to them many sentences in
which to, too, and two are used. Have the pupils
decide which word is used and spell it orally.
Teach them to think of the sentences given in
their books as types with which they can compare
other sentences when in doubt. For instance,
perhaps you have given the sentence, " You have
torn your book ; it is too bad." A child may spell
the word too, t-o. Let him recall the sentences in
his book : " The chair is too high ; " "I go to school
to learn." Which too is used in too bad? Is it
like too high, or like to school or to learn ?
Have errors in copying the sentences and filling
the blanks corrected as part of the exercise. As
DICTATION 99
reasons for the correction may be given in the case
of two that it means the number two; in the case of
too, that it is like too big, and too high, or like you,
too; and in the possible case of to that it is neither
too nor two.
Supplementary "Work
i. Write on the board several connected sen-
tences with blanks for the words to, too, and two.
Let pupils copy and fill blanks. Do not give puz-
zling sentences.
2. Give pupils a subject, as The Cat and Her
Kittejis, and let pupils write three or more con-
nected sentences on that subject, using the words
to, too, and two.
Observe strictly what has been said about sup-
plementary work (p. 70).
X (80). Dictation to Drill and Test the Use of Two,
Too, To, Their, and There
In preparation for the dictation of the sentences
below, which are to be written, give several sentences
using the words to, too, two, there, and their, and
have pupils spell orally the word that is used.
Two little kittens were lost.
Their mother had told them to stay at home.
They were too little to go out alone.
Their mother found them over there in the woods.
As part of the exercise, have pupils correct their
papers, telling why the correct form is to be used.
ioo TEACHER'S MANUAL
Supplementary Work
i. Write the words two, to, too, there, their, on
the board in a column, in any order. Go around
the class rapidly, in order, calling on each child to
give a sentence in which one of the above words is
used. When he gives his sentence, he must spell
the word he has used, and tell why that word is
used. For example :
Child : I saw two robins in a tree. Two, t-w-o ; because this,
word means the number two.
2. The above exercise may be turned into an
interesting game by dividing the class into two
groups, as in a spelling match. Let the sentences
be given in order by the children, alternating from
side to side. If a child is unable to give a sentence
when his turn comes, or if he makes a mistake in
the spelling of a word, or in the reason for its use,
the child whose turn it is on the opposing side may
give a sentence, or make the correction. If he is
successful, the leader of his side draws one child
from the losing side.
3. One child may give a sentence using one of
the words, two, to, too, their, or there. Another child
may spell the word used, and give the reason for his
spelling. This exercise may be varied in several
ways. It may go around the class in regular order.
Or the child giving a sentence may call upon any
other child to spell the word and give the reason for
ENLARGING A STORY FOR DR^JVTATlZiN^ idi
it ; if he does this correctly, he may give a sentence
to any other child, and so on. Whenever a child
makes a mistake, he loses his opportunity to give a
sentence ; the one who corrects him gives a sen-
tence. Or the class may be divided into two groups
as in (2), introducing competition between the two
sides.
In all the above exercises, encourage the children
to give connected sentences ; if they are able to do
it, this may be a requirement. For example :
First Child : I saw two kittens.
Second Child : They were out there under the tree.
Third Child: I tried to catch them.
Fourth Child : They were too spry for me.
Fifth Child : They ran away to their mother.
XI (80). Enlarging a Story for Dramatizing; Pupils'
Preparatory Study
Start the pupils in the study of the story, The
First Buttercups, preparatory to its dramatization.
Read the story with them. Talk with them about the
changes that must be made in order to prepare the
story for dramatizing. Help them to answer some
of the first questions, to make sure that they under-
stand them and can answer them. Let them study
through the whole lesson, with such individual help
as they may require. Do not give them too much
help ; this robs them of the opportunity of using
their own imaginations.
102 TMQEiER'S MANUAL
XII (82). Enlarging a Story for Dramatizing;
Class Exercise
Have pupils answer the questions that they studied
for their last lesson. Keep before them the idea
that their answers must show just what the actors, in
playing the story, might do and say.
In preparation for this exercise, you should pre-
pare yourself just as carefully as you expect the
pupils to prepare themselves. Following the ques-
tions in their book, you should think out carefully
the whole story, in all its details, as it might work
out. Then you should keep this story in your
mind — be sure to keep it in your mind, do not im-
pose it on the children — as a guide for yourself in
bringing out from the children a complete, clear, and
connected narrative.
Here is one way in which the story was worked
out by one class, following the questions given in
the pupils' book. The numbers in parenthesis cor-
respond to the numbers opposite the questions in the
pupils' book.
A man set out to find the end of the rainbow.
(1) He carried a spade over his shoulder. (2, 3, 4) After
walking a long way he cried, " Here is the end of the rainbow at
last ! I have heard that there is a pot of gold buried in the earth
here. I will dig and dig until I get it."
(5) After digging for some time he found the gold. He
lifted it out, saying, " What a lot of gold ! What shall I do with
it? I will carry it into the woods and bury it."
(6, 7, 8) He put the gold into a bag and started for the woods,
ENLARGING A STORY FOR DRAMATIZING 103
saying to himself, " How rich I am ! I will keep every bit of this
gold for myself. Nobody shall have one piece of it."
(g) Little did the selfish man know that there was a hole in
his bag ! As he hurried across the fields on the way to the woods,
bit by bit the gold dropped out until he had no gold left.
(10, 11, 12) A little fairy was watching the man. She said,
" What a pity such a selfish man should have all that gold. I am
sure he will do no good with it."
(13, 14) When she saw the gold fall, she said, "There, he has lost
his gold and I am glad. I will change the gold into bright golden
flowers. They will make every one who looks on them glad."
(15) So saying, the little fairy flew from gold piece to gold
piece touching each with her wand. At the touch of the wand,
every gold piece turned into a golden flower.
(16) "There," said the little fairy as she flew away, "I
have made those dear flowers for the little children."
(17) When the man opened his bag and found no gold, he
cried, " Why, where is all my gold ? " On looking more closely
he saw the hole.
(18) "Ah, now I know," he said. "It has dropped through
this hole. I will go back and look for it."
(19) Back to the field hurried the man. He searched and
searched, but not a piece of his gold did he ever find.
Just as he was leaving the field the little fairy flew to him.
(20, 21) " See these bright flowers," she said, pointing to the
golden flowers. " Do you know how they came to be here ?
They were your gold pieces. I saw you drop them and I changed
them into buttercups for the children, because I wanted the gold
to make ever so many people happy. You were selfish. You
would give none to others."
The man looked at the fairy for a moment, then at the golden
buttercups.
(22) At last he turned slowly away, saying to himself, "The
flowers are very bright and beautiful. They will make the
children happy. I think the fairy is right."
104 TEACHER'S MANUAL
After the children have answered the questions,
connect their answers into a complete story. Tell
them this story from beginning to end. Let this
be the children's story, as nearly as may be, not the
story that you worked out for yourself, and certainly
not the story that is here given merely for illustration.
XIII (82). Dramatizing the Story, "The First
Buttercups "
If the dramatizing up to this time has been car-,
ried out as directed, if the children have been allowed
to take the initiative, they should have gained con-
siderable confidence and skill in planning and acting
out a simple story, like this one of the first buttercups.
Tell them the story again, without question or com-
ment, as it was worked out at the last lesson. Then
let them dramatize it. Let them choose the ones to
take part; then let the chosen ones carry it out as
they think it should be done. Show your confidence
in the little actors ; give only help enough to prevent
a complete failure, if this should seem imminent.
When the first dramatization is completed, let
the children discuss the merits of it, suggesting
definitely wherein it should be improved. Then
let them choose a new set of actors to reenact the
story with the improvements suggested. It may be
thus repeated as many times as seem desirable, but
always with certain definite ideas for improvement.
It must not become perfunctory and mechanical.
SUPPLEMENTARY WORK 105
Supplementary Work
The story may be told orally by several children.
Do not insist that it be told as you told it, or as it
was played ; encourage variation ; commend orig-
inality ; it is only essential that the chief events of
the story be in substantial agreement with those of
the original, and that it be clear, connected, and
complete.
XIV (82). Picture Stories
(Puppy-dog pictures, p. 83)
After the children have studied the lesson in
their books, have the story told in three parts.
Part I. Saving the Puppy's Life (upper picture).
Part II. Playmates (between the pictures).
This part may be told by the teacher if pupils
have not worked it out well. Tell how the boy and
the dog became fast friends, playing and growing
up together. After two or three years the puppy
was a full-grown dog, while the boy was still small.
Part III. Saving the Boy's Life (lower pic-
ture).
Supplementary Work
i. In connection with this story tell the children
the fables, The Lion and the Mouse, and The
Dove and the Ant. Have them compare the three
stories, noting what is common to them all. Be
sure to have the fact clearly brought out that the boy
saved the puppy's life, the dove the ant's life, and
106 TEACHER'S MANUAL
the lion the mouse's life, without thought of any ser-
vice in return. Each was prompted solely by kind-
ness toward a helpless and suffering creature. The
fables will serve as models of form for the children
which they will tend to follow, even unconsciously.
2. Tell the story of Androclus and the Lion.
XV (86). More Picture Stories
(Girl with kitten, p. 87)
This, like the preceding picture, should develop
a story that will be an excellent lesson on kindness
to animals.
After the children have studied the lesson a few
minutes by themselves, help them to develop a con-
nected, complete story. Perhaps it will follow an
outline something like this:
Little girl sent to grocer's by her mother ; two little children
stand on steps crying ; coming nearer, the girl sees a poor, fright-
ened kitten crouching in a corner, while a big boy is about to
throw a stone at it ; girl rushes in and rescues the kitten ; tells the
boy only a coward would do such a thing ; boy feels ashamed and
promises never again to be so cruel to a helpless animal ; girl
gives kitten up to children to whom it belongs — or takes it home
and cares for it — or the boy takes it and is kind to it.
Supplementary Work
i. The story may be continued like the story of
the rescued puppy. The kitten may save the girl's
— or the boy's — life by waking her when the
house is on fire.
TELLING A STORY FROM A POEM 107
2. The boy may have a dream. He dreams he
is a kitten and a big boy is stoning him. How
does he feel ? When he wakes, what does he re-
solve to do ?
3. The story may be dramatized.
XVI (86). Telling True Stories
Talk with the children about different ways of
repaying kindness, ways that they have seen or that
they can think of. If children have had little ex-
perience of gratitude, let them prepare for this exer-
cise to be taken up later — after a week or two; let
them seek and embrace opportunities to show grat-
itude to parents, teachers, classmates, friends.
Obviously, the ethical value of exercises of this
kind, made practical, is not less than their language
value.
XVII (88). Studying a Poem
Study the poem, The First Bluebell, with the
children. First, read it to them. Then have it
read aloud -by one or more of the best readers.
Note that the questions are arranged in groups,
each group referring to a stanza of the poem. See
that the pupils observe this; it will help them in
their efforts to answer the questions.
XVIII (90). Telling a Story from a Poem
After the pupils have had a few minutes — five
to eight should be enough — to study the poem,
108 TEACHER'S MANUAL
The First Bluebell, and to think out the story in it
in their own words, have several children tell it.
In the discussion of each child's story, by yourself
and the other children, be sure that the comments
are definite, so that every one may understand both
the good and the weak points of the stories.
CHAPTER FIVE
Make a preliminary study of this chapter to see
how it carries on, enlarges, develops, all the funda-
mental ideas of preceding chapters ; how it provides
for drill in all forms already taken up ; how it sus-
tains and stimulates interest and effort through
varied exercises. The new work is as follows :
1. Quotations and quotation marks : studying their use,
copying, writing from dictation, writing original quotations.
2. The use of the comma to separate a quotation from
the rest of the sentence.
3. Writing an original ending for an unfinished story.
4. More definite words to be used in place of said,
I (91). Reading
Read with the children the story, The Little
White Flower. After reading it through for the
story, assign parts, and have it read in dialogue
form. -Have nothing perfunctory about this exer-
cise ; get every child into the spirit of it. The
thought and the vocabulary are so easy and so
familiar that every child should be able to take any
one of the parts and to put into it something of origi-
nality, of individuality in conception and rendering.
109
no TEACHER'S MANUAL
Read again carefully the suggestions given in
Chapter Three (p. 65) for the reading of the story,
Mabel and the Fairy Folk. See that the discussion,
criticism, and rereading of the various parts are
carried out here as there suggested.
II (95). Studying the Story, "the Little White
Flower "
The children are to study this lesson by them-,
selves. This does not mean that they will need no
attention from the teacher, or merely enough to see
that they are quiet and apparently busy. On the
contrary, they will need the teacher's closest atten-
tion and keenest insight. They are learning how
to study ; they are forming the habit of intelligent
study ; at least, such is the purpose of this exercise.
If it is not serving this purpose, it is wasting the
children's time, and worse than wasting it.
To make the exercise fully successful you must
see that the children clearly understand the direc-
tions of their book, that they are answering to them-
selves intelligently the questions that their book
asks them. To do this, go about from pupil to
pupil — especially among the poorer pupil-s —and
speak with them individually; a hint, a question, or
a suggestion, will help to reveal to you just what a
child is doing, and to show him what he ought to
do.
In their book, the pupils are told that they may
CONVERSATION AND DRAMATIZING in
ask the teacher to help them with any question that
troubles them. If you are not getting at least a few
requests for such help, there is probably something
wrong. Find out what it is, and correct it.
Ill (98). Conversation and Dramatizing
Conversation.
In this exercise the pupils are to be called upon
to show the results of their study of the story,
The Little White Flower. The questions in
their book, which they answered to themselves,
should be asked, yet this must not be made a formal
exercise which serves merely to test their knowl-
edge and the faithfulness of their study. Every one,
teacher and pupils, should feel free to express his
ideas, to ask questions, for the purpose of develop-
ing together clear and full conceptions of the char-
acters of the story, to bring out what each of these
characters said and did, and just how he said it and
did it.
To insure this freedom, the teacher must be fully
prepared for the exercise. She should know the
story so thoroughly, she should know so well the
questions that the pupils have studied in their book,
she should be so ready with questions and sugges-
tions of her own, that she will need no book before
her, that she will have no time to use a book.
Above all else, the children must be given oppor-
tunity to show how they think the different things
112 TEACHER'S MANUAL
in the story should be done, when it is played, and
to ask to have different things shown, as they were
directed in the latter part of their study lesson.
Every child should take part in this, if possible, both
by representing something himself and by calling
for the representation of something. The teacher
should be fully prepared to supplement the pupils'
efforts and requests. Here are a few things that
should be shown, some of which the children may
not think of.
Show how little Tom stood while the men were telling of the
gifts they had for the queen.
Show how Tom walked away from the market place.
Show how the wind fairies circled around the little plant.
Show how the wind fairies rushed.
Show how the rain fairies pattered.
Show how the sunshine fairies glided.
Show how the little bud had her face covered at first ; how
she opened one little petal ; how she burst into full bloom ; and
how she laughed at the sun fairies.
Show how the men presented their gifts to the queen; and
how they left her.
Dramatizing the story.
Show your confidence in- your pupils by allow-
ing them to do all they can unaided. Let them
decide how many will be required to take the
parts, and let them, under your direction, assign the
parts.
After the story has been played once, and after
the performance has been discussed, and definite
QUOTATIONS 113
suggestions made for improvement, another set of
children sufficient to take all the parts may be al-
lowed to leave the room, assign the parts among
themselves, return, and give the play before the
teacher and the remainder of the class.
Read again suggestions for an exercise in conver-
sation and dramatizing (pp. 11, 38, 67).
IV (99). Oral Reproduction
In the oral reproduction of the story, The Little
White Flower, follow the directions given for oral
reproduction of a story in Chapter Two (p. 42).
V (99). Quotations
This is the first lesson on quotations. This sub-
ject is not taken up thus early — earlier than most
teachers or textbooks present it — for the sake of
extending the endless exercises that are wont to be
given to it throughout the elementary school grades,
and too often without satisfactory results, but rather
that the children may learn the use of quotations,
and fix the habit of writing quotations correctly,
before they have blundered carelessly into the habit
of writing them incorrectly. Presented simply and
clearly, the subject is not difficult for third grade
children to understand. And if these children are
held rigidly from the first to writing quotations
always correctly, as they learn how to write them,
H4 TEACHER'S MANUAL
they will soon fix the habit. Then it will be quite
unnecessary to waste time in teaching over and
over again, year after year, the proper use of quota-
tion marks.
In their original work, pupils use direct quotations.
They must be taught now how to write them cor-
rectly ; it is easier to teach correct form at the out-
set and to insist upon its use than to correct errors
later.
In studying this lesson in their book with them,
make perfectly sure that the pupils understand from
the beginning just what the quotation is, not by
memorizing the definition, but by distinguishing in
every instance exactly what the concrete quotation
under discussion is, and who says the words of which
it is composed. To secure this perfect, understand-
ing, supplement, if necessary, the questions in the
pupils' book with questions that will bring the most
detailed and definite answers possible. Your ques-
tions, at first, must be as definite, as this :
Is any one speaking? (Insist on the answer " yes " or "no.")
Who is speaking?
What does he say ?
Put your fingers around what he says.
What do we call those words?
What marks are around them?
Point to those marks and tell their name.
What mark is used to separate the quotation from the rest of
the sentence?
Put your finger on the comma.
QUOTATIONS 115
Find the comma in the next sentence.
What does the comma do? (Separates the quotation from the
rest of the sentence.) •
Read the quotation. (This may be by class or by individuals.
Have quotations read in different sentences until pupils respond
promptly, read the quotation, the whole quotation, and not one
word more.)
Read the rest of the sentence. (Give this command after the
pupil, or pupils, have paused long enough at the end of the quota-
tion to make it evident that they know that they have finished it.)
Have pupils go to the board and make quotation
marks and commas.
In all this study with the pupils, work fast.
Questions and answers must be clear, rapid, spirited,
definite, to the point. Children must not be given
time to dawdle. They need to think, but no long
train of thought is needed to answer any question
that should be asked. If kept awake and attentive
by a sufficiently rapid fire of questions, they can
answer every question almost instantly, if they can
answer it at all. Five minutes' spirited, concen-
trated work will accomplish more than a half hour
of dawdling.
Let one child be the cat and another the owl.
Let these children read the quotations in the story,
nothing more, each one reading his part.
The form for studying a direct quotation given in
the pupils' book (p. 100) should be followed exactly,
in this and in future lessons. Experience has proved
this to be the most effective way of teaching children
n6 TEACHER'S MANUAL
to write quotations correctly, far more effective than
any definition and rule; at the same time the study
of sentences by this form insures a clear analysis
and sure grasp of the thought.
Supplementary Work
Short stories, full of conversation, may be written
on the blackboard and studied in the same way that
we have taken up The Cat and the Owl. The
quotations must be brief, unbroken, and come at the
beginning of the sentences in which they occur.
VI (103). Copying to Learn the Writing of Quotations
Have children copy the story, The Cat and the
Owl. See that they first read carefully and fully
understand the directions that are given them in
their book. Then see that they work according
to these directions. Pass from desk to desk, and
with a word or a question keep every one up to
the best work of which he is capable. Thus help
the children to avoid most of the errors that they
might otherwise make, and have them correct at
once those that do occur. As the attention of a
child is called to an error, it is not enough that he
tell what he should have written, and make the cor-
rection ; you must invariably insist that he tell why
the correction should be made. For instance, you
may find the quotation marks omitted at the end of
DICTATION TO TEACH WRITING OF QUOTATIONS 117
the quotation in the second sentence. When the
child is led to discover this omission, he must speak
in substance as follows ; the exact words are not
essential : " There should be quotation marks around
Good evening, for those are the exact words spoken
by the cat. I have made these marks only at the
beginning of those words; I must make them at the
end, too." Then the child puts in the missing
marks.
It is unnecessary and unwise to run the risk of
confusing the child by telling him that when a
quotation is put in italics, which was not in italics
in the original, the quotation marks may be omitted.
Though there are numerous instances of this in the
pupils' book, — for examples, see pages 199, 271, and
272, — the pupil in his writing will have no occasion
to depart from the general rule that quotations must
be indicated by quotation marks.
The directions and suggestions already given
(p. 48) for a copying lesson are equally applicable
here.
VII (104). Dictation to Teach the Writing of
Quotations
Before dictating the story, The Cat a?id the Owl,
have children open their books to the story ; ques-
tion them rapidly for two or three minutes about the
placing of the quotation marks and the comma. It
n8 TEACHER'S MANUAL
will be well to ask questions also about the use of
capitals in the title and at the beginning of sentences,
and the use of the period at the end of the state-
ments. Everything that the children have learned
to do, they must consciously remember to do every
time there is occasion, — until the doing of it be-
comes a habit, automatic.
Following this preliminary questioning, the dicta-
tion may be given in one of two ways. By the first
way, the story may be dictated from beginning to end,
starting with the title, just as previous dictations
have been given ; the teacher reads a full sentence,
pupils repeat it distinctly after her, then write it.
A second way, which is far the better way with
most classes, is as follows. After dictating, as usual,
the title and the first sentence, in which there is no
quotation, the teacher reads the second sentence, the
pupils repeat it, but before writing it there is inter-
jected a series of questions and answers like these:
Teacher : Is any one speaking ?
Pupils : Yes, the cat is speaking.
Teacher : What does the cat say ?
Pupils : Good evening.
Teacher : What are those words called ?
Pupils : A quotation.
Teacher : What must you put around those words ?
Pupils : Quotation marks.
Teacher : How will you separate the quotation from the rest of
the sentence ?
Pupils : With a comma.
DICTATION TO TEACH WRITING OF QUOTATIONS 119
Teacher : "Good evening," said the cat.
Pupils : "Good evening," said the cat.
Teacher: Write.
The same process of dictation and questioning is
pursued with each of the following sentences. The
purpose of this slow and painstaking work — if
questions and answers are sharp and rapid it will
not be monotonous — is to secure from every pupil
a consciously correct performance, to make certain
that these first exercises shall trace in every pupil's
mind and muscle the paths of right habits. This is
mainly a teaching and learning, not a testing exer-
cise. Testing has its appropriate place after, not
before, something has been taught and learned.
Obviously, a compromise between these two plans
of dictation may be readily made ; the questioning
on the quotation may be taken up in connection
with only a part of the sentences, never omitting it
with the first one containing a quotation. Probably
in classes composed mainly of bright, quick chil-
dren, such a compromise wall be found desirable.
When all, or a considerable number, of the quota-
tion sentences are subjected to this close question-
ing, it will be impossible to complete the exercise in
a fifteen or twenty minute period. Only so much
should be dictated as can be written and corrected
within the time allotted for the exercise. Preserve
the papers, pass them out and finish the exercise at
the next lesson.
120 TEACHER'S MANUAL
The correction of the pupil's efforts, and the
method of securing it, are not less important than
the dictation and the method of conducting it. In
the dictation, the aim was to secure a correct per-
formance, to avoid errors ; in the correction of such
errors as have been made — the more painstaking
the dictation, the fewer these will be — the aim
must be to secure their correction in a way that will
prevent the repetition of the errors. Thus their
errors are used to teach pupils correct habits. So
important is this matter, we give in some detail a
method of treating errors effectively.
Suppose a pupil has omitted quotation marks ;
ask, and have him answer correctly, questions like
these : Is any one speaking ? Who ? What does
he say ? I cannot tell that any one is speaking by
looking at your paper. How should you have
shown that some one is speaking? When the pupil
answers that he should have used quotation marks,
ask, " Where should you have placed them ? " Do
not accept the answer, "In front of good and after
evening." Insist on the answer, " Around good
evening." Then ask, " Why ? " and require the
answer, " Because those are the exact words of the
owl (or cat). "
If a comma has been omitted, ask, and have
answered, these questions: What is the quotation?
What is the rest of the sentence ? How should the
quotation be separated from the rest of the sen-
DICTATION TO TEACH WRITING OF QUOTATIONS 121
tence ? The answer to the last question, "By a
comma," is perfectly correct in this place. Do not
be troubled — and do not trouble your pupils —
with the fact that there are other ways of setting off
quotations ; these will be taken up and taught in due
time.
If a pupil has misplaced quotation marks or
comma, so that they inclose or separate a part of
the quotation or more than the quotation, go back
to the first questions, and ask: Is any one speak-
ing? What does he say? Is that all he says
(in case only part of the quotation has been inclosed) ?
Does he say all that (in case more than the quo-
tation has been inclosed or separated from the rest
of the sentence)? Just what should be inclosed in
quotation marks? (Answer: "The exact words
of the person speaking; every one of those words;
and not another word.") Of course, should a pupil's
answers to the first two questions above be correct,
he will have only to make his paper agree with his
answers, after giving reasons for the corrections to
be made.
The repetition, over and over again as occasion
requires, of all these little definite and direct ques-
tions, the repetition of definite and direct answers
to them, is not vain; it is fundamental to sure suc-
cess. The value of this questioning process, which
is entirely within the range of the child's thought, is
not limited to the development of correct habits of
122 TEACHER'S MANUAL
mere form in writing; it is affording the child the
best possible training in the analysis of thought and
expression. The effects of this will surely tell later
in his own original writing, even in grammatical
analysis.
Do not be troubled lest all the time required for
this painstaking work deprive your pupils of suffi-
cient "practice." Better one page written and cor-
rected intelligently by the child than whole reams of
muddled scribblings. Constant "practice" of what
is only half understood, and practice carried out
only half as well as the pupil knows how to do, and
" practice," ever more u practice," subjected to no
rigid standards which the pupil must himself apply,
is the fully adequate explanation of the recurrence
year after year, through the grammar and even the
high school, of the same primitive errors.
VIII (104). Finishing a Story Orally
Read with the children the beginning of the story,
The Helpers. See that they understand what is
meant by the blanks at the end. Give them a few
minutes to think over the answers that they will
give to the questions that follow the story. Then
work out with them the completion of the story,
following the general course of the questions in their
book, with which you should be perfectly familiar.
As called upon, or as they volunteer, let pupils
FINISHING A STORY ORALLY
123
tell aloud in complete, clear-cut sentences, what the
robin, the oak tree, and the rose said. For example,
" I fill the woods with music," said the robin.
Demand good sense in every sentence ; the robin,
the oak tree, and the rose should be made to say
only such things as each one really does.
Have some of the children's original sentences
written on the board. Write some of these yourself,
calling upon the children to spell the words and to
tell you what marks of punctuation to use and where
to place these. Then have some of the children
write their sentences, while others criticize and dic-
tate necessary corrections.
After the children have answered orally all the
questions in their book, — with occasionally an
answer written on the board — and have thus fur-
nished material for the completion of the story, read
to them the story from the beginning and complete
it from the material which they have furnished.
You will choose, of course, from the best sentences
that have been given. The continuation and ending
of the story might be something like this:
" I fill the forest with music," said the robin.
" I let the birds build their nests in my strong branches," said
the oak tree.
" I fill the forest with sweetness," said the rose.
These answers pleased the angel of all wild things.
"You are all helpers," she said.
" I see that every one is trying to make his woodland home better
and happier."
124 TEACHER'S MANUAL
Now let the children tell the story, reading the
first part from their books, completing the sentences
containing blanks, and ending the story as they
please. Discourage efforts to remember the sen-
tences and words that you gave; encourage origin-
ality. Have the story retold only as the retelling
brings out different ideas; there is no value in hav-
ing it repeated in just the same way until every one
can say it fluently.
Supplementary Work
Have pupils copy the title and the first four
sentences of the story, The Helpers (p. 104). These
papers may be preserved and used in the next lesson,
which calls for the completion of the story in writing.
IX (105). Finishing a Story in Writing
Before the children begin to write the ending of
the story, The Helpers, as they are directed to do in
their book, see that they read carefully the Three
Things to Remember. It will probably be well also
for you to ask them a few reminding questions about
capitals and the period. It is hardly possible at this
stage to take too many precautions for the avoidance
of errors.
As they write, be constantly on the alert to keep
them tactfully from error; merely your interested,
undistracted attention will prevent many careless
mistakes, a fitting word or question will prevent still
WORDS THAT CAN BE USED IN PLACE OF SAID 125
more. Pay especial attention to the children's ef-
forts to write the very end of the story, telling what
the angel thought and what she said. Many of
them may need considerable help at this point. Help
them so that they may help themselves.
Have pupils correct their work. The correction is
quite as important as the writing, and the manner of
correction is as important as the correction itself.
(See p. 49.)
Supplementary "Work
Let the children dramatize the story, The Helpers.
They should do this with little or no direct assist-
ance. Perhaps a number of children sufficient to
take the parts can leave the room for a moment,
assign the parts among themselves, return to the
room, and dramatize the story.
X (106). Words That Can be Used in Place of Said
This lesson, which the teacher must study with
the pupils, and the subsequent applications of it, is
destined to increase the pupil's usable vocabulary.
Write and keep on the board before the children, as
is suggested in their book, a list of words that may
be used in place of said. See that pupils are
observant, that they do report to you, as directed,
substitutes for this word. Call attention yourself to
such words in the pupils' reading, if they pass them
by unnoticed. Tell them that on a certain page, or
126 TEACHER'S MANUAL
in a certain paragraph, which they are reading, there
is a word that might be replaced by said ; let them
find it.
Encourage a discriminating, critical use of these
words. Do not let the pupils get the idea that either
said or any other word in the list may be used as
any one pleases ; but lead them to see and to feel
that, while one word might be used in place of sev-
eral others, said in place of any of the others, there
is one word, usually, that is better for a given place
than any other. This is because that word fits,
because it expresses definitely and fully just what
ought to be expressed in that place. Said can be
used so much, under such diverse circumstances,
because its meaning is so very general, because it
tells so little that is definite. It may be applied to
question, answer, statement, to any utterance of
actual or imaginary words ; it gives no suggestion
of the manner of utterance. Note the transforma-
tions that may be wrought in the simplest, most
commonplace sentence, by substituting different
words for said.
"Give me my hat," said the boy.
"Give me my hat," shouted the boy.
"Give me my hat," whimpered the boy.
" Give me my hat," laughed the boy.
" Give me my hat," faltered the boy.
" Give me my hat," grumbled the boy.
" Give me my hat," pleaded the boy.
" Give me my hat," shivered the boy.
WORDS THAT Cx\N BE USED IN PLACE OF SAID 127
"Give me my hat," mocked the boy.
" Give me my hat," shrieked the boy.
" Give me my hat," commanded the boy.
" Give me my hat," hissed the boy.
How different the whole sentence looks, how dif-
ferent the mental picture and feeling aroused, as
one word after another is substituted for the practi-
cally meaningless said.
In learning to use the right word, the definite,
meaningful word, instead of the vague word, the
child is not merely enlarging his usable vocabulary,
he is learning to think and to express his thoughts
definitely. This lesson is not to be learned once for
all ; it is a lesson for the whole school course, for
life. It is not to be learned formally, by rule, precept,
and formula; it is to be learned gradually, here a
little, there a little, as occasion and experience offer
opportunity.
It is with this far look ahead that you should take
up the study of this lesson with the children, that
you should continue it incidentally, but none the
less effectively, throughout all your work with them.
The work with these words is typical ; it calls for
and develops that discriminating judgment and taste
which pupils must learn to exercise generally in the
process of becoming keen thinkers and forceful
speakers and writers.
128 TEACHER'S MANUAL
XI (108). Questions for You
Before pupils write answers to the questions in
their book, get them to discuss freely what makes a
home beautiful — order, neatness, cleanliness, help-
fulness, cheerfulness, prompt obedience — and what
makes a schoolroom happy — industry, cheerfulness,
politeness, helpfulness.
XII (108). Picture Stories
(The mouse in fairyland, p. 109)
As the children have now had some experience in
working out picture stories, they should have devel-
oped considerable self-confidence and some origi-
nality of conception. Not to hamper them by too
many and too definite suggestions, the questions
given them on the mouse in fairyland picture are
but few. What they now most need is the oppor-
tunity to do their own thinking and to be aided, as
necessary, to put their thoughts and the expression
of their thoughts into good story form. This aid
must come after their original thought — must not
suggest the thought itself — and, hence, must be
given by the skillful teacher who knows how to fol-
low, to direct from behind.
The possibilities of the mo?ise in fairyland pic-
ture are almost unlimited, as any class of children
working on it freely will quickly demonstrate. To
prepare herself instantly to appreciate and tactfully
PICTURE STORIES 129
to direct the utilization of the children's varied con-
ceptions, the teacher should make a thorough study
of the picture, that she may anticipate many of its
possibilities.
After the pupils have studied the lesson alone —
as long as they are evidently thinking — take it up
with them. Perhaps many of the following ideas
will develop.
In the pupils' book two possible reasons are sug-
gested for the mouse's coming to the fairies. Sup-
pose the first one, that he was afraid of something
at home and ran away, is accepted.
Of what was he afraid ? (The cat.)
What did the cat do? (Chased and almost caught him.)
What did the little mouse say to his mother when he got home ?
(" O Mother, the big gray cat almost caught me ! I'm afraid. I
am going to look for a land where there are no cats.")
What did the mother answer? (" There is only one such land,
and that is Fairyland.")
What did the little mouse do then? (He set out to look for
Fairyland.)
By and by he came to the river. Whom did he see swimming
about ?
What did he say to the duck? ("O Mr. Duck, do you know
where Fairyland is ? ")
What did the duck answer? The picture shows that he knew.
("Yes, Fairyland is in the still pool where the water lilies grow.")
What did the little mouse then ask? ("Mr. Duck, will you
take me to Fairyland?")
What did the duck answer ?
What did he do?
When the mouse reached Fairyland, what did he say to the
130 TEACHER'S MANUAL
fairy queen? ("I am afraid at home, for the old gray cat is
always chasing me. I want to live in a land where there are no
cats. May I live here? ")
Could the mouse live in the still pool? Would he not drown?
How might the fairy change him ? (The fairy might say, " If
you stay here you will drown unless I change you into a fairy.
Would you like to be a fairy?")
What did the little mouse answer?
How did the queen change him into a fairy? (Touched him
with her wand and said,
" Little mouse, so soft and gray,
Be a fairy from to-day ! ")
Then what did the little mouse do? (He flew around singing,
" Now I'm happy ! Now I'm free !
No old gray cat can ever catch me ! ")
Suppose the second suggestion, that the mouse
wanted the fairies to do something for him, is
taken.
What fairy gift might a little mouse like to have ?
What is the chief care of a little field mouse ? (To provide
food for himself and his family. Suppose that the grain in the field
in which he has his home has been destroyed. The little mouse
fears the coming winter and goes to the fairies for help. Fairy
Queen gives him a bag of grain — a fairy bag that will never
be empty.)
Or, suppose neither of the above suggestions are
taken. Perhaps the story will resemble the fable
of The Lion and the Mouse.
Why does the duck help the mouse — they are not usually
friends ? (Perhaps the duck was once caught in a net, or tied
SUPPLEMENTARY WORK 131
to a stake, when the mouse freed it. Later when the mouse is
in trouble, the duck carries him to the fairies, who give him a
fairy gift.)
The three suggestions above were among a much
larger number actually made and worked out by
children.
At any point the children in your class may
branch off, as for example, at the very beginning,
the children may say he was afraid of traps. Again,
when it comes to the test, the mouse may prefer to
brave the cat rather than leave his mother and
home and become a fairy ; or the fairy queen may
change him into some animal that is not afraid of
cats.
Whatever suggestion is accepted at any point
in the story — and a variety of suggestions should
always be encouraged — you must be careful that
it is in harmony with the story as developed to that
point, and that the further development of the story
is in harmony with the suggestion.
Supplementary Work
i. Take any good suggestion made but not used
because not in harmony with the story as it was
being worked out, and work out a story in harmony
with the suggestion.
2. A story worked out in accordance with any
of the three main suggestions above is suitable for
dramatizing.
132 TEACHER'S MANUAL
XIII (no). More Picture Stories
(The child's visit to the fairies, p. m)
The teacher should study this lesson with the
children from the beginning. They may not know
very much about fairies and elves. This picture
furnishes occasion to feed their natural interest and
curiosity — to tell them about the appearance of
fairies and elves; their homes; their ways of ap-
pearing to those they love ; their joy in good
children, especially kind children, and those who
believe in fairies and their gifts.
You should keep ever in your own mind that the
fairies stand for beauty and unfailing justice. The
help of the fairies is never given to the lazy or
cruel. They always reward the good, and punish,
or if possible reform, the bad. Fairy stories satisfy
the child's own demand for strict poetic justice.
The elves are the fairy workers. No better idea
of the elves can be given the children than that
found in Grimm's Fairy Tales, in the story of The
Shoemaker mid the Elves. This story may be told
to the children at this time.
Explain more fully what is told the children
under the questions, " What is another name for the
Land of Faraway ? " and " Where is the door that
leads to the Land of Faraway ? " found in the chil-
dren's book.
More is left to the imagination in this picture
MORE PICTURE STORIES 133
than in any yet given. Of imaginative power there
will be no lack. Many children, however, will not
have had experiences which will enable them to
conceive adequate pictures of the scenes in Fairy-
land. Here the teacher must help. By showing
many pictures, preferably colored, and by supple-
menting these with vivid word pictures made up of
bits of childish experience, the children will be
enabled readily to conceive the scenes and activities
of Fairyland. They will see the trees of Fairyland
covered with gorgeous flowers and wondrous fruits ;
they will see birds of brilliant plumage flying about,
and hear their glad songs ; they will lie on the grass,
soft and green as moss; they will gaze up at the
sky, deep and blue ; they will mingle with the fairies
in their brilliant dresses and with wings more
beautiful than the wings of the finest butterfly; they
will delight in the hurrying elves with the silver
bells on their shoes and caps tinkling as they flit
about.
All these delights of Fairyland any child may
experience to the full — with your help. It will
take time ; more than all, it will require sympathy
and enthusiasm. Do you know the Faraway
Land ? Then you will know how, you will want
to introduce your children to its unending joys.
This is not impractical, for the more real one's
mental pictures of the Faraway Land, the more
beautiful conceptions will he form of the Near-
i 3 4 TEACHER'S MANUAL
Nowaday Land, and the more earnestly will he
strive to make these conceptions real.
Here are some suggestions for one of the many
stories that the picture suggests.
A Dream of Fairyland
(Title should not be supplied until the end.)
Little (select name suggested by children) and his mothei
went into the woods one bright summer day. They sat down in
the shade and mother took out her sewing.
" Please tell me a story, Mother," said . " Tell me a
pretty fairy story."
So mother told the child, not one, but many beautiful fairy
tales. When she had finished, lay on the soft moss and
thought, " There may be fairies living in this very wood. Perhaps
some are hiding now behind that great tree just in front ot me.
I wonder how people go to the Faraway Land where the fairies
live. I wish, Oh, how I wish a fairy would come and take me to
Fairyland ! "
(Notice that this introduction brings into the story the chief
objects of interest in the picture — tree, sign, fairies.)
The woods seemed very quiet. The little birds had stopped
singing. There was no sound but the rustle, rustle of the leaves
in the great tree just in front of . He closed his eyes for
one little minute. Then he heard a sweet voice say, " Do you
really want to go to the Faraway Land?"
opened his eyes. There stood (the picture tells what).
What did see in the trunk of the great tree before him ?
(Door.) What was written above the door ? What did the fairy
do ? What did the child see and do in the Faraway Land ?
(Here the teacher must help the pupils.)
The child had a beautiful time, dancing with the fairies, play-
ing with the elves, eating honey and dew, and admiring all the
wonderful sights of Fairyland.
MORE PICTURE STORIES 135
At last the fairy queen said, " You make such a dear little elf
that I think I must keep you here always. How would you like
to be dressed like one of these little elves and live with me
forever? "
(The remainder of the story will depend upon the boy's
answer to this question. If he says, "Yes," what will happen?)
" No, no," cried the child. " I do not want to stay here
always. Fairyland is lovely, but I want to go home to my
mother ! " At the thought of his mother, the child began to cry
softly, " O Mother, Mother, Mother ! "
" There, there ! " said a soft voice that sounded like the fairy
queen's and like mother's, too, " don't cry, my child." (If this
was the fairy queen speaking, what might she do to comfort the
child? Send for his mother to come to Fairyland? Then how
might the story continue and end?) " Open your eyes. You have
had a bad dream."
The child opened his eyes. He was resting on the soft moss,
and mother was bending over him.
" No," he said, as he looked at the big tree just in front of
him, " no, it was not a bad dream. It was the most beautiful
dream I ever had. But I am glad it was only a dream." Then
slipped his little hand into mother's and told her the story
of his visit to the Land of Faraway.
The above outline is offered merely as a type.
It is not intended to impose it upon the teacher,
nor must she impose this or any other outline which
she may make upon the children. If a story is ever
worked out with the children to fit an outline which
the teacher already has in mind, this should not be
done at a sacrifice of the pupils' own original con-
ceptions. The ideas, just as far as possible, should
always come from the children. The chief function
136 TEACHER'S MANUAL
of the teacher is to follow the children in their con-
ceptions and to help them to build their conceptions
into a harmonious and complete story. The chil-
dren are to furnish the content, the teacher is to
help them give it form.
Supplementary Work
i. Let the little boy tell his story.
2. Let the fairy queen tell her story.
3. One or more of the stories may be dramatized.
XIV (113). Studying a Poem
Read to the children, with appropriate expression,
The Chestnut Bur, Study the lesson with them in
their book. In having parts of the poem read, as
directed, work for free, dramatic expression. This
is to be secured, not by demanding it, but by mak-
ing the children feel free, by getting them " into the
spirit" of the poem, by making them enjoy it, by
making them want to express the different parts of
it just as they think these should be expressed.
Such freedom, enjoyment, and desire for discrimi-
nating expression is contagious; let the teacher
furnish the source of it.
After this detailed study, have as many children
read the poem as time allows, remembering that the
purpose of every child must be to give a thoughtful,
discriminating rendering, to express his conceptions
as effectively as he can.
MEMORIZING A POEM 137
Supplementary "Work
i. Let the children dramatize the story in the
poem. They should be able to do this with little
or no direct assistance. It will help them to recall
the movements of the wind and the sunshine fairies
as they dramatized them in the story, The Little
White Flower (p. 91).
2. Children may tell the complete story from
the poem. This should not be too difficult, after
the detailed study and dramatization ; the events
are simple and given in natural order, which the
child should follow. Be not satisfied with a dry
and colorless statement of the facts; that is no
worthy reproduction at all. There must be life,
animation, conversation, concrete detail, even to the
introduction of many original touches not inconsist-
ent with the main facts.
XV (116). Memorizing a Poem
The poem, The Chestnut Bur, is worthy of mem-
orizing, not only on account of its appeal to the
child's fancy, but because of the simple, natural
order in which it tells the story, an order which will
serve as a model for the original story work which
the pupils will soon be doing.
See that the pupils understand and follow the
directions given in their book for memorizing the
poem. After they have studied it in this way for
138 TEACHER'S MANUAL
eight or ten minutes, test them. Probably some
will be able to recite all three stanzas while others
will scarcely have mastered the first. Commend
the efforts of every one who has tried faithfully, and
next time the results will be better; censure honest
effort, and next time the results, if not the effort,
will probably be less satisfactory.
Do not permit any mere word repetition of the
poem. The pupil who cannot say it with appropri-
ate expression has not really learned it.
Keep this, and all other poems that are memo-'
rized, fresh by occasional review.
CHAPTER SIX
On account of the relation of this chapter to
the preceding work it is especially suited either to
the conclusion of the third or to the beginning of the
fourth year's work ; or, better still, it may serve both
as the concluding chapter of the third and the be-
ginning chapter of the fourth year of language
study.
The chapter takes up nothing distinctly new —
unless the writing of conversation in dialogue form
be so considered. Study the work given and com-
pare it with that covered in the preceding chapters,
and you will find that everything taken up pre-
viously — all kinds of exercises and all marks and
forms — is here reviewed thoroughly and the power
and acquisitions of the individual pupil well tested.
Yet this is by no means a review chapter in the con-
ventional meaning of that term. The reviews and
tests are accomplished — and most effectively — not
through repetition of exercises already given, but
through new and varied material and exercises
which will interest the children and elicit their best
efforts not less than the work of any preceding
chapter.
139
i 4 o TEACHER'S MANUAL
Whenever this chapter is completed, whether
at the end of the third or at the beginning of the
fourth year, or at both these periods, compare the
work from the beginning of the book and the pur-
poses of it with the actual accomplishment of the
children. If these questions can be answered in
the affirmative, the study thus far has been a
success.
1. Have the children assimilated the ideas and the
spirit of the stories — the fables and myths — made them
an integral and usable part of their mental assets ?
2. Have they developed a considerable degree of con-
trol over their mental stores and mental powers so that
they can reproduce and invent stories with some touch of
originality and express them orally with effect ?
3. Are they beginning to acquire the power of express-
ing their thought — reproduced and original — in writing ?
4. Have they acquired some facility — through dramatiz-
ing, dialogue, impersonation, and conversation — in throw-
ing themselves appreciatively into the position of different
characters ?
5. Are they acquiring freedom, naturalness, spontaneity,
and individuality of thought, feeling, and expression ?
6. Do they know and understand how, when, and why
to use, and are they forming the habit of using correctly
the forms and words that have been especially taught ?
(a) The capital to begin the first word of a sentence ;
to begin the first and principal words of a
title ; to begin proper names ; to begin every
line Of poetry ; to begin quotations.
FURTHER STUDY OF QUOTATIONS 141
(b) The period at the end of a statement.
(c) The question mark.
(d) Quotation marks.
(e) Their, there ; to, too, two.
Apply these questions not merely to your class as
a whole, but to every individual in it. If they can
be answered affirmatively for every individual, you
need not worry about the class ; if any question
must be answered negatively for any child, it does
not help that child that the same question can be
answered affirmatively for all the other children.
Try to locate and to correct individual weaknesses.
I (117). Further Study of Quotations; Capital I
Study with the children the lesson in their book ;
supplement the questions there given by such others
as may be necessary. In every sentence have the
pupil tell the quotation, the rest of the sentence,
and how these parts of the sentence are separated,
like this :
She said, " Who will plant this wheat ? "
The quotation is, Who will plant this wheat?
The rest of the sentence is, she said.
The quotation is separated from the rest of the sentence by a
comma.
To avoid confusing the child, no suggestion is
made in the pupils' book of exceptions to the rule,
" The first word of a quotation begins with a capital
letter." Care has been taken throughout the book
142 TEACHER'S MANUAL
to introduce no exception to this in matter given for
the pupils' study. Should a pupil call attention to
a quotation, the first word of which does not begin
with a capital, such as may be found in the pupils'
book, pages 140, 157, and elsewhere, it may be ex-
plained briefly that single words, or a few words
that would not make a complete sentence if they
stood alone, are begun with small letters when
quoted. No other exception to the general rule is
likely to be met or noted by the pupils. As they
advance in their language 'study, and with the gen-
eral rule fixed, they will easily grasp and apply the
exception.
II (120). Copying to Learn the Writing of Quotations
and the Capital I
Do everything possible to encourage accuracy
and neatness in the pupils' work. Try to make
sure that pupils do think to themselves the reasons
for the use of marks of punctuation, quotation marks,
and capitals, as they make them. Help pupils to
avoid mistakes. Have the mistakes that are made
— in spite of your efforts and the efforts of the pu-
pils — corrected at once by the pupil after giving
the reasons for the correct form. In the correcting
follow carefully the directions given in Chapter Five
(p. 116).
Save the pupils' papers. Add to them the papers
written on the remaining parts of the story, as these
PUPILS' STUDY IN PREPARATION FOR DICTATION 143
are studied. When the story has been completed,
each pupils papers may be bound into a little book-
let, for which the pupil may make and decorate a
suitable cover.
Ill (121). Pupils' Study in Preparation for Dictation
While the pupils are studying this lesson, go from
one to another — especially among the poorer pu-
pils — to see that every one is really studying intelli-
gently. You must know what each one's weaknesses
are and what difficulties he is likely to have. Per-
haps one is not telling himself the reason for the
use of the capital to begin the word Who, second
sentence, because he has forgotten. By questions
and suggestions help him to remember that the book
has told him already the reason for this, and help
him to turn back in his book until he finds it (p. 118).
Similarly, help other pupils to find out from some
previous lesson why / is a capital, why the comma
is used, and why the question mark is inside the
quotation marks.
In all of this, do as little for the pupil as possible,
get him to do all he can for himself. Of course it
is much easier — and it takes far less time — to tell
the pupil at once what he seems to need, to call upon
some other pupil to tell him, or to refer him to the
exact place in his book where the desired information
is given ; but this is not training the pupil to help
144 TEACHER'S MANUAL
himself, to rely upon himself, to command and to
use what he has learned and the book in which he
has learned it — it is doing just the reverse, en-
couraging dependence on others. You will often
find that a pupil really does know what he seems
not to know, what he thinks himself he does not
know; you will find also that many, perhaps most
pupils, are not using their books, but merely reading
in them what they are specially told to read. Now
here are two of the most important lessons that any
pupil can learn in school, two of the most valuable
habits that any one can acquire, the habit of using
what one has learned and the habit of using books ;
these habits are of vastly more moment than the
knowledge of any number of mere facts, rules, or
principles of language or of any other subject. The
process of teaching and learning language and every
other subject must be such as to insure the estab-
lishment and development of these habits. Fortu-
nately, the process of teaching and learning that
will accomplish this is, in the long run, the most
effective that can be employed, considered merely
from the standpoint of the mastery of any given
subject.
After the pupils have studied by themselves for
ten or twelve minutes, you may take up the last two
or three sentences for class study aloud.
TESTING AND TEACHING THROUGH DICTATION 145
IV (122). Testing and Teaching through Dictation
A dictation exercise that has any value is given,
not because dictation is a good way to teach language,
but because that particular exercise, rightly used, is
suitable for the teaching of certain definite things.
That a dictation exercise may be effective, the
teacher must have clearly in mind the specific things
which may be taught through that exercise ; then
she must conduct the exercise in a way to teach
those specific things. Part Two of The Little Red
Hen, which is to be dictated at this time, may be
made to test and teach almost every conventional
written form that pupils have thus far studied :
Capitals
"to begin the first and principal words of a title,
to begin the first word of a sentence,
to begin the first word of a quotation.
% for the word /.
A period at the end of a sentence that is a statement.
A question mark at the end of a sentence that asks a question.
A comma to separate a quotation from the rest of the sentence.
Quotation marks to inclose a quotation.
For the purpose of anticipating mistakes, it will
be well to question pupils on these matters just be-
fore beginning the dictation. Dictate full sentences,
even though the sentence, like the second, may
seem long. Better repeat, and have pupils repeat
after you, two or three times, than to break the
sentence in the dictation. For further suggestions
regarding dictation, see page 50. It should hardly
146 TEACHER'S MANUAL
be necessary here, as there advised, to question on
each sentence in detail before it is written. Such
questioning on the first sentence containing a quota-
tion should suffice.
In correcting, follow carefully the directions given
in the exercise to which reference has just been
made (p. 117). It is highly desirable to have the
correction follow immediately the dictation. But if
the time is too short for both the dictation and the
correcting, take another period for the latter. The
careful correcting of an exercise like this should
never be omitted or slighted. Without correcting,
the exercise has not served its purpose ; it has not
taught, and it has tested in vain. Worse still, it has
probably permitted the making of errors, uncon-
sciously or in good faith, adding strength to the
tendency to make the same errors again, and it has
undoubtedly fostered in many pupils a feeling of in-
difference to correct forms. Better not give such
an exercise than to stop with the dictation.
V (122). Unstudied Dictation
With only such study as you think necessary on
the spelling of difficult words, such as brought, flour*
and bread, which may be written on the board and
spelled orally, dictate the following, which is Part
Three of The Little Red Hen. Note that the last
four of the six sentences are exactly the same as the
corresponding four in Parts One and Two.
SUMMARY OF THE USES OF CAPITALS 147
The Little Red Hen
The little red hen brought the flour home.
Then she said, " Who will make this flour into bread? "
The rat said, "Not I."
The cat said, " Not I."
The pig said, "Not I."
" I will," said the little red hen, and she did.
In dictating and correcting, follow the directions
given in the last and in previous lessons.
VI (123). A Written Reproduction
In this lesson, which children are to study and
prepare by themselves, do not try to keep them
together in their work ; let each child begin to write
as soon as he is ready. Insist that each one corrects
his work, as directed, before he brings it to you for
criticism. In the correction with you, when you
note a mistake, do not tell the pupil outright what
the mistake is; with as little help as possible, let
him find out what it is and tell what the correction
should be and why.
There is one, and only one, new point in this les-
son, the use of the comma to separate no from the
rest of the sentence. It is unnecessary to give any
explanation of this, at this time, further than the
statement that is given in the pupils' book.
VII (124). Summary of the Uses of Capitals
Note that the word paragraph is used several
times. Attempt no definition of this term, simply
148 TEACHER'S MANUAL
use it and thus let pupils become familiar with the
word and at least the appearance of the thing indi-
cated. They can learn to use paragraphs, just as
they have learned to use words and sentences, with-
out being able to give or really to understand a defi-
nition of any of these terms.
Supplementary Work
Taking as a basis any story, or part of a story, that
has already been used in the pupils' book, question,
as in this lesson, regarding the use of capitals.
VIII (126). A Written Exercise on the Use of Capitals
Your criticism and the pupils' correction of their
work may begin as soon as the pupils begin to write.
Go about from desk to desk. You will know what
pupils need special help and encouragement in get-
ting started.
Of course the pupils' work must be correct in
form as well as in reasons given for the use of the
several capitals.
IX (127). Reading
Read the story to the children, then have them
read it, first in narrative form, then in dialogue form,
as was done in the case of the story, Mabel and the
Fairy Folk (p. 52). Carry out here the suggestions
given in that lesson for the reading and the critical
discussion of the reading.
WRITING A CONVERSATION IN DIALOGUE FORM 149
X (130). Studying the Story, "The Star Visitor"
This is a lesson for the pupils to study from their
books. As the questions in their book indicate, the
study of it will prepare them to dramatize it. To
make their study thoroughly successful, you should
supervise their work carefully, to insure that every
one, particularly the poorer ones, and those who have
not fully learned to concentrate their attention, are
really working intelligently and faithfully. Near the
close of their study period some of the more difficult
questions should be taken up for oral answer and dis-
cussion.
XI (i<£2). Dramatizing the Story, "The Star Visitor"
Every exercise in dramatizing should put upon
the children a little more responsibility than they
have had in the past, should offer them more oppor-
tunity for initiative and originality. Their experi-
ence thus far and their thorough study of the story
should enable them with slight help from the
teacher and without hesitation to arrange and assign
the parts, to locate the different scenes, and to carry
out the play.
See full directions and suggestions for dramatiz-
ing (pp. 14, 38, 69).
XII (132). Writing a Conversation in Dialogue Form
See that pupils understand what is required of
them. Supervise their work to see that they are
150 TEACHER'S MANUAL
applying correctly not only what they are told in
this lesson, but all that they have learned about the
use of capitals and the period. Let them copy the
colon after the names of the speakers, the cat and
the owl, without explanation.
When they have finished writing have two chil-
dren stand and read from their papers, one taking
the part of the cat r the other of the owl. In this
reading,, of course, they should omit the words, cat
and owl.
XIII (133). Picture Stories
(Child in the snow, p. 134)
This picture tells its story so vividly th^t the
children need little help from the teacher \\\ getting
the main facts ; to realize its possibilities :>f endless
variety in detail, however, requires the teacher's
skillful guidance..
The questions in the children's book concerning
the time that the little girl went out and the reason
for her leaving home should call forth a variety of
introductions. Here are some that have been given
by children:
1. She went out in the afternoon to visit her grandmother or a
playmate, (a) She forgot and stayed too late. (/>) She left in
time but stopped to visit a little friend, (r) She stopped to play
in the snow. (//) She stopped to coast with some other children.
(e) She left in plenty of time, but it began to snow, the wind
blew, and it suddenly began to grow dark, so she lost the path.
(/) She left in plenty of time, but instead of keeping to the road,
PICTURE STORIES 151
she thought she would save time by cutting through the fields.
The snow had covered all the paths ; as it grew dark, she lost her
way.
2. She went out after dark to look for her kitty and got lost.
3. She is a poor little child who has no home and no parents.
She was wandering from door to door begging until, almost
frozen, she sank to the ground.
4. She was cross because her mother would not let her do
something that she wanted to do, so she ran away and got lost.
Many answers may be given to the question ask-
ing how long the dog has been with the child. Of
course the answer to this question and the intro-
duction that is selected for the story must be in har-
mony. Either the answer to this question must fit
the introduction, or the latter must be made to fit
the answer; perhaps it will seem best to modify each
somewhat.
Whatever the beginning and the main part, the
story may have several different endings. A satis-
factory ending should see the child taken to a place
of comfort, her own home or elsewhere, tenderly
cared for, and fully restored.
See that the dog is given his full share of credit.
Do not be satisfied with one good title. Perhaps
the children will give you some of the following:
Saved ! Brave Rover, A Dog Hero, The Lost Child,
Lost in the Drifts, Found!
The title may be sought before the story is begun or
after it is ended. A title chosen at the outset will
often help to give form and direction to the story.
152 TEACHER'S MANUAL
Supplementary Work
Let children try to tell the story from the stand-
point of the little girl. To do this they must be-
come the little girl, go through her experiences and
weave these into a connected story to be told in the
first person.
This exercise requires a change of attitude similar
to that required in the dramatizing of a story. Like
dramatizing it gives increased vividness to the
pupil's conceptions, feelings, and expressions. Dif-
ferent titles from those already used will be called
for. Perhaps some like these will be found suitable :
How I Went to Bed in the Snow
When I Ran Away
My Best Friend
My Dream in the Snow »
XIV (135.) More Picture Stories
(Children in the woods, p. 137)
Study the lesson orally with the children. See
that the latter part of the lesson has the effect in-
tended, that it helps to show the children the folly
of being afraid of imaginary things. Try to have
them show their appreciation of this in the way
they tell this part of the story.
Supplementary Work
i. The lesson of the folly of baseless fears may
be reenforced by having stories told that may be
suggested by these questions :
SUPPLEMENTARY WORK 153
Were you ever afraid of anything you saw at night that you
would hardly notice in the daytime, such as hanging clothing, a
shadow, a bush, an old stump, a stone, a noise?
What did you do to cure yourself of your fright?
What might you have done? (Walked straight up to it and
touched it.)
This is the lesson to be driven home. Fear is in-
side; nothing outside can harm. Examine the thing
that causes fear; touch it, and the fear will vanish.
2. Have pupils write the first paragraph of the
story, telling how the children came to be alone
in the woods at night and about their fright. Be-
fore allowing them to write, work over the oral
telling of the paragraph with them until each child
knows just exactly what he is going to write, then he
will not have to think of what he is to write so in-
tensely that he will forget how to spell and punctuate.
The better his oral form, the fewer mistakes in the
written work to be corrected by pupil and teacher.
It may help the children to put definite questions on
the board before them, the answers to which, given
in complete sentences, will make a connected whole.
Such questions as these will serve :
Where did three children go one day ?.
How did they happen to be out after dark ?
On their way home what lonely place did they have to pass
through ?
How did the trees look?
How did the children feel about it?
What did they do?
154 TEACHER'S MANUAL
The answers given first orally and then in writing
might be as follows :
(a) One day three little children went to a party. They stayed
so late that it was dark when they started for home. As they
went home they had to pass through a wood. The trees looked
like giants. The children were frightened. They ran home as
fast as they could go.
Or the answers might be more like this:
{b) Three little children were out playing one day. They
were having such a good time that they played until it was dark.
On the way home they passed through a wood. The trees looked
like monsters with great eyes and long arms and legs. The.
children were frightened. They took hold of hands and ran
home.
The first and second questions are the ones that
offer most chance for variety. Take these questions
separately, having several children in turn answer
each question in a complete sentence. Thoughts
like the following may be brought forth :
The children loitered on their way from school (why ?) ; they
were told never to go into the woods (why?) ; they disobeyed
(why?) and were lost ; they started to run away from home
(why?), were frightened by the trees, and turned and ran home;
they came into the woods to get a Christmas tree, stayed too late,
thought the trees were trying to punish them for cutting down
their little brother ; they had been chasing the squirrels from their
nests in the trees or stealing the squirrels' winter store of nuts and
thought the trees were angry.
When pupils have answered all questions in order,
to insure connected thought, let them write.
TELLING THE STORY FROM THE POEM 155
3. Have children write as many titles for this
story as they can, either writing in turn on the
blackboard or on individual papers for seat work.
4. Encourage the best pupils to write the whole
story. If only one child writes the complete story
have him carefully correct and copy it. Put his
story away in some book or portfolio as the begin-
ning of a collection of picture stories. Other chil-
dren will be anxious to add to the collection.
XV (138). Studying a Poem
Read the poem, One, Two, Three, to and with
the children. Let it be so read that every one will
get fully into the spirit of it. Apply here the sug-
gestions already given for effective reading, for the
discussion and improvement of reading (pp. 8, 36).
XVI (141). Telling the Story from the Poem
After the children have studied the poem as di-
rected, call upon several to tell the story of grandma
and the little boy who was half past three. En-
courage originality and individuality in the telling.
XVII (141). Playing "One, Two, Three"
Let the children choose one child to " hide."
The child chosen may think a moment of the place
where he will hide. He should think of some
place in the vicinity — in the schoolroom, the build-
ing, or the yard. If found desirable, the hiding
156 TEACHER'S MANUAL
place may be limited to the room, or the building.
When the one hiding has chosen his hiding place,
he calls, " Ready ! " Then the other children guess,
under whatever restrictions may be imposed re-
garding " turns," where he is hiding.
In guessing, the children must ask good ques-
tions, such as this, "Are you in the cloakroom?"
and the one hiding must give full answers, like this,
" No, I am not in the cloakroom."
The one who is hiding may give a little help, as
grandma did, by saying, " You are cold," if the
place guessed is not near the place in which the
child plays he is hiding, or, " You are warm," if
the place guessed is near the chosen place.
The one who guesses the hiding place takes his
turn at hiding while the others "hunt " for him.
There is no fun and little value in the game
when it is allowed to drag. Every one must be
alert, — think, guess, reply quickly.
Playing this game has the same effect as drama-
tizing. It helps the children to get fully into the
spirit of the poem and to appreciate such expressions
as, " In guesses One, Two, Three," " You are in the
china closet," " But he still had Two and Three,"
" You are warm and warmer," " And he found her
with his Three." Following the play let the children
read the poem again ; they will show that they are
now playing with Grandma and the wee lad.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Chapter Six was a transition chapter. It served
to test and review — not by formal repetition, but
through use — the results of the work of the preced-
ing chapters. Even though that chapter may have
been completed at the end of the third year, the work
of the fourth year should begin with it.
In preparation for the work of this chapter, you
should familiarize yourself thoroughly with all the
work of the preceding chapters so that you will
know not merely the specific things that have been
taught, but so that you may at the outset get fully
into the spirit and purpose of the work. At the
opening of each previous chapter you will find a
summary statement of what the chapter contains ;
but it is not enough to read these summaries. The
work of every chapter, as explained in this Manual
and as presented in the pupils' book, should be
studied until mastered. Only thus can you prepare
yourself to direct successfully the continuation of
your pupils' work as they take up Chapter Seven.
This chapter, also, you should study through care-
fully in the light of the previous chapters, before
beginning the work with the children.
You will observe that all the main ideas, all the
157
158 TEACHER'S MANUAL
principal kinds of work, all the conventional forms,
presented in the first six chapters, are continued in
this chapter. The work of this and of subsequent
chapters, which keep in constant review through
use in ever changing ways all the essentials pre-
sented from the beginning, should be made to
correct any of the weaknesses of previous work,
however these may have arisen.
This plan of advance must not suggest the forget-
ting either by pupils or teacher of the work of the
past, even of the precise form and content of much
of it. On the contrary, past work should always be
kept fresh by reference and comparison ; it furnishes
types which are of inestimable value in facilitating
the appreciation and mastery of future work. This
suggests another and important reason for the inti-
mate familiarity of the teacher with all the pupils'
previous work.
In addition to the continuation of all kinds of
work previously taken up, this chapter contains the
following new work :
1. The names of the days of the week ; their origin and
meaning. Practice in writing them in full and abbreviated.
2. The use of the period in writing abbreviations.
3. Possessives and the use of the apostrophe.
4. Writing a story from different standpoints, those of
different actors or observers.
6. The beginnings of written picture stories.
STUDYING A STORY 159
I (142). Studying a Story; Quotations Reviewed;
Capitals to Begin Days of the Week
Read the story through with the children. Ask
them to read by paragraphs. Just say, " Read the
first paragraph, the second paragraph, etc." Ask
such questions and give such directions as these :
How many paragraphs in this story? What is
the first word of the first paragraph ? Of the sec-
ond paragraph? Read the first sentence of the
second paragraph. Read the last sentence of the
first paragraph. Read the third sentence of the last
paragraph.
Use the word paragraph freely in talking about
the story and in studying it. This is for the purpose
of familiarizing the children with the use of the term
and making them observant of the division of stories
into paragraphs. Attempt no definition or formal
description of a paragraph (see p. 47).
See how many children will note the words Sun-
day and Monday beginning with capitals and recog-
nize that they offer something new. Their atten-
tion may be directed to them by such questions as
these: What words begin with capitals in the first,
sentence of the first paragraph ? Why ? What words
begin with capitals in the third sentence of the third
paragraph? Why? Let children study aloud the
use of capitals to begin these words, using the form
given in their book.
Have pupils study independently the questions on
160 TEACHER'S MANUAL *
the lesson, but hold yourself in readiness to answer
any question or to direct the work of any child that
may be having difficulty. See that every pupil
is really studying actively and understandingly. Be
quick to detect the concealment of inactivity and
nonexertion by the mere semblance of attention.
Do not allow children to form this lazy, sleepy habit;
arouse them.
In studying the quotations of this story say noth-
ing about the break in a quotation, such as occurs
in paragraphs two and three; just teach and insist
that pupils learn and say that all the exact words of
a speaker — all and not one more — must have
quotation marks around them.
The quotation of paragraph two should be studied
as follows:
There are quotation marks around Go away, because these are
the exact words of the sun.
There is a comma to separate the quotation from the rest of the
sentence.
There is a period after the sentence, because it is a statement.
There are quotation marks around Do you not know that this is
my day ? You have done wrong on my day. So you cannot enter
here. Go to the moon, because these are the exact words of the
sun.
Always have pupils, when giving a quotation, read
every word of the quotation — and not a word more.
This will train them to distinguish sharply the quota-
tion from the other words of sentences.
THE DAYS OF THE WEEK 161
II (144). Dictation, Studied and Unstudied
Without reviewing the questions on the last lesson
or having pupils study it in any way, dictate the
story as given below. The pupils should be acquir-
ing power; this exercise will test them. As you
will observe, the condensation of the story brings in
some new sentences (unstudied dictation), while
several are like the original (studied dictation). In
dictation that has not been thoroughly studied, tell
pupils when to begin a paragraph by saying, " Par-
agraph."
The Man in the Moon
A man was lifted to the sky for working on Sunday. He tried
to enter the sun.
" Go away," said the sun. " You have done wrong on my
day. I will not have you here. Go to the moon."
The man entered the moon. There he stands until this very
day.
The story, as here abridged, is so short that it
should be dictated and corrected in a single exercise.
Observe directions already given for correcting
(p. 48).
Ill (144)- The Days of the Week ; Origin of the
Names ; Abbreviations ; Use of Capitals
Study this lesson with the children, giving as
little direct help as possible, but making sure that
every one studies actively and intelligently as the
pupils' book directs. Look over with each child,
162 TEACHER'S MANUAL
as he hands it to you, his written list of the names
and abbreviations of the days of the week, so as to
direct his attention to any errors that may have
escaped him, and to secure his intelligent correction
of these.
IV (146). Original Exercise Involving the Writing of
the Days of the Week in Pull and Abbreviated
Read over the lesson with the children. To pre-
pare them for writing, as they are directed, have
them tell interesting things that they did or that
happened each day. Get them to make good, short,
complete statements. Insist on things of real in-
terest. Suggest that they tell of things that their
father or mother, brother or sister, or a friend, if
absent, would like to know, — things that the absent
one would like to have written to him in a letter;
or that they tell things that they would like to do
again, or that they would like to have happen again.
If the entire exercise — the oral preparation, the
writing and correcting — is likely to be too long for
a single lesson period, take the full time of one
period for the oral work and leave the written exer-
cise with its correction for a second period. Have
each pupil correct his own work under your direction.
The correcting may begin as soon as the first sen-
tences are written, the teacher passing about among
the desks.
Do not tell a pupil what his mistake is, or what
A STORY FROM A RHYME 163
the correct form is ; give him just enough suggestion
so that he can find out for himself. If he has made
a mistake in writing a day, such as forgetting the
initial capital, or the period after the abbreviation,
or misspelling, direct his attention to the word; if
he fails to discover his mistake at once, let him look
up the correct form in one of the type exercises in
his book.
Supplementary Work
i. Pupils may repeat the written exercise of the
lesson, each one choosing the form which he did
not choose in the regular exercise.
2. Let pupils copy or write from dictation the
following rhyme :
The Seven Days
Monday says, " I wash the clothes."
Tuesday says, " I iron them."
Wednesday says, " I bake the cakes."
Thursday says, " I eat them."
Friday says, " I am sweeping day."
Saturday says, " The children love me."
Sunday says, " I am the Sabbath day.
There is no day above me."
V (147). A Story from a Rhyme; the Apostrophe to
Denote Possession
Read the story with the children. Let them
study it aloud with you, so that you may see that
they study it as directed in their book. Have them
1 64 TEACHER'S MANUAL
study the quotations according to the form already
given them. (Pupil's book, page 118. See also
Manual, page 141.)
The subject of possessives will be taken up more
fully in Section VII. What is said here about
clock 's will serve as a slight foretaste. The state-
ment of the use of the apostrophe and the letter s,
as formally given in the pupils' book (p. 152), should
be carefully read at this time ; the memorizing of it
may be deferred until Section VII.
After the story has been studied as directed, have
it told orally by several children.
Supplementary Work
i. Have pupils copy or write from dictation the
story, The Mouse and the Clock.
2. Let pupils study the rhyme and then write it
from memory.
Before a pupil begins either exercise he should
have a definite purpose — the writing of the rhyme
or story correctly in all details, the use of capitals,
punctuation and quotation marks, and spelling. It
is not enough to assume that pupils know why they
are required to do exercises like these. With this
assumption on the part of the teacher, pupils will
soon be doing what they are directed to do with no
clearer or higher purpose than that of doing as they
are told, which is the pupils* counterpart of the
teacher's perfunctory assignment of exercises to fill,
SUPPLEMENTARY WORK 165
or "kill" time. Exercises which grow out of these
vague, purposeless motives on the part of teacher
and pupils only serve to develop and confirm all
sorts of errors ; their correction is only a further
waste of time.
In every least exercise, whether regular or sup-
plementary, have a definite, worthy purpose in giv-
ing that exercise, and make sure that your pupils
know that purpose at the outset and that they keep
it constantly and clearly before them throughout
the exercise. When the exercise is completed it
must be corrected by the pupil — with such sugges-
tion and direction as may be necessary from the
teacher — always under the guidance of the purpose
with which it was written. Has that purpose been
realized ?
There is here a bit of simple but profoundly im-
portant pedagogy. Keen interest may be given to
the dullest exercise by making of it a direct chal-
lenge to the power of the pupil. Here is something
for you to do ; these are the conditions. Can you
do it? Now that you have tried it, let us see
whether you have succeeded. In the instinctive
response to a definite challenge lies the secret of
much of the zest with which many games, puzzles,
and physical exercises are pursued. Challenge your
pupil effectively and he concentrates all his powers
on the task you put before him — and he perseveres
until he comes off victor.
1 66 TEACHER'S MANUAL
VI (i5°)« Reproducing' a Story from Different
Standpoints
This exercise consists in telling the story of the
mouse and the clock — the subject of the last ex-
ercise — from the standpoint of several different
observers or participants, as the little mouse, the
big mouse, the clock, or any article of furniture in
the hall that may be supposed to have witnessed
the events of the story. The exercise thus goes a
step beyond mere reproduction ; it calls for imagina-
tion and some originality of conception on the part
of the pupil. This exercise will reveal the pupils
customary thought processes in reproducing a story.
The pupil whose chief reliance is on memory of
words will find this exercise very difficult, if he
does not make complete failure of it. The pupil,
on the other hand, who is in the habit of grasping
and vividly imagining for himself the scenes and
events of the story, and of relating these in words
of his own, will find this exercise easy and highly
interesting. For pupils of both types the exercise,
rightly used, will prove most effective in giving a
ready and easy command of thoughts and mental
imagery, in accustoming pupils to feel and to see
their own thoughts and mental pictures clearly, to
hold these before their minds at will, to turn
thoughts and images around, to vary their com-
binations, to look at them from different stand-
points, and to describe them as they see them.
REPRODUCING A STORY 167
The successful conduct of this exercise will de-
pend, first of all, upon the teacher's ability and
facility in doing what the exercise demands. You,
the teacher, must have before your mind a vivid,
clear-cut mental picture of a hall — a particular hall
that you know or that you have seen in a picture
— with all its necessary and customary furnishings
and adornments. In that hall you must be able to
see transpire all the events of the story. You must
be able at will to put yourself in the place of any of
the actors in the little drama or of any of the pieces
of onlooking furniture, to see, to feel, and to describe
everything from your assumed standpoint. Only
with this ability can you hope to go quickly from
one child to another, each one trying to tell the
story from the standpoint of and through a different
character, immediately to take your place beside
each child, to lead each one to the right point of
view, to help each one to see clearly what he alone
would perhaps see but dimly, in short, by your
example to demonstrate concretely to each child
what it is to see and to tell a story from different
standpoints. Abstract directions, words alone, will
not do this ; if you rely on words, you need expect
to get nothing better than words in return.
The best preparation you can make for this exer-
cise, and you should not hesitate to make it, is to
practice seeing and describing from many stand-
points and in the role of different actors and ob-
1 68 TEACHER'S MANUAL
servers the hall and the events of the story. This
practice will make you realize what you are calling
upon the pupils to do, will enable you to assist them
sympathetically. Just as you have done, each child
must get and hold before his mind a clear-cut pic-
ture of a concrete hall. Has he one at home ; has
he seen such a hall in some house where he has
visited ; will the school corridor do ? Lest some
child may be lacking the necessary experience, try
to have at hand a good picture of a hall with clock
and other appropriate furnishings.
After a little preliminary talk with the pupils —
not too much, but just enough to give each one the
idea of what is required and to arouse interest — let
the written exercise begin. Remember, in passing
from child to child, the most delicate, yet the most
important thing for you to observe and to direct is
not correctness in the spelling of words and the use
of marks of punctuation — of course these are not to
be neglected — but each child's assumed point of
view, his mental picture, and his efforts and success
in seeing and describing the picture and events in
his own mind.
The same thought should guide you in directing
the correction of the pupils' stories. The exercise
is not designed to teach anything new in form ; it is
the material, the handling of the material, that is
different from anything previously taught. On this
phase of the exercise attention should be chiefly con-
POSSESSIVES 169
centrated, without, of course, overlooking mistakes
in form. As in all other correcting exercises, the
pupil must be helped to make his own corrections.
For instance, if he has undertaken to tell the story
from the standpoint of the big mouse, and has told
it really from the standpoint of the moon — as in the
original — he has evidently failed really to assume
the part of the big mouse, to enter into it sympa-
thetically. He must be helped to do this ; merely
indicating the verbal changes that should be made
in his story will do no good — that does not touch
the real difficulty. When the child gets into the
right attitude, he will see for himself what changes
his story requires. Probably a full period — the one
following that of the writing exercise — will be re-
quired to complete the correcting of the stories.
The exercise is worth the double period ; the cor-
recting must not be slighted.
Supplementary Work
Exercises 6, 7, and 8, Chapter Twelve, furnish
material for several stories. For further suggestions
regarding such use of this material, see pp. 264-266.
VII (151). Possessives
Study this lesson with the pupils. Have them
explain all the possessives in the story, Toms Escape,
accounting for the apostrophe and s as directed in
their book. If thought advisable, they may also
170 TEACHER'S MANUAL
account for capitals and punctuation used in the
story. The written part of the exercise should be
examined as written, and necessary corrections made
at once.
Supplementary Work
Have the story, Toms Escape, written from dic-
tation.
In having this exercise carefully corrected, as
it must be to be of value, require pupils invariably
to give reasons for corrections and then to make
them. (See pp. 48, 116, 117.) To illustrate, sup-
pose a pupil has written Toms in the first sentence.
Direct the pupil's attention to this word. If he does
not see his mistake at once, ask, " What belongs to
Tom ? " (Pupil's answer; " heart") " Then if Tom
owns or possesses something, how should Toms be
written?" (Pupil's answer: "There should be an
apostrophe before s, because Tom's is a possessive.")
VIII (153). Unstudied Dictation
Dictate the following exercise. It will test the
pupils' power to write the possessive form correctly.
It will also review the writing of the days of the
week. Have pupils correct their work immedi-
ately, giving reasons for each correction.
Monday's child is fair of face.
Tuesday's child is full of grace.
Wednesday's child is the child of woe.
Thursday's child has far to go.
STUDYING A POEM 171
Friday's child is loving and giving.
Saturday's child works hard for a living.
The child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is good and bonny and wise and gay.
IX (153). Studying a Poem
To make this lesson thoroughly successful and
profitable you must prepare yourself for it. You
must be able to get fully into the spirit of it, to live
through with the little boy that "awful day" when
he ran away. Read it over and over — not merely
the words, but the ideas ; feel the emotions, stanza by
stanza ; make your reading express those emotions
and ideas. Thus you will prepare yourself to guide
your pupils sympathetically in the reading and
study of the poem.
The exercise with the pupils should begin with
your reading of the poem. This should be so
effective that the attention and emotion of every
child is seized at once, held and led along, stanza
by stanza, in sympathy with the changing experi-
ences of the little boy. In the first stanza, when
the wind coaxes the little boy, he makes a personal
appeal ; the voice should express this appeal ; the
emphasis should be on the personal pronoun, —
" Follow me /" In the second stanza the wind has
ceased to coax, for the boy is already won. The
wind calls to him gleefully and confidently, as to a
vigorous comrade, " Follow me, follow me ! " In the
172 TEACHER'S MANUAL
third stanza the rough, violent character of the
wind appears; there is no trace of coaxing in his
voice ; he does not even speak as a comrade ; he
commands sternly, "Follow me!" The emphasis
— and it is very decided — is on the verb, follow.
As the echoing voices repeat, " Follow him ; fol-
low ! " the second follow, in imitation of the echo,
should be not less decided, but less loud than the
first. In the fourth stanza the violence of the wind
reaches a climax as he roars, " Follow me ! " but he
is now only one of the terrifying monsters that sur-
round the poor "scared, scared boy"; there is the
black cloud and the growling thunder; there is
the hooting gray owl, calling out to the boy, de-
manding who he is. In the fifth and last stanza
the scene has quite changed ; the storm has passed ;
the wind, the black cloud, the thunder, the hooting
owl, have gone ; the gentle moon looks down
kindly into the face of the chastened little boy and
asks him if he is sorry. " If I light you home to
your trundle-bed, will you stay there, will you stay,
little boy ? " she asks in a tone that every repentant
child understands.
Similarly, trace through from stanza to stanza
the change in tone required in reading the two
closing lines of each stanza. In the first and sec-
ond stanzas there is a certain impressiveness about
" that day, that day " ; it is evidently no ordinary
day to be lightly forgotten ; it is a memorable
STUDYING A POEM 173
day, but the reason for this has not yet been re-
vealed. We await expectantly and with growing
anxiety the revelation concerning that memorable
day. The third stanza discloses the true character
of the day ; it was awful. It grew more and more
awful; in the fourth stanza it is revealed as the
most awful, dread day in all the experience of one
little boy — a day that will forever stand out with-
out a rival as the dread day in all that boy's life.
In the fifth stanza, "Oh, what a day" sums up the
whole experience of that day from its joyful begin-
ning, through its awful developments, to its repent-
ant close. The reader must feel all these changes,
feel them through and through, and then he will
readily and naturally express them in his voice.
The rendering of the words of the thunder and
of the owl must, of course, be imitative. The
thunder growls deep and long, " No-0-0-0 ! " The
owl hoots, " Who (are) you-00 ! Who (are) you-oo!"
The sobbing of the boy as he says, " I'm lost away !
And I want to go home where my parents stay,"
may be produced by taking short, quick breaths.
The real reading of this poem must be through
the feelings far more than through the intellect.
The purpose in studying it, as directed through the
questions given in the pupils' book, is not primarily
that the pupil may get a mere intellectual under-
standing of the poem ; it is that he may get fully
into the spirit of it, that he may feel it. The ques-
174 TEACHER'S MANUAL
tions and the answers to them must be made to
serve this purpose, or the exercise will be a failure.
To illustrate with some of the questions on the third
stanza, it is no satisfactory answer to the second
and third questions merely to say that the trees do
not like the way the wind treats them, and that the
rivers and rills are mad ; the answers must be given
in a tone to express the pain of the trees with
twisted leaf and limb, and the foaming madness of
the rivers and rills. The illustrative reading called
for in the course of the questions must not be per-
functory, it must express fully and adequately — even
sometimes to exaggeration — the thought and feel-
ing of the passage. This is in preparation for the
expressive, continuous reading of the poem.
Although the poem is written in the past tense,
most of the questions on it are given in the present
tense. This adds to the vividness, the reality that
must be produced in the pupil's mind. He cannot
live through that " awful day " with the little boy in
the past; he must do it right now.
X (159). Dramatizing the Poem, "When the Little
Boy Ran Away"
As far as possible the children should make their
own plans, decide upon the characters, and assign
the parts for the dramatization of the story. It may
be well to read with them the suggestions and ques-
tions given in their book, Chapter One (p. 6), in
WRITING A DIALOGUE 175
preparation for a dramatization. They will readily
see the application of these questions and sugges-
tions to the present undertaking.
XI (159). Writing a Dialogue
Before the children begin to write, make sure that
they understand what they are to do. Work out
some of the dialogue with them orally. Let them
compare the beginning sentences, which have been
supplied them, with the beginning of the poem and
see why the birds and the boy are made to speak
thus. Let them give orally, under your guidance,
the exact speech of several of the characters, as out-
lined in blank in their book. See that they use the
exact words of the poem in cases where the charac-
ter speaks in the poem ; that they make the character
speak appropriately in cases where the exact words
must be supplied. They must not be told what
to make a character say; they must be helped, when
necessary, to "make up" themselves the words that
they will have the character use. For example, if
they are trying to supply the last speech of the mother
and of the boy, they may be helped in this way :
Teacher : What did his mother do?
Pupils : She welcomed the boy home.
Teacher : What did she say to show that she was glad to see
him?
Pupils : I am so glad you are home again.
Teacher: If you were that little boy, what would you say to
your mother?
176 TEACHER'S MANUAL
In the preliminary class work, to make clear to all
pupils what is to be done and how it is to be done,
do not work out the whole dialogue. If you do,
there will be too much sameness in the pupils'
written work. Leave room for each one's original-
ity; work out only enough of the parts to show
how it is to be done. As the pupils write, help
individually by question or suggestion as needed.
The exercise should be carefully corrected at this
or at the next lesson. The correction should not
be limited to the form. The appropriateness of
the speeches given to the several characters should
be considered. If well done, the dialogue will tell
a complete, connected story, without superfluous
words and with no detail necessary to its under-
standing omitted.
Supplementary Work
Exercises 8, 10, and 11, Chapter Twelve, may be
written in dialogue form.
XII (160). Finishing a Story-
Read the incomplete story with the pupils as it is
given in their book. Let it be read so well that
every one will get into the spirit of it, will make it
his own. Unless the pupil does this, he will be
unable to continue and conclude the story appro-
priately. Do not talk to the pupils as a class about
the details of the ending of the story; that will pro-
A PICTURE STORY 177
duce too much uniformity in results. Seek merely
to arouse the imagination of each one, so that each
will invent for himself an ending that he thinks
suitable.
As the children write, go about among them and
give such individual hints and suggestions as may
be necessary. Lead them to see that the story is
not finished by merely telling what the boy saw, as
"an Indian," "a bear," "his father." What hap-
pened then ? What did the boy do ? What did the
do ? What became of the boy ? Some con-
versation may well be introduced.
The endings, if really original and individual,
will show much interesting variety. They should
be read and discussed — criticized — by the class,
and the best ones determined upon.
XIII (162). A Picture Story
(Children and the cave, p. 163)
The outline for a story is given in the children's
book. After making sure that they understand
what is expected of them, let them study alone the
questions and suggestions given to them. After
they have had time to think out their stories have
some of them told orally.
Many variations from the outline given in the
pupils' book will suggest themselves, variations
which will work out into very different stories.
Following are a few of the possible variations.
1 78 TEACHER'S MANUAL
i. The children may find the cave. As they were about to
enter, perhaps they heard a noise that frightened Gretchen and
made her pull her brother back. Perhaps she said, " That cave
may be the home of a savage animal. I'm afraid." Suppose it
was a wolfs den. How might the dwarfs help the children ?
Suppose it was the owl that screeched and frightened the chil-
dren. What might happen?
Suppose the dwarfs heard Gretchen say the cave was the home
of a savage animal. They knew it was their home, and they were
sorry for the little girl. What might they say? ("Don't be
afraid, little girl. That is not the home of a savage animal. It is
our home. Come right in. No one shall harm you.")
If the children entered the cave, what would they see? [A
great room with walls of rock, lighted by what ? (A fairy ball of
crystal? Many fireflies? Many glowworms? The moon shin-
ing through an opening? A great blazing diamond? A wonder-
ful star?) In the corner of the room a heap of shining treasure
that the dwarfs had gathered — gold, silver, diamonds, emeralds,
rubies, etc.?]
If the children had wandered long in the forest they would be
tired and hungry. What might the dwarfs give them to eat?
(Things found in the woods and mountains — nuts, berries, fruits,
clear cool water, honey?) What kind of bed might they give
them? (Birds' feathers gathered by the dwarfs, soft moss, thistle-
down, rose leaves?)
Next morning would the dwarfs show the children the way
home?
Fairies usually give gifts to those who visit them. What gifts
might the dwarfs give the children as they were leaving?
2. The children may be poor and come to the forest to ask
the dwarfs to help them, knowing that the dwarfs have great
treasure. They can only see the dwarfs at night when the moon
is full. Hence their reason for being in the wood alone at night.
How might the owl have helped them? (Led them to the
dwarfs' cave? Called the dwarfs to see them?)
SUPPLEMENTARY WORK
179
Maybe the owl was the dwarfs' sentinel, keeping watch over the
cave while the dwarfs worked. Perhaps he challenged the chil-
dren, calling, "Who? Who? Who goes there?" This brought
the dwarfs up from the ground.
See the face on the tree over the cave. Perhaps the dwarfs
had it to frighten people from the cave.
The children were brave and loving. Did the dwarfs help
them? Finish the story.
3. The dwarfs might give the children some task to do, the
faithful performance of which would determine whether or not
they would help the children. What task — sorting out the
precious stones without taking one, gathering dewdrops in tiny
cups, going through the forest seeking creatures that needed their
help and giving it gladly, Gretchen to make or mend clothes for
the dwarfs or clean house, while Hans carried treasure into the
cave? How did the children perform their tasks? Did they get
what they wanted?
Supplementary Work
1. This story gives excellent material for dram-
atizing. Let the children plan and carry out the
dramatization with as little help and suggestion as
possible. (See p. 149.)
2. Let the little boy tell the story of his ex-
periences.
3. Let the little girl tell her story.
4. Have the children make other stories of selfish
boys or girls who saw the treasure that Hans and
Gretchen brought from the forest and went to see
the dwarfs. As these children were selfish, lazy, and
cruel, did the dwarfs give any help ? What did they
do?
180 TEACHER'S MANUAL
XIV (165). Writing a Story
Before allowing the children to write answers to
the questions given in their books, have them answer
the questions orally in complete statements that
will make a connected whole. This does not mean
that each question should be answered by one state-
ment. For example, the third question from the
end, " What did these people do for them ? " may be
answered completely with one sentence, or several
sentences may be used. For instance, the answer
may be: "The dwarfs let the children stay in their
cave all night." Or it may be : " The dwarfs took
the children into their cave. They showed them
all their treasure. After they had given the children
something to eat, they showed them two little beds.
Here the children slept until morning."
XV (165). More Picture Stories
(The child and the brownie, p. 166.)
The center of interest in this story is in the con-
tents of the casket. What gift does it hold? A
fairy gift must be different from ordinary gifts. It
may be :
1. Money — money that never gives out.
2. A purse — one that will never be empty.
3. Shoes or any clothing — that will never wear out.
4. Food — always a fresh supply.
5. A magic tablecloth. (Say, "Spread," and a dainty re-
past will be ready ; " Away," and it will fold itself inside the box.)
MORE PICTURE STORIES 181
6. A bottle of magic water that will make the sick well, the
sad happy, the sorrowful glad.
7. A fairy ring. (Turn ring and wish; if the wish is good
it will come true ; if foolish, ring will tighten on finger ; if bad,
ring will fall from the hand and roll away.)
8. A fairy wand.
9. A wishing airship — one that takes a person wherever he
wishes to go.
10. A bird that makes the most wonderful music — music
that makes every one who hears it happy.
n. A cloak or hat that makes one invisible.
12. A magic sword.
13. A key that will open all doors.
14. A spinning wheel that spins threads of gold.
15. A tiny tree that bears a golden acorn every day.
16. A magic seed from which grows a wonderful plant.
The above are a few of the gifts that children
have found in the casket. Your children will find
others, as well as, perhaps, some of these.
The gift and the use that can be made of it, the
use that the child and her mother do make of it, will
determine the ending of the story.
For supplementary work the children can make
other stories telling what the child did with her
gift.
The questions in the children's book suggest
varied answers which they should be encouraged to
give. Let them study the lesson by themselves in
preparation for the oral telling of the story ; you
need help them only in selecting a suitable fairy
gift.
182 TEACHER'S MANUAL
XVI (169). Writing Stories
Have children finish the story orally before writ-
ing the ending. Let each child choose for himself
the story, as begun in his book, which he will finish ;
or let any one who will, write a complete story from
the beginning.
XVII (170). A Fairy Wish
Let the children write the answer to the question
of the lesson entirely without help. Have a few of
their papers read, compared, and discussed by the
children.
The comparison and discussion should be so
directed as to bring out the merits of the papers,
particularly respecting the wisdom and originality
of the wish.
Supplementary Work
Have each child find a picture that tells a story —
that tells a story to him. Most pupils will bring a
picture from home. Some through carelessness,
indifference, or on account of home conditions will
fail to bring any. Therefore, the teacher, with the
help of those who can get a supply at home, should
make a collection of pictures and keep them in a
box or a drawer that is easily accessible to the chil-
dren. Good pictures can be found in magazines,
old copies of which can often be procured at the
SUPPLEMENTARY WORK 183
reading rooms of public libraries. Some advertise-
ments are good.
Tell the children, the day before the lesson is to be
given, that they are to come with a picture that tells
them a story and that each may show his picture to
the class and tell the children the story he finds in
it. Let those who cannot get a picture at home, or
who have failed to bring one, select one from the
teacher's collection. Do not select a picture for a
child ; let the child choose one that speaks to him.
Let children tell their stories, helping them to
get them into good form. Then have them write
the stories and mount their pictures on their cor-
rected, copied papers.
CHAPTER EIGHT
A study of the work of this chapter, which should
be made before taking it up with the children, will
show that it involves the continued use in varied
ways of all the knowledge and power that pupils
have acquired in their previous work.
Its one large step in advance — and it is a most signifi-
cant one — consists in the critical analysis and study of
typical fables to learn their nature, content, purpose, and
the way they are made.
This study serves as the basis of the children's
first efforts at making original fables.
1(171). A Study of Fables
The most fundamental thing in the teaching of
language is not form, but material. The pupils
mind must be richly stored, not with material that
is foreign, that he carries about with him undigested
as a burden, but with material that he has assimi-
lated, that has become a part of his very life. The
mental life of the child, if it is to grow rich and
deep, broad and strong, craves and must be pro-
vided with material of greatest variety ; it needs the
concrete facts of observation; it needs the ideas
184
A STUDY OF FABLES 185
that are born of the comparison of facts ; it needs
equally the fanciful, poetic, mysterious, magic, won-
derful ideas that feed the imagination ; it needs no
less the varied stimuli that exercise and develop the
feelings, the emotions, and the will.
Fables, the earliest form of literature originating
in the childhood of the race, never fail to interest
the children of all races and of every succeeding
generation. Some of their most obvious character-
istics which make them universally interesting are
these: they are concrete; they are brief; they are
easily and fully comprehensible ; they are pointed ;
they deal with those elementary, universal notions
and feelings of right and wrong, of justice, of sim-
ple wisdom and shrewdness, on which our civilized
life has been built up ; they teach an easily under-
stood lesson with almost the force and conviction
of a personal experience. On account of these
characteristics, which are within the ready recogni-
tion of the eight- or nine-year-old child, and on
account of the interest which they invariably arouse,
fables form the best avenue of approach to the prac-
tical understanding of the production of real litera-
ture ; they afford the best early lessons for the
child — as they have already done for the race —
in producing real literature. With such initiation
into the simple secrets of the construction of fables
as the first and succeeding lessons of this chapter
in the pupils' book give, children readily become
186 TEACHER'S MANUAL
eager to try their hands at the writing of fables.
And when they really succeed, as almost all chil-
dren can, in writing very creditable fables, often-
times fables that will bear favorable comparison
with the classic ones of the books, it is an invaluable
experience for them, a wonderful achievement in
the process of learning really to use ideas and lan-
guage in the creation of literature. They begin to
see what real use they can make of language. They
are invariably enthusiastic in the use of their new-
born power — they want to write fables and still
more fables, to make whole books of fables.
This is the teacher's opportunity not merely to
train the pupil in the effective expression of his own
ideas, but equally in the use of correct form. How?
Very easily. First of all, enter heartily into the
enthusiasm of your pupils. They want to write
fables; you must want them to write fables.
They want to make books of fables — class books,
group books, individual books ; you want them
to make such books. They want to write fables
as good as, or better than, the printed fables in
their books; you want them to write such superior
fables. And all that you have to do is to help
them and guide them sympathetically, apprecia-
tively, in their efforts. It will not now be neces-
sary to beat into them with endless repetitions a
few correct language forms and a few words for
the enrichment of their vocabularies ; they are in a
A STUDY OF FABLES 187
position to appreciate the value of correct forms and
of appropriate words ; they want to know what such
forms and words are because they want to use
them ; they want them for what they really are —
they want them as means to an end in which they
are interested. A single use of a language form or
of a new word under such conditions is more effec-
tive than scores of formal, uninteresting repetitions.
Similarly, information that the pupil needs to use —
and no little information is necessary to the writing
of good fables — is grasped and assimilated through
use most effectively.
After you have helped your children sympatheti-
cally to study the first lesson in their books, to which
two periods may well be devoted, they should under-
stand at least these three simple characteristics of
fables, that usually they are short stories, that they
are about animals, and that each teaches some lesson
about conduct. It may be of interest to them to
know the probable reason why fables are usually
about animals.
In the long ago when fables originated, men lived
in much closer relations to the various beasts of
forest and field than they do to-day ; they knew the
beasts then — knew them as friends, enemies, rivals
— much more intimately than we do to-day. They
were impressed with the peculiarities of the different
beasts, the busyness of the bee, the slyness of the fox,
the boldness of the lion, the timidity and fleetness of
188 TEACHER'S MANUAL
the deer ; they spoke of these peculiarities, exagger-
ated them, and told stories illustrating them. These
stories were the early fables. Later fables, based on
the older ones, continued to use animals as their
chief characters.
The lessons of some fables are not easy to state.
Hence the first ones chosen for study with the children
should teach lessons not too difficult to formulate in
words. The keenest insight and the most skillful
work of the teacher is required at this point. She
must help her pupils to see, to understand and to
feel the lesson, and she must help them to express
it effectively in good language. Such help does not
consist in telling them what the lesson is ; if trrey
cannot be led to grasp it without telling, they can
hardly understand the telling of it. No more does
such help consist in formulating the lesson for them
in language. The skillful help demanded consists
here — as almost everywhere else — in getting the
pupil to do all he possibly can for himself and in
doing the least that will suffice for him. He must
think for himself — and think earnestly — what the
lesson of a fable is, he must summon the best lan-
guage at his command in his effort to express that
lesson. When he has done this, he is in the best
possible condition to appreciate the bit of help that
the teacher may give, to receive and make his own
the word or turn of phrase that the teacher may
suggest.
THE FABLE ABOUT THE WISE BOAR 189
You will note that the grasp of the lesson of a
fable consists in seeing a general truth in a concrete
embodiment — a mental process of some difficulty,
but a process which is fundamental to growth in
mental power, in capacity to think. Hence, in the
study of fables as here suggested, the child is not
merely learning words and the correct use of them
in writing, he is not merely "making up " stories, an
exercise that narrow, shortsighted, falsely self-styled
"practical 3S people are inclined to disapprove, he is
developing mental fiber and alertness, he is using and
so strengthening his power to think, an exercise that
too many pupils in all grades of schools — for reasons
that cannot be here discussed — altogether miss.
Most of the fables whose lessons the pupils are
asked in their book to state have already been given
and studied. Any that they may not have clearly
in mind should be told, either by you or by pupils
who are familiar with them.
Supplementary Work
Have pupils read fables numbered 1, 2, 3, 10, and
11, in Chapter Twelve (p. 276), and try to tell the
lesson that each one teaches.
II (174). The Study of the Fable, "The Wise Boar"
In this and similar study lessons the teacher
should conduct the work in a way to enlist the
active attention and effort of every child and to
i 9 o TEACHER'S MANUAL
accomplish the most possible in a given time. This
means not merely efficiency in the study of a given
lesson, but, what is more important, it means prac-
tice in forming the habit in every pupil of concen-
tration and efficient work. It is not usually consist-
ent with efficient treatment of a study exercise like
the one under discussion to allow one child to answer
questions at length, for instance all questions on a
topic. It is far better to have a large number of
children answer a question each and in order. For
example, the study of the second paragraph of the
fable, The Wise Boar (p. 176), might well be some-
thing like this.
First Pupil : Reads paragraph.
Second Pupil : Tells number of sentences in it.
Third Pupil: Tells why A is a capital letter.
Fourth Pupil : Tells why the comma is used.
Fifth Pupil: Tells where and why quotation marks are used.
Sixth Pupil: Tells why Why begins with a capital letter.
Seventh Pupil: Tells where and why the question mark is used.
Eighth Pupil: Tells why There begins with a capital letter.
Ninth Pupil: Tells where and why the period is used.
Here nine children take part in the recitation,
and it should not consume more than two or three
minutes. Not a moment should be wasted by the
teacher in unnecessary talk or comment. If the
pupils are allowed to recite in order, standing a row
at a time, it will be quite unnecessary to call them
by name and still more unnecessary to deliberate
about who shall be called upon.
TELLING ORIGINAL FABLES 191
III (176). Writing a Fable from Dictation
Without further study dictate the fable, The Wise
Boar. The purpose of this dictation is to fix the
model form of a fable in preparation for the telling
and writing of original fables which are called for in
following lessons.
In correcting their papers with the pupils —
which should immediately follow the dictation —
pay especial attention to the mechanical arrange-
ment of their work.
Keep pupils' papers until after Section V, then
put the papers of the two lessons together.
IV (176). Telling Original Fables
See that the children understand what is ex-
pected of them. Do not approve or even allow to
pass a fable that does not teach the same lesson that
the model fable teaches ; the offering of such a
fable indicates that its author does not fully under-
stand the model fable and what is expected of him.
Encourage the children to model their fables as
closely as they can on the type fable. Make the
exercise alive ; see that every one is wide awake and
thinking earnestly and quickly. As pupils are
ready, have them tell their fables in rapid succes-
sion ; a dozen may be told in a few minutes. Let
each child, when he tells his fable, come to the front
of the room, face the class, and speak distinctly and
loud enough to be heard by all.
192 TEACHER'S MANUAL
Keep the children's fables brief; allow the use of
no more words than are needed to tell the story.
Stop at once all such verbose utterances as this:
"Once upon a time there was a little boy. He was
sharpening his skates. It was a rainy day and he
could not go skating." If the pupil reciting does
not at once see the mistake he is making, refer him
to the opening sentences of The Wise Boar and The
Fisherman and His Nets, Let him study these
carefully until he is able to put his three wordy sen-
tences into one, about like this : " One rainy day a
boy was sharpening his skates."
V ( 1 79). Writing an Original Fable
See that the pupils do exactly as directed in their
book.
There are many characteristics of a lesson like
this which make it admirably adapted to fourth-
grade pupils. The requirements are definite and
easily understood. They have a model to lean upon
and to imitate ; at the same time there is demand
for a little originality, a little invention, and oppor-
tunity for considerable. Thus, while the exercise is
within the capacity of the slowest, most common-
place mind, it invites the fullest use of the quickest
and the most original thought. Finally, the exercise
is brief, must be brief to be good, and so can be
completed and corrected in a short time.
SUPPLEMENTARY WORK 193
The correcting should be most conscientiously
done ; it is in the correcting that the pupil learns
what he did not know before. See that each pupil
does as directed before offering his fable to you for
your judgment and assistance, that is, that he study
it carefully by himself and make such improvements
in it as he can. In your correcting of the fables with
the children, direct attention not merely to the words
and forms, but especially to the thought and the more
general method of its expression. Is the thought
clear and logical, and so expressed ? Does the fable
teach the desired lesson clearly and pointedly ? Is
every thought expressed wholly relevant ? Is it ex-
pressed in the most concise, . effective paragraphs,
sentences, and words that the author can use ?
In trying to get pupils to correct such defects as
these questions suggest, it will do no good to talk
to them in the abstract terms in which these ques-
tions are expressed ; they cannot understand such
language. Simply refer them to the type fables;
direct their attention to the characteristics of the
type fables which their fables lack ; then they can
understand, for you bring the matter to them in the
concrete.
Supplementary Work
I. Pupils may write one or more additional fables
teaching the same lesson as those already studied
and written. Each one may take for his title one
of the subjects given (p. 1 j8), or an original subject.
194 TEACHER'S MANUAL
Probably many pupils in the class, with a little en-
couragement, will voluntarily write a considerable
number of fables outside of school.
2. With fable No. 10, Chapter Twelve, as a
model, children may write original fables teaching
the same lesson as that taught by The Wolf arid
the Goat. (See Manual, p. 267.)
3. Let pupils write as many titles as they can on
which they think fables might be written, teaching
the same lesson as The Wise Boar teaches.
VI (180). The Wise Judge: A Story to be Read and
Studied
Read the story through with the children. In
the suggested conversation and discussion that is to
follow, encourage the children to speculate freely,
but intelligently, regarding the judge's acts and
motives — a splendid opportunity for the exercise of
intelligent imagination. Perhaps the judge was
familiar with the goldsmith's shop, knew that the
ceiling was low and covered with dust and cobwebs,
and hence surmised that the thief would probably
brush off some on his fez. Perhaps the judge had
visited the shop during the day, had seen a place
where the dust and cobwebs had been recently
brushed away and guessed that it was done by the
thief. Perhaps he suspected who the thief was and
took this means of making sure. Possibly he even
knew the thief all the time and acted and talked as
DRAMATIZING "THE WISE JUDGE" 195
he did merely to impress the people with his wis-
dom. Perhaps he knew nothing about the thief, or
dust and cobwebs ; perhaps no one had cobwebs on
his fez ; perhaps the guilty one instinctively tried —
as the shrewd judge hoped he would do — to remove
from his fez the suggested evidence. of his guilt.
Perhaps — but the children, with encouragement
and skillful suggestion, will offer an indefinite num-
ber of possible explanations.
See that the pupils understand what is meant by
the word fez, then see that they use it freely in
conversation and in dramatizing.
Let children study alone the questions and sug-
gestions in preparation for the dramatizing. But if
you can give a few minutes to it just before the
actual dramatizing, let different children tell what
might be the words used by the thief, the judge, and
the people in those places where these must be sup-
plied by the pupil.
VII (185). Dramatizing "The Wise Judge"
Preliminary to the actual, free dramatizing of the
story, read it through with the children, you or
one of the pupils reading the narrative parts while
pupils, as directed, read the conversational parts.
As these pupils read, let them dramatize with
books in their hands, moving from place to place as
the action requires, making appropriate gestures
and reading from their books.
196 TFACHER'S MANUAL
Let the pupils now choose the actors for the sev-
eral parts and carry out the dramatization freely
with as little help from you as possible. After their
production has been discussed and improvements
suggested, let other pupils dramatize the story again,
trying to make the suggested improvements.
Supplementary Work
Let the story be reproduced orally.
VIII (185). Study of a Fable in Dialogue Form
Study this story with the children. Aim to
secure from them concise, connected, relevant state-
ments, each one advancing the story toward its
climax and completion. This will make the whole
story brief, as it should be.
Use the word parenthesis, that is introduced into
the pupils' book, freely as occasion requires, and see
that the children use it. In this way they will
quickly learn without formal lesson or definition
what the parenthesis is and its use. See what is
said about the use of the terms sentence (p. 47) and
paragraph (p. 159).
After the children have worked out and told the
story under your guidance, tell it to them yourself,
carefully observing the characteristics that you have
been working for — conciseness, brevity, point.
Your story may be something like this:
WRITING A STORY FROM A DIALOGUE 197
The Man and the Satyr
One night a man who was lost in the woods found the cave of
a satyr.
" I am cold and hungry," he said. " May I rest here for the
night? "
" Come right in," said the satyr. " You are welcome."
The man entered the cave. As his fingers were still numb
with the cold, he blew upon them with his warm breath.
" Why do you do that? " asked the satyr.
"To warm my fingers," answered the man.
Soon the satyr gave the man some broth. As the broth was
very hot, the man took some up in his spoon and blew upon it.
"Why do you do that?" asked the satyr. "Is the broth too
cold?"
" It is too hot and I am cooling it," replied the man.
" Get out of my cave at once," cried the satyr. " I will have
no man here who blows hot and cold with the same breath."
So saying, he drove the man out into the night.
Supplementary Work
Let the children turn Exercise 7, Chapter Twelve,
into narrative form (p. 265).
IX (188). Writing a Story from a Dialogue
As soon as children begin writing, pass from desk
to desk and see that each one is doing as his book
directs. Be particularly careful to see that they are
stopping at the end of each sentence to ask them-
selves the question that their book tells them to ask.
This is most important. In asking themselves this
question they are not only drilling themselves most
198 TEACHER'S MANUAL
effectively in the correct writing of quotations ; they
are also learning to write consciously in sentences,
getting the feeling for the sentence, the sentence
sense.
X (188). Picture Stories
(The three doors, p. 189)
Let the children study the lesson in their books
and write the part under (i) before discussing the
picture or story with them. Have their papers read
and discussed. Which are best? (Those that are
most convincing, most reasonable.) Talk over-
other ways of setting the princess free — ways that
may be suggested by pupils' papers or that may
have occurred to you. The following ideas may be
suggestive.
1. On the way to the doors the prince may have turned aside
to spare some tiny insect, who, to repay him for his kindness,
discovers the right room for him, either by creeping through
keyholes or crevices of doors, or by calling to his relatives, the
poisonous insects, to give him the information.
2. The prince may open the door into the lion's den. The
huge beast may spring toward him, — but stop to lick his feet.
When only a cub, this lion was rescued by the prince, a kindness
that he remembers. He gladly tells the prince which room the
princess occupies.
3. The prince may water the rose when all but withered, re-
move a caterpillar that is destroying the blossoms, or drive away
a fierce animal who is about to uproot the bush. In return the
rose tells him which door to open.
4. A fairy — one whom the prince has helped, or his fairy god-
mother — may help him in any of the following ways: (a) by
SUPPLEMENTARY WORK 199
giving him a cloak that will make him invisible, so that if he opens
the wrong door the inmates cannot harm him ; (b) by giving him
a magic glass with which he can see through wood and stone ;
(<r) by giving him a musical instrument, the tones of which will
cause a deep sleep to fall on all who hear it ; (d) by teaching him
some magic word by which he can turn anything or anybody to
stone ; (e) by giving him a charm that will make every creature
love him.
Study questions under (2) with the children.
Who shut the princess in the castle ? Why ? (An
ogre who ruled in her father's place and wanted her
out of the way ? A witch who had not been invited
to the christening of the princess and sought to be
revenged ? Her father who wanted to make sure
she would marry a man who was brave and kind,
for the prince who succeeded by his own powers
must be brave, and only he who was kind and good
could have the help of the fairies ? A fairy, to
punish the princess for her pride or unkindness to
insects and beasts ?)
Help the children to make a complete story.
Supplementary "Work
Have children write the princess's story. It might
begin something like this:
I am the princess Maydew. For many years I was shut up in
a palace by . I was told that there I must stay until a prince
opened the door and set me free. To make his task as hard as
possible — (the three rooms with similar locks).
(Vivid description of her feelings as prince after prince tried.)
(The coming of the right prince.)
200 TEACHER'S MANUAL
XI (191). More Picture Stories
(The chained prisoners, p. 192)
Let the children think out the ideas for their
stories alone by studying the picture and answering
to themselves the questions under (i). When they
have done this and before they write their stories,
talk their ideas over with them, helping them to
arrange them in good story form. Let this be done
in such a way that each child will understand that
it is his own ideas that he is to put into story form,
not the ideas of other children. The success with
which you handle this rather difficult matter will be
shown in the variety and originality of the written
stories.
XII (193). A Poem to Read and Study-
Before taking up the study of this poem with the
children, make yourself thoroughly familiar with the
suggestions for its study given in the pupils' book.
In preparation for reading the poem to the children,
which should be the beginning of its study with
them, practice reading it until you can bring out
with your voice all the beauty and meaning of it.
Suitably rendered, there is nothing in it difficult for
children to understand and appreciate.
If at the end of the study the children have not
clear mental pictures of the various scenes described
and suggested in the poem, if they are not filled
MEMORIZING A POEM 201
with the beauty and the rhythm of the poetry, then
the study has not been a success. Find out why it
failed ; you will certainly not find the cause of the
failure in the incapacity or irresponsiveness of the
children.
XIII (198). Copying the Poem, "Little Blue Pigeon"
Before having the poem copied go over it with
the children, studying with them the use of each
dash as their book directs.
Pupils should be trained to be observant and
critical, to notice and seek an explanation for every
mark new to them. To satisfy this demand we
give them this simple explanation of the use of the
dash in this place. It is quite unnecessary and would
be confusing to the children to try to teach them
all the uses of the dash at this time. Other uses of
the dash will be explained as their work calls for
these uses.
Pass from desk to desk to see if pupils are cor-
recting their own work as their book directs. Make
constant effort to get them into the habit of self-
correction ; it is a most important habit for them to
form.
XIV (199). Memorizing the Poem, "Little Blue Pigeon"
After the pupils have been given a few minutes
in which to study the stanzas they may select to
learn, call on them to recite their stanzas. Call for
202 TEACHER'S MANUAL
the stanzas in order. Who has learned the first
stanza ? If no one has memorized this stanza, read
it to the children. Call for each succeeding stanza,
reading any that no one has memorized so as to
keep the complete poem in the children's minds.
Hearing the different stanzas recited or read re-
peatedly, most of the children will soon be able,
with little or no further conscious study, to repeat
the whole poem. All should learn it entire, study-
ing wherever and as much as necessary. (For
further directions and suggestions regarding the
memorizing of poetry, see pages 86 and 137.)
Insist that the meaning and the beauty of the
stanzas be brought out as fully as possible at every
repetition ; there is no value in merely repeating
the words.
Keep all poems memorized fresh in pupils' minds
by occasional repetition. In a few odd moments
from time to time — moments which might other-
wise be wasted — several pupils can repeat the
poems that they like best.
CHAPTER NINE
Before taking up this chapter with the children
study it thoroughly to appreciate the way in which
all the main ideas of previous chapters are further
developed, and the forms already learned are kept in
constant review through use.
The new work presented is as follows :
1. Exclamations and the use of the exclamation mark.
2. The use of the comma with a noun of direct address.
3. The names of the months, their origin and meaning;
learning to write them in full and abbreviated.
4. The writing of dates.
5. The writing of the names of holidays.
I (200). "What Frightened the Animals." — The Use
of the Exclamation Mark; the Use of the Comma
with Noun of Direct Address
First read the story with the children. Let it be
read so well that the children can readily under-
stand what is meant when their book tells them
(p. 204) that "an exclamation mark is placed after
every sentence expressing sudden strong feeling."
The story contains two new forms of punctuation
that must stand as types to the pupils: (1) the use
of commas to separate the name of the person ad-
203
204 TEACHER'S MANUAL
dressed from the rest of the sentence ; (2) the use
of the exclamation mark after a sentence that ex-
presses strong or sudden feeling. See that pupils
thoroughly master these type forms.
Supplementary "Work
Give pupils an exercise in looking through familiar
selections in their reading books to find as many
places as possible where the comma and the ex-
clamation mark are used as in the type forms ex-
plained in this lesson. Of course suitable selections
must be assigned for this exercise.
II (204). A Copying Exercise to Give Practice in the
Uses of the Exclamation Mark and the Comma
Learned in the Last Lesson
Work with the pupils and show them how to com-
pare their copies with the original and how to correct
their own mistakes. The habit of such comparison
and correction is not only invaluable to the pupil,
it will save you and all the pupil's future teachers an
immense amount of unnecessary work and drudgery.
This habit cannot be too early nor too firmly estab-
lished.
III (204). Studied Dictation to Give Further Practice
in Uses of Exclamation Mark and Comma
Allow pupils two or three minutes to look carefully
through the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and nth para-
graphs of the story, What Frightened the Animals.
STUDIED DICTATION
205
See that they understand clearly why they are look-
ing over these paragraphs — that they may be able
to write them correctly in all respects, particularly
in the use of the exclamation mark and the new use
of the comma that they have been studying in the
last two lessons.
Dictate these paragraphs, — by complete sentences
only. (See p. 145.)
Be careful about the correction of the pupils'
papers ; this is the most important part of the ex-
ercise. If a pupil has omitted a comma to separate
the name of the person addressed from the rest of
the sentence, question and direct as follows:
Who is speaking?
To whom?
Show me the name of the person addressed.
How should the name of the person addressed be separated
from the rest of the sentence ?
Do it!
If a pupil has omitted the exclamation mark, read
the quotation which precedes the omitted mark,
showing distinctly by your voice what feeling is
expressed, then ask and direct :
What sudden strong feeling does the animal show?
(Pupil's answer : fear)
What mark is used after a sentence that shows sudden strong
feeling, like fear?
(Pupil's answer : An exclamation mark)
Make it!
206 TEACHER'S MANUAL
IV (204). Unstudied Dictation to Test Use of Excla-
mation Mark and Comma
" Grandmother, what long arms you have ! " cried the little girl.
" The better to hug you, my dear," said the wolf.
" Grandmother, what long ears you have ! "
" The better to hear you, my dear."
Dictate the above extract from Little Red Riding
Hood, first reminding the children of the main events
of the story that precede this dictation. In dictat-
ing, make your voice and expression consistent with
the use of the exclamation mark. If you merely
dictate the words of Little Red Riding Hood, with-
out feeling, the pupil is right if he uses a comma to
separate the quotation from the rest of the sentence,
and you are wrong if you consider this an error.
Before dictating, call to the pupils' minds the two
points which the dictation is primarily to test, some-
thing as follows. Read the quotation in the first
sentence of the dictation with appropriate expression
and ask and have answered the following questions:
What feeling does this sentence express?
What mark must be placed after it?
Who is addressed ?
What mark must be used with the name of the person addressed?
Where is this mark to be placed in this sentence ?
If you think necessary, talk over every sentence of
the dictation in this way before it is given. Antici-
pate errors.
UNSTUDIED DICTATION
207
If the results of this dictation indicate that the
pupils need further drill on the uses of the exclama-
tion mark and the comma, write on the board the
extract dictated, together with the remainder of the
conversation between the wolf and Little Red Riding
Hood, and have the children study each sentence
aloud as they did in the first lesson of this chapter.
The remainder of the conversation is as follows:
" Grandmother, what great eyes you have ! "
"The better to see you, my dear."
" Grandmother, what big teeth you have ! "
"The better to eat you, my dear."
In their reading of the sentences, as in your dicta-
tion of them, the pupils should be required to read
those followed by an exclamation mark in a way to
justify that mark, even though they are reading but
the single sentence. Failure so to read an exclama-
tory sentence is failure to read the sentence correctly
just as much as would be the omission or the mis-
calling of words. Just as a word correctly and
thoughtfully pronounced is half spelled, so a sentence
correctly and thoughtfully spoken is half written.
After the study dictate the complete extract writ-
ten on the board.
Correct papers with the pupils, leading each one to
discover his own errors and requiring each one to
tell what he should have written and to make the
necessary corrections. Conduct the correcting ex-
ercise as directed in the last lesson.
208 TEACHER'S MANUAL
Supplementary Work
Exercises 1 1 and 12, Chapter Twelve, may be used
in studied dictation to test the use of the comma with
a noun of direct address.
V (205). The Months and Their Abbreviations
The pupils should need little or no help in the
study of this lesson. After they have had time to
prepare it, have them write from dictation the names
of the months and their abbreviations. Preceding
the dictation, question them regarding the way these
are to be written ; that is, the use of capitals and
period. It would be well also to have some of the
more difficult names, such as February and August,
spelled orally. In dictating pronounce each name
very distinctly and have pupils pronounce it after
you before writing.
VI (206). Writing the Names of Holidays
Before the pupils write the sentences as they are
required to do, go over the lesson with them orally,
calling for sentences which tell the month in which
each holiday falls. Get as much variety as possible
in these sentences. Following are several different
and natural forms.
The first of January is New Year's Day.
Lincoln's Birthday comes in February.
Washington's Birthday is also a February holiday.
Labor Day comes early in September.
Christmas comes late in December.
WRITING DATES 209
Variety in the oral sentences will prepare pupils
for writing varied sentences, which they should be
encouraged to do. Do not allow the abbreviations
of the names of the months in these sentences. Be-
fore they write, direct attention to the apostrophe in
the names of three of the holidays and ask why it is
used.
As always, the correction with the pupils of their
written work must be carefully done. Any errors in
writing the names of the holidays or of the months
the pupils should discover for themselves by compar-
ing their work with these names as they are given
in this and in the preceding lesson of their book.
VII (206). Writing Dates
Study the lesson with the children in preparation
for their copying of the dates as directed. Help
them to answer the question asked about the dates
1 73 2 ^ 1 775? an d 1776. See that they notice the
period after each complete date. If no question is
•raised, it will not be necessary to make any explana-
tion of this, simply requiring that it be copied cor-
rectly. Should there be now or in the later writing
of dates any indication that pupils think a period
belongs after the year of every date, it should be
explained that in dates written as these are, or in
the date at the beginning of a letter, each date is
really a sentence and is followed by a period simply
on that account.
210 TEACHER'S MANUAL
The names of the months are given in full in the
pupils' book, and they should be required to copy
them in full rather than to write the abbreviations.
This will fix the spelling, and it will prepare them
for the next use of dates that their work will re-
quire ; namely, in the writing of friendly letters, in
which the full name of the month is better form than
the abbreviation. In the dating of papers in all
school work have pupils use the abbreviations of the
months, and see that they write them correctly.
Supplementary Work
i. Have several dates written from dictation.
2. Dictate easy sentences containing dates.
VIII (207). My Birthday: Original Written Com-
position
This is the first time that purely original com-
position work has been required. While such work
might have been done much earlier, and probably
with a fair degree of success by most pupils, it has
been deferred until this time for the purpose of al-
lowing time and practice to fix as habits some of the
most common conventional forms before requiring
the pupil to do work in which he should be free to
devote his attention and thought mainly to the con-
tent rather than the form.
This exercise will prepare pupils somewhat for
the writing of friendly letters, a subject which will
soon be taken up.
ORIGINAL WRITTEN COMPOSITION 211
Have no class discussion of the exercise — this
will tend to produce sameness and monotony rather
than originality and variety in the pupils' work —
but go from desk to desk, as pupils think and write,
and help individually by questions and suggestions
adapted to each one. The chief thing to impress
upon each one is that he write something that will
be really interesting
Perhaps some children will have great difficulty
in making a beginning. Such might be questioned
somewhat as follows :
When is your birthday?
What would you like best to do at that time?
(The season will determine many things that can be done to
best advantage.)
Is there any place you would like to visit?
Whom would'you like to go with you?
What would you do there?
What would you like for birthday presents ?
If you had some money given you for a birthday present, how
would you spend it?
Would you like to have a birthday party? Where would you
like to hold it? Whom would you invite? What would you do
to entertain your guests ?
Such questions as these and many others that
will suggest themselves cannot fail to start any
child thinking. But perhaps this will not always
be sufficient; perhaps with the mind full of inter-
esting things to write, some children's difficulty may
consist in the actual putting on paper of the first
212 TEACHER'S MANUAL
sentences. Do not hesitate to give such just the
help and all the help they need. This is much
better than scolding or prodding or leaving them to
flounder helpless and discouraged and finally mark-
ing their exercise a failure. A failure under such
conditions should be charged up to the teacher
rather than to the pupil.
Helping a pupil in the condition described to
make a beginning will often suffice to turn an im-
minent failure into a decided success. Perhaps the
beginning needed is as simple as this:
My birthday comes on March 16. If I could do just as I
would like on that day, I would —
IX (208). How the Months Were Named: a Study and
"Writing Exercise
This is a lesson for you to talk over with the
pupils, explain to them, and make as interesting as
possible. It is not at all necessary that pupils
commit to memory by formal study the sources of
the months' names nor the Indians' way of des-
ignating months or "moons." The lesson will
serve to build up about the names of the months
interesting associations, which the pupil may use
in speech or writing on occasion. Should he forget
some of the facts here given him, he will know
where to turn for them.
MEMORIZING QUOTATIONS 213
X (210). A Written Exercise on the Months
The written work required of pupils should be
discussed and corrected with them individually, so
far as possible while they write.
XI (210). Study of Quotations about the Months
The quotations given for the different months
have been selected with great care. Each one is
especially appropriate; it not only expresses the
most characteristic associations of the month to
which it refers, but it awakens as well intimate
feelings to which that month's experiences have
given birth. To realize the full worth of these
selections they must be read — read intimately,
deeply, sympathetically, expressively, effectively.
Read them over and over with the children, try-
ing with each reading to bring out more and more
of the meaning. As an aid to the reading, study
the selections as the questions in the pupils' book
suggest. Several lesson periods may be profitably
devoted to this chapter.
XII (217). Memorizing Quotations
Before the pupils begin studying the quotations
to memorize them, find out which one each has
chosen to memorize. See that every quotation is
taken by at least one pupil. Have each pupil read
his chosen quotation aloud to you, so that you can
214 TEACHER'S MANUAL
determine whether he fully appreciates its meaning
and feeling. Read it to him if necessary.
Keep these quotations in review by calling for a
repetition of them from time to time. Call for them
by months, having some pupil respond who has
learned the quotation for the month called. If the
quotations are well rendered at each exercise of this
kind, in a surprisingly short time you will find that
most of the pupils can repeat most of the quotations.
They may vie with each other in the number they
can repeat.
It will be worth while to have each pupil write
from memory one or more of these quotations each
month. Keep each child's papers together and
toward the end of the year or term let him make
them into a booklet. He might illustrate each
poem and decorate the booklet cover.
XIII (218). Picture Stories
(Dead fawn picture, p. 219)
Some children in one class worked with enthusi-
asm for several weeks on stories growing out of this
picture. According to their conceptions, the pet
fawn belongs to the little princess. One day she
and her brother find the fawn dead. From the
mark on the arrow, they know that the king's
huntsman has killed the fawn. The huntsman is
brought before the king and confesses that he killed
the fawn, thinking it a wild one. The king gives
MORE PICTURE STORIES 215
him one year in which to search the world and find
a fawn, exactly like the one killed — the same age,
size, color, with the same number of spots placed
in the same way — in everything exactly like. If
within that time the huntsman returns with such
a fawn, he will be pardoned ; if he fails, he shall no
longer be the king's huntsman.
The children wrote on The Quest for the Fawn,
relating the huntsman's adventures, etc.
Here are other suggestions that may be helpful.
1. The castle is besieged by an army on the farther side; the
defenders within are starving ; the boy kills the deer ; he and his
sister manage to get it to the starving ones in the castle, among
whom is the children's father, and so save their lives.
2. The boy kills his sister's fawn by accident; he is moved
by the sufferings of the dying creature ; he throws away his bow
and arrows (he no longer carries them in the picture) and
promises never again to harm an innocent creature.
3. Fawn shot by hunters escapes and falls wounded near
children's home ; children care for it, restore it, and keep it as
a pet.
XIV (220). More Picture Stories
(Girl in wood surrounded by animals, p. 221)
The different names given to the picture in the
children's book suggest different stories. Encour-
age the children to think of other suitable names.
Write their suggestions on the blackboard. Then
let each one select a title either from the list on the
board or from that in the book and write a story
appropriate to the title.
216 TEACHER'S MANUAL
Supplementary "Work
Let the children imagine themselves any one of the
characters in the picture — the maiden, the youth,
the wolf, the deer, etc. — and write a story as that
character might tell it. The marked and contrast-
ing characteristics of the animals — the savageness
of the wolf, the timidity of the deer and hare, the
sauciness of the squirrel — and the common effect on
these of the maiden's kindness must be appreciated.
This appreciation will give variety to the stories as
told from the different standpoints of the various
characters.
Before the children are asked to write, the natural
characteristics of the several animals should be dis-
cussed with them in some detail. Then each one
should be allowed to choose the character that he
will be, and to write his story.
XV (220). Review of the Uses of Capitals and
Punctuation Marks
After the pupils have studied the lesson alone,
test them by asking them to read aloud certain
sentences and to give the reasons for the use of
capitals and marks of punctuation.
XVI (223). Studied Dictation
Have children write from dictation Part I of the
story, A Queer Catch, first taking such precautions
SUPPLEMENTARY WORK 217
as may seem necessary to help them avoid the mak-
ing of errors. (See p. 206.)
Correct the papers carefully with the children, as
suggested in past exercises. Keep the papers until
after the next lesson, then put together the two papers
of each pupil.
XVII (223). Writing the Ending of a Story
As the children write, help any who need assist-
ance by asking suggestive questions. Be careful to
influence none who are able to work alone.
Supplementary Work
Let the children make complete stories based on
Exercise 8, Chapter Twelve, as suggested in this
Manual (p. 266).
CHAPTER TEN
In addition to the continuation and development of all
important kinds of exercises previously taken up, this
chapter treats, in a concrete way that children understand,
the general use of marks of punctuation ; studies and
practices the use of the contractions don't and doesn't; and
gives exercises and instructions intended to eliminate the
use of ain't.
Before taking up the chapter with the children,
study its contents carefully, both in the children's
book and in this Manual, and compare with preced-
ing work so as to see just what advance is here
made.
I (224). "For the King"
Help the children to read themselves into the
very heart and spirit of the story. See and feel
yourself, as though you were a part of it, that scene
in the little Scottish cottage. Feel with those two
brave boys, as they prepare their arms, hoping to
conceal from their mother their real purpose, but
too honest and obedient positively to deceive her;
become that mother for a moment, the personifica-
tion of patriotism, courage, and self-sacrifice ; enter
the cottage with the homeless, wandering, hunted
king, and feel with him the rebound of limitless
218
STUDYING THE STORY
219
courage as he experiences the perfect loyalty of the
mother and her sons.
If you can live the scene that this story describes
so vividly, you will have no difficulty with the chil-
dren. Whether you read it to them or with them,
or whether they read it to you, they will catch the
spirit. That is the purpose of the reading. Fail-
ing in this, the story is not read. Succeeding in
this, the dramatization of it, which is called for
later, will be spontaneous.
II (227). Studying the Story
If the story has been really read, which was the
purpose of the last lesson, the children will now
study it with enthusiasm, with keen appreciation
of the meaning of questions and suggestions given
in their book to direct their preparation for the
dramatizing. Give them some time to study by
themselves; observe them individually to determine
who really are studying sympathetically and who,
if any, only perfunctorily. Help them, particularly
those most in need of help, by calling on them to
answer some of the questions aloud and to show
how some of the characters spoke and acted, as
suggested in the pupils' book.
Let each child tell the part he would like to take.
Write on the blackboard the names of the several
characters and opposite each the names of the
children who want to take that part.
220 TEACHER'S MANUAL
Discuss tactfully with the children the fitness of
the assignments. This will help them to appre-
ciate the requirements of the different parts.
Ill (230). Dramatizing the Story
Let the children determine largely the assignment
of parts for dramatizing, but see to it that the less
capable ones have their fair share of opportunity.
Seldom make up an "all star" cast. For the first
dramatization, usually give the leading roles to the
more capable children, the minor roles to the less
capable, the diffident. But do not hesitate, in sub-
sequent dramatizations of the same story, to assign
less capable children to leading parts ; this may be
just what they need to bring out unsuspected talent
or to overcome their self-consciousness. Let each
child try the part that he thinks himself he can take
best.
All the stories dramatized from the beginning
should be repeated from time to time, always with
different or partially different casts, so that every
child may at some time have a part in every drama-
tization. See to it that no child always, or nearly
always, takes part in the same dramatization. If
for any reason — as the small number in the class —
the same children must frequently take part in the
same play, change the assignment of parts.
This constant change of actors and parts helps to
make each dramatization spontaneous, original. A
WHY MARKS OF PUNCTUATION ARE USED 221
routine, mechanical dramatization, with " finished "
acting and conversation, no matter how good it may-
be from the dramatic standpoint, is just what is not
wanted.
Occasionally, instead of the complete dramatiza-
tion of a story, have the story read expressively by
the several characters, each one reading only the
conversation of his part.
IV (230). Oral Reproduction of the Story
The results of the reading, study, and dramatizing
of the story should show in the reproduction of it.
See that the children tell it vividly and with feeling.
The action is straightforward ; the children's render-
ing should be the same.
V (231). Why Marks of Punctuation Are Used
This lesson is designed to make clear and
emphatic the idea that every mark of punctuation
has a definite purpose, that it must be both used
and interpreted thoughtfully. Carelessness in the
use of punctuation marks, or their omission alto-
gether, may do just as much harm as carelessness in
the use of words — or even the omission of words.
Punctuation marks are a part of written or printed
language. They, together with letters and words,
are the means we use in expressing thoughts on
paper. They must not be omitted where needed,
nor must they be placed where not needed.
222 TEACHER'S MANUAL
This is the simple idea that every child must get
and assimilate. Two people must use marks of
punctuation correctly, the writer and the reader. I
am always the one or the other of these people. As
a writer, I must use marks of punctuation so that
any reader can understand just what I mean. As
a reader, I must heed marks of punctuation so that
I can understand jtist what the writer means.
This idea every child should get from this lesson.
The full assimilation of it, until it becomes a habit,
will depend upon the consistency of its observance,
both in writing and in reading. And its observance,
with most children, will depend upon the teacher.
It requires patience, unremitting vigilance through
several years, but the results are just as sure as are
the results of spasmodic attention, carelessness, and
indifference. With patience and vigilance in this
matter, from the beginning, every pupil will complete
the elementary school course habitually thoughtful
in the use and observance, as writer and reader, of
marks of punctuation ; without such patience and
vigilance on the part of the teacher — every teacher
— only the opposite result can be expected.
Do not make the mistake of thinking that the
result scarcely justifies the effort. There is no
better means of training in accurate thinking than
that afforded by the process of acquiring the habit
of using and observing marks of punctuation cor-
rectly; this demands the constant exercise of dis-
SUPPLEMENTARY WORK 223
criminating thought. So, in acquiring this habit,
children are doing much more than at first appears ;
they are learning to think definitely. Here is the
secret of the difficulty with punctuation — for adults
hardly less than for children ; punctuation depends
upon thought — -definite, discriminating thought.
Carelessness in the use and observance of punctua-
tion marks is almost conclusive evidence of careless-
ness and indefiniteness in thinking.
Supplementary Work
i. Dictate without study the following sentences:
"Will," asked Bob, " is this your hat?"
Will asked, " Bob, is this your hat?"
Will asked Bob, " Is this your hat?"
Have a child write these sentences on the black-
board as you dictate. Children at their seats will
criticize ; corrections should be made at once.
Be careful that your dictation demands the punc-
tuation that, you expect. If the children have dif-
ficulty in determining the punctuation, or if they
punctuate incorrectly, do not tell them, but make
them think for themselves what it should be. You
can do this by repetition, exaggeration, and contrast.
Similarly, make them see the errors in an incorrectly
punctuated sentence by reading, or having them
read, the sentence just as punctuated, and comparing
that with the reading originally given.
224 TEACHER'S MANUAL
2. Dictate similar sentences to be written on
paper. Correct them individually. Let each child
read to you just what he has written; whether he
has written according to dictation or not, his render-
ing should agree with his writing.
VI (233). A Fable to Study and Copy
This lesson is to be studied by the children alone
— without preceding class exercise. Before they
begin, make sure that they understand what they are
to do: (1) to read the fable carefully; (2) to study
what follows ; (3) to copy the fable as directed.
While they are copying, go from desk to desk,
making sure that they are copying accurately.
From time to time ask a question, as, " Why have
you used a comma here ? " to assure yourself that
the pupils are working intelligently. Especially
question them about the new point, the writing of
the contraction dorit.
Exclamatory sentences and contractions will re-
ceive more attention later.
VII (234). Writing a Fable from Dictation
Dictate the fable, The Fox and the Grapes,
Have pupils correct their own mistakes individually
under your direction.
As this fable is to be used as a model on which
children will base original fables, they must learn
the form of it thoroughly.
TELLING ORIGINAL FABLES 225
VIII (234). Telling Original Fables
Study this lesson with the pupils. Make sure
that they fully understand the nature of the out-
lines, their relation to the stories based upon them.
The first outline — that analyzed out of the fable,
The Fox and the Grapes — is general ; it may
serve as the basis of many fables entirely differ-
ent in their character and details. The second
and third outlines are like the first, really based
on it, only they are specific, each one the basis
of a single story, which may be varied, indeed,
in its minor details, but which must concern the
actors named.
In working out the first original fable with the
children, that of the Girl and the Rose, do not let
them be satisfied with the one version given, as a
suggestion of form, in their book, but encourage
originality and variety in every one of the four
parts, especially in the last three. For examples:
How did the girl try to get the rose and fail ?
(She jumped and jumped ; she tried to pull down
the bush and scratched her hands ; she climbed on
the wall and fell.) What disagreeable thing did
she say about the rose ? (" It isn't fragrant ; " " it
is withered ; " " it has too many thorns ; " "I don't
like red (or white, or yellow) roses anyway ; " " it's
too small ; " "I didn't really want it.")
Allow the children a few minutes to think out a
226 TEACHER'S MANUAL
fable, each one for himself, choosing any of the
titles given in their book. Then have several tell
their fables to the class. Insist on their following
the outline, making just four parts of each fable,
each part definite and to the point. Discourage
random, irrelevant talking. Insist on brevity, point,
fluency, and good expression. Every fable must
teach the same moral — "sour grapes."
Supplementary Work
i. Have pupils make lists of titles for fables that
may be made to teach the same lesson as that of
the Fox and the Grapes, This may be a class
exercise in which the titles, as determined upon,
may be written on the blackboard ; or it may be an
individual exercise, each pupil writing his own
titles on paper.
2. Fables may be made and told from any of
these titles, as in the regular lesson.
IX (236). Writing Original Fables
If the oral work of previous lessons has been well
done, the children should have no difficulty in writ-
ing good original fables. Before they begin, it will
be well to make sure by a few questions that every
one has in mind the several indispensable character-
istics which his fable must have ; namely, four parts
like the fable of the Fox and the Grapes, brevity and
directness, and a moral. Of course it must also be
CONTRACTIONS, DON'T, DOESN'T 227
correctly written in respect to spelling, punctuation,
the use of capitals, and a paragraph for each part.
Go from pupil to pupil as they write to see that
each one is succeeding. A question or suggestion
will help a pupil to avoid an error or to correct it at
once. Some children will need a little sympathetic
help. Let the child who is unable to begin tell you
the first part of the fable that he is to write ; then
he will probably have no further trouble. Every
pupil should be helped to correct his own work —
not merely its form, but its content.
Supplementary Work
Let children write original fables teaching the
lessons taught by fables 1 and 2, Chapter Twelve.
X (237). Contractions, Don't, Doesn't
Only contractions that are commonly misused by
children are made the objects of intensive study in
regular lessons. The lesson should be but the be-
ginning of a determined effort to establish right
habits of usage. In the lesson the child learns what
is right, why it is right, and how to tell what is
right. If he can be made to apply this knowledge
patiently to his speech and writing, he will soon
form the correct habit.
As an aid to the children in forming the habit of
using dorit and doesnt correctly, it would be well to
keep before them on the blackboard the lists of
228 TEACHER'S MANUAL
sentences in their book in which these words are
correctly used. Pupils especially prone to misuse
these words will do well to make individual copies
of these sentences on cards and refer to them
frequently.
Require each child to correct his own mistakes
in filling the blanks in The Family Vacation.
To do this, he has only to follow carefully the direc-
tions that his book clearly gives for the use of the
words dorit and doesn't. Additional exercises simi-
lar to this can easily be prepared if desired.
XI (238). A Contraction that is Always Wrong, Ain't
Owing to the widely prevalent use of this word
by children in speech, and, hardly less commonly, in
writing, a special lesson on the matter is advisable.
This lesson is not given with the thought that a
single lesson will break the habit in a single child ;
it should rather be considered the first step in a de-
termined effort which is to endure until the habit is
broken, until correct forms are used habitually, with-
out thought, in place of this incorrect form.
The lesson should serve to make perfectly plain
to every child that airit is wrong and must not be
used, that it is not needed, as there are other con-
tractions to fit every place in which any one would
think of using airit. More than this — and more
important — the lesson should be made to arouse a
strong sentiment against the use of the word and in
THE EXCLAMATION MARK 229
favor of using correct forms ; if this can be done, it
will need only following up to replace the wrong
habit with correct ones.
As suggested in the last lesson concerning dorit
and doesrit it will help to have the correct forms, as
given in the pupils' book (p. 239), on the board where
reference can be made to them as necessary. It will
also help some pupils to have their individual copies.
If your children are unfortunately afflicted with
the hairit as well as the airit habit, — perhaps using
hain't interchangeably with airit, or as a contraction
of have not and has not, — try to eradicate both hab-
its at once and by similar methods.
XII (240). The Exclamation Mark
After the pupils have studied the lesson by them-
selves, have them read appropriately The Circus
Parade and tell why each exclamation mark is used,
like this: "There is an exclamation mark after
Here it comes because these words express strong
feeling — Harry's excitement; there is an exclama-
tion mark after What funny little monkeys because
these words express a strong or sudden feeling —
Will's interest and amusement."
Insist that pupils read these expressions in a way
to call for exclamation marks. Show them that
they are not really reading what Harry, Tom, and
the other boys said unless they read as the exclama-
tion marks direct.
230 TEACHER'S MANUAL
Following this exercise, dictate The Circus Parade.
Do not fail to exemplify your own teaching. So
dictate that the thoughtful pupil can hardly fail to
place exclamation marks where they belong. If you
fail to exclaim in dictating, pupils ought not to use
exclamation marks in writing from your dictation.
Have pupils correct their papers at once under
your direction. Particular attention is to be paid,
of course, to the use of the exclamation mark; but
any errors in the use of other marks or of capitals or
spelling should also be corrected.
XIII (242). Writing Exclamations
As a result of the last lesson, the pupils should
be able to write the exclamations of the people
without aid, but it would be well to talk with them
about the orders that officers give their men, before
they attempt to write these. Let the children give
such orders as they have heard or know. A few of
these might be written on the board, as : Halt !
Mark time, march ! Forward, march !
Pupils' papers should be corrected at once.
XIV (242). Picture Stories
Take a lesson period to interest the children in
one of the books mentioned in their book ; read or
tell them interesting extracts; encourage them to
read the book.
The picture stories may be written as adventures
"THE DUMB SOLDIER " 231
or merely as dreams. A story from the first picture
might follow an outline something like this:
Boy at seashore has been in swimming, rests for a while on
warm sand, thinks of fish who swim so much better than he, wishes
he could swim like a fish, wonders how they live, longs to see ;
fish calls, " Swim out to me and I will show you the wonders of
the deep;" boy's experiences with the fish; wakes up on beach.
Following are suggestions of two stories that
might be made from the second picture :
1. Boy wakened very early in the morning by the screams
of sea gulls, runs out on beach, watches gulls fly, thinks of all the
strange places they see, wishes he were a sea gull, one gull invites
the boy to go with him, his experiences, finally while crossing
water gull shakes him orT. Oh, how cold the water is ! Boy wakes
up to find the tide has come up and wet him.
2. Boy finds wounded gull on beach, cares for it, it is a fairy
gull, every night after boy is in bed gull taps at window, boy
opens window and seats himself on gull's back — gull has power
to make himself big — and away they journey till the morning
dawns.
XV (244). "The Dumb Soldier"
Read and discuss the poem with the children.
A few words and expressions will probably need
explanation. But the chief purpose of the reading
and discussion should be to arouse the children's
imaginations and sympathies, so that they will see
and hear and feel with the little boy and with his
soldier that he hides in the ground.
Following are the words and expressions most
likely to need explanation and illustration. Are
there others that your children may not understand ?
232 TEACHER'S MANUAL
Second stanza : First line, apace; try to have children see
the beauty of the picture of grasses growing and spreading so
rapidly (apace) that they quickly run over the lawn like a green
sea, covering the soldier's hiding place and rising like a wave to
the boy's knee.
Third stanza : Probably the soldier was of lead, hence the
leaden eyes ; leaden may also refer to the color and the expression,
or lack of expression, or feeling. Scarlet coat and pointed gun
marks him a British foot soldier.
Fourth stanza : When the grass is ripe, ready to cut, the scythe
sharpened (stoned) and the lawn mown close, then the hole, the
soldier's hiding place, will be uncovered, so that it can be easily
found.
The last five stanzas make especial appeal to the imagination
and the feelings. The little boy had hidden his soldier in the
ground not through cruelty or lack of feeling, but that the soldier
might have the delightful experiences that the boy would fain
have enjoyed himself. Doubtless the thought of his soldier in the
ground stimulated the wonderful imagination of the boy so that he
could almost feel that he was enjoying the soldier's experiences.
Perhaps he often thought or said to himself, " Now my soldier is
seeing this ; now he is hearing that."
He is fully confident that he shall find his soldier again quite
safe, after "all that's gone and come." When he finds him, will
he pity the poor soldier because he has had to lie alone in a hole
in the ground all the spring and summer? Not a bit of it. He'll
envy him because he has lived just as the boy would have lived,
has done just as the boy would have done, if he could (sixth
stanza) ; he'll envy him because he has seen (seventh stanza) and
heard (eighth stanza) what the boy so much wanted to see and hear.
Read to the children two other poems by Steven-
son, Bed hi Summer, and The Land of Storybooks.
In these poems he expresses similar intense delight
"THE DUMB SOLDIER" 233
in living close to the life of nature and in the en-
chanted realms of the imagination ; he also gives
expression to similar grief when he is deprived of
these opportunities.
And does it not seem hard to you,
When all the sky is clear and blue,
And I should like so much to play,
To have to go to bed by day ?
— Last stanza of Bed in Summer.
So, when my nurse comes in for me,
Home I return across the sea,
And go to bed with backward looks
At my dear Land of Storybooks.
— Last stanza of The Land of Storybooks.
Study with the pupils the questions in their book.
Let them talk of the "fairy things." Were they
real fairies? Did they dance by the light of the
stars ? Did they climb the blades of grass and
slide down them ? Did they touch the soldier and
make him live and play with them ? When the sun
came, did they fly back to fairyland ?
Or were the " fairy things " little insects that lived
in the grass and crawled about and over the. dumb
soldier ?
Of what were the bee and the ladybird talking ?
Did the bee say:
" Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home ;
Your house is on fire, your children will burn " ?
234 TEACHER'S MANUAL
What answer did ladybird make ? Or were the
bee, the ladybird, and the butterfly going to the fairy
ball ? Or did the bee tell the others of all the honey
he had gathered and stored away for the winter, and
did he tell them to stop playing and go to work,
too?
After the children have talked freely over all such
possibilities as those above suggested help them to
tell the soldier s story.
XVI (248). "The Lost Doll"
Read this poem with the children and help them
to compare it with The Dumb Soldier.
How did the dolls experiences compare with
those of the soldier ?
How did the feelings of the girl, as she thought
of her doll out on the heath, compare with the feel-
ings of the boy as he thought of his soldier in the
ground ?
How did the feelings of the girl as she found her
doll compare with those of the boy when he found
his soldier ?
Let the children speculate on the terrible ex-
periences of the poor lost doll as she lay helpless
on the heath, the cows trampling over and mangling
her, and the rain beating down on her and washing
away her paint and her curls. Let the girls tell the
doll's story, how she was lost, what happened to her,
and how she was found.
WRITING TRUE STORIES 235
XVII (249). Writing the Stories of the Dumb Soldier
and the Lost Doll
As suggested in previous exercises in writing
original stories, help the children as they write.
Let them correct any errors at once.
Supplementary Work
Let pupils write stories based (1) on Exercise 6,
Chapter Twelve, as suggested in the Manual, p. 265,
(4); and (2) on Exercise 11, same chapter, as sug-
gested in the Manual, p. 268, (2).
XVIII (250). Writing True Stories
Do not discuss these topics with the children as
a class before they write ; that would tend to destroy
the originality and individuality of their papers.
Encourage each one to write his own story, which
he may read to the class if it is good enough ; let it
be a " surprise story " if possible.
While children write, pass from seat to seat help-
ing individuals according to each one's need. Some
are perhaps finding it difficult to begin : one does
not quite understand what is required ; another can-
not decide on the word to write first ; a third cannot
bring himself to choose between the subjects sug-
gested. Start each one by just the question or
suggestion that fits his particular need.
If a few need more help, as they may, to develop
22,6 TEACHER'S MANUAL
and arrange their thought, give this help largely
through suggestive questions. Require the child to
answer in complete sentences. Question in such
order that the answers, written down, will make a
complete and interesting story.
After papers are completed and corrected by the
children, with such help as you may find it necessary
to give, have some of them read and discussed.
Let the papers read be as different as possible.
They will suggest to the children ideas that they
might have used, ideas that they may use on some,
future occasion.
Several periods may be profitably spent on this
section. Some pupils may be able — and should be
encouraged — to write on two or more of the sug-
gested subjects, while others are working out and
perfecting a single story.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The work of this chapter calls for the use of all
the knowledge and power that have grown out of
all the previous work. All the various exercises of
previous chapters — reproductions, oral and written,
dramatizing, telling and writing original fables,
picture stories, poem study, the use of all ma/ks of
punctuation already studied — are continued with
new and interesting material ; increased demands
are made upon the children to exercise their grow-
ing power and independence, to express their in-
dividualities.
The distinctly new work of the chapter consists
of the following :
1. Making a story from an outline; oral and written ex-
ercises.
2. Letter writing.
I (251). Making a Story from an Outline
This is an oral lesson, the first one of the kind.
The work on original fables in the preceding chapter
has prepared the pupils for it. This goes a step
farther than the fable work in its demand for origi-
nality, for the use of the constructive imagination.
Study the whole lesson through with the children
so that they will understand clearly what is to be
237
238 TEACHER'S MANUAL
done, and that the scenes and events suggested by
the paragraph headings may begin to shape them-
selves in the children's minds into a connected
whole — which is to be expanded into a story.
Then help the children to work the story out and
to express it, paragraph by paragraph. Remember
that it is their imagination, thought, and expression
that are to be exercised, and that you are merely to
help. This does not mean that you need not ex-
ercise the same faculties. On the contrary, you
must at least equal the combined mental activities'
of all your children ; for you must be quick to ap-
preciate every mental picture, every idea, every ex-
pression that they suggest.
Paragraph I. Talk over this paragraph with the children until
every one has a vivid mental picture of the burning house, the
flames and smoke, the frightened people, the firemen with hose
and ladders thinking that, while the house is gone past their power
to save, every one who was in it is safe. Probably most children
have had experiences that can be drawn upon in building up the
desired mental picture.
Paragraphs II and III. These paragraphs, which should be
largely made up of exclamations, give excellent opportunity for
the children to apply what they learned in the last chapter about
exclamations and exclamation marks.
Get the children to give a large number of exclamations that
the child might use, and have a child, or children, write and
punctuate them correctly on the board. Some of these might be :
" O Mother ! Mother ! " — " Mother, help me !" — " Come quick,
Mother, I am burning ! " — " Help, Mother, help ! " — "Take me
down, take me down ! "
MAKING A STORY FROM AN OUTLINE 239
In the same way have them give and write on the board the
excited and horrified cries of the people, the firemen, the mother
(if she is there ; perhaps she will not appear on the scene until the
fireman has tried in vain to rescue the child).
When a sufficient number of exclamatory expressions have been
secured, have the children select the few that they will use in
each paragraph and give these their proper setting with a few ex-
planatory words.
Paragraph IV. This paragraph must paint a most vivid picture,
must convey the tense excitement of the crowd, the desperate
efforts of the fireman ; there will be smoke and flame ; perhaps a
tottering ladder and crashing timbers ; a fireman badly burned
and almost suffocated ; perhaps the fireman cries out his failure :
" It's no use ! The child can't be saved ! "
Paragraph V. What does the mother cry out as she rushes into
the burning building? What are the cries of the onlookers? Get
a large number and have them written on the board as before.
Then select a few and make into a paragraph.
Paragraph VI. Is the mother burned? Is the baby saved and
unharmed ? What is said and done ? Work for a good sentence
to end the story.
Well handled, pupils can hardly fail to get into
the spirit of the exercise, to become filled with clear
thoughts, vivid pictures, strong feelings that they
want to express; this is the first requisite in speak-
ing or writing — something to express. The second
requisite is effective expression. This you have
been working out with the children, paragraph by
paragraph. It is now time to begin at the begin-
ning and tell the whole story connectedly. Let the
teacher do this first, varying at will the expressions
and exclamations already discussed, but being care-
240 TEACHER'S MANUAL
ful to make a concise, well-connected story. Fol-
lowing the teacher, let several pupils tell the story.
Encourage originality, variation in detail, only have
the outline followed. Also insist on brevity.
II (252). Writing a Story from an Outline
As pupils write the story they should keep their
books open before them at the outline given in the
previous lesson, and write paragraph by paragraph.
Give your undivided attention to the children, pass-
ing from one to another to see that every one is
working intelligently, and to give a bit of help, by
question or suggestion, where needed.
Keep constantly before them the idea that they
must think just what they are going to write, word for
word, before they begin a sentence. Ask individual
pupils frequently to tell you just what they are going
to write in a given sentence and in a given paragraph.
Encourage them to whisper or even to speak softly
to themselves the words they are to use if they find
that this helps them to think clearly.
Do not hurry the children. Some will think and
write much more readily and quickly than others;
do not hold these up as examples, as standards that
all should reach. It often happens that the results
of these rapid workers are poor or mediocre. What
needs most to be emphasized is careful thought.
Dawdling must not be tolerated; but every one —
the slow as well as the quick thinker — should be
WRITING A STORY FROM AN OUTLINE 241
encouraged to take the time that he needs to think
out to his own satisfaction what he wishes to write.
Pupils who cannot finish their stories in a single
period should put aside their papers and continue it
at a second or even, if necessary, a third period.
The object is not the completion of the exercise,
but the writing by the children of the best stories of
which they are capable.
Every child should succeed in this exercise;
every child should complete a connected story.
The child's future work depends upon his success
or failure at this point. If he succeeds now, and
knows and feels that he succeeds, even though his
production may be poor in itself, he will advance to
the next step with courage and confidence and build
a second larger success on this first one. If he fails
now, if he is allowed to leave the exercise without
having completed a story, if he knows and feels that
he has failed, he has the whole weight of this failure,
in the shape of discouragement, dislike, and indiffer-
ence, to handicap whatever efforts you may induce
him to make in future. Always insist on success ;
never permit a failure. If anything like a failure
occurs, do not allow it to be left as a failure ; see
that it is buried under a success.
Correcting papers.
If you are active, as already suggested, while
pupils are writing, they can make most of the cor-
242 TEACHER'S MANUAL
rections necessary in their papers while they write.
You can anticipate most of their errors and then see
that they are corrected at the right time — before
they are actually made.
It will do little good — probably will do positive
harm — for you to correct pupils' papers alone, hand
them back to them, and require them to note the
errors and corrections, and perhaps to rewrite their
stories as corrected. Their greatest difficulty is in
thinking clearly, in deciding exactly what they are
going to say, and not primarily in the form of expres-
sion. True, confused thought or lack of thought
will reveal itself in the expression; but merely cor-
recting the expression on paper — with a child ten
years of age — will rarely help the child. You must
get back to his real difficulty, you must personally,
face to face with the child, make him think clearly ;
then he will write clearly. Correcting the child's
written errors will improve the particular production ;
helping the child to think will insure better produc-
tions in future.
Children cannot write this story from memory.
It was not the purpose of the oral lesson to enable
them to do this. The purpose of that lesson was to
prepare the pupils to think out the story, each one
for himself, before writing; to think out exactly
each sentence before beginning to write it. You
are anticipating — and so best correcting — the
errors that might later appear on their papers, when
"THE KING'S DREAM" 243
you compel them to think before writing. Let the
child who is prone to err tell you exactly what he
proposes to write. Then let him answer to you
these questions: (1) Where are you going to begin
that paragraph ? (2) Why? (3) With what kind
of letter will you begin it? (4) Why? (5) What
mark will you place after ? When you come
around to that child again in a few moments, you
can see at a glance whether he has done what he
proposed to do. Probably his work will be cor-
rect ; if not, a question will make him think and
enable him to correct it.
Every moment of this patient, insistent, unremit-
ting, close-range, detailed, and individual work with
the children is being built into right habits of
thought and expression, just as truly as the general
effort to teach language to a class as a whole
fosters the growth of carelessness and indifference.
Individual pupils, not classes, learn to use language.
Ill (253). "The King's Dream"
In reading this story with the children, see that
the various feelings of the king and his wise men,
as well as the ideas, are adequately expressed. Let
the children read it as a dialogue.
After the children have studied by themselves the
questions on the story, ask them these and other
questions that will bring out the full meaning of the
story and prepare for its dramatization.
244 TEACHER'S MANUAL
IV (256). Dramatizing the Story
If the children have been allowed from the begin-
ning, as repeatedly directed, to assume more and
more responsibility and to take the initiative in-
creasingly in dramatizing, they should now be able
to plan and carry out the dramatization of a simple
story like this with very little help from the teacher.
The preparation which the last lesson gave ought
to enable them to try it with confidence.
To stimulate a little wholesome rivalry, divide
your class into two groups. Let each group plan
the dramatization, assigning parts. Every child can
be used in some capacity, as soldier or wise man.
When the groups are ready, let one after the other
give the little play. Perhaps a few children will be
reserved for an impartial audience, who will dis-
cuss, at the close, the relative merits of the two
productions.
V (256). Oral Reproduction of the Story
Without further preparation the children should
be able to tell this story. Work for brief, fluent,
straightforward, thoughtful, expressive reproduc-
tions. A reproduction must not be allowed to de-
generate into a mere test of memory, even. largely
word memory. A reproduction, like an original
story, should be the result of active, discriminating
thought appropriately expressed.
SUPPLEMENTARY WORK 245
Supplementary Work
i. Tell the children the story below, The Two
Doctors, which teaches the same lesson as The
Kings Dream. After a single telling let the chil-
dren dramatize, if possible without aid or sugges-
tion from you. Perhaps the same two groups that
dramatized The Kings Dream will take charge
of this dramatization in rivalry.
The Two Doctors
Once upon a time a king was ill. He sent for the wisest two
doctors in the land. They felt his pulse and looked at his tongue.
Then the first doctor spoke.
" O king," he said, " you do not exercise enough. You should
give up your carriage and walk, and you should play games or
work every day."
"What ! " cried the angry king, " give up my carriage ! Walk !
Play games ! Work ! I will have none of your advice ! Leave
my court at once, and be thankful you take your head with you ! "
The second doctor said : " Your case is a very strange one, O
king. Let me study it until to-morrow. Then I will tell you
what must be done."
Next day the doctor returned. He gave the king a silver cup,
a spade with a golden handle, and a ball.
"O king," he said, "a mile from your palace is a spring of
magic water. Every morning before breakfast walk to this spring
and fill the silver cup from its waters and drink. The magic
water will soon make you well again.
" After breakfast take this magic spade and dig for one hour in
the fairy glen back of your palace garden. If you will do this for
one year, you will become very rich.
" In the afternoon take the ball I have given you (it is stuffed
with magic medicine) into the court and toss it one hundred times
246 TEACHER'S MANUAL
to one of your little pages. If you will do this, you will live for
many years."
" You are indeed a wise doctor," cried the king. " I will do all
you say, for you have promised me health, wealth, and long life.
As a small reward for your good advice, I will make you my doctor
for life and pay you a thousand pieces of gold every year."
— A Story from India.
2. Have the children reproduce the story, The
Two Doctors.
3. Let the children dramatize The Two Doctors.
They should need little or no aid.
VI (257). Dates
Study the questions about the dates with the
children. Make sure that every child understands
what the numbers mean, the number immediately
after the name of the month and the number of the
year.
As the pupils write their own dates, inspect their
work, and have them correct any errors at once.
Let them give reasons for any changes that they
have to make.
VII (258). Writing Dates from Dictation
Have the children write several dates from dicta-
tion, one or more in each month. Let them correct
their work at the time. Few mistakes should be
made.
This lesson is in preparation for letter writing.
HOW TO WRITE A LETTER 247
VIII (258). How to Write a Letter
Before taking up this lesson with the children, read
the two following lessons in the pupils' book and in
this Manual, so that you may understand the full
plan of these first lessons in letter writing. Perhaps
a word of explanation will help you to appreciate
this plan still more, and so to carry it out more
effectively.
The first purpose — as in all language work — is
to arouse the pupils' interest, to stimulate their
thought about things that they know and like, to
make expression seem natural, desirable, and useful.
Hence the story involving a real child's letter, ex-
pressed in a child's language, and with childish en-
thusiasm, and filled with things that interest all
children. The letter is, of course, correct in form,
but the content — as in every letter worth while —
is more important than the form. The letter re-
quires, suggests an answer. Children feel at once
that they can, and so they want to reply to it. In
doing so they observe the form, not as the main pur-
pose of the letter, but merely as the form that a good
letter should have. In this way they are learning at
the outset the proper relation of form and content.
They are learning correct form much more surely
and easily than they could if their attention were
mainly directed to this, as is almost inevitably the
case when classic letters of well-known authors are
248 TEACHER'S MANUAL
used as models. The content of such letters, written
to or for children, not by them, is usually unreal,
unchildlike, lacking in power to arouse children's
interests and to stimulate their imagination. Hence,
the form receives undue emphasis, and children con-
ceive a distaste for letter writing.
Read the story with the children and take up with
them the study of the letter, following the questions
and explanations given in their book.
The address on the form of the envelope given
in the pupils' book (p. 258) is a type that the pupils
may copy. Study it with them, having them note
the four periods, the only marks used, all indicating
abbreviations.
The two forms of headings (p. 261) should also be
carefully studied with the pupils. Lead them to
notice all the marks of punctuation and to see the
reasons for each.
(Form I.) There is a comma to separate the
name of the town from the name of the state, and
another comma to separate the whole address from
the date. There are periods after N. J. because
N. /. is the abbreviation for New Jersey.
The writing of dates the children have already
learned.
All words in the heading begin with capitals;
they are all names.
(Form II.) This is the same as Form I except
the first and additional line. The comma separates
LETTER WRITING 249
the name of the avenue or street from the name of
the city; the period after Ave. marks the abbrevia-
tion for Avenue. The name of the state, Michigan,
as in Form /, is abbreviated. The abbreviation,
Mich., has a period after it.
Pupils should be held to the strict observance
of the forms given in their book until they have
learned to write them without error. It will be
time for them to learn the variations of these
forms — variations mainly in punctuation and ab-
breviation — that are quite correct and in current
use, when they can write the given forms with
confidence.
Writing the Mechanical Forms
1. Have every pupil, some on the blackboards,
others on paper, write the correct heading of a let-
ter written from his own home.
2. Let pupils study the address on the envelope
of Dick's letter, then write the correct heading for
a letter written by Tom.
These exercises should be done quickly, in-
spected, and any necessary corrections made at
once by the pupils.
IX (262). Letter Writing {Continued)
Read over the story with the children. The
" thinking and wishing " of Tom is given in detail
to let the children see what things would naturally
be touched on in Tom's letter to Dick. These
250 TEACHER'S MANUAL
things are repeated again when Tom tells his
mother what he will write.
Keep referring to Dick's letter when Mother
refers Tom to it. Let the children look back and
answer for Tom. Have them tell exactly what
they will write ; as, the heading —
25 Walnut St.,
Louisville, Ky.,
May 11, 1912.
The next thing —
Dear Dick :
The first paragraph —
I will tell you how I got hurt. I was running to school, etc. —
The rest of the letter —
I thank you for your kind invitation to visit you. I am coming
as soon as I can travel. I want to know all about your pets.
Is Rover a big dog? Where do Mrs. White and her kittens
live ? etc. —
Have children tell individually just what each
will write.
Have several tell how they will end the letter,
as:
When I am strong I will show you what a fine swimmer and
diver I am.
Your loving cousin,
Tom.
WRITING A LETTER TO A FRIEND 251
Next summer I will show you that there is no better swimmer
than
Your loving cousin,
Tom.
When my leg is strong again we will have a swimming match.
Your cousin,
Tom.
Have several good endings written on the black-
board.
X (264). Answering a Letter
You are to be Tom's mother. In the story she
prepared the way for a good letter. While the chil-
dren are writing, pass from desk to desk asking ques-
tions, making suggestions to see that the pupils are
really writing an interesting letter. There may not
be much variety in the letters, but they should all
be interesting and correct in form. Use the letter
Dick wrote as the type, referring the children back
to it for any needed corrections in form.
Have them write the address for the envelope
either on a real envelope or on a square or oblong-
drawn on the backs of their papers. Here they
should write Dick's full name —
Mr. Richard Brown
Harrisburg
III.
XI (265). Writing a Letter to a Friend
Have each pupil write a letter to a friend asking
the friend to spend next Saturday afternoon with
252 TEACHER'S MANUAL
the writer. Each letter should tell just what the
writer wants to show the visitor, what they will play,
what they will do, etc. Talk over the proposed
letters with the children. Have them tell you just
what they are going to say. Do not let them write
a word till they know and have expressed orally just
what they want to say. A whole language period
might be well spent in this oral preparation for the
written letters.
When the pupils are ready to write, let them use
as a type the letter Dick wrote to Tom. Have each
child write to another child in the class — to a child
he would really like to have spend Saturday after-
noon with him. See that every. child has a letter
written to him. By questions and suggestions as
they write help them to avoid and to correct errors.
XII (265). Answering a Friend's Letter
Give the letters written in the last lesson to the
pupils to whom they are addressed. Let each child
answer his letter.
While they write, pass from seat to seat helping
them, as Tom's mother helped him, by questions
and suggestions, to make good replies.
XIII (265). A Fable to Study
This fable is a type after which pupils are to tell
and write other fables. In order that they may do
this intelligently and correctly, they must master
MAKING NEW FABLES 253
the type — the mechanical form as well as the
story.
Have pupils tell orally just why each capital and
each mark of punctuation is used. For variety ask
questions as follows :
Which words in the title begin with capitals because they are
important words in the title ? What other word in the title begins
with a capital? Why?
How many paragraphs in this fable? How do you know?
In the first paragraph how many sentences are there? How
do you know? How many of these sentences are statements?
How do you know?
In the second paragraph how many sentences? What kind of
sentences are these? How do you know? Give two reasons why
" Dear " begins with a capital letter. Why is there a comma after
" Mrs. Crow"? What abbreviation is used in this fable? Read
the whole quotation in the second paragraph.
Why is the apostrophe used in "fox's"? Read the state-
ments in the third paragraph. What other kind of sentence is
used in this paragraph? Read it.
In the last paragraph why are commas used before and after
" Mrs. Crow " ? Where is there another comma in this para-
graph ? Why is it used ? Read the quotation in the last para-
graph.
XIV (266). Writing a Fable from Dictation
Dictate the fable, The Fox and the Crow.
Have pupils correct mistakes as usual under your
direction.
XV (266). Making New Fables
Study with the pupils the analysis of the fable of
The Fox and the Crow as given in their book.
254 TEACHER'S MANUAL
Make sure that they clearly understand the content
and significance of each paragraph — its relation to
the complete fable. This perfect understanding is
the necessary basis of the original fables which they
are to make.
Discuss with the children the suggestions for the
new fables, having them complete the outlines, and
suggest a variety of ways in which the fables may
be worked out in each paragraph.
What does one animal say to the other to flatter
him and make him let go his prize ? The cat might
say to the kingfisher : " Let me hear your sweet
voice." — " How can you open your beak so wide ! "
— "I once saw a wonderful sight. A bird threw a
fish up in the air and caught it in her beak ! I be-
lieve you could do that!" — "What a big fish for
you to carry! But I believe you could carry a
larger one still. Just open your beak as wide as
you can ! "
What does the flatterer say at the end about the
folly of listening to flatterers? The wolf might say
to the bear: "Your teeth are sharper than your
wits." — " Strong teeth may catch a lamb, but only
good sense can keep it." — "Never listen to a
flatterer and you may keep your lamb as well as
catch it."
After the possibilities of the various suggested
fables have been revealed to the children by this
discussion, give them a few minutes for thought in
WRITING A FABLE 255
which each one shall select the fable that he will
tell and think just how he will tell it. The fables
should be told briefly and fluently. Each should
be complete and pointed. The last fable suggested
might be something like this.
The Weasel and the Fox
One day a weasel stole a chicken and ran with it to the woods.
A fox saw the chicken and planned to get it.
" Why, Mr. Weasel," said the fox, " how did you ever catch
that chicken? How could you creep up so softly that it never
heard you? Please show me how you did it."
The weasel felt flattered. He dropped the chicken and crept
softly over the ground. "This is how I did it," he said.
When he turned around the fox was just swallowing the last of
the chicken. " How silly you are, Mr. Weasel ! " said the fox.
" You should know better than to listen to flatterers."
XVI (268). Writing a Fable
Pupils who choose to write from any of the out-
lines given in the last lesson should be able to do
so with little help, as those fables have already been
discussed and told orally. Any child who chooses
an original title, however, should have attention.
It will probably be well to have such a child at least
outline his story to you before he begins to write.
As pupils write encourage them to refer to the type
fable (p. 265) whenever they seem to need such
assistance as they can get from that fable.
In having papers corrected, pay attention not
256 TEACHER'S MANUAL
simply to mechanical errors, but especially to the
content — the character of the story and the moral
that it is intended to teach.
Supplementary Work
1. Let children tell fables similar to those out-
lined in XV, but varying them by having the flat-
terer outwitted. Following are examples :
The crow may eat her cheese, then say, " Ah, Mr. Fox, I am
not so easily flattered. I know I cannot sing well."
The kingfisher may say, as he clutches the fish in his talons,
" Excuse me till I take this fish to my little ones ; then I will
gladly sing for you."
The bear may hold the lamb with a firm paw while he bares
his teeth.
The owl may hold the mouse in his talons while he answers
the cat.
After talking over with children various possible
endings of this kind, let them write fables with
similar endings.
2. Write the following titles on the board. Chil-
dren tell what the first-mentioned animal had, and
how the second secured or attempted to secure it.
The Hawk and the Cat
The Fox and the Wolf
The Hawk and the Eagle
The Goose and the Fox
The Cat and the Dog
3. Write the following titles on the board.
Pupils tell who tried to take the kid from the wolf,
" AMERICA" 257
the mouse from the cat, etc. ; how he tried, and how
he succeeded.
The Wolf and the Kid
The Cat and the Mouse
The Mouse and the Cheese
The Robin and the Worm
The Dog and the Bone
4. Let pupils write original fables that teach the
lessons taught by fables 3 and 11, Chapter Twelve.
XVII (269). "America"
Before taking up the detailed study of the poem
with the children, read it to them — perhaps several
times — with expression and feeling. Read it so
that they will feel as well as understand its meaning ;
indeed, only by feeling can they fully understand it.
Then study it with them, line by line, and stanza
by stanza. You may need to give further explana-
tions and illustrations than those in the children's
book. For instance, foreign children may need to
be told that the author, Dr. Smith, was born in
America ; hence he wrote, " My native country,"
etc. Even in this detailed study do not fail to rely
largely on expressive rendering for the conveyance
of the full meaning, which is often beyond ex-
planation.
When the children understand and appreciate the
meaning of the song, — as fully as they are capable
of understanding and appreciating it, — have them
258 TEACHER'S MANUAL
memorize it. If some already know it perfectly, let
those prepare to write it from memory — by study-
ing the capitals, the punctuation, and the arrange-
ments of stanzas and lines.
Require the children to stand whenever the
anthem is sung. This will do much to inspire,
to associate with it appropriate feelings of pride,
patriotism, and reverence.
Supplementary Work
Tell the children something of the author of
America. Tell them of the time and circumstance
of his writing the song. Read to them what Oliver
Wendell Holmes says of him in his poem, The
Boys.
XVIII (274). Writing "America" from Memory
This exercise may be given in regular language
periods, — it will probably require more than one
for most children, — or it may be done in study
periods as individual pupils have time for it. The
object is to have every child learn the hymn per-
fectly. No child has completed this lesson until
he can write the whole poem without error. And
every child should study it and write it until he
has thus mastered it. Only make the children feel
a pride in this achievement and it will soon be ac-
complished.
MORE PICTURE STORIES 259
XIX (274). Picture Stories
(Child drifting in boat, p. 273)
The picture tells the story so clearly and fully
that children should be able to write it without help.
Have them correct their work as usual, not only for
form, but for content and effective presentation.
Supplementary "Work
i. Let the story be written from the standpoint
of the person in the boat, only the prow of which
shows in the picture at the right.
2. Have stories written from any of the pictures
in Chapters One to Five. These pictures have
served only for oral stories.
XX (274). More Picture Stories
(Animated toys, p. 275)
There are many stories of toys that talked and
acted like real folks when everybody was asleep.
Tell the children one or more of these stories — you
will find them in almost any book of fairy tales.
Two of the best are The Tin Soldier and The
Money Pig, by Hans Christian Andersen.
Now tell the children that many story-tellers have
written stories of toys who could live and act and
talk like real people from twelve at midnight until
they heard the first cock crow in the morning.
Then let them write the story this picture tells.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The stories and rhymes given in Chapter Twelve
of the pupils' book may be used in a great variety
of ways. In general they will serve two purposes.
First, they may be used as needed in connection with
lessons in preceding chapters. They furnish further
opportunities, varied and interesting, for reproduc-
tions, conversations, dramatizations, written exercises,
of various kinds, and drill in all mechanical forms.
The second general purpose which this material
is designed to serve is that of reviewing and testing.
Comparisons will show that these twelve stories and
rhymes contain all the forms of punctuation and the
use of capitals, that have been taught in preceding
chapters, and no others. They also furnish the
basis for all kinds of exercises, oral and written, that
have been subjects of study.
The following suggestions for the use of this
material, both to supplement and to review and test
preceding work, though quite numerous, by no
means exhaust the possibilities.
I. Suggestions for Using the Stories and Rhymes
1 (276). The Proud Crow.
Several uses that may be made of this story :
1. To test pupils' knowledge of the use of the
260
SUGGESTIONS FOR USING STORIES AND RHYMES 261
capital and period. In this case the story should be
written from dictation without previous study.
2. The story may be enlarged by supplying more
details. As a help to this exercise read the com-
plete story of the proud crow as given in Aisop's
Fables, or — if it is to be dramatized — as told in
the Aldine Second Reader.
3. After being enlarged or after the complete
story has been told or read, it may be dramatized.
4. This story may be made the basis of exercises
supplementing the work on quotations in any
chapter.
The children may write quotations on the board,
or on paper, telling what the crow said when he
found the feathers ; what he said to the other crows ;
what he said to the peacocks ; their answer ; what
the crows finally said to the proud crow.
The exercise, may be handled somewhat as follows
with good results. Have the pupils give orally the
complete sentence, as :
The crow said, " What fine feathers."
The teacher writes the sentence on the board,
omitting all marks of punctuation.
She then proceeds as follows :
Is any one speaking? Who? What does the crow say? Put
your hands around the words the crow speaks. What marks
should be placed where your hands are? (Put in the quotation
marks.) Read the quotation. Read the rest of the sentence.*
What mark shall I use to separate the quotation from the rest of
262 TEACHER'S MANUAL
the sentence? (Put the comma in the right place.) What maik
shall I put at the end of the sentence? Why? (End sentence
with a period.)
In a similar way the remaining quotations may
be written and studied. There is no way more
effective for giving children a real understanding of
quotations and the correct use of quotation marks.
Stories 2 and 4 (276).
These stories may be used in ways similar to
those just suggested.
3 (276). The First Fountain.
This story may be used (1) as a study lesson on
capitals, the period, and the question mark ; (2) as
a copying exercise ; (3) as a studied dictation ; (4)
as an unstudied dictation ; (5) for oral or written
reproduction.
Rhymes 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 (277-278).
These rhymes may be copied by the children ; or
they may be memorized and then written from
memory.
Rhyme 5 (277). In addition to the uses given
above, this rhyme forms the basis of a good drill in
questions and statements. Teacher dictates the
question :
"Where did an old woman live?"
Pupils write the question dictated. Then they
answer the question, first, aloud, so that the teacher
SUGGESTIONS FOR USING STORIES AND RHYMES 263
may make sure that they answer with a complete
statement. Should a child say, "In a shoe," the
teacher asks, " Who lived in a shoe ? " or some other
question that will bring the complete statement,
" An old woman lived in a shoe." When a satis-
factory statement has been obtained, the children
write it under the question.
Teacher dictates, — " Did she live alone ? "
Pupils write the question and supply an answer, as, " She had
many children."
Teacher dictates, — " How many children had she? "
Pupils write the question and supply the answer, as, " She had
so many children she did not know what to do."
The answers to the questions read :
An old woman lived in a shoe.
She had many children.
She had so many children she did not know what to do.
Note that the answers form a unit, a complete
story. The teacher's conscious aim at this result
determined her questions and the satisfactory an-
swers of the children. A similar purpose — that
of securing connected and complete thought —
should dominate and determine practically all
language exercises, oral and written, no matter what
minor and immediate purposes these exercises may
be designed to serve. Every exercise of this kind
is training the child in sustained, purposeful thought,
in thought that gets somewhere. Much use of
264 TEACHER'S MANUAL
miscellaneous, unconnected sentences is positively
demoralizing.
Rhyme 6 (277). Tell pupils the following story:
Little Bo- Peep
One day Bo- Peep drove her sheep into the meadow. Then
she sat down to rest. Soon she fell fast asleep.
When she awoke, it was nearly dark. Not a sheep was in sight.
Every one had run away.
This story may be used as follows :
1. Pupils may reproduce it, (a) orally; (5) in
writing.
2. It may be given as an unstudied dictation ex-
ercise.
Pupils should be expected to reproduce it in writ-
ing or to write it from dictation only after it is rea-
sonably sure that they can spell all the words. They
may have mastered these in previous study of the
rhyme, Little Bo-Peep.
3. Have the children tell or write original quota-
tions telling what Bo-Peep said when she drove her
sheep into the meadow (" Here, little sheep, is good
sweet grass. Eat all you want," said Bo-Peep);
what she said when she sat down to rest (" I am so
tired. I will rest for a little while," said Bo-Peep) ;
what she said when she awoke and found it was
getting dark; what she said when she found her
sheep were gone. If this is to be a written exercise,
have the pupils give each sentence aloud before
writing it.
SUGGESTIONS FOR USING STORIES AND RHYMES 265
4. Let the children tell or write original stories
of what happened to the sheep. Where were they ?
Did they have a good time ? Did they come back
to Bo-Peep or did she have to find them ? Did Bo-
Peep ever lose her sheep again ?
5. The story of Bo-Peep may be dramatized.
Rhyme 7 (277). This rhyme is given in dialogue
form.
1. Have the children rewrite it in complete sen-
tences, using quotations.
The dog said, " Bow, wow, wow ! "
The man said, " "
The dog answered, " ..."
2. Have pupils tell or write a story telling why
the man spoke to the dog, where the dog was, and
what happened, something like this :
One day a man saw a little dog limping down the street.
(What had happened to the little dog? How was he hurt?)
The man said, " Poor little doggie, come here."
The little dog crept to the man's feet and held up his lame
paw.
" You poor little dog," said the man again. " I wonder whose
dog you are? "
The little dog barked. He tried to say, " I am little Tommy
Tucker's dog."
Did the man understand the dog ? What did he do for the
dog? End the story, telling how the dog got back to his little
master.
3. Have the pupils tell the story orally or in
writing as the dog might tell it.
266 TEACHER'S MANUAL
Rhyme 8 (277). 1. After the pupils have studied
the rhyme by copying, studying aloud or silently the
spelling, punctuation, and capitalization, or after they
have written it from memory, dictate as follows:
This little pig said, " I went to market."
" I stayed at home," cried this little pig.
This little pig saifl, " I had roast beef."
" I had none," cried this little pig.
2. Let the pupils make up stories with these
titles:
(a) Why the First Little Pig Went to Market
(b) Why the Second Little Pig Stayed at Home
(V) Why the Third Little Pig had Roast Beef
(d) Why the Fourth Little Pig had None
(e) How the Fifth Little Pig got Lost
Let each pupil select one of the above subjects
and make up the story about it.
Rhyme 9 (278). After the rhyme has been
learned, ask such questions as:
What do you think of a boy who would eat a Christmas pie
alone? Why did he go off into a corner by himself? (That no
one might see him and ask for a piece?) What do you think of
his manners? (He put in his thumb and pulled out a plum.)
Was he a great boy ? What kind of a boy was he ? (A greedy,
rude boy.)
Now let the pupils tell or write the story of
Jack Homer, the Greedy Boy,
Once there was a little boy named Jack Horner. He was a
very greedy boy. One time he had a fine Christmas pie given to
him. It was a big pie, just full of juicy plums.
SUGGESTIONS FOR USING STORIES AND RHYMES 267
What did he do? What did he say? Was he punished for
being so greedy and so rude ? How?
10 (278). The Fable of the Wolf and the Goat.
1. Study aloud for spelling, punctuation, and
capitalization; or have pupils study alone, perhaps
copying.
2. Dictate after study.
3. If (1) and (2) are omitted, dictate to test the
pupils' knowledge of the language forms used in the
fable.
4. Have the fable reproduced, either orally or in
writing, after one reading.
5. Have the children make original fables con-
taining the same teaching, using this fable as a type
form. Here are a few suggestions :
(a) The Cat and the Robin
Robin looking for insects in tree ; cat tells him to come down,
as there are many good fat worms in the grass ; robin answers,
" I would rather have little insects than be eaten by you."
(3) The Fox and the Hen
Hen roosting high on a dead tree; fox tells her the wind is
strong and cold ; asks her to come into his warm den. Finish by
telling hen's answer.
(V) Have the children find other titles and make original fables
from them.
6. Change the stories, having the robin listen
to the cat, the hen to the fox. Let fables be
268 TEACHER'S MANUAL
finished with some such expression as, " It would
have been better to rest in safety on the cold bough
than to be eaten by a fox in his warm den."
11 (278). The Fable of the Boys and the Frogs.
1. The suggestions for the treatment of fable 10,
The Wolf and the Goat, apply equally here.
2. Have pupils write or tell these stories:
(a) The story of a particular frog who had a child or a wife
killed by a stone.
(b) The story one of the boys told his mother on his return,
ending with the resolve of the boy never to stone frogs again.
(c) The story of a dream one of the boys had — that he was
a frog stoned by some boys.
12 (278). The First Forget-Me-Not.
For ways in which this story may be used see
1, 2, 3, 4, under 10 (p. 267).
Give pupils the story in the form of the poem.
The Forget-Me-Not
When to flowers so beautiful
The Father gave a name,
Back came a little blue-eyed one, —
All timidly she came, —
And standing at the Father's feet,
And gazing on His face,
She said in low and timid voice, —
Yet with a gentle grace, —
" Dear Lord, the name thou gavest me,
Alas ! I have forgot ! "
The Father kindly looked on her,
And said, " Forget-Me-Not."
POEMS FOR ADDITIONAL WORK 269
This poem may be memorized by the children,
then written from memory.
Tell any other stories you may know of the origin
of the forget-me-not.
II. Poems for Additional Work
The following carefully selected list of poems fur-
nish varied and excellent material for use on many
occasions and for different purposes. It is thought
best not to attempt any definite directions for the
use of these poems. You, the teacher, will be
the best judge of this matter. What poems do you
especially like ? Which ones do you think your
children would appreciate ? Which one especially
fits in with the work or the occasion ? Your answer
to these and similar questions will determine the
use that you will make of this material.
Determining your course in this way you will
probably make thorough study with the children of
a considerable number of these poems; many of
them the children will commit to memory. Per-
haps, first and last, you will at least read all of them
to your class. They contain a wealth of literary
material which may enrich the thought, the imagi-
nation, the sentiments, and the choice vocabulary of
pupils — or of any one — who will live with them
sympathetically.
The following brief and imperfect analysis and
partial classification of these poems in accordance
270 TEACHER'S MANUAL
with several purposes which they may be made to
serve will perhaps be of assistance.
i. Poems of information. A few of the poems
may be read on appropriate occasion for the sake of
the information which they contain. For examples,
12 in connection with history lessons; 15 when
studying boy life among the Indians. The poetic
form conveys the spirit as well as the mere fact.
2. Story-telling poems. Every one of the first
fifteen poems tells a story. The children may re-
produce these stories in prose, either orally or in
writing. If they are to write them, they should first
study the printed or written poem, that they may
master the spelling and any other forms that they
may need to use. Poems that cannot be put be-
fore the children in books may be written on the
blackboard, or hektograph copies may be made.
3. Poems that may serve as the basis of original
work, such as 1, 3, 10, 11, 17. For example, after
hearing 10, pupils may tell or write stories that
the ghost fairies might tell.
4. Nature poems. The poems 16-31 may be
used in connection with many phases of nature
study.
5. Character-building poems, or poems that teach
moral lessons. There will be no lack of occasions
when some one of the following poems can be used
to advantage: 2, 4-9, 14, 15, 38-42.
6. Poems for dramatizing. Several of the nar-
POEMS FOR ADDITIONAL WORK 271
rative poems, like 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, n, 15, furnish good
material for dramatizing. Of course suitable prep-
aration must be made by turning the story of the
poem into a prose narrative, and telling it largely
in the form of conversation between the several
characters involved.
7. Poems for memorizing. Any of the poems
are worth memorizing. Encourage children to
memorize those that especially appeal to them.
Have each child memorize as many as he will
voluntarily.
1. A Good Play Robert Louis Stevenson
2. How the Leaves Come Down Susan Coolidge
3. The Land of Story Books . Robert Louis Stevenson
4. The Wind and the Moon . George Macdonald
5. The Happiest Land . . . Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
6. The Pied Piper of Hame tin . Robert Browning
7. Lucy Gray ; or, Solitude . . William Wordsworth
8. Goody Blake and Harry Gill William Wordsworth
9. The Leak in the Dike . . . Phoebe Cary
10. Ghost Fairies Frank Dempster Sherman
1 1 . Daisies Frank Dempster Sherman
12. Paul Revere 's Ride . . . Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
13. The Deacon's Masterpiece ;
or, the Wonderful One-
Hoss Shay Oliver Wendell Holmes
14. Little Red Riding Hood . . John Greenleaf Whittier
15. How the Robin Came . . John Greenleaf Whittier
16. April Fools Emily Huntington Miller
17. Windy Nights Robert Louis Stevenson
18. The Song of the Thrush . . Lucy Larcom
19. The Blue Bird Emily Huntington Miller
272 TEACHER'S MANUAL
20. Down to Sleep Helen Hunt Jackson
2 1 . Jack Frost Hannah Gould
22. Robert of Lincoln .... William Cullen Bryant
23. Sweet Peas John Keats
24. The Dove John Keats
25. The Night Wind .... Eugene Field
26. The Brook Alfred Tennyson
27. The Throstle Alfred Tennyson
28. The Rain Margaret Deland
29. Another Blue Day .... Thomas Carlyle
30. Wild Geese Celia Thaxter
31. Winter Song Emily Huntington Miller
32. A Dutch Lullaby .... Eugene Field
33. Shadow-Town Ferry . . . L. D. Rice
34. Lullaby to an Infant Child . Walter Scott
35. A Norse Lullaby .... Eugene Field
36. Sweet and Low Alfred Tennyson
37. The Sandman Marie Van Vorst
38. Pippa's Song (from "Pippa
Passes ") Robert Browning
39. Obedience Phcebe Cary
40. He Prayeth Best (from
"The Ancient Mariner") Samuel Coleridge
41. Work Alice Cary
42. A Song of Easter .... Celia Thaxter
43. Old Christmas Mary Howitt
44. Christmas Bells .... Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
III. Books
The following brief list of books furnishes a fund
of good literary material that children can use at
once in the various exercises called for in their
book, — in oral and written reproductions, in drama-
BOOKS 273
tizing, in turning conversational stories into dialogue
form, in modelling " original " stories after type
stories, in the making of outlines, etc. These are
stories that children enjoy and appreciate, and
readily assimilate. They may be told or read to
the children by the teacher, or children may read
or tell them — after preparation — in turn. This
little library provides abundance of enjoyable silent
reading, as individual pupils have time and in-
clination.
Adventures of a Brownie Mrs. D. M. Craik
Adventures of Pinnochio, The . . . Carlo Lorenzini
Alice in Wonderland Lewis Carroll
Animal Story Book, The Andrew Lang
At the Back of the North Wind . . George McDonald
Beautiful Joe Marshall Saunders
Book of Legends Horace Scudder
Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts . Abbie F. Brown
Celtic Fairy Tales Joseph Jacobs
English Fairy Tales Joseph Jacobs
Fables - y£sop
Fairy Tales Hans Christian Anderst
Fifty Fatuous Stories Retold .... James Baldwin
Five Minute Stories Laura E. Richards
Household Fairy Tales Grimm Brothers
Household Stories Grimm Brothers
How to Tell Stories to Children . . Sara C. Bryant
Jungle Book, The Rudyard Kipling
Just So Stories Rudyard Kipling
Little La?ne Prince, The Mrs. D. M. Craik
Little Lord Fauntleroy Mrs. F. H. Burnett
Old Lndian Legends Zitkala-Sa
274 TEACHER'S MANUAL
Peterkin Papers, The L. P. Hale
Pig Brother and Other Stories, The . Laura E. Richards
Second Jungle Book, The Rudyard Kipling
Sir Gibbie {parts) George Macdonald
Snow Baby J. D. Peary
Stories to Tell to Children .... Sara C. Bryant
Twilight Land Howard Pyle
Uncle Remus Joel C. Harris
Water Babies Charles Kingsley
Wonder Clock, The Howard Pyle
Wonderful Adventures of Nils, The . Selma Lagerlof
VB 35153
575784
IB
7
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY