Class _LJELiQAi Book (0S4 Cojjyriglit W COKlfRIGHT DEPOSCL PEDAGOGICAL PEP A Book of Help and Inspiration For Teachers Edited By Mary E. Owen Helen Mildred Owen p. A. OWEN publishing COMPANY DANSVILLE, NEW YORK Copyright, 1922 F. A. OWEN PUBUSHING COMPANY JUL3i;22 ©CI.A681153 To The School Teachers OF America FOREWORD The aim of Pedagogical Pep is to help and inspire the school teachers of America. To this end an open invitation was extended to the readers of Normal In- structor-Primary Plans to enter, in a prize contest, articles that would be of assistance and inspiration to their fellow teachers. Teachers from every state in the Union, as well as from our territorial possessions and a few foreign countries, responded to our invitation with articles telling of various phases of their experience in school work. The response was both enthusiastic and gen- erous. More than two thousand manuscripts were submitted for the contest, out of which one hundred and twenty-nine prize articles have been chosen to make Pedagogical Pep. The articles in this book deal with the teaching of school subjects, with the children, with the communi- ty, and with the schoolroom itself. The selection of each article was based upon its educational value. The judges for this contest were Mr. E. J. Bonner, Principal, City Normal School, Rochester, New York, chairman; Miss Harriet Stillman, Primary Super- visor, Rochester, New York; Miss Rena C. Stebbins, Teacher of Education, City Normal School, Roches- ter, New York; Mr. William E. Hawley, Principal, Francis Parker School, Rochester, New York; Mr. FOREWORD George D. Taylor, Principal, John Walton Spencer School, Rochester, New York ; and Mrs. Elizabeth P. Bemis and Mr. W. J. Beecher, Editors, Normal In- structor-Primary Plans. The progressive teacher is always looking for ways in which she may make her work more effective. She turns to the experiences of other teachers in or- der that she may learn how they have solved the problems that confront her. Their success gives her courage to fry the same method or to adapt it to her needs. This is the kind of constructive and inspira- tional help which we hope the readers of this vol- ume will receive. We feel sure that its readers will be those teachers who are daily striving to find the most satisfactory solution of every problem that arises in their teaching experience. The Editors. EXTRA PRIZES AWARDED Otie thousand dollars was originally offered as prizes for the best material submitted by teachers for publication in Pedagogi- cal Pep. The number of manuscripts submitted tvas so great and the standard so high that a larger book has beeii made than was contemplated and the amount distributed in prizes in- creased to tivo thousand dollars, the writer of each article se- lected for publication being awarded a cash prize. The Publishers. CONTENTS The Parent and the Community Getting Them to Come 17 The School Newspaper — a Force in the Com- munity 21 A Miniature Reproduction of Our Community on the Sand Table 23 A Parents' Institute 25 How to Produce a Community Pageant 28 Go-to-School Week 31 Securing Equipment for the School Our Library Obtained Through Community In- terest 33 A Novel Way to Secure a Phonograph 36 Playground Equipment Earned and Made by the Pupils 38 How We Procured a Projection Lantern 41 Our New Piano the Result of a Court Trial. ... 43 A Beautiful Painting Secured Through an Ap- preciation of Art 46 School Management Missing the Fun Reformed My Mischievous Pupils 52 The School Bully Transformed Through the Power of Love . 56 Solving the Discipline Problem on the Play- ground 59 CONTENTS Find the Child's Interest and Turn It into the Proper Channel 62 Training in Right Habits Is True Discipline .... 64 The Transformation of an Unruly School 67 Good Physical Conditions Essential to Discipline 70 Starting the Year with a Clean Slate 73 Let Us Discipline Ourselves and Study Our Pupils 75 The Forgetful Child 79 How I Solved the Problem of Punctuality 82 What an Attractive Schoolroom Means to the Child 83 Desks in Order! 85 Our Improvement Club and Its Work 86 Pertaining to School Grounds — an "Original" . . 89 Seat Work Seat Work Provided by Many School Subjects. . 91 The Appeal of Seat Work Not Limited to the Eye and Hand 96 An Educational Seat Work Outfit That Has Proved Successful 100 Profitable Primary Seat Work 103 Reading Creating a Desire to Read 107 Primary Reading Devices 109 First-Year Phonics as a Game 112 How I Teach Reading in the First Grade 116 Introducing Dramatics into Reading 120 The Importance of Silent Reading 123 "Doing Errands" Makes Silent Reading a Joy. . 126 A Concrete Lesson in the Study of Literature. . 128 Leading My Pupils to Read Good Books 131 Knowing a Few Authors Well 134 Instilling a Love for the Best Writings 136 CONTENTS Handwriting Handwriting Defects Overcome by a Great In- centive 140 Every Written Lesson Should Be a Writing Lesson 145 Handwriting Motivated by Interest 150 A Successful Method of Teaching Handwriting 154 Handwriting Made a Live Subject by a Teach- er's Enthusiasm 155 Devices for Encouraging Improvement in Hand- writing 157 Arithmetic Devices for Drill in the Four Fundamental Operations 161 Visualizing Primary Arithmetic 163 Arithmetic Motivated by the Children's Interest in Baseball 165 How I Secured Speed and Accuracy in Multipli- cation 168 Arithmetic Made a Live Subject in the Curric- ulum 169 The Play Element Introducted into Arithmetic . . 171 The House That the Class Built 172 Spelling Defects and Remedies in the Teaching of Spell- ing . 176 The Importance of the Assignment in the Spell- ing Lesson 179 A Spelling Match Between Parents and Pupils Arouses Interest 181 A Successful Method of Teaching Spelling. . . . 186 Spelling Should Occupy an Important Place in the Curriculum 188 CONTENTS Language Language Lessons That Lead the Children to Talk 192 Better Speech Stimulated by Posters 194 Putting Pep into an English Lesson 196 Interest Aroused in Correct Speech 198 The Right Word in the Right Place 200 The Three Types of Letters 204 Letter Writing Links Our School with the Out- side World 207 Correspondence with Another School Motivates Letter Writing 211 Spontaneous Expression Essential to Good Com- positions 213 Use of the Dictionary Introducing the Dictionary 218 Systematized Instruction in Dictionary Use .... 220 Exit "Mrs. Malaprop" 223 Music Good Results Obtained in Music in the First and Second Grades 226 How I Taught Third-Grade Music Without a Supervisor 228 An Appreciation of Music Gained Through a Study of Grand Opera 231 Drawing Self-Expression Through Drawing 233 When Children Love to Draw 236 Relating Drawing to a Practical Problem 239 Children Led to See and Express the Beauty in Things That Grow 243 Nature Study Studying Nature's Wonders with the Children . . 248 CONTENTS Westover Junior Audubdn Society 250 How I Happened to Teach Nature Study 252 The Ripple-View Bird Study Club 254 The Joys of Nature Study 258 Bird Life in Our Community 262 Geography Local Geography as a Step to World Geography 267 How to Make Geography Interesting and Up-to- Date 272 How Geography Became a Joy to My Pupils. . . 274 Government Material a Valuable Aid in Teach- ing Geography 276 The Travel Club 280 Let Your Town Teach Your School 284 History How I Enlivened a Dead History Period 289 The Use of Stories in Teaching History 290 The Dramatic Element in History 291 A Helpful History Game 293 An Interesting History Notebook 294 Use the Child's Love of Moving Pictures in Teaching History 296 Learning by Doing 298 Current Events in the Rural School 301 Keeping Up with the Busy World 302 "We Know!" 303 Civics Teaching the Meaning of the Constitution to Primary Children 305 The Little Citizens' Club 307 How Civics Was Changed from a Dry to an In- teresting Subject 309 Thrift an Essential of Good Citizenship 312 Relating Civics to Everyday Life 314 CONTENTS Health Education The Bank of Health 317 Health Education in Place of Anatomy and Physiology 319 A Concrete Demonstration of the Value of Nutrition 322 The Children's Health Band 324 Cleanliness the First Law of Health 325 Relating School Activities to Health 328 Hot Lunches in Spite of Great Obstacles 331 Let the Children Prepare the Hot Lunch 333 The Hot Lunch as a Project 335 Miscellaneous Seven Qualifications of a Successful Teacher. . . 339 The Value of the Personal Touch in the School- room 342 A Sense of Humor 346 The Oil of Courtesy 348 Relating All School Subjects to the Needs of the Foreign Child 350 How I Teach Oral English to Foreign Children 354 The Most Successful Story I Ever Told 358 Writing Their Own Play 361 How to Give a Successful School Entertainment 364 Construction Work Motivated by the Furnishing of a Room 368 Vitalizing a Rural School Through Manual Training 371 A Novel Way to Create an Interest in Sewing, . 374 How I Made My Second-Grade Children Want More Education 376 Teachers! Use Standardized Tests! 381 PEDAGOGICAL PEP THE PARENT AND THE COMMUNITY GETTING THEM TO COME By" Manthei Howe Every teacher finds it difficult to get the parents to visit school. The problem varies only in degree. Where there is an up and doing Parent-Teacher Asso- ciation the difficulty is not so great. But in the town where the individual teacher has to be the "parental go-getter," she will need all of her wits and a super- abundance of tact to establish visiting relations with the parents. Some canny observer of human nature once laid down a diverting theory of how to get people inter- ested. His rule amounts to this — if you want to keep yourself vividly in a person's mind, get in debt to that person. It is not a bad idea at all! Just recall the times when you have loaned money to a friend. Immediately you became interested in what that friend did ; in his good or bad fortune. Try this method on the mothers of your pupils. It will work. The suggestion is not that you borrow pa- per and stamps and street car fares from the parents, but that you put yourself and your school under ob- ligations to them. During the first month of school see that you visit the mother of every youngster in the room. These 18 PEDAGOGICAL PEP calls need not be long. If you are as keen a student of human nature as you should be, if you are to be a good teacher, a fifteen-minute call will tell you a great deal about the type of woman little Johnnie's mother is. It will enable you to discover her ability or her hobby. You may notice an unusually fine picture in her house, an odd bit of pottery, a plant, or an interesting relic. After you have left the house jot down in your note- book the outstanding quality of that parent, her hobby, her talent, or her pet possession. File these notes for future reference. Then borrow from her! Mothers stay away from the schoolhouse for four reasons, — because they are busy ; because they are not sure of a cordial welcome; because they just keep put- ting off the visit ; and because they are not interested. In all fairness to the mothers, it should be noted that only a very small percentage stay away from the school because they are not interested. And if the teacher borrows from them intelligently even these mothers can be coaxed to work up a bit of enthusiasm as to what is being done in the school. One of the best examples of the way this theory works out is found in the case of a bright, mischievous boy in the third grade. Collin's mother is one of the most popular and busy young matrons in town. Her son was getting into mischief continually, but it seemed next to impossible to get her to come to school where she could compare his deportment with that of the other children in his grade. Then Collin's teacher happened to attend an after- noon tea and heard Collin's mother in a whistling solo. Immediately the young teacher annexed the whistler for a number at the following Friday afternoon's pro- gram at school. It was a definite invitation, a definite THE PARENT AND THE COMMUNITY 19 engagement, and so the young mother graciously promised to come. Of course, the children enjoyed it and Collin's mother was in equally good humor, for she had done a favor, had given something to the teacher and the school. From then on she had a per- sonal interest in the doings of that grade and that teacher. She made other visits and Collin, disciplined a bit by his mother, settled down to make a record in something besides low deportment. Every mother, we grant you, cannot contribute any- thing so spectacular as whistling; but there will be some possession, hobby, or talent that you can use. Possibly the parent will own a beautiful plant that she will be glad to loan to the school for a few days. She may have something to tell of a pioneer town where she once lived. The family may own an old patchwork quilt, or some historical relic with an interesting history. Most of these "mother contributions" can be cor- related with school work in reading, composition, spelling, geography, or drawing. The alert, ingenious teacher will find it possible to use this "borrowing method" to establish a real and lasting bond of inter- est between the home and the school. "But," some busy teacher will object, "that works very well perhaps when there are only twenty or twenty-four pupils in a room. It becomes a real task when that visiting means calling on thirty-five or forty mothers living some distance apart." In such a case the Visitor's Book will be found an effective "parental go-getter." The construction of the book itself may be made the subject of drawing work, or special privilege work during the first month of school. Have as many pages 20 PEDAGOGICAL PEP as there are children in the room. Each child may draw, paint, or cut out the decoration for the page that bears his name. When all the pages are finished, they may be fastened together with ribbon, raffia, or clips, loose-leaf fashion. The covers for the book may be made of stiff bristol board, cretonne- covered paper, or mounting board. The decorations or design may be put on the covers by the teacher or by the child who had the best record for the first month of school. The book completed, the grade is ready to make use of it. Explain to the boys and girls that as each par- ent visits the room he is to sign his name on the page bearing his child's name. Then Johnnie or Mary will have the privilege of writing up in brief, on the same page in the book, the work done during the session when Mother or Father visited school. A blank is left at the bottom of the page, and each time thereafter that a parent calls, his child places a silver star in this space on his page, as a record of the visit. If you have a kodak take a picture of the children and paste one on each page of the book, giving each child his page to take home on the last day of school. The Visitor's Book is not much work and it will in- terest the children as well as the parents. There will be rivalry between the children to see whose parents will come first and of tenest. An eager youngster coaxing, "Mother, come and visit my room,'* will usually accomplish more than the teacher's most earnest efforts. When the children get their parents to come to school it is our duty to make them want to come often. If a teacher can get half a dozen silver stars on each page, she may congratulate herself on having made a record in getting parents to come to school. THE PARENT AND THE COMMUNITY 21 THE SCHOOL NEWSPAPER— A FORCE IN THE COMMUNITY By Mary Bladon Two years ago I went into a rural school where the pupils represented ten different families. The school building and grounds were neglected; the equipment was either broken or lacking; and the community, di- vided by neighborhood differences into various factions, was far from unified. The children had no pride in the school, and were grouped in cliques on the playground. .While no one was hostile to me, neither was anyone very appreciative of my efforts. Quite often some precocious youngster would say, "Mother doesn't see what good that will do." "Father says they didn't do that way when he went to school." I believed that any school, to be entirely successful, needed a community spirit behind it. I tried commu- nity meetings and contests, but they were only fairly successful, because some of the parents would not attend. Finally, I decided to prepare a monthly paper con- taining a record of the month's work, and what we hoped to accomplish the coming month. I had a sec- ondhand typewriter, and a homemade hectograph. The children hectographed the copies and thought it great fun. The first year I furnished the paper for printing. The second year the parents contributed the price of the material. Next year the school board has promised to furnish all material, and every family in the district is to receive the newspaper, whether it has children in school or not. The newspaper has accomplished much in our school. The following are some of the chief results: 22 PEDAGOGICAL PEP 1. A knowledge of parliamentary law. Business meetings are held every month to elect new editors for the following edition. I insist that these meetings be businesslike. 2. A healthy spirit of rivalry among the various edi- torial staffs, who try to make their paper better than the preceding ones. 3. A common interest which has eliminated cliques on the school grounds. 4. Good compositions and articles expressed in clear, concise English carefully revised by the children themselves. Only the best is accepted. 5. Better attendance. A special Honor Roll for regular attendance is published. 6. Observance of Health Rules. There is also an Honor Roll for those who obtain a certain percentage in their health work. The results in the community were very gratifying. These may be summed up as follows: 1. General interest. One or more of the patrons are asked each month to contribute a short article re- garding some phase of school work. 2. Contributions of books and magazines for the school library. One contribution, publicly commended, usually calls forth others. Sometimes the patrons do not know what we need until we tell them. 3. An increase in visits from parents. In each issue of our monthly newspaper we urge them to visit us, and we publish the names of those who came to see us the previous month, together with any of their re- marks which are of school interest. 4. Any patron may have a pertinent question re- garding school work answered in the magazine by the pupil editors, myself, or the county superintendent. THE PARENT AND THE COMMUNITY 23 5. Interest in the hot lunch. This project had oeen strenuously condemned, because misunderstood. The pupils who desired it were indefatigable in finding ar- guments and statistics. The parents finally gave grudg- ing, then tolerant, and then enthusiastic consent. The community has shown its interest by repairing the school building and furnishing equipment. The children keep the school grounds attractive. They all take pride in the school property, and in the school activities. Not much money has been expended, but a great deal of good will and hard work. The newspaper, I firmly believe, started the ball roll- ing the right way. Every push gave it an added im- petus, until now the school is a community interest. The plain truth, stated in a tactful and friendly way, and reaching every patron at the critical time accom- plished results far in excess of the effort expended. A MINIATURE REPRODUCTION OF OUR COMMUNITY ON THE SAND TABLE By Marie Case Most children of school age are absolutely indiffer- ent to their surroundings. If attention is not called to certain things, they rarely ever see them at all. Last Spring I happened opportunely upon a plan which aroused the children's interest in the community and, later, the interest of the parents as well. I helped the children form a miniature reproduc- tion of the community upon the sand table. Small pieces of glass represented the creek; sprinkles of gravel marked the roads; small sticks with strips of paper attached, bearing the name of each place, showed the sites of houses, bams, and dump-heaps. 24 PEDAGOGICAL PEP Of course, there were many changes to be made each day, as the children now saw things of interest in the community which they had never seen before. When our toy community was completed, we began a systematic study of the real community. First, we talked — or rather the children talked, guided by suggestions from me — of the undesirable things in the community, taking one at a time and dis- cussing ways and means of disposing of it. When we had finally decided upon a way to rid ourselves of the undesirable object, it was taken from our community sand table. We proceeded in this manner until all un- desirable things that could be removed from a real community were removed from our sand table. We then started the improvement of what was left. Much stress was put upon the necessity of clean back yards. Each day brought new and exciting accounts of things found and done in the back yards at home. These improvements were indicated on the sand table by the erection of a small paper flag in the yard cor- responding to that in which the work was being car- ried on. When improvements were completed our task was to put desirable things in the places formerly occupied by the undesirable things. Round flower beds were made on the sand table, and later reproduced by the children — many times enlarged — on their lawns at home. Morning-glory vines were trained over un- sightly buildings which could not be removed. Our next problem was an old, unused one-room log building near the schoolhouse. It was very unsightly, so we asked the owner if we might improve its ap- pearance. Being given permission to do so, we set to work. THE PARENT AND THE COMMUNITY 25 We conceived the idea of converting it into a club house. We laid a neat walk to the road, planted flow- ers in the yard, and placed two rustic seats under a tree near the house. With the help of the older boys and girls and a few dollars from an ice cream supper, the interior of the house was made attractive. When our work was completed we arranged a short program for a community social at our club house. This meeting was largely attended and served to bring the patrons of the school into closer touch with one another, as did the other meetings which followed each week. Both old and young looked forward to these little socials with much interest. A PARENTS' INSTITUTE By Gertrude O. Jones All teachers and educators will agree that the com- mon cause of dissension and school difficulties is the lack of understanding and sympathy between the school and the home. In most states there is a law which compels the teachers to attend an Institute at least once each year. I have hoped that state legislation might give us such a law for parents. We always return from our Teachers' Institutes with a better understanding of the new methods and what is expected of us if we would be classed as pro- gressive and up-to-date teachers. But it is this very up-to-dateness which we acquire, through our own ambitions for the advancement of the public school and in compliance with our state laws, that often brings such discord betv\7een the par- ent and the teacher, the pupil and the school. 26 PEDAGOGICAL PEP We must admit that methods, devices, discipline, in fact everything in and about the public school of to- day, is different from what it was twenty, ten, or even five years ago. To us, who are in the work, these changes have come so gradually that they do not seem at all radical. But if one of us had been out of school fifteen years and in that time had become a parent, and was starting her child in school for the first time would she not be sur- prised to learn of the new phonograph record he had heard; of the half -hour spent in making a bird or a doll house ; or that he did not know his A B C's in reg- ular order, or the multiplication table in succession? She might think, as many do : The new teacher is just wasting time on a lot of foolishness that doesn't mean anything, and she is being well paid for it, too. And why! Because she didn't realize or understand the changes. Children cannot take home accurate accounts of the happenings and doings at school, because they, them- selves, do not understand the cause, the motive, or the result hoped for, hence the parent does not under- stand what we are working for, and so the seed of much misunderstanding is sown. I have long hoped that sometime there might be a compulsory Parents' Institute conducted along ex- actly the same lines as the Teachers' Institute. This seems to me to be the only way that all parents can learn what the public schools are trying to do, and what is expected of both teachers and pupils. With these ideas in mind, I set about to do what little I could in a rural school in a western state. Sev- eral weeks before the proposed meeting I began planning. I selected a few of the poems suggested in THE PARENT AND THE COMMUNITY 27 the course of study and taught them to the respective grades for language work. I had one of the advanced classes dramatize a history lesson, and my civics class prepare a debate on a popular question of the day. I planned a simple everyday reading lesson for my primary class, telling the story, developing words, phrases, and sentences. It was to be followed by seat work such as I always give them. To another class I gave a regular lesson and assign- ment in arithmetic. This constituted my program, which was really just everyday school work. The pupils wrote invitations while I added a per- sonal note, urging both the father and mother to meet with us on a certain day. When all had arrived I took the old course of study and with the aid of chalk and blackboard, showed how many classes we had by the old method, and how many minutes for each class, and asked the parents how much they thought it would be possible to accomplish under such conditions. Then I explained as well as I could, the new course and its purpose, emphasizing how we hoped it would benefit the child individually. I spoke of the new sub- jects and methods, by which we hoped to create greater interest and better scholarship. Following this, I gave my "lessons" or program, illustrating the meth- ods now in daily use in teaching. After we were through I asked for free discussions. I answered many questions that afternoon which proved to me that the parents were both interested and appreciative. In closing we had an old-fashioned "Spell Down," in which the parents took part, after which I passed cups of hot cocoa, wafers, and apples. 28 PEDAGOGICAL PEP I have been repaid for my experiment, many times, for I have found that in our community it has served to lessen the friction which existed between the home and the public school. HOW TO PRODUCE A COMMUNITY PAGEANT By Mattie C. Blomquist The value of a pageant based on the history of the community which produces it is : 1. It stimulates an interest in local history and ac- quaints pupils with the leading facts of importance in the history of the community. 2. It may lead to the preservation of knowledge of facts of value regarding local history. 3. It engenders good will and strengthens the com- munity spirit. 4. It interests the community in the school. 5. It may be used as a means of raising money for the school. 6. It affords wholesome recreation for the pupils, and clean entertainment for the community. 7. It trains pupils in teamwork, and develops ex- ecutive ability and leadership. 8. It affords a means of self-expression in prose, verse, artistic designing, dance, and song, 9. It trains pupils in the use of good English, and it familiarizes them with dramatic and verse forms. 10. It develops artistic, literary, and musical ability. The method of writing and producing a pageant is, briefly stated, as follows: 1. Collect data. Organize classes, or appoint com- mittees of pupils to make a thorough study of local THE PARENT AND THE GOMMUNITY 29 history. The source of such information may be: files of nev/spapers; county, city, village, and school records; old letters and photographs; data secured from the local and state historical societies. 2. Draw up an outline of the pageant. This may be done by a language or literature class, by the school as a whole, or by a committee of pupils working under the leadership of the teacher or some other person in the community. This outline should sketch, briefly, the general plan of the pageant. 3. Appoint committees to write the various parts of the pageant. These committees may be pupils or adults who are interested in the pageant. Certain parts may be written by language or literature classes ; for example the verse and the dialogue. The historical setting may be prepared by the history class which has first made a detailed study of the information collected by the committee on data. The costumes may be de- signed by a drawing class and made by a sewing class. The music may be selected and arranged by the com- mittee on music, by a music class, or by volunteers from the school ; or a musician in the community may compose, select, or arrange the music. 4. After the pageant is written it may be considered advisable to publish it. A committee on pageant text should then be appointed. This committee may select the paper and the type to be used in the book, read the proof, design a cover for the book, and provide photo- graphs for the cuts. 5. Committees or directors for the playing of the pageant should be selected. The teacher should be the director of the pageant as a whole. The committee on production should choose th-e pageant players; it should secure one or more prompters; and arrange 30 PEDAGOGICAL PEP the pageant rehearsals. The committee on finances should have charge of all advertising. Gate receipts should be turned over to this committee. It should be authorized to settle all accounts in connection with the pageant production. The members of this committee may well be selected from the school patrons. 6. Other committees which may be appointed are: A committee on music to have charge of the music of the pageant, and the music before and after the pag- eant (unless provided by the school, as suggested above) . A committee on dancing to have charge of all folk and interpretative dances included in the pageant or introduced between parts. A committee on light- ing to provide special lighting effects. A committee on properties to secure all necessary stage equipment, costumes, grounds, and seating facilities. The following suggestions regarding community pageant writing and playing are offered: 1. In writing the pageant avoid long monologues, or dialogues involving little action. 2. If possible give the pageant in an outdoor the- atre. A hillside forms an excellent amphitheatre. It is advisable to have the stage flanked with bushes to facilitate exits and entrances. 3. Secure orchestra music, band music, or choruses between parts. Avoid solos of all kinds. 4. Eliminate long waits between parts. 5. Costumes of crepe paper are attractive, easily made, and inexpensive. 6. Pantomimes, drills, dances, verse, and music from other sources may be included in the pageant. It need not be wholly original. 7. The pageant may be produced by several schools working together. It should then be so constructed THE PARENT AND THE COMMUNITY 31 that each part is a unit, and thus eliminate frequent rehearsals of the entire pageant. 8. Include as many people as possible in the writing and playing of the pageant. Make the chairman of each committee responsible for the work of his group. Publish the names of all committees, directors, and advisors in the pageant text. GO-TO-SCHOOL WEEK By Beulah R. Watrous The school where I teach is one of fifteen similar buildings in a city of nearly seventy thousand inhabi- tants. I doubt if there is a city of its size anywhere that can boast of more visitors to its public schools in the course of a year. We believe in constant and thorough advertising. Our superintendent uses every opportunity in public and private life to talk about our good schools and to urge people to visit them. When the children start their term's work each teacher tells them to invite their parents to come to see what they are doing. This invitation is supplemented by the child's report card which bears a plain message on the front, part of which reads, "It is especially important that you be- come personally acquainted with the teacher of your boy or girl and also learn of the general conditions in your school." The message is signed by the principal. In the school in which I teach we have a faculty meeting, lasting one hour, every Monday after school. On alternate Mondays each teacher is expected to spend the hour visiting the homes of her pupils until every home is visited. As we go about we invite the parents to visit their children in school. S2 PEDAGOGICAL PEP I am often told by mothers that their little ones give them no peace until they have visited school. As people begin to come, the other children go home and beg their parents to call, also. For two years, in the Fall, we have had a "Go-to- School Week." One of our little foreign lads posed for a picture, which, together with a very appealing slogan, was thrown upon the screen in every movie house in our city during the week. The newspapers printed splendid editorials on the subject. After one appeared our school asked to purchase six hundred copies of the editorial to present to the people in the district. The press graciously contributed the papers and the children distributed them, especially to people who had no children of their own in school. We were particularly anxious to reach this class, as so many of them pay taxes and sometimes grumble at the ex- penses of our public institutions. Plenty of chairs were provided in each class room for the comfort of the visitors ; regular work was car- ried on all the week ; and people came and went at all hours of the school day. During the week in our school of six hundred pupils, over eleven hundred visits were reported by the various rooms. Mothers came with small babies, fathers even took an afternoon off to visit their boys and girls, and many people who had not been inside a schoolhouse for years lingered about the building long after the children had left for home. At the end of the week we were very tired but felt a great satisfaction in the good work which had been done. Teachers received inspiration, children were encouraged and overjoyed in their accomplishments, and parents became so vitally interested that visitor? are now a daily occurrence. SECURING EQUIPMENT FOR THE SCHOOL OUR LIBRARY OBTAINED THROUGH COMMUNITY INTEREST By Edna Sundberg How many people consider the school library the most important piece of school equipment? Few, few indeed! Yet learning to read understandingly and having a desire to do so are the two biggest things in all school life. The thinking person is the one who reads. No subject can be pursued with success with- out intelligent reading. A number of years ago, it fell to my lot to enter an ail-American neighborhood as a teacher. The school- house was a dingy, pictureless affair almost without equipment. What it had was ancient and mouse-eaten. The school library consisted of a shelf and a half of books in a small, dingy, old-fashioned cupboard. Many of the books were wholly unsuited to a school library, most of them being far over the heads of the possible readers. Some of the books, though soiled with age, still had leaves uncut. I selected the few suitable books, and read them to the children. Sometimes a whole half-hour of their valuable time was taken for this purpose. Many par- ents criticized this practice. In periods allotted to grammar and language, we wrote reviews of parts we liked or disliked. After the 34 PEDAGOGICAL PEP discussion of the stories, we wrote character sketches or reproduced from memory pleasing bits of de- scription. When the children began to show a lively interest, my own small library with its stories of famous men, its geographical readers, and other stories suitable for children, found its way to the schoolhouse. The children talked of the reading at home. One of the members of the board of directors suggested that geographical readers be used instead of the usual readers for advanced classes. We bought them. It was wonderful to have something alive to read. I then found another use for the story interest. The choicest stories were read in the ten minutes before the bell rang. We never had a cleaner tardy report. Now the time was ripe to talk about a library. We decided to have an entertainment to raise money. Judging by results, it was a wonderful success. Every- body came for miles around. Our state provides a State Library Fund, and dis- tricts interested enough to raise money may get help from this fund. My school directors showed their good will and appreciation by giving as much out of the school fund as we had raised by the entertainment. As a result we had a very neat sum with which to begin a real library. The directors were so pleased that they bought a very nice new bookcase, and then decided that the schoolhouse needed a general cleaning-up to make it good enough for the library. We called a meeting of the entire neighborhood to discuss the selection of the books. It is not difficult to find out just what kind of books will be acceptable, if a little thought is given to the matter. EQUIPMENT 35 We opened the neighborhood meeting by asking each one present to write the names of a number of their favorite books on slips of paper ; also, names of books they would like to read. These slips were then collected. The meeting nominated a committee to se- lect the books, using the information gained. An alter- native list was made, to save time, in case the books ordered were not available. I acted as librarian during school days, and one of the busy mothers in the neighborhood took the work during vacation. I wish you might be made to feel the enthusiasm with which these people took hold of that library ! In- stead of one small bookcase they now have a set of fine sectional bookcases, filled with good books. Our state has a traveling library. In neighbor- hoods where public spirit seemed to be lacking, I have aroused interest in reading by getting one of these and taking care of it myself, with the help of another person. It will amaze one to find how many people will read if someone else will take all the responsibility and do the necessary work. In twelve years of handling libraries in rural com- munities, one fact impresses itself upon my mind. Books suitable for the average sixth, seventh, and eighth grade pupils are the ones in demand by the en- tire neighborhood. School children and adults read very much the same class of books. Travel and adventure appeal to boys and men; good, clean home-life stories and life in other parts of the world seem to be what women and girls crave. Historical stories appeal to all. The one thing most neglected is any form of reliable reference books on any subject. They are much need- 36 PEDAGOGICAL PEP ed since women and men in rural life have taken up club activities. Stories for young children should not be overlooked. There are many splendid books of this kind now. The mind of the small child is fertile soil, ready for the seed of knowledge. Habit is strong and where could a better one be formed? A NOVEL WAY TO SECURE A PHONOGRAPH By Alma Robinson Probably there is not a school in our entire country which would not be delighted to have a phonograph. It is no longer considered a luxury for schoolroom use, but is now looked upon as very necessary in properly carrying out our school curriculum, especially in the first eight grades. The uses of such an instrument are many and varied. It may be used for rhythmic expression, musical appre- ciation, instrument study, accompaniment for com- munity singing, drill in handwriting, and many other purposes which will be apparent when once the school succeeds in obtaining one. For securing a phonograph many teachers desire a plan that has been used successfully in a small rural school with an enrollment of from six to twenty pupils. The plan which I have used has proved wonderfully successful. Our school is a one-room rural school, no different in appearance from hundreds of others dot- ting our American landscape. It is located in a com- munity interested in the education and general welfare of its children, although it is not a wealthy com- munity. EQUIPMENT 37 Our phonograph was purchased during the closing months of the war when all instruments as well as rec- ords were very high priced. At that time there were ten small boys and girls enrolled in our school, and there were only about twenty families in the district. We held a meeting to discuss the many possibilities, both entertaining and instructive, of a school phono- graph. The next day we began to form plans. Every school, far and near, had been having pie suppers and box socials. These seemed at first to be the only sources of revenue open to us. Desiring to do some- thing of a different nature we conceived the idea of having a "hen social." I made a trip to our nearest town, six miles away, to see if our music dealer would lend a phonograph and records to us for a few days on condition that we would purchase it if we were fortunate enough to raise the required amount of money. He gladly made the loan and promised to deliver it, free, on any day we wished. Then the pupils made invitations to send to the fami- lies in our district, inviting them to come to our school- house on the following Friday to enjoy the music, ora- tions, readings, and various other numbers to be fur- nished by the phonograph. These were to be inter- spersed with readings and songs by the pupils. The program was to be followed by refreshments and a social half-hour. At the end of our invitation we stated that we would very much appreciate a donation of one or two hens from each family to apply on our music fund, but urged each family to come even if un- able to make a donation. When Friday came nearly every family was repre- sented, each bringing two well-fed hens. Some who could not come sent hens or made us a cash donation. 38 PEDAGOGICAL PEP We sold our chickens to a near-by huckster; and when all our cash was counted we found ourselves to be the happy possessors of fifty-one dollars. We purchased a thirty-five dollar phonograph and a dozen choice records with the money, for we were de- termined not to go into debt. Great care was taken in the selection of our records. We obtained some of the best masterpieces as well as records played by various instruments. That was over three years ago, and we have managed to add a few choice records each year to our list. In closing, I might add that we have no trouble with discipline or attendance in this school, and that the children never tire of our phonograph. PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT EARNED AND MADE BY THE PUPILS By Noah J. Parsons Upon becoming the principal of a two-teacher school a few years ago, I found the grounds devoid of any play equipment. The building had been built the year before and was a fairly good one. The new build- ing site had been purchased out of a field ; hence, was devoid of shade trees. The grounds were ample but, being level and lacking proper drainage, became very muddy in wet weather. As the county board of educa- tion was heavily in debt, I knew it was useless to ask assistance from this source. With the primary teacher and the pupils, I immedi- ately began planning to remedy the situation. An ice cream and pie supper was decided upon as the quickest way to raise some funds with which to relieve our dis- tressing condition. The girls baked the pies and the EQUIPMENT 39 cakes ; the mothers furnished us with the milk to make the ice cream and lent us the freezers ; and the boys vol- unteered to turn them. Thus our expenses were cut to the minimum. We had a good crowd out that night and all had a very enjoyable time. We cleared forty- six dollars. As the school was located in a section of the county where there was plenty of timber, and the farmers were kind enough to give us such as we needed, we thought it best to make most of the play equipment needed for the school, believing the pupils would ap- preciate it much more if they had a hand in the mak- ing. So we obtained from the forests near by the posts and poles we needed. One farmer kindly gave us an old wagon wheel and thimble. With this and a large black-locust post about fifteen feet long we made a giant's stride, using ropes to attach to the wheel. This proved so popular with the pupils that another farmer gave us an old wheel and thimble, and we made another giant's stride. For the little children we set a row of posts in the ground, seven feet apart and eight feet high. Across the tops of the posts strong poles were fastened se- curely, thus serving as a place to attach swings. We also built a slide of smoothly planed lumber. With posts, poles, and planks we made seesaws. We planned to build a merry-go-round, but many of the mothers were fearful lest some of our young charges be injured on it, hence we thought it best to get along without this ever-delightful amusement for children. For the boys we arranged horizontal bars by set- ting rows of posts in the ground and boring holes through the tops of the posts. We used gas pipe for the bars. These were arranged at different heights 40 PEDAGOGICAL PEP to accommodate boys of different sizes. A section foreman gave us a load of cinders, which one of the boys volunteered to haul w^hile the others dug a pit. Then with two high posts we constructed a vaulting pole for the high jump. With the remainder of the money, after buying ropes, chains, gas pipe, and lumber with which to make the above equipment, we purchased a volley ball outfit, and a baseball outfit, consisting of two balls, two bats, and one catcher's mitt. As we had about one hundred and twenty pupils in school, it was possible to form sev- eral teams from those who were large enough to play in competitive games. Many strongly contested games were waged between opposing forces. These pupils soon learned to play and to greatly enjoy their play periods. Throughout the term the attendance was much better, and the morale of the school improved at least fifty per cent. When Arbor Day came we improved our school grounds by setting out shade trees, building gravel walks, and so on. The girls and the mothers furnished dinner on the grounds. The larger boys and the fathers brought teams, hauled gravel, and set out the shade trees. The afternoon was turned into a patriotic cele- bration. The school had raised funds and purchased a large flag six by ten feet. After the flag pole seventy- eight feet long had been set into the hole dug for it, the county attorney delivered an eloquent address. Then Old Glory was raised to the top of the pole and left to float in the air. In the meantime, the school had formed a circle around the pole. With eyes uplifted to Old Glory, waving gently m the breezes, the pupils recited the flag salute. The program closed with the singing of The Star Spangled Banner. EQUIPMENT 41 The patrons present complimented highly the good, constructive work the school was doing and assured us that they were ready and willing at all times to help us do anything necessary for the improvement of the school. HO^V WE PROCURED A PROJECTION LANTERN By Edith Nesbitt Ours is just an ordinary rural school without elec- tricity, yet we have a projection lantern and screen for use in visual instruction. Last summer at the county fair we won the first premium, of ten dollars, on our school exhibit. Then came the question, "What shall we do with our money?" We had a library and were also to have the use of a traveling library, so we did not want to buy books; and since this district was a "good provider," we were not in need of other things that might be pur- chased with ten dollars. Therefore, it was rather hard to decide what to buy. One day one of the mothers in the district suggested using the money to start a fund for a projection lantern with the idea that the community should donate the rest. It was pointed out that we could use the lantern at many of the community gatherings as well as in school. This idea suited me exactly, but I was rather doubt- ful about interesting the community in helping to buy a lantern. However, I began collecting all possible in- formation on lantern outfits from the State Education Department and the manufacturers of projection apparatus. 42 PEDAGOGICAL PEP One item of information received was that we could use toward the purchase of a lantern the entire sum allowed a rural school by the State Education Depart- ment for books and apparatus. I talked the matter over with the district superin- tendent who was greatly in favor of it. I said nothing about it to the children, for I knew that they would be deeply disappointed if such a plan were proposed and then not carried out. Shortly afterward I heard of a firm for whom we could sell Christmas cards and receive one half of the proceeds provided we paid all of the transportation charges on the goods. Thinking it would be a good chance for the school to earn most of the money for a lantern, I decided to try this plan and sent for two sample books of cards, which cost us one dollar each. When the books came I told the children of my plan. As might be expected, they were delighted and more than willing to work. The books contained seventy-eight samples of cards, seals, calendars, stickers, and folders. All of them were very pretty and reasonably priced. The children showed the books to their friends and took orders. When the orders amounted to about twenty-five dol- lars, we sent them in. The total amount of the sales yvas ninety-six dollars. After deducting the transportation charges and cost of two sample books from our half of the sales, we still had a very good balance. This amount added to our pre- mium money and the money received from the State gave us about seventy-five dollars. We purchased a lantern, a six by seven foot screen, and a dry cell battery, at a total cost of sixty-two dol- lars and twenty-five cents. EQUIPMENT 43 The State Education Department loans us the slides which we can keep one week or, on certain conditions, four weeks; and we pay transportation charges on return shipments. We use the slides daytimes during the week, and on Friday evening invite all who wish to see them, to come and enjoy them too. It was not all play to earn this money, but the chil- dren enjoy the lantern much more because of having earned the greater part of the price. OUR NEW PIANO THE RESULT OF A COURT TRIAL By Virginia Watkins The necessity and worth of a piano in the rural school is generally appreciated by most teachers of the present generation. Regrettable is the fact that very few of our rural schools are equipped with a standard piano, but of late it has become the aim of many a teacher to secure one for her room. The following is an account of how I secured a piano for the school in which I last taught. It was just a common rural school, with bare walls, a few windows, a dirty-looking stove, and absolutely nothing to soften or break the monotony of the ordi- nary, unattractive room. I had not been there long until I decided that it was necessary to have a piano. With this end in view, I racked my brains to find some way of earning the money necessary for this purpose. I consulted the directors of my school board about this project, and asked for suggestions. They kindly offered to be responsible for one half of the expense if 44 PEDAGOGICAL PEP I could raise the remainder, although how I should raise such a sum, none of them could say ; so I went to work. There were about seventy parents, and some eighty- five other persons of the district who would be inter- ested. These people were all quite prosperous farmers. I sent out attractive little notices to each family in- viting its members to attend a court trial for the pur- pose of raising funds for a school piano. Then I began preparations by enlisting the help of my pupils. I chose two of my best boy debaters to be the principal characters. They dressed as business men. Five more were chosen to act as witnesses. Sev- eral enthusiastic young ladies of the district volun- teered to be of assistance if I could use them. I had them dress as policewomen, and with their help trumped up farcical charges against all prominent persons invited. I instructed twelve of my pupils to play the part of jurors, and others to act as court at- tendants. One of the young men of the district, who had been studying law, promised to be prosecuting attorney. I decided to take the part of judge, myself; so things were nicely arranged, and an earnest course of practice and instruction followed. The appointed day came at last, and the visitors were ushered into the schoolroom, which had been transformed into a court room. My desk, draped with an American flag, became the judge's desk; a table piled high with books, was placed before the judge's desk to accommodate the attorney. The side bench was fitted for the twelve little jurors. Seats were re- served for the visitors. The two boys, chosen as principal characters, start- ed a discussion over the right the school had to a pi- EQUIPMENT 45 ano, using every argument that could possibly be con- sidered on either side of the question, and finally rais- ing such a hubbub that some of my policewomen ar- rested the two on a charge of disturbing the peace. They were immediately presented in court and several other children, before chosen, were summoned as wit- nesses. By this time the room was crowded, and pre- sented an interested audience. The trial began; the jury was impaneled, and took their seats; the witnesses were sworn in; and all the formal rites of the court were solemnly enacted. The prisoners were examined and cross-examined by the prosecuting attorney. They were made to repeat all their arguments, which of course they did with gusto, and becoming excited again stated every possible view of the case. Finally the jury filed out to return im- mediately with a verdict of guilty for both boys. They were given two days of selling subscriptions for the school piano. In addition the judge declared that all fines collected would be devoted to the piano fund. Directly after the case was dismissed, there was great excitement at the door. The president of the board was brought in, guarded by one of the police- women, who brought a charge against him of brutality to his automobile. After much argument on the part of many witnesses, and much laughter from the audience, the prisoner was found guilty and fined one dollar and fifty cents. When his case was dismissed, the audience was astonished to hear an order issued for a fine of five cents from each person who had laughed during the preceding trial. This sum was collected by my at- tendants and amounted to two dollars and five cents. Then the treasurer of the board was ushered in on a charge of having broken all speed ordinances while 46 PEDAGOGICAL PEP driving to the schoolhouse that day. When all had been said and done, and much merriment offered, the jurors pronounced him guilty. He paid a fine of one dollar and costs which amounted to fifty-five cents, while the amount collected this time from the audience was one dollar and seventy cents. In this way, one person after another, was arraigned before the court, charged with some comical misde- meanor, found guilty, and fined anything from five cents to one dollar and sixty cents, according to the amount of amusement provided. Our trials lasted about two hours, during which time quite an amount of money was collected. Finally I dismissed the court and invited the visitors to partake of a picnic lunch, which some of the women had provided, after which we played games which everyone enjoyed. Many congratulations were offered upon the success of the venture. Most of the necessary money had been provided, and in a short time our school was the proud possessor of a beautiful piano. A BEAUTIFUL PAINTING SECURED THROUGH AN APPRECIATION OF ART By B. F. Larsen A teacher often finds upon going into a new school, that there is not a creditable picture in the building. The sensitive teacher is uncomfortable in the pres- ence of such conditions and soon begins to plan ways and means of beautifying the schoolroom. Good pic- tures are valuable aids in creating an atmosphere of friendship between teacher and pupils. How can the teacher secure pictures ? Put the boys and girls to work on the problem. If you have never EQUIPMENT 47 helped a group of boys and girls to see and feel some genuine need, and then acted as their adviser while they were working to satisfy that need, you probably have never tasted the highest joys that may reward the teacher. The following method of securing pictures has come within the writer's experience. It is given with the hope that teachers who have not been provided with artistic schoolrooms will turn their seeming misfor- tunes into blessings by creating for themselves an at- mosphere of beauty in which to do their work. "I never have seen a better class of boys and girls," said one of my teachers at the close of the first day of school. "But look at the gloomy schoolroom. I fear for success when this room is less attractive to me than the little, commonplace boarding house where I eat and sleep." Within a few days she said, "Boys and girls, when you go home to-day, ask your parents to take down all of the pictures from the walls, remove all curtains and cushions, take up the rugs and arrange the furniture in formal rows around the room. After living in the house in this condition for one week come back and tell me how you feel." "We know already," they began to answer. "One day of that, each year, is all Father can stand. It makes him cross, and Mother gets tired and soon we are all out of sorts." "Very well," said the teacher, "if you know already there is no need for our experiment. But if uninviting homes make us unhappy it is just possible that an ugly schoolroom will affect our good nature a little also." The children understood and began to plan. The following morning the smallest girl placed a package on the teacher's desk, and said in a low tone of 48 PEDAGOGICAL PEP voice, "Here's a picture Mother says we may use for fixing up the room. We took it down from the dining room. We can get along without it for a while if you would like it." A little later an awkward boy leaned over the teach- er's desk and placed before her a reproduction of a well-known picture, which he had clipped from a magazine. These pictures were shown to the school. The next mommg nearly every student brought one or more pictures. Some brought seven or eight. "What shall I do with these ?" the teacher asked herself, as she sur- veyed the questionable quality of this volunteer deco- rative material. She resolved to preserve and use the good, and dispose of the bad as diplomatically as pos- sible. "We have more than enough pictures," said the teacher. "Our problem is to make a selection. Doubt- less we can use nearly all of them if we treat them in different ways." "Here is a glorious autumn landscape that may con- nect us with the out of doors now. Washington Cross- ing the Delaware and this portrait of Lincoln may be reserved for February. This Egyptian scene may help us in our geography work." The teacher picked out pictures of birds, flowers, animals, factories, ships, people, and scenes illustrating various countries and conditions. They were selected from many sources; even used post cards and embossed grocery calendars were in evidence. Most of these pictures were not works of art, but this wise teacher determined to use them as a basis for good art teaching. After all of the pictures had been displayed, and classified by the students according to EQUIPMENT 49 use, it was discovered that some of the most charming contributions had been placed in a pile which seemed to have no particular use. The teacher held them up, one after another, and asked, "For what can we use this one?" There was no answer. "Shall we destroy it?" the teacher questioned. "No," came the unani- mous response. Finally one boy said, "Let us use it for enjoyment." And soon the enjoyment pile became the popular pile. "Now," said the teacher, "we have come to the most difficult question of all. Picture makers are all human just like us. Sometimes they do not make good pic- tures because they do not know how to make good ones. There are good and poor pictures just as there are good and poor stories. We cannot always readily tell the good from the poor. We all want to learn how as fast as we can. We may need expert advice some- times. "While we are looking at these pictures we shall talk about them. We shall point out the good things we like about them. If we like some of the pictures better than others we shall not flatter the boys and girls who brought the better ones, nor frown upon the children who brought the others." The teacher's purpose was to avoid discouraging the pupils who selected poor pictures and, also to avoid casting any reflection upon their homes. She knew that the essential thing at this stage was to arouse an interest in the pictures and a love for them, and then, through subtle suggestion rather than technical criticism, to develop the student's powers of discrimination. "We have good desks, good books, arrd, as a whole, a rather pleasant room," said the teacher, "but so far as I know this school has never owned a really fine pic- 50 PEDAGOGICAL PEP ture. I have an idea about which I am going to tell you, and then we can discuss it together. Every Christmas we do our best to make other people happy. We carefully select a present for mother and father and baby sister, and we are very glad when we see that they are pleased. Christmas is a long way off, but by starting now we might save up enough money to purchase a good picture for the school. We could place it in this room and year after year for a long, long time the boys and girls who come here would be made happier if we make a wise choice. "This little project could be our community secret. Then just before Christmas we might have a fine pro- gram, invite our parents, unveil our new picture, and surprise everybody with our public service." And so a treasurer was appointed and the money be- gan to come in — in pennies and nickels mostly. The children were asked to contribute only small amounts at a time and to make contributions only when there was no sacrifice of necessities. "How shall we choose our picture?" the teacher asked one day. Children need training in the selection of pictures and the teacher was determined to use this opportunity for their education. Fortunately a few public-spirited citizens had se- cured a small exhibit from a good non-resident artist. The boys and girls went to see it and were delighted with the freshness and color of the paintings. "This is my choice," said one boy. "Let us buy one of these," the children urged, and in a short time they had decided, by vote, which picture would best fit into the conditions of their room. But when they dis- covered the price, one hundred and fifty dollars, and compared it with the twelve dollars which they had EQUIPMENT 51 saved, there was a noticeable disappointment, which was even greater when they discovered that not one of the pictures in this exhibit could be purchased for twelve dollars. Fortunately a number of local artists lived in this small city. The children visited their studios and ac- quired an interest in pictures which could not be ob- tained in other ways. They told the local artists the purpose of their visit and the amount of their savings. The artists offered to take the school savings in part payment for a good picture and donate the rest of the cost price. A num- ber of pictures were offered on these terms and again the students had a chance to choose. Their choice showed good judgment. They had received something vastly more important than any picture. A certain type of education can be presented only through pictures. This type of education is essential in every school program. There is always some way of securing good pictures if school officers and teach- ers want them. SCHOOL MANAGEMENT MISSING THE FUN REFORMED MY MISCHIEVOUS PUPILS By Frances C Duggar I was quite young when I started teaching the sec- ond grade, and at first I had trouble with the disci- pline. I tried the old, old methods — scolding, lectur- ing, keeping the children in. None of them was ef- fective. Then I tried a new method of my own — and it worked! How happy I was, and how the children improved in manners and conduct! Here is my method. It is as simple as A, B, C. I do not keep in the bad children. They are already irri- tated by their own badness. I dismiss them when the bell rings, and I keep in the good children ! Do the children like it? That is it. I make the time so interesting that they want to be kept in. The first day that I started the new plan, I said to the children just before time for dismissal, "Harry and Neal and Evelyn and Ethyl may be excused from the room. They have not tried to-day to make our schoolroom a happy place. The rest of you may stay, if you like, for a brand-new game." The children's curiosity was aroused. Harry and Neal and Evelyn and Ethyl were loath to go, but I gently and firmly urged them toward the door and watched them down the steps. Then I explained the SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 53 new game. It was really an old game, but none of the children had ever played it. It was nothing more nor less than the forfeit game of Air, Sea, and Land, played with a rubber ball. After ten minutes the game was declared over and the real fun began. The for- feits were drawn and the penalties given out. The children laughed very heartily when Susan tried to say the alphabet backwards, and they were wild with joy when Bob threw up a grape and caught it in his mouth. Then the children were dismissed, smiling and happy. They had been kept only twenty minutes overtime. The next morning the children's first inquiry was whether they might stay in again. "Yes, indeed," I told them, "if you're good." That afternoon we learned to play Red Rover out of doors. Every child was there. No one had needed to be dismissed. For the rest of the year I did not once miss keeping in the good children and I always gave them the best time that I possibly could. I varied the entertainment as much as possible, and I seldom detained the chil- dren over twenty minutes. For these stay-in periods I never used story-telling as entertainment, nor pictures. This was because I wanted every child to hear all of my best stories and see all of my best pictures. I knew that the unruly children needed such things even more than the well- behaved children, so I told stories and showed pictures only when all were present. I did read to the children after school, however, us- ing books that we would never have had time for dur- ing school hours. I was always careful not to read more than two days a week, because I wanted the sur- prise element to enter into the child's joy in staying. 54 PEDAGOGICAL PEP Some days after I had finished reading a story I divided the children into groups. Each group went to a separate comer of the room and rehearsed the story as a play. Then each performed for the other groups. At other times I let the groups choose their own story to dramatize or make up an original play. How the children shrieked with laughter when Goldilocks (for whom they had wisely chosen a boy) ran to the window and actually climbed out, the three bears in hot pursuit! But school had been dismissed, so the laughter made no difference. That was one of the advantages of the stay-in fun. We could be as merry as we pleased. More than once we made jointed cardboard animals. Little brads were used to connect the parts and the animals moved their heads and legs freely to the great delight of the children. I will never forget how much the children enjoyed making peanut animals one afternoon. Five children had to be dismissed that day. It was amusing to see the longing glances they cast at the sack on my desk, although they had no idea that it contained peanuts. They only knew that it was a surprise for the "good children." Toothpicks and peanuts were distributed, and the children made a dog, a mouse, a man, a spider, a frog, and a grasshopper, as I placed the models on my desk. Then each made an original peanut animal, and we had a judge to select the best and award a dozen pea- nuts for the prize. Another glorious time was the day we made pea houses. That was the day Neal was so anxious to stay that he said he would never, never be naughty again and have to miss all the fun. Green field peas and SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 55 toothpicks were passed around the room. I had made the models beforehand from which the pupils chose their designs. Some put up single-room cabins. Others made two rooms and a roof. Still others put up elabo- rate structures of two stories, four rooms upstairs, four downstairs, and a roof. The peas form the cor- ners. The toothpicks are stuck into them. If a pea bursts it is taken out and replaced by another. When the weather was pleasant, we sometimes played out-of-door games, not the regular school games that we played during our physical training period, but alert, lively games with plenty of action. One day we had a fish-pond. With the aid of pat- terns the children made small fishes, ducks, frogs, and turtles from drawing paper. I gave the children two- inch lengths of fine iron wire and showed them how to put it through the animal and twist it into a loop on the upper side, and bend the ends flat on the lower side. As soon as the animals were finished they were brought to me for waxing. Holding the loop with my scissors, I dipped the animal into melted tallow. After it was dry, the animal was thinly coated with wax so it would be impervious to water. The children made fish- ing poles with hooks and we floated the animals in a tub of water. I wish I had space to tell of some of our other good times, especially of our big paper-doll festival, but each teacher will be able to make up games and enter- tainments to fit her own peculiar requirements. Just a few words about the effect of the stay-in peri- od. Of course the children who stayed talked about it to the ones who didn't stay, and that made the little offenders firmly resolve to do better. How they hated to miss a single day ! 56 PEDAGOGICAL PEP The only faults for which I ever had to punish were quarreling, continually interrupting, idling, and being noisy. These were frequent at the beginning of the year. But after the stay-in plan was started they oc- curred so seldom that our room seemed an entirely different place. THE SCHOOL BULLY TRANSFOBiMED THROUGH THE POWER OF LOVE By Mabel R. Blitch His hair was red, of the shade that presages tem- per; he delighted in malicious mischief; he was, in brief, the kind of boy that makes a teacher wish she had never entered the profession. I disliked him as fervently as he disliked me. When- ever his eyes met mine they contained a defiant hard- ness. The other children in this little rural school, while not at all exemplary, were at least manageable, but I never knew as I went to school each morning what particular form of trouble this boy might cause during the day. The little fellows were afraid of him. He teased and tormented them at recess time and after school. He incited the larger boys to fight. He pulled up the seedlings the girls had planted. His parents rejoiced with him whenever he succeeded in annoying me, and my only method of retaliation was to pass over him with quiet scorn during recitation, intimating that his behavior exempted him from being "one of us." Nat- urally this produced more bitterness. I was almost ready to confess myself beaten at the end of that first year, and during the vacation that followed spent con- siderable thought on the matter. SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 57 Discussing it with a kindly old gentleman who knew boys, I averred, "School teaching would be a joy if it were not for Don." He bent a penetrating glance upon me. "You don't love that boy, do you?" he remarked quizzically. "Nobody could," was my prompt reply. "The little scamp does everything in his power to annoy me. Love him! I abominate him." "Love him," he advised simply. "Try it. Boys want love although they pretend not to. Love is a wonder- worker. It was not in vain that our Master told us to 'love our enemies.' There is something lovable in everyone, didn't you know that? Praise him a little. Love him. Try it." I was skeptical, nevertheless I began the new term with the intention of loving them all. I smiled as kindly upon the school bully as upon the daintiest, dearest baby in the first grade. I found that Don was remarkably quick at figures, and I commended him publicly. I asked him to help some of the little fellows with their tables. I made him monitor of the flag; called upon him to help when I required the services of a "strong manly boy" ; and gave him one of the coveted back seats, reserved for only those whom teacher could trust. I kept him after school upon little pretenses of helping me, and asked him to come before the others in the morning, to help sharpen pencils, and the like: all this really to keep him from annoying the little fellows. I told stories during recreation hour that were most calculated to inspire him to emulation. I established a footing of comradeship by questioning him about the woodsy things we both loved. 58 PEDAGOGICAL PEP The bully in him died gradually. At first he was suspicious of my overtures, and although I had taken from him his opportunities for mischief on the way to and from school he found chances to annoy the smaller children at recess. But I was determined that Love should work its wonders, and I proved its powers by putting small boys in Don's charge. *'Don't let the big boys hurt this little fellow," I would say. "You watch out for him, Don. I know you will take care of him." This seemed to arouse in him a latent protective instinct, and now the change in him became marked. But the change was not in him alone. I, too, felt it. I began to love Don. To know that I had the power to soften that defiant look, to know that he trusted me, to know that he was improving in his lessons, made me very grateful. Insensibly, it affected the school at- mosphere. Better order and better manners in school and on the playground resulted. I thought my triumph complete when, one afternoon, Don came into the room where we were having a Bird Club meeting and said shortly, "I want to join this heah Bird Club." This was done while some half dozen jeering scornful "pals," perched on the fence outside, were voicing their disgust at "savin' birds which is meant to kill." Don had been a ringleader in the slaughter of birds, a ruthless killer. In my glowing pleasure, I could hardly refrain from high praise. The people in the village began to remark about the transformation: they spoke about how Don had changed from an insolent, malicious, idle fellow into a courteous, helpful, industrious boy. I thought my cup was full. But there was one more drop of joy to com- plete Lovers triumph. SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 59 I had started a night school for the adults of the vil- lage, and one evening, as Don saw me entering the cold schoolhouse, he hastened after me to ask if I would like him to build a fire. I thanked him, and watched him as he energetically piled on the coal. Having made the fire, the boy perched on top of one of the desks, and said, meditatively, "Do you know, I'm not like I — I used to be." "I know," I said gently. "I don't know how come," his soft Southern drawl continued, "but I don't feel like I used to. I used to be — full of meanness — didn't like to study, didn't care nohow; and now — Jack came over to my house this afternoon," he went on earnestly, "and me and him, we got to talkin' — 'bout you. An' we decided we are going to stick to you. You are the best teacher ! An' — an' I reckon you c'n ask me to do anything." Then in a soft, low voice, vibrant with feeling, he added : "You seem, sorter, well — you seem just like a — a mother to me!" Laughter and tears struggled in my voice, as, im- pulsively holding out my hand, I said, "I'm so glad you feel that way, Don. We are good friends, and I hope we always shall be." SOLVING THE DISCIPLINE PROBLEM ON THE PLAYGROUND By Jennie Leuty Over in the northwestern part of my little county there was a rural school of about fifty pupils, classed as very unruly. Reports I heard about the school were like this, "The teacher there last year was a man, and he was only able to stay a few weeks." "For a long 60 PEDAGOGICAL PEP time no teacher has stayed longer than two months." "I wouldn't teach that school for a thousand dollars a month." Nevertheless, I accepted the position, and was determined to make a success of the school and stay eight months instead of two. The first morning I gave quite a long, friendly talk, bringing out the idea that school was a place for both work and play, and that I wanted us to have a great deal of both in the proper hours ; that we must all work together and make our school the best school in the county, so that people Vv^ould say, "They have a fine school at Valley. I guess the pupils over there are hard to beat. They are live wires." Then I let the pupils express their opinions in regard to the matter, and they agreed that if each one tried to do what I wanted and what they thought was right, we would surely have the best school in the county. At recess one boy came to me and said, "Miss L — , we never had a teacher begin like that before. They al- ways began by telling us about ninety-nine things we couldn't do." I had heard that lots of trouble took place on the school grounds at playtime and was carried from there into the schoolroom. Naturally, I decided that the chief place for me to right affairs would be on the playground. So before dismissal for the first recess I asked to see the right hand of those who were ready to have a real lively game of Blackman. All the right hands went up and I knew then that I had a good start. We played hard all recess. Having made the rules before the game began there was no chance for an argument in that respect. The recess ended too quickly and it was easy to read from the children's faces that SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 61 all had enjoyed every minute. During the entire school year I played with the pupils as much as I could. If any misunderstandings arose I adjusted them soon with a kind explanation of rules. Yes, I played in winter even when sled-racing was in its ele- ment and I had to help be horse. We all played to- gether, thus preventing the forming of cliques. Next, I aroused the patriotism and pride of the pu- pils. They did not know the flag salute, nor could they sing "America," or many other patriotic songs that every boy and girl should know. Having taught the flag salute, and "America," I taught many other good songs, patriotic and otherwise. I continually gave short patriotic talks. I was working for harmony and I believed then as now, in order to have harmony in the schoolroom, there must be plenty of good songs taught and sung. As soon as I possibly could I began to visit the homes of my pupils. This was quite a difficult task as I had only a short time each evening, and some of my pupils lived quite long distances from my boarding house. However, by taking advantage of every Satur- day and Sunday that I remained in the community I finally made one visit to each home and more than one to some. After the visits I knew better what to expect of each child and how to deal with him. I also had gained the good will and cooperation of the parents, both of which are essential to a successful school. A teacher herself is the best judge as to whether or not she has the good will and admiration of all her pu- pils. Here as in many other places, actions speak louder than words. I was quite sure of all but one boy. Johnny, as I shall call him, was inclined to cheat, and do many naughty tricks when my back was turned. 62 PEDAGOGICAL PEP In my attempts to straighten him out, I began by let- ting him do things that needed a trusty person. These things were generally a great honor to anyone, espe- cially Johnny, whom no one trusted. My praise for him was endless, and I soon noticed a change in him. He knew he was being trusted and he was often heard saying, "This teacher likes me." One day Johnny shot a paper wad and I did not know it until recess, when he came and told me in this way : "Miss L — , I shot a paper wad. Don't know what made me do it. Guess I just forgot." Did I scold him? No, indeed, because he was honest in telling me about the incident. Put your whole self into your work, and determine to make your school a success ! FIND THE CHILD'S INTEREST AND TURN IT INTO THE PROPER CHANNEL By Mayme L. Tellefsen Victor, a lad of sixteen years, was in the fifth grade. He was a terror in school and on the grounds. In the schoolroom he was continually whispering, laughing, tormenting the other pupils, and in short making a nuisance of himself in every way possible. On the grounds he was the roughest of the boys, always hurt- ing the smaller children and breaking up their games. At every recess and every intermission, there was someone running into the building in tears. The older teachers pitied me because I was young and just out of normal school. They told me that Victor had even whipped his mother, had been a candidate for the Reform School, and was being held on probation. He had been expelled from school sev- SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 63 eral times, and the superintendent told me that he would expel Victor again if he gave any further trouble. I did not want him expelled. This was my first school, and I wanted to make good. After the first day of school I realized that I must use my brains, if I ever did. I tactfully asked Victor's former teacher what he liked to do, and was informed that "He just wanted to draw maps all day long, and do nothing else," her voice registering all her scorn. The next morning I called Victor and said, "We need a large map of the United States. Will you make one for me, Victor?" He agreed and seemed very pleased. I bought one and a half yards of heavy white muslin and had the janitor make an easel, three by five feet, on which to tack it. I put this in one of the front corners of the schoolroom where I could see it. Then I said to Victor ; "I shall put your map in this comer so no one will bother you. As soon as you are through with each lesson you may come up here quietly and draw." The plan acted like a charm. He actually studied his lessons so that he could work on the map. After he had made the outline and put in the rivers, all of which he had done beautifully and skillfully, I asked one of the teachers to notice the map the next time she came in and give it the praise it well deserved. I told Victor to take time to do his best. As soon as he was through with one phase, I had another ready for him. The outline and rivers were followed by state, capitals, large cities, mountains, lakes, and fi- nally products. It took him four months to complete this map in spare time. He did not like to be praised before the other pupils. He seemed to have a sort of perverted pride in his bad 64 PEDAGOGICAL PEP reputation. Perhaps, he was afraid the boys would call him "teacher's pet," or "sissy." I sensed the situ- ation and always praised him when we were alone. Often he wanted to stay in at recess and come early in the morning to work on his map. I always allowed him to do so. Once or twice I asked him to sharpen some pencils, and he offered to attend to it regularly, as well as to many other duties around the room. To correct his conduct on the playground, I said to him, "As you are the largest boy in school, will you please look around the playground for me once in a while to see that none of the children get hurt." The responsibility gave him self-respect. He walked around with an air of dignity and would come back to assure me that all was well. I firmly believe that every person has some hobby, something that he really enjoys doing, if one can only find it. Use tact to find it and then plan a way to use it. Let him believe that he is doing you a great favor. Always give him some responsibility for in that way he will develop the right kind of leadership. TRAINING IN RIGHT HABITS IS TRUE DISCIPLINE By Mildred V. W. Patterson When training in right habits, from kindergarten up, is the aim of teachers, there will be no need of the term discipline in the school vocabulary. The term, good disciplinarian, may have various meanings. It seems to me that a good disciplinarian is one who, by training her pupils in right habits, makes them re- sponsible for their acts to such a degree that if left SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 65 alone anywhere from five minutes to an hour they will act and study as well as they would under supervision. You may say that few teachers could meet the test. If such is the fact, it is because their method is faulty. Unless children are receiving this training, their char- acter is not being developed, and they are not being prepared to face life's temptations. If the teacher is only a restraining force, the instant it is removed, whether in the first grade or in the high school, the mob spirit of disorder will prevail. Many disciplinary problems result from the mis- takes of the teacher. She often fails to plan her work thoroughly and systematically, to prepare sufficient work for the brighter and quicker pupils, to foresee and forestall opportunities for idleness and mischief, and to plan periods of intense application alternated with proper recreation or relaxation. The success or failure of a teacher is often deter- mined the first day of school. If possible, go into your classroom the day before school begins, have material and books ready and work carefully planned, so that with the entrance of the first child you will be able to begin to register and place him. See to it that every- one is given enough work that he is able to do, so there will not be an idle moment for mischief making. As soon as your pupils have settled into a routine program, have a talk with them as to the game they like best. From this point lead to the iniles of the game, and the necessity and use of the rules. Then ask what rules the pupils think are needed for a school- room and the reason for each rule suggested. Ask the pupils if they v/ould like to keep their own deportment mark. Let them vote to decide v/hat the rules will be. Have only a few at first and add to them 66 PEDAGOGICAL PEP as the need arises. When a rule is broken, talk about penalties for breaking rules in a game and let the chil- dren decide what will be the penalty for breaking a rule of the schoolroom. Guard against the children's making the penalties too severe. To keep account of the penalties have each child write on slips of paper the rules he has broken, the date, and his name. This is handed to the teacher, who sees that all facts are correct, and then it is dropped into a box for this purpose. At the end of the month, the slips are distributed to the pupils. As the teacher calls the roll each pupil states his deportment mark, having ascei'tained it by subtracting the total number of his demerits from 100. If a pupil has more than ten demerits, the slips are placed in a separate envelope and the pupil is asked to tell his parents that the teacher has the slips which will explain the low mark on his card and that she will be glad to show them to his parents. Since the proof of his guilt is in his own writing, the child cannot deny that he has misbehaved, that he has broken the rules he helped to make for the good of the school. One might say that this scheme implies that the teacher be present to see that the rules are carried out. It is necessary at first, that is, until the plan is well established and the pupils realize their responsi- bility. Then, some day when all the pupils are very busy, you may say, "I mu^t leave the room a moment. If there is anyone who cannot be trusted to keep the rules he may come with me." Remain outside only a moment the first time and upon returning inquire if anyone needs a slip. If anyone has broken a rule and does not own up the others immediately vote an addi- tional penalty for not playing fair. Gradually the time SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 67 for remaining outside may be increased providing the pupib are well supplied with work. During the years in which this plan has been ef- fectively used, the only method I have needed as a cure for a child who at first could not be trusted was to say to him, "I must go to the office. Since I cannot trust you to behave here you must come with me." After stating my errand the principal would ask why the pupil was with me and I would reply, "Ask him." The pupil then had to confess that he could not be trusted. One such trip is usually enough for any child. Practically, the scheme has stood the test of years. I have often left the room and asked the principal or supervisor to step into my room after a few minutes. They have always found work and order prevalent. Psychologically this plan is sound as it is based on the principle that habits formed by constant repeti- tion of an act followed by pleasant emotions are strengthened while those followed by unpleasant emo- tions are weakened. Educationally we know that in youth the plastic nervous system may be molded, but it is alike sus- ceptible to good and bad habits. Habit is the repeti- tion of an act and character the summation of that habit. So it is the habits we must watch. THE TRANSFORMATION OF AN UNRULY SCHOOL By Signe Svendsgaard A rural school of thirty pupils; timid, but curious first graders, pets of the home and strangers to sys- tematic control ; impertinent second and third graders, bold in the presence of many; careless fifth graders, 68 PEDAGOGICAL PEP with the proverbial lank, overgrown, surly left-over in their midst; insolent eighth graders, important in their own conceit, but sadly lacking in that knowledge so essential to a successful graduation — such was my unruly school. Thirty children surcharged with mischief, watching me, their new teacher, with suspicious, impudent, wav- ering glances, eager to detect a false move which should be a signal for them again to take up the battle which had ended so disastrously to the teacher of the previous year — such was my first day. Thirty eager, trustful, smiling pupils carrying out with delightful zest a closing-day program to the un- disguised pleasure of adoring parents and a happy teacher; the walls of the schoolroom, literally covered with maps, booklets, drawings, and paper cuttings, proofs of busy minds and hands — such was my last day. How was this accomplished ? Let me tell you. Fifteen years in various schoolrooms had given me some knowledge of child nature. I had learned that the heart of the child is the same, whether that child works in a beautiful schoolhouse shaded by imposing skyscrapers, or in a little log cabin in the solitudes of the stately, dim pines, or in a rambling structure on the wind-swept prairies. Love is the one essence which reaches the heart of every child and which we must possess if we are to succeed in the unruly school. I do not mean the weak love which endeavors to please only the child's senses, but I mean the godlike love which seeks earnestly to help the child develop the best that is in him. Person- ally, I believe that this love should permeate the at- mosphere of the schoolroom, giving the child an un- SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 69 conscious sense of pleasure and trust in the presence of the teacher. Harassing hours in my early teaching days had il- lustrated to me too clearly for my own comfort the saying, "Idleness is the devil's handmaiden." Later I added, "Misdirected energy is another of that infamous gentleman's helpers." I resolved that idleness and misdirected energy should soon become strangers to my unruly school. I endeavored to make the lessons appeal to tha child's consciousness, and I avoided assigning tasks which the child was not prepared to perform with a reasonable amount of effort. Thus misdirected energy was banned and, as a result, pleas- ant work came naturally to fill the place of idleness in the child's school life. If the child became impatient under an unwonted burden, a little examination would reveal to me that the fault could usually be traced to the burden and not to the child. Love and work will do wonders in a school, but there are cases where love must resort to punishment to be ;worthy of its name. So it was in my school. "Temper justice with mercy, but make clear to the child his offense, that he may see the justice of his pun- ishment and appreciate the mercy given," was the rule not lightly disregarded by me those first turbulent weeks. The following rules greatly helped me to make my school a success: 1. Be true. Do not pretend, or be affected. Chil- dren are keen observers. 2. Be fair. Admit your mistake, if any has been made. 3. Be courteous. Give the child no opportunity to desire to offend you. 70 PEDAGOGICAL PEP 4. Have a sense of humor yourself and enjoy it in the child. Spontaneous, hearty laughter has never ruined child or school. 5. Control yourself. If the child loses his better self in an outburst of passion, see that you do not. 6. Search for the best in the child. Develop that best and forget those disagreeable traits. Probably you possess some that are not dissimilar. 7. Love the child first, last, and always. Pvcmember that love is the key to the child's heart. Without this key no teacher can hope to influence the child to desire to live up to the best that is in him. GOOD PHYSICAL CONDITIONS ESSEN- TIAL TO DISCIPLINE By Nellie V. Tauscher One of the most perplexing problems that meet the new teacher to-day is the control of the school. If the teacher cannot solve this problem in a satisfactory way during her first term in a given school, it is apt to mean failure in that school. Among the questions that a school board first asks about a new teacher are the fol- lowing: "Can this teacher keep good order?" "What success has he or she had in managing pupils before applying here?" Is the control of the school necessary ? Almost every- one agrees that it is, although many disagree as to the method of control and as to who should control. Having had some experience, I should like to give a few points on the control of a school that I have found valuable in my own teaching. I believe that the most important thing a teacher must do, if she wants to be called a good disciplinarian SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 71 — and being a good disciplinarian usually paves the way for one to become a very good teacher — is to try to keep in the best of health. The teacher who knows all of the rules of good health and keeps them will come to the schoolhouse in the morning well-rested and fully capable of meeting all the trials that arise during the day. Half the battle is fought if you feel like fight- ing it, and the children know how you feel by your ap- pearance and manner. A very important thing in school control is to be sure that the health conditions for the child are as good as possible. See that the child is seated properly, feet flat on the floor and arms comfortable when on desk. Have a good thermometer and keep the tem- perature regulated. I find that children do their best work in a room with a temperature of 68° F. If the temperature runs much higher or lower than this, the children become uneasy and give much more attention to their bodily comfort than to the lessons that should be studied at the time. Ventilation is also very necessary. I do not think it possible to have too much fresh air, providing draughts are avoided. Impure air makes the pupils listless, sleepy, and inattentive. Guard the children's health as much as you can, for children who do not feel well are cross, fretful, and peevish and make more trouble on the playground than children who feel well and are cheerful and happy. Try to keep the window shades adjusted so that the sun does not shine into a pupil's eyes. It is bad for his eyes and causes the child to fidget. It is also a tempta- tion for him to use a mirror to reflect light rays into a schoolmate's eyes. Temptation should be kept out of the way of children as far as possible. 72 PEDAGOGICAL PEP I think it a poor practice to lay down too many rules on the first day of school. It is a better plan to simply tell the children how to pass to and from class, how to get their wraps, and so on, and then later on in the week to lay down a few rules that you see are needed. After a rule is once laid down, see that the children do not break it without hearing from you in some way. If they find that they can break your first rule you may be sure that they will break all the others which you make during the remainder of the school term. "But," the young teacher asks, "what am I to do if the child breaks any rule that I lay down for him to keep?" I will say in answer that your own judgment v/ill usually tell you. It is a good plan for the punish- ment to be in close relation to the offense, if possible. For example, if a boy fights on the playground and fighting is forbidden have him stay in the schoolroom until he can play on the grounds without fighting. This leads to the question, "Shall I use whipping as a punishment?" I never have, for I really believe there are very, very few cases where a whipping would be of any lasting benefit to the child. One great secret of successful school management is to keep the children busy. Assign lessons sufficiently long to take up all of the time of the children of average intelligence; and if the brighter ones get through before the others, have them read library books or help the slower pupils. Be careful always to deal justly with a child who you think has done wrong, for there is nothing which will make children think less of a teacher than in- justice to a fellow playmate. Do not take one pupil's word alone, for reported wrongdoing. It is better to hear from at least three eye witnesses. SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 73 Lying, stealing, and cheating are annoying habits of some children, but do not be too hasty at first to pun- ish for these. You do not know what training the child has had along these lines. While he probably realizes he ought not to do the things he does, still he really does not see all the wrong in so doing, or the harm that comes afterwards. For these wrongdoings a good heart-to-heart talk and teaching from day to day will accomplish much more good than a whipping, for a whipping is not apt to reform an evil doer, but only serves to make him more cautious that he is not caught a second time. I believe that there are very, very few bad boys and girls. I have never had to deal with any, but I have found a great many mischievous, thoughtless, careless, and lazy children. They are hard to deal with. But in the end, the teacher vv^ho can successfully manage a roomful of children who have natures so different, can feel that she has attempted and accomplised something for which she may well be proud. Her reward will be to know that she has the respect and love of her pupils and patrons and that she has given her pupils some of the lessons they will need in order to become good citizens. STARTING THE YEAR ^A^ITH A CLEAN SLATE "By Marian Nelson I found my first school to be a neat little building surrounded by a big yard. I learned I was to have sixteen pupils in six different grades, enough to keep one busy without spending most of the time in disci- plining, I thought. 74 PEDAGOGICAL PEP Some of the people in the community soon filled my ears with tales of the terrible times the teacher had gone through the year before. Being very inexperi- enced, I was not frightened by these stories. But on that first memorable morning when I saw my pupils as- semble, some of my confidence left me. As I believe that the first week means that the vic- tory is half won for the rest of the year, or that there will be trouble from then on, I tried to begin right. After ringing the bell I quickly divided the children into two lines and told them to see how quietly they could march in. Each child was allowed to select his own seat, providing it was the right size. The chil- dren were then informed that they could keep these seats just as long as they wanted to ; it all depended on their actions. Children like a sense of responsibility. I did not spend any time laying down a list of rules but said, "So far each one of you has perfect deport- ment and I am sure you will want to keep it that way." Then I wrote the children's names in a list on the board with green chalk and placed a large "100" in red after each name. I told the children to see how long they could keep their record perfect. I illus- trated what the results of transgression would be, tak- ing one boy's name for an example. If George should do something to forfeit his "100" it would be erased and "93" or "99" (according to v/hat he had done) would be written in its place with white chalk, thus marring the appearance of the record. Then I produced a large piece of white cardboard on which all the children's names were written. I ex- plained that each time a child's deportment had re- mained perfect for a week, a large gold star would shine after his name; but if by some terrible mis- SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 75 chance it should fall below "95" in one week a large black star would disgrace his name. Some weeks I change the ways of keeping the rec- ord. For instance, I leave the blackboard blank and consider the deportment perfect so long as the names do not appear on the board. A few times I have had the children keep their record of deportment and re- port it at the end of each day. At these times I em- phasize especially the lesson of honesty with them- selves. It is gratifying to see their response. This plan has succeeded beyond my fondest dreams. During the first month, the lowest deportment was "97." I do all in my power to make the classes inter- esting so that the children will have an incentive to study. At first the children were so quiet that I feared it would be a strain on their nerves. To help this we have several short but snappy periods of physical ex- ercise each day. At recess and noon I go out and play with the children. This creates a spirit of friendship among all. LET US DISCIPLINE OURSELVES AND STUDY OUR PUPILS By Ruth B. Miller Good discipline is the creating of an attitude in our boys and girls that will enable them to live normally among other people. It is the disciplinarian's place to mold habits of thought in such a way that throughout life the child will habitually respond to law and order. All mental and spiritual growth depends upon right thinking. How to think is of more importance than how to read. Yet we carefully determine a child's mental capacity and teach him to read, step by step. 76 PEDAGOGICAL PEP We would not expect him to read a difficult bit of lit- erature on the first day of school. Why not grade his moral capacity and proceed just as carefully step by step? We cannot expect the child who has spent six years of his life in acquiring the wrong habits of thought to respond in the same way that the child from the orderly home responds. We not only have to build his habits of thought, but we must undo the habits of years. Suppose the little Bolshevik enters your schoolroom. Correction does not interest him. He has learaed to slide the command "Don't" smoothly from ear to ear. It no longer even disturbs him. He has been talked "at" instead of "to" all his life. Inattention has been a safety valve for his nervous system. He is habitu- ally inattentive. The first law of nature, self-preservation, has made of him a liar and a cheater. It was the easiest way. It was the necessary way because he knew no other way. Your task is not to make him conform to estab- lished rules but to make him want to conform. You must teach him that in life, evasion of one's duties is not the easiest way, the practical way, nor the neces- sary way. You must give him something that will be a better way. But how can you change his attitude? Each indi- vidual case must be handled differently. What is a moral problem for one boy is not for another. The whole question of how and where to begin depends upon what you have to begin with. These few rules, however, may be safely followed in any case. Because all discipline must start with self-discipline you must begin with yourself. Never exhibit anger, selfishness, or mental laziness. You must be the thing SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 77 you want your boy to be. He is watching you. Never command. It is human nature to resent a command just as it is human nature to comply with a courteous request. Be cheerful. Cheerfulness is a valuable gift. You are dealing with plastic young minds. Establish cheer- ful habits of thought. Happiness is the birthright of childhood. It is as natural for a child to be happy as it is for a bird to sing. Make that happiness a life habit — for happiness is, after all, a habit. Wrongdo- ing and happiness do not go hand in hand. Cheerful thinking results in right thinking. Keep your room clean, tidy, and as attractive as possible. We instinctively try to fit in with our sur- roundings. Your boy has a better chance to be physi- cally and mentally clean if he is surrounded by order- liness and beauty. Let the untidy boy help you keep the room tidy. Ask him to care for the plants, to dust the pictures, and so forth. After such work give him an opportunity to wash his hands, offering him your own spotless towel. Never call attention to the un- clean. Stress the ideal. Every human being has some pet interest. Get ac- quainted with your difficult pupil's pet interest. Give him an opportunity to work on it and so lead to new interests. One of my unruly boys was apparently without a single interest. After exploring for days I stumbled upon his one interest quite by accident — literally stumbled upon it — and it was an alligator! He had hidden the baby alligator in the cloakroom, and little Oscar had not stayed "put." Right then and there we studied alligators in spite of the fact that the program on my door promised arithmetic to the pos- sible visitor. This boy knew about alligators, and, for 78 PEDAGOGICAL PEP the first time in his life, he had the joy of telling what he knew to someone who did not know. It gives a fel- low such a feeling of self-respect! Makes him want to comb his hair and pat his tie. After his interesting recital he was perfectly willing to listen to what I had to say of the lands that breed alligators. I v/ish that I had known my subject as well as he knew his. This boy had previously appeared stupid because his inter- ests were different. I would have appeared stupid had he judged my knowledge by his interests. Is your little Bolshevik physically fit? Perhaps adenoids are causing the trouble. When you had a cold and could not breathe properly for two days, did you feel kindly towards the world or did you resent the world? Perhaps your boy has not been able to breathe properly for years. Are you sure that he had a breakfast ? He may need a glass of milk instead of a scolding. Or perhaps he had the wrong breakfast. After struggling desper- ately to register an idea you may learn that fried onions and liver have claimed all of his registering powers. Inattention sometimes means concentrated attention in another direction. Introduce variety in your work. You may be in- tensely interested in a subject, but you grow tired of having it always presented in the same way. Dress old subjects up in new ideas. It is the new or unusual that attracts. Have frequent rest periods. The physically tired child becomes mentally tired. The best lecture grows tiresome after a long period of attention without op- portunity to relax. Boys and girls are, after all, but little men and wom- en. You can understand motives if you will but think. SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 79 "How would I act or feel in his place?" Instead of thinking that he is a bad boy, let us think, "He has made a mistake. I must find the reason for the mis- take and help him." Please let us discipline ourselves and study our children. THE FORGETFUL CHILD By Florence Weiland There is probably no excuse more annoying or more frequently given to a teacher than the one, "I forgot." Jack was in the sixth grade. How he ever reached that round in the ladder of education was a puzzle for he forgot to dot his i's and cross his t's ; he forgot his dollar signs ; he forgot his decimal points, which lapse always involved his examples in tangles for which there was positively no remedy. He forgot to read the footnotes in his history lesson; forgot to draw a map of North America in geography class ; forgot to learn his spelling lesson; forgot to look up his dictionary words ; forgot the excuse for absence ; forgot the note his mother had given him for the teacher; indeed, he forgot so much more than he remembered that it was a wonder he got around in this busy world without being accounted witless. It had been the same old story from his cradle up through all the grades to the sixth, but there he met a teacher who vowed that the consequences of this boy's failing should find him out. She had heard all about him from his last teacher, and so she was ready for him. The second morning everybody found his seat after the bell rang except Master Jack. He stood against 80 PEDAGOGICAL PEP the wall looking dubiously first at the teacher and then at his companions. "What's the matter?" asked the teacher. "I forgot where I sat yesterday, and I don't know where my books are." "What's your name? I forgot." Miss Ellen said with studied emphasis on the two words "I forgot." "Were you with us yesterday ? I forgot." "Yes, ma'am. I think I sat here." "Maybe these are your books. I think I must have forgotten all about your face. Well, suppose you sit here for a while." Jack sat down on one of the front seats not very much pleased. When the arithmetic class was called Jack asked to borrow some paper and a pencil. "I forgot to get mine," he added. The teacher promptly said: "Then I think I shall excuse you while you go after it. We can have an extra session after school." Jack went out pouting, but he came back with his materials. During the forenoon he asked Miss Ellen when he could have his own seat. She promptly said she for- got to see about it. That afternoon Jack came in with hands and face very much soiled. When he was asked why he did not wash himself he gave the same excuse, so Miss Ellen sent him out of the room to make himself presentable. While he was out of the room the principal came in and said a gentleman had sent tickets to all the boys and girls in the school to attend an interesting show that evening. Tickets were given to all the children in the room. Of course, as Jack was not there he lost SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 81 his. When he came in the principal was gone. Jack heard all about the show at recess and afterwards he asked the teacher why the principal had not left a ticket for him, "I forgot all about you," said Miss Ellen. Jack sat and looked at a comer, forgot to learn his spelling lesson, and v/as marked in the stay-after- school class again. Things went on thus for a week ; Jack was left out of as many things as possible, and the reason always given was "I forgot." When he asked, as he did every session, if he could have a desk all by himself because he did not like to sit in front. Miss Ellen would reply : "I think you are better off here. If I should give you that back seat I might forget all about you. At pres- ent I need to keep you right under my eyes so as to help you to remember. Something has to be done for the boy who forgets, you know." Jack lost so much that first week that he began to think about his failing. And when one begins to know he has a fault he is pretty sure to be on the road toward getting rid of it. One day Miss Ellen kept him after school for a little talk. She knew that Jack was feeling the conse- quences, so now was the time for a few suggestions. **Jack," she said kindly, "your forgetting so much is all a notion. You don't try to remember. You can remember if you try. You can develop your memory if you will be firm in your attempts. Now, I am going to give you the back seat, but it will be taken from you after I hear you say those bad old words four times. When you v/ant to say 'I forgot,' say *I will remember.* Think only of remembering certain things, and your battle is half won. Come, Jack, is it *I forgot' or *I will remember'?" 82 PEDAGOGICAL PEP Jack began to improve. He is still improving. He has had to take a front seat twice since the compact, but the last time v^^as many weeks ago. His teacher hopes he will not need to go there again. HOW I SOLVED THE PROBLEM OF PUNCTUALITY By Ida M. Eberhart My wide experience as a teacher in the rural schools has led me to believe that the matter of punctuality is not at all a difficult one. At least I have not found it so, having had very few tardy marks in all of my exper- ience, which is several times greater than that of the average rural teacher. In the first place, I am very punctual myself. Even though I do m.y own janitor work I manage to have the schoolroom warm and comfortable by eight-thirty even on the coldest mornings. I have driven or walked to school from three to five miles in the last five years, but I have never failed to have the schoolroom ready when the children arrived. In the school I attended when a child, nine o'clock often found the pupils assembled in a cold room with no teacher there. In the second place, I find out early in the term what that particular school enjoys most for recreation. Sometimes it is a good story, told or read. It may be lively singing, current events, calisthenics, marching, dramatization, or even some interesting number games. On the previous evening I announce the pro- gram for the following morning. Almost invariably, the next morning finds everyone on time. Often I am entreated to call school earlier or to take part of the noon and recess periods that more time can be devoted SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 83 to some interesting recreation. I am very careful, however, to see that outdoor exercise is not neglected for any reason whatever. Another method I have tried with good success is to organize the school into two divisions; namely, "The Hustlers/' and "The Rustlers," the first to be composed of the girls, the second of the boys. Sometimes, I mere- ly give the pupils on the right side of the room the former name and those on the left the latter. At the end of a month, or other specified time, the side having the fewest tardy marks will receive a little treat from the opposing side. If there are no tardy marks on either side both sides will be rewarded by some little remembrance from the teacher. In some cases perfect attendance certificates are an incentive. And last, but not least, is the quiet insist- ence upon orderly habits of all kinds. Teach the chil- dren the importance of putting everything, both at home and at school, in its proper place ; of planning in the evening for the following short morning ; of avoid- ing all late gatherings which rob them of their sleep or make them oversleep; and of retiring and rising at a definite hour. Thus, in all ordinary cases at least, the problem of punctuality will be solved. WHAT AN ATTRACTIVE SCHOOLROOM MEANS TO THE CHILD By Dorothy C. Retsloff Time and money are both well spent in beautifying the schoolroom. We cannot make it too attractive. Many children are born in drab, colorless homes and live all their years in such surroundings. The refining influence of a neat, bright schoolroom is much greater 84 PEDAGOGICAL PEP than we realize. All children admire and appreciate beauty. Those who attend schools where the rooms are tastefully decorated and made beautiful are less inclined to come to school dirty and unkempt, less in- clined to chalk-mark the walls, much less inclined to be rude and unmanageable. Why? Because the very atmosphere is one of refinement, and that alone helps to make better boys and girls. Talking of heaven one day with my class of primary little folks, I asked, "What do you think heaven is like?" Many and varied were the answers, but the one that warmed my heart was given by the six-year- old son of a widow who "took in" washings to support herself and her two children. After I had asked the question Robert, the widow's child, sat for some min- utes without looking up, then he said slowly as if weighing every word, "Heaven is like our school was on speaking day." I recalled his delight on the day to which he re- ferred. I had draped gay bunting from window to window, banked the platform with moss, ferns, and autumn leaves. He knew of no other beauty. His home was drab. It reeked with the smells from boiler and tubs. The gay bright schoolroom was a heaven to him. I have heard teachers say that they could not afford this or that in the way of decoration for their rooms. If the heart is right many a teacher can afford to buy a bit of brightness to gladden the life of a little child. A teacher once said to me, "What a nice idea it is, to have plants in your schoolroom. I'd like to have some too, but I can't afford to buy them." Yet I knew that she could and did afford to buy a box of chocolate candy every week. When it comes to making the SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 85 choice between candy for ourselves or plants for our schoolroom let us forget self and* please the little folks that we have in our keeping. The practice of placing before our pupils, bright, pretty, cheerful things — objects that inspire happy, healthy thoughts — is of inestimable value. When the beauty of their surroundings enters their souls, then the beauty within themselves will begin to mani- fest itself in beautiful acts and deeds. DESKS IN ORDER! By Mary G. Atkins I have found a very interesting way to arouse the children to keep their desks in order. It is also a means of developing teamwork and promoting patriotism. I have as many small American flags as there are rows of desks. When every desk in a row is in order, a flag is placed on the front desk. It is understood, however, that if at any time the teacher finds one desk untidy, the flag will be removed from that row. This leads the children to try to in- fluence the other members of their team to be orderly, thereby developing teamwork. Patriotism is inculcated by m.y explaining that our country is a country of law and order, for which reason no row may be allowed to have the flag unless its desks are in order. This also affords an opportunity to teach obedience. To aid in keeping the bits of paper from the floor (for the floor around the desk must be orderly too) each child has a little box on his desk, into which all scraps are put. The children make the boxes of uni- form size, and color them with crayon or paint them. 86 PEDAGOGICAL PEP There is a larger flag, about two feet long, to be car- ried by the leader of the row that has kept its small flag for the greatest part of a week, or if preferred, a month. The enthusiasm aroused by these simple devices is remarkable. OUR IMPROVEMENT CLUB AND ITS WORK By Ruth E. Carpenter Five years ago, I was teaching a little country school in South Jersey. The schoolhouse was new so we felt that we must keep it in good condition and make it as homelike as possible. We had no pictures inside and no lawn or flowers outside. We felt that everything ought to harmonize with the new schoolhouse. At first I just mentioned that we ought to keep papers picked up outdoors as well as in the room. Some chil- dren were very careful but there were many children who were careless. Finally, we formed what we called "The Agricul- tural School Improvement Club." We elected officers — a president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. We also elected inspectors whose duty it was to speak to children about personal appearance, schoolroom floor and desks, blackboards, cloakrooms, school grounds, toilets, and the flower beds. During the winter we bought two pictures, one of "George Washington" and one of "The Landing of the Pilgrims." We ordered frames for the pictures at the same time. Every two weeks the Improvement Club met on Friday from three to four. The children took com- SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 87 plete charge of these meetings. The president brought the meetings to order. The reports of the secretary, treasurer, committees, and inspectors were given. These reports were listened to very carefully by the children, and any mistake was noticed by even the smallest youngster. The inspection of the children's clothing, and their hands and faces, and of the school- room and school grounds really solved the question as far as neatness and care of them were concerned. The children took great pride in their own appearance, also in the care of their desks. No one thought of marking on the desks or walls, or of throwing paper on the floors or the school grounds. Very few children ever had to be reported for any carelessness. The Club gave debates and some of the children or mothers were asked to act as judges. The younger children gave recitations. Sometimes a child would draw from memory a map he had had in a geography lesson, and sometimes a child would volunteer to tell something he had read. We always invited the par- ents to our meetings. During the year the Club gave two plays, and by charging ten cents admission we added to our treasury fund. After each play we had re- freshments, donated by mothers, and in these socials everyone became better acquainted and many offered to help us in any way possible to make our school the best in the township. When Spring came the Club decided that we ought to have flowers to make our school grounds more at- tractive. Since no grass grew on the sandy ground around the school, some people laughed when we spoke of planting flowers. Nevertheless, we said we were going to try. The boys brought garden tools, manure, and fertilizer from home. We spent part of two noon 88 PEDAGOGICAL PEP hours getting ferns from a near-by woods, which we planted all around the schoolhouse. A committee was appointed to water them and to keep the children from stepping on them. On one side of the school grounds, the flower garden was laid out. It was divided into three sections. The primary grades had one; the intermediate grades the next section ; and the seventh and eighth grades the one nearest the road. The children decided what they wanted to plant and did all the work themselves. The primary children planted forget-me-nots; the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades planted rosebushes and other bushes; and the seventh and eighth grades made a large round bed of pansies. It was not long before the beautiful velvety pansies were brightening the corner. People who had been sure nothing would grow on the school grounds were beginning to ask questions and to commend the children. The little bed of forget-me-nots was the prettiest of all. Late in the summer the little flowers bloomed and the whole primary flower bed was a mass of tiny blue flowers. I feel that the Improvement Club was a great suc- cess. It was not hard to do our best because every- body wanted to play the game right. The Club spirit of cooperation and improvement entered into every- thing we did in school. We had to live up to our sur- roundings and we had to do our best because the feel- ing of the school was against anything but the best. The whole neighborhood seemed to catch the spirit through the children and the good feeling lingered long after the school term was over. The lessons the children learned in caring for themselves and the school property, and in governing themselves will never be forgotten. SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 89 PERTAINING TO SCHOOL GROUNDS— AN "ORIGINAL" Bj^ Vida M. Bates Do you remember those pages of fine print in your geometry textbook with problem after problem stated for your solution — or despair? Several times the writer has found just as baffling problems on entering a new school, one being: An ugly school ground may be made attractive. Given: (1) From one-sixteenth to one-half acre of open ground, possibly in a worse-than-natural state; (2) A group of children apparently blind to the beau- tiful; (3) An uncertain length of time, perhaps only a term or a year. To use the given means to substitute "beauty for ashes." Like genuine geometry, that's more literal than figurative. Solution : Having made the effort to solve this prob- lem in various locations, I shall try to give a composite picture of my methods. Whether one finds the grounds totally neglected or just severely neat with little to beautify, the challenge must be met v/ith the cooperation of the pupils. Even a landscape gardener and a thousand dollars could do little of permanent value if the children were not proud of the work and interested in it. The teacher need not feel that the lack of funds and of artistic skill prevents her from meeting the problem. It is well to begin the project in the Fall when school first opens. Rubbish should be cleared away, and any noxious weeds destroyed at once. This provides the teacher with material for an interesting study of seed dispersion, as well as weed extermination. 90 PEDAGOGICAL PEP Somehow February and March arouse one's latent interest in seed catalogues. Through judicious use of them, the teacher may learn just how much or how little the boys and girls know about flowers and shrubs, as well as which varieties are found around their homes. Then, when plans are being formed for celebrating Arbor Day, somebody may suggest bringing a root or a few bulbs to add to the beauty of the school grounds. Let everybody have a chance to contribute, even if it means three or four lilac bushes or bunches of golden glow. Plan, with the help of the children, just where the tall plants and shrubs will do best, and how the flower beds may be placed so as not to interfere with the playground and yet have the right amount of sun- shine. Many of the youngsters' ideas are excellent. Several advantages are derived from using home- grown material, some of which are: 1. The plants are more sure to grow because they are acclimated to the region. 2. Greater displays are possible because they mean no strain on the pocketbook. 3. Best of all, the children learn to recognize the ad- vantage of flowers at home and to take a personal in- terest in their individual gifts to the school. May I now declare that I have proved the possibility of making an ugly school ground beautiful for years to come? SEAT WORK SEAT WORK PROVIDED BY MANY SCHOOL SUBJECTS By" Mamie T. Johnson Because the little folks in the primary department of a rural school cannot be given an assignment and told to study their lessons, they usually find school a dull place. A great deal of the teacher's time must necessarily be given to the older pupils. The little children are left to copy the reading lesson, fill long pages full of words or numbers, or otherwise employ themselves. Much of the so-called "busy work" is a clear waste of time. The child does not come to school to be "kept busy" merely, — he can usually keep himself busy in the big out of doors if given the opportunity. He is sent to school to engage in useful and instructive ac- tivities. His seat work must be designed for that pur- pose. It must be educative, instructive, interesting, and easy to prepare. For the purpose of keeping my seat work material properly arranged and classified, I divide it into two general classes, i. e., educative seat work and play seat work. This does not mean that the latter is not educa- tive. It is, distinctly so. Its purpose, however, is gen- eral rather than specific. It trains for keenness of ob- servation, manipulation of materials, and the cultiva- 92 PEDAGOGICAL PEP tion of gssthetie appreciation. It is called play seat v/ork because it is the type of work that children love to do. Educative seat work is that which bears directly on the lesson and is an assignment for study. At the close of the reading, number, or language lesson, each pupil is given an envelope or box containing the seat work. Directions are given very explicitly. To make sure that the little children visualize just what they are to do, I have them tell me or show me just how they will carry out my instructions. As soon as they have completed their work to my satisfaction they may get their play seat work, i. e., puzzles, modeling, weaving, and so forth. Bright pupils in the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades who prepare their own assignments quickly and easily should help in the preparation of material for the primary pupils. Mounting pictures, printing cards, and making the envelopes may well be left to them. Only work that is accurate and neat should be accept- ed. Such assistance on the part of the older children not only lessens the burden of the busy teacher, but provides profitable seat work for their own spare moments. Every rural school should be provided with a hecto- graph or mimeograph, and two printing outfits, a large one with one inch type and a small rubber type press. A set of rubber stamps will also prove useful. Seed catalogues, old magazines, and pictures should be collected and saved. If one is limited in his paper supply, old wall paper sample books may be used for mounting pages and pictures; otherwise construction papers should be purchased liberally, with a preference for dark browns, blues, and grays. SEAT WORK 93 Reading Seat Work As reading is the most important subject in the child's curriculum, m.uch thought and care must be given to the preparation of the reading seat work. Remember that while the child is at his seat he fixes, by constant drill and association, the new words, phrases, and sentences that you have taught him. Therefore he should be plentifully supplied with pic- tures and printed or written copies of the new words. Make a list of all the nouns found in the primer. Keep your eye open for pictures, large and small, of these objects, asking the children to cooperate with you in collecting them. Keep a special box for this purpose. The following devices have proved very successful in my school. 1. Matching Words with Pictures Draw or trace small pictures of objects, especially those in the first two or three lessons, on two-inch squares of paper. Now run off at least a hundred copies of each picture on the mimeograph or dupli- cator. Do not cut them yourself but have the children cut along the lines as an exercise in cutting. With the small rubber type printing press print the names of these objects on narrow strips of white paper. Fill an envelope for each child in your class with at least a dozen pictures of each object and a dozen or more corresponding names. Have the child match the words with the pictures. 2. Story Builders Have pupils cut and trim pages from old readers and match them so that there are several of one kind. Mount them on pieces of cardboard or wall paper so that they will not wear out. Select the best page in M PEDAGOGICAL PEP each set and keep it intact for copy. The other pages should be cut into strips, a sentence or part of a sen- tence on each strip. Place the copy and the strips to- gether in an envelope and prepare enough of such en- velopes for your entire class. Have the children build the story from the sentences. 3. Scrapbooks Select the most interesting pages from the discarded readers and mount them on sheets of gray construction paper. Tie all of these pages together to make one or more scrapbooks for the reading table. Language Seat Work 1. Picture Sets Cut colored pictures of flowers from old seed cata- logues. Mount these on rectangles of gray mount- ing paper three and one-half by five and one-half inches. Print the name of each flower just below the picture. Put ten or twelve such pictures in each en- velope. Sentences, riddles, paragraphs, and stories may be constructed about these pictures. Similar sets may be made with pictures of vegetables, animals, fruits, and birds. Innumerable uses will be found for these picture sets. 2. Booklet Work Ask children to illustrate the stories they have learned. This may take the form of drawing, paint- ing, or paper cutting. The best specimens should be bound. Phonics Seat Work 1. Select any number of pages from old readers, magazines, and spellers. The sentences or stories SEAT WORK 95 need not be complete or interesting. Each child is provided with several pages and given the following instructions : Find the new phonograms you have learned and put a circle around each one wherever it occurs. Find all words beginning with a certain letter. Mark a red line under all of the words you know. 2. Prepare strips of manila tag or strips of plain ■white paper one by five inches. At the top of each pa- per print, with large type, one of the simple phono- grams learned. Ask each child to make a list of the words he knows which contain this phonogram. Other sets may contain single consonants or groups such as st7'y ch, st, wh. Number Seat Work 1. To Learn Time Hectograph a large number of clock faces. Give each child several sheets of these and instruct him to place the hands on the face of the clock to indicate the time of day as described on the blackboard. 2. To Learn Shape Make a set of cards two inches by five inches for each pupil. Divide into five spaces one inch by two inches. Jit the top of each paste colored triangles, squares, and circles. Give each child a box containing a large number of such figures. Have the children match them according to shape. 3. To Learn Direction On cards one inch square stamp an arrow, making a red, blue, green, and brown one for each child. Ask the children to make their blue arrow point north, their red arrow point south, and so forth. 96 PEDAGOGICAL PEP Play Seat Work My play seat work is largely project work: building a Japanese, Eskimo, or Indian scene on the sand table, which involves cutting, folding, painting, and so forth ; equipping a doll's house, which involves weaving, sew- ing, and paper folding ; and making posters and book- lets, which involves paper cutting, painting, and as- sembling. We also do rafRa work, clay modeling, and other forais of construction v/ork suitable for primary children. TiMESAviNG Devices Have a large cupboard with spacious shelves for your seat work. Keep each set in its own particular place. On the outside of each box or envelope paste a sam- ple of the seat work contained inside, also suggestive ways of increasing its usefulness. Have monitors distribute and collect the seat work. Train children to replace all sets in their proper boxes or envelopes. Allow children to assist in making their own seat work whenever practicable. THE APPEAL OF SEAT WORK NOT LIMITED TO THE EYE AND HAND By May L. Person The problem of educative seat work in the school applies particularly to the younger children who have not learned to study and who need something to keep them busy and interested, something which besides keeping them occupied, will be a stepping stone in the path to learning. What we shall give the child to ac- complish this end is the question which confronts us SEAT WORK 97 with the opening of school in the Fall. The children are eager and ready to work. What shall we give them to keep up this interest and meet their need ? The child, we are told, learns of the outside world through his five senses of seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, and touching. Therefore I plan the seat work with reference to the five senses. It is true that seat work most often appeals to the eye and hand, but the appeal of the other three senses may also be met, giving variety and zest to the work. Variety of work prevents weariness. It is said, "Keep a child busy and you keep him out of mischief," but when he uses a cer- tain set of nerves and muscles too long he becomes restless and often disorderly. Therefore I find that there must be variety and something to appeal to each of the five sense avenues of approach. Work which develops the taste, smelling, and hear- ing is very difficult to arrange in the schoolroom. Fruit or vegetables of the same color may be cut into small pieces and given to the children to sort by the senses of taste and smell. The leaves of such plants as catnip, sage, parsley, cabbage, celery, mint, winter- green, rosemary, and lavendar may be mixed and the children asked to sort them by the sense of smell. Clover, dandelions, and garden flowers may also be used. In like manner different spices may be tied up in cloth and used. Foods may be sorted as to sweet or sour, dried or fresh, green or ripe. In connection with this work a writing lesson may be copied from the board as "My apple is sweet," or "My leaf is from the sage plant." The child must judge for himself whether to copy "My apple is sweet," "My apple is sour," "My leaf is from the sage plant," or "My leaf is from the catnip plant." A child may draw a picture of the 98 PEDAGOGICAL PEP fruits he likes best, following out the idea of number by making as many as the figures on the board in- dicate. Work in training the ear has usually been taken "with the children as a whole. It makes a lively five minutes and affords the teacher fine opportunity for detecting defective hearing among her pupils. The children may stand with their backs toward the teach- er while she taps ruler, bell, or triangle a certain num- ber of times. The children may tell or tap the number in return. She may make one long and several short beats, or beat different rhythms as three-four or four- four time. A child may be chosen to clap or step the time in response. Sounds from various parts of the room may be made by tapping on glass, iron, wood, brick, stone, and other materials. To develop the loca- tion of sound tap at different heights and in various directions. If there is a musical instrument in the room the tones of the scale may be used. A large part of this work is to lead the children to listen. At first, very crude attempts are accepted in draw- ing. The children may be encouraged to draw straight lines to represent grasses, trees, telephone poles, and street lamps. Stones or pebbles may be drawn. Any irregular form will do. The number idea may be used with the drawing. The child may be told to draw six trees in a row, or seven lamp posts along the street. Flowers, fruits, and vegetables may be outlined from seed catalogues and filled in with colored crayons. In paper cutting or tearing, wrapping paper, copy paper and even old newspapers may be used. Colored paper which may be obtained from any printing oflfice, is good material for advanced work. Cutting paper in straight lines, so as to make fringes and grasses, seems SEAT WORK 99 easiest for unskilled hands. Cutting according to a crease or a fold is the next step. Paper cut into strips may be pasted to make fences and ladders. Circles may be cut by outlining around the end of a spool, and pasted in groups to represent apples, grapes, and other fruits. The frame of a show window may be made of strips of paper and filled with hats, suits, shoes, or fur- niture cut from catalogues or done by free-hand cutting. The days of the week may be illustrated by paper cutting and drawing, or by pictures selected from cata- logues. The Monday clothesline with its many gar- ments is of absorbing interest when each article must be cut and pasted. Ironing day with its clothes bars may be made of strips of paper and the clothes cut and folded and hung on the bars. Wednesday, or mending day, is equally interesting. Holes are cut in paper garments, and bits of paper to match are given the children from which to select the proper patch and correct color. To put it neatly where it is needed is a happy task. Thursday, which is visiting or playing day, is illustrated by the picturing of games or toys and people on the street. Friday, sweeping day, brings forth all sorts of brooms and brushes, and dust- ing caps.- Many pictures help out on baking day, or Saturday. For Sunday a picture of a church may be mounted and children will supply figures of men, wom- en, and chilaren wending their way toward the church door at the sound of the bell. Again, the work is naturally divided by the seasons into seat work for Fall, Winter, and Spring. In all seasons Nature is an unfailing source of help and each season offers a special variety of interest. People live, work, play, buy and sell in response to each season. 100 PEDAGOGICAL PEP Many are the contributions which Fall brings us. Sorting is one of the first occupations for Autumn time. Leaves from one tree may be sorted as to size. A bunch of leaves from several different trees may be sorted as to species, color, form, edges, and veining. Nuts may be selected as to size, species, shells. Nuts may be placed with their shells, and acorns fitted into acorn cups. Bits of cloth may be sorted as to material, color, and texture. Pebbles and shells may be used in like manner. Grains and seeds may be classified and folded in papers or put in paper sacks made by the children and labeled by copying names of seeds and grains from the board. A Halloween book in the shape of a pumpkin is very interesting work for the children. But the Thanksgiving book is the crown of the work for Fall. Winter, with its Christmas season and Valentine's day, its ice, snowdrifts, winter sports, and starry- heavens, is rich in suggestions for this work. By the time Spring arrives with awakened life in the grass, buds, and blossoms, and work of man and beast, the children will have gained in skill, initiative, and originality so that they may contribute much to the planning of their own educative seat work. AN EDUCATIONAL SEAT WORK OUTFIT THAT HAS PROVED SUCCESSFUL By- Alice G. Campbell In many primary schools seat work is considered simply as a convenient means of keeping the pupils busy so that the teacher can give better attention to the recitation group. The teacher's need for some means of keeping forty mischievous little fellows em- SEAT WORK 101 ployed while she gives individual pupils necessary help seems to justify almost any device that she can invent to keep them busy. But the thoughtful teacher, who wishes her pupils to be profitably occupied, will find that there is an abundance of busy work that also has a strong educational side, and is closely connected with the regular school subjects. The following is a brief description of a seat work outfit which I have tested out as a piece of experimentation in a first grade in a crowded city school. To meet the needs of practical work the devices must show variety enough to hold the interest through- out the term ; they must be simple enough for the child to use without assistance; the materials should be something that can be obtained without too much ef- fort and expense; the system should not require too much time for distributing and collecting ; the devices should be largely self-correcting, and above all full of appeal to the children and of genuine educational value. My room was too crowded for shelves or closets. The problem of storage and distribution was solved by having boxes made to fit the front seats with a slide cover opening from the front. Each box held one or more devices for each child in the row. The devices in all rows were different, so that every week or two the boxes could be moved along, and an entirely new pro- gram of seat work supplied. In this way the children have a great variety, and at the same time learn many profitable lessons. The pupils get the work and put it away themselves. At a signal they pass to the boxes, take a new piece of apparatus and start work with only a general oversight on the part of the teacher, and on signal again they return the outfits. 102 PEDAGOGICAL PEP A good many valuable devices can be purchased out- right from the regular kindergarten supply houses. Some of the most satisfactory seat v^ork devices, how- ever, are those the teacher makes for herself. An old- fashioned, but rather satisfactory word matching out- fit can be made from two old primers. Paste a page of one on a large stout envelope and a corresponding page from the other on a piece of cardboard. Cut up the cardboard into separate v/ords and keep the pieces inside the envelope. A collection of miscellaneous pic- tures from primers and other sources is useful. Print, or cut from calendars words, letters, and figures to make cards to be arranged in a certain order as letters of the alphabet; numbers in order; days of the week and months of the year. Make cards with such phrases as one house, two ladders, three beds, four chairs, five tents, and have the children illustrate with pegs. Provide box of splints and little balls of plastic clay for making houses, furniture, animals, and action fig- ures; boxes of assorted seeds as pumpkin, citron, and apple, for making designs. A rather clever self-correcting word or number card, adaptable to any grade, can be made by pasting a page of pictures with corresponding names, or prob- lems with corresponding answers, on one side of a sheet of cardboard, and a large, attractive picture on the other side. Cut out each answer, taking care to have all the pieces the same size and shape. The occu- pation consists in matching the tablets back into the right holes. When finished, the sheet is turned over and if all the answers are right the picture is perfect, but any mistake is evident from the picture. Before turning the outfit over to the children, it is advisable to take one or two periods to demonstrate SEAT WORK 103 how the articles are to be used. After that most of the children can be trusted to follow the directions of the teacher, or apply their own ingenuity and think for themselves. PROFITABLE PRIMARY SEAT WORK By Madge L. Perrill What shall I give my children for seat work ? Isn't that the cry of primary teachers all over the land? Every article we read on the subject tells us that it must not be merely busy work. And we can't hear that too often. How easy it would be to just hand the little ones something to keep them busy while the other classes recite. But profitable seat work — where shall we look for that ? The first and best place to look is at the needs of the particular children in our care at that particular time. Do not rely entirely on ready-made seat work. Often it is good. Sometimes it is just what these partic- ular children need. If so, use it if you can get it. If not, see what they need and make some to fit. Work ? Yes, and lots of it; but well worth the effort. If at times it seems overwhelming, get other members of your family interested. You will be surprised to see what expert seat work makers they will become. And you'll realize the truth of the old saying, **Many hands make light work." The possibilities in seat work related to reading are limited only by the amount of time you have to prepare the work. The suggestions given here are suitable for the first and second grades. Give each child a box or an envelope containing well- known words and phrases (not letters) for building 104 PEDAGOGICAL PEP sentences. Do not put in too many at one time. The familiar words and phrases from one or, at most, two reading lessons at a time is enough. Do not have chil- dren make sentences like those on the board or in the book for any longer time than is necessary. They may need to copy until they get the sentence idea ; but lead them away from it as soon as possible. Encourage originality. The world has need of it. Suggest to the children that they make "funny" sentences and hear them chuckle as they build, "Little Miss Muff et sat on a wall," or "Humpty Dumpty was eating a pie." Think of all manner of things to test the children's ability to read to themselves understandingly. We read so much about the value of silent reading. Without doubt it is the most important subject in the lower grades. But how can we be sure in the first grade that the children really are understanding what they are supposed to be reading ? We all know how useless it is to hand a book to a first-grade child and tell him to read to himself, without testing him to see if he knows what he has read. Give each child a card on which are written a num- ber of sentences in each of which a word or phrase has been omitted. On the back of the card have an en- velope containing the missing words and phrases. The child cannot possibly fit correct words and phrases in blanks without reading the sentences understandingly. Give each child an envelope containing eight or ten interesting pictures and an equal number of slips of stiff paper on which are written or printed sentences relating to the pictures. The child reads a sentence, looks over the pictures, and decides to which one it be- longs. For instance one picture is a baby standing by an open gate. The sentence says, "Do not run away. SEAT WORK 105 baby." The children take great delight in this kind of work about the middle of the first year. Give each child an envelope containing an equal number of questions and answers — ^the questions print- ed or written in red, the answers in black. The child silently reads a question, which concerns some story with which he is familiar and lays under it the correct answer. In the second half of the first year this may be made more difficult by cutting the answers into words and phrases so that they must be built by the child. It is best to have all sentences relating to one story in one envelope, each envelope being different. In all this work do not fail to number or letter each piece in the envelope to correspond to the number or letter on the envelope. It will save much time when some careless or nervous little hand drops a few pieces and does not find them until some time later. Do not fail, too, to carefully examine the work when finished. Silent reading is also brought into use in connection with seat work relating to number. As soon as a child recognizes the figures through twelve, there is no reas- on why he cannot be taught to use a ruler on which inches only are marked. After he has learned to man- age the ruler put such directions as these on the board : Draw a red line 7 inches long. Draw a green line 2 inches long, and so on. If there are any children who are not sure of the names of the colors, have on the board squares of the different colors with their names written beside them for ref- erence. Later add to the difficulty of this problem by writing : Draw 3 red lines 2 inches long. Draw 2 blue lines 3 inches long. 106 PEDAGOGICAL PEP As soon as children learn words, one, two, three, and so forth, substitute these for the figures. Another use of silent reading and also a way to let children show their originality is this. Give each child a paper (nine inches by twelve inches is a good size) and have him fold it twice. Thus by using both sides he will have eight spaces for drawing. Have eight sen- tences on the board for children to illustrate — sen- tences relating to some story that they have read, as : Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. Red Hen was eating corn. Do not have all of your so-called seat work in the seats. Whenever possible let children practice writing something previously taught, at the blackboard. They soon learn that this is a privilege not to be abused. The differences in children's ability show up more clearly in seat work than in any other line. Work that will occupy one child fully twenty minutes is capably finished by another in ten, or less. Always have addi- tional work for the quicker child. In the second half of the first year or during the second year have a variety of books, in keeping with the children's ability, in a convenient place. Most children prefer having some interesting occupation to bothering their neighbors, if you give them a chance. I offer these few suggestions in the hope that they may meet some teacher's needs. But I say again, study your children, see what they need, and supply it. Everyone can who is willing to work. READING CREATING A DESIRE TO READ By Isabel Stemple In my first B grade we use books at the very begin- ning of our work in reading. Before giving out the primers we talk about friends that tell us stories. I say that I have a great many friends that tell me sto- ries and ask the children if anyone tells them stories. Of course they name fathers, mothers, grandmothers, grandfathers, big brothers, and sisters. Then I say, *'Yes, and I have many book-friends that tell me sto- ries, too. I wonder if you would like them to tell you stories. I am sure you would like the stories my book- friends can tell you." And as I pick up the primer I ask if they would like to see one of these friends. After the children have looked at the primer for a few minutes I say, "Before this book could tell me its beautiful stories I had to learn to read it." "But," some child says, "I cannot read." "Oh, but I am go- ing to show you how to read. Won't it be nice to take this book home some day and read a story to Mother and Father?" The next day we have a conversation about chick- ens. We discuss which of us have chickens at home, or have had them, how many have seen chickens, and what they are like. I tell the story, "The Little Red Hen," just as it is in the book. Then I have the chil- 108 PEDAGOGICAL PEP dren tell the story to me. We dramatize in unison and individually, such points as how the little red hen. looked when she found the seed, when she asked the questions, and when she said, "I will then," and how the pig, the cat, and the dog looked. Then as one row acts, the other children select those who look most like the animal represented. When the interest is thoroughly aroused I ask the children if they would like to read the story. We be- gin by finding where it says, "The little Red Hen found a seed." Then we look to see if it says the same thing somewhere else on the page, and then on the next page. We now find, "It was a wheat seed." This done I ask who can read the first page. Some vol- unteer, and read. Then others are willing to try. Be- fore the books are collected at the close of the period nearly all of the children have read the first page. And the children feel that they can read. At the next reading period the story is told again by the children. Then the children choose someone to read the part that was read the day before and another to act it out. In taking up the next part we find the sentence, "The pig said, 'Not I.' " We are now ready to read another page. In a few days, more than one page or section may be covered in one period, and before long the whole story will have been read. We are now ready to play the story so the children decide to read it over in order that they may play it well. While one child reads, the other children pay attention so as to be able to give any help that may be needed. We do not look for mistakes but for an op- portunity to help. When we are ready to dramatize the story, the children decide how it is to be played and who should play. I endeavor to have every child READING 109 take some active part in every recitation. I try to have every child feel that he can do the thing we are trying to do, and do it well. Later, stories are told only in part, something being left for the children to find out for themselves. When a story is finished each child may take his book home and read it to someone there. When we are working on a story, part of our seat work deals with that story. The children build words and sentences, and draw pictures of the parts they hke best. When a child has finished his assigned work he may go to the reading table and get any book or other materials to be found there and look for word friends or read ; or he may choose some other form of seat work. Usually a book is chosen, as my children like to read. Every morning we have a short entertainment peri- od. During this time every child that has found some- thing that he can read may entertain the other chil- dren by reading it to them. This gives the children a strong incentive to master a selection. PRIMARY READING DEVICES By- R. C. Sharman The ordinary everyday words must be learned while the child is in the first grade. Believing that the use of devices is a great aid in teaching these words, I shall describe a few that I have used. The first day the little five- and six-year old children enter the schoolroom, I teach three words, which are names of different objects in the room. The three usu- ally selected are window, table, and chair. The most successful way I have found to teach these and similar 110 PEDAGOGICAL PEP object words such as door, desk, pencil, and so forth, is to write the word in large letters on a slip of paper and pin it to the particular object. I usually leave the slip there a day or two, the length of time depending en- tirely on the class. Then I remove each slip and write the words in colored crayon along the top of the black- board. It is well to change their position frequently, and add new words when the others are thoroughly learned. Often in teaching object words such as flower, leaf, tree, and grass, I draw the picture of the object on the board and write the word in large letters beside it. The words are left there until the children become familiar with them. Then again, I have the real ob- ject, when convenient, in teaching such words as nut, seed, fan, and apple. The apples or nuts may be di- vided among the children at recess, each child receiv- ing an equal share. The color words can be most easily learned by writ- ing each word in its own particular color. Action words such as run, hop, skip, or jump can best be taught by permitting the children to perform the act. Then have a blackboard drill on the words. Sometimes I write a number of familiar words on the board and after short individual reviews I have the children tell me what each word is as I erase it. Until the children have the aid of phonics, the words are difficult for them, and so I believe the pri- mary reading teacher's motto should be : Drill ! Drill ! Drill ! When the child begins to get his words by the use of phonics it will not be necessary for the teacher to use so many devices. Wise teachers often tell little stories which help the child to remember certain words. For instance. READING 111 in teaching the word, look she might call attention to the two round letters and call them eyes. Numerous devices of this nature can be worked out. The flash cards have worked wonders for me. A teacher can make a set of them herself. Have a num- ber of small cards about five by seven inches, each one bearing a word the children have learned. Then flash a card before their eyes. It is amazing to see how easily the children recognize the words. Often I write a number of words on the board and have the children take turns in being teacher by asking other children to find such and such a word. Then again I give to each child a number of cards, each card bearing one familiar word. I keep a list of the words given out and then I begin the game by calling for a certain word. The one who has it places it on my desk. I keep calling until I have all the words. Playing games is natural for children and we play many of them in our school. One is the hide-and-seek game. We have apples, nuts, pencils, colored paper rings, leaves, and other objects whose names they have learned. All the children close their eyes while one member of the class hides the different articles. Then the children are asked to find them, first by spoken directions and then by written. This game teaches them such phrases as run and get, go and find, run and find, and so on. The children were very enthusiastic one day when they came to school and saw a number of lighted can- dles drawn on the board in colors, each candle having a word written above it. What fun the children had blowing out the candles ! I don't believe the children were ever so interested as they were the day we climbed a ladder to look into a 112 PEDAGOGICAL PEP bird's nest. I drew a ladder leaning up against a tree in which was a nest concealed by a large sheet of paper. On each round of the ladder was written a word. Each child who could climb the ladder by naming the words had the privilege of looking under the sheet of paper to see the nest with four pretty blue eggs in it. Then there is the sidewalk device. Draw a sidewalk leading to a schoolhouse. Fill the sidewalk with words and see who can get to school first. If the children falter, urge them on by telling them to hurry or they will be late. One day we found on the blackboard a cage full of little birds. We felt very sorry for them, so we soon set them all free by saying the words written on them. Every device which a teacher uses should be simple and suited to the child's experience. She should al- ways use her imagination freely so that the interest will not lag. FIRST-YEAR PHONICS AS A GAME By Frances C Duggar As soon as my beginners could sound the individual letters on the phonics cards, we began a game which lasted throughout the year — a phonics game. I asked the children if they liked to travel. They did. "Then," I told them, "we are going to start to-day on a long, long journey. It will take us many months to come to the end of it, for it is the journey to the sec- ond grade. You will have to be very brave and not be afraid to climb mountains and swim across rivers." "We are brave," they cried. "Let us start." So we started on the journey. The first thing we en- countered was a veiy long bridge. A line v/as drawn READING 113 on the blackboard and over it the consonants were printed as follows : bcdfghjklmnprstvwxz. Below the bridge water was drawn. The first volunteer was given a pointer and allowed to start across the bridge. He sounded each letter as he came to it. If he came to a letter he could not sound, he fell off into the water below the bridge. With colored chalk he drew an outline of himself in the water. If he marched entirely across the bridge, he drew himself on the bank beyond, and the children clapped. In order that no time might be lost we made very simple drawings, using straight lines for the fig- ure and a circle for the head. If a child fell into the water I asked, "Are you brave enough to try again to-morrow?" The children were all brave. There was not a coward in the room. In a week all but three children could trip over the bridge very rapidly. Next we came to a steep hill. The children were de- lighted to try to climb it, which meant pronouncing correctly the following words, at, hat, cat, fat, hat, mat, nat, pat, sat, that. "If you are not careful you will climb to the very top and then slip down," I told them. The children climbed with a will. One of the best pupils tried first. With the pointer she climbed the hill, calling each word as she came to it. The sounding of the initial letter took place silently, so that the words were called as wholes. The child drew her picture at the top of the hill, while the next child was mounting. If he failed on any word he tumbled down and drew his picture at the bottom of the hill. All who failed to climb the first day tried again the second day. On the third day they tried 114 PEDAGOGICAL PEP again, while the rest of the class progressed to a new difficulty. Hill after hill was scaled. The board al- ways showed as much of the journey as possible al- though I did not allow the pupils to become too widely separated. The pupils in advance received a valuable review from listening to the pupils in the rear, while the rear pupils came to the new work well prepared from hear- ing it recited so many times. The order of the words on any one hill was changed from day to day so that the words could not be memorized as a list. I found no difficulty in remembering the children's places along the journey. The children themselves al- ways remembered. "All ready for the at hill," I called, and a dozen children rose and took turns try- ing. "Now for the children who have gone clear over to here," I said, indicating the an hill. Ten or fifteen more responded. "And now for the children who are ready to go farther," I said, and the advance guard rose while I arranged the ap words on the last hill. The first word in each group, that is, the key word, was likened to a pair of magic shoes or some other de- vice which made the hills easier for the children to climb. If necessary, we helped the child put on the magic shoes, but after that he had to climb alone. We did not always climb hills. We swam rivers. We stepped across brooks on slippery stones, we climbed down steep embankments, we sailed over stormy waters in a leaky boat, we rested on tiny is- lands, we climbed trees, we rode in airships. Some- times we skated over slippery ice or walked through deep snow. We rode on merry-go-rounds. We came down fire escapes and shoot-the-chutes. Never before had the children had so many exciting adventures. READING 115 And as we went we learned phonics. The groups at, an, ap, ag, ack, arte, it, ig, ick, ite, ill, old, and so forth, were thoroughly mastered. The blends, sh, ch, th, wh, and so forth, were introduced one at a time and gradually mastered. We came finally to another bridge, high and narrow. It was aaeeiloouu. The children's enthusiasm was never allowed to abate. The drawing of the bridges, oceans, hills, and airships held them spellbound. The drawing of them- selves in these dangerous positions gave them thrills of delight. The appeal to be brave made even the most timid forget himself. Perhaps you would like to know what I did about the children who would have dragged hopelessly be- hind. They were allowed to try for several days, and then, if unable to accomplish the desired result, they went along the board with a pointer while the whole room sounded the words in concert. I appealed to the children who could have mastered a new group every day, and thus danced off into the distance, not to get too far ahead as the other children might need them. They often waited patiently for several days at the top of some dangerous hill or at the end of some difficult bridge. They were then allowed to draw themselves leaning down to help the other children arcoss. The children were anxious to be helpful. Often be- fore school I would see some bright child draw a hill and help a slower child to mount, pointing out with great patience the exact sound of each letter. Four days in every week we traveled. The fifth day was a review. Of course it was not called a review. The game idea must still continue. Miscellaneous words were put on the board, words taken from this 116 PEDAGOGICAL PEP group, and that group, following no regular plan, ex- cept to furnish as complete a review as possible. In our reviews we often pretended that we were stopping in a meadow to pick flowers. Each child must try to get a flower. One child went down the board with a pointer, calling upon the different members of the class to pronounce the words. If a child failed to get his flower, the next child picked it for him, and the child that missed was given another chance to pick a flower later. Sometimes the review words were dragons to be slain ; sometimes they were rocks to be picked up and thrown out of the path — anything that the children suggested. And as we traveled I continually called the children's attention to how far we had come, and what great things we had done. The children, to the very last one, entered into the spirit of the game, and their faces never failed to beam with joy when the "journey period" came ai-ound. Phonics was easily the favorite study of the first-grade pupils. HOW I TEACH READING IN THE FIRST GRADE By Kathryn Taylor The test of a reading method is the power it gives the child to read new matter. In olden times we had the A. B. C. method; next came the word method. This was a decided gain in progress, but this method still lacked the essentials of learning to read. Then came the sentence method. Vupils could read the sentence, but when new words ai^peared they were powerless to attack them. With the introduction of READING 117 the study of phonics the child is enabled to attack new words. This renders him self-reliant, and secures dis- tinct articulation and correct enunciation. Without the use of phonics progress is slow. It has been found that a judicious blending of the best features of the word, sentence, and phonic meth- ods will produce the best results. The problem that confronts the young and inexperienced teachers is how to teach reading so that at the end of a few months children can read any primer or first reader suitable for the first grade. This may seem a difficult task, but it is an interest- ing and gratifying one and becomes in time delightful. In teaching reading to beginners, two different lines of work must be carefully observed. One is the expres- sion and development of thought, based upon the child's memory, imagination, and association of ideas. The other is the mechanics of reading which relate to the study of sounds by the use of phonics. The phonic method trains the ear to hear the sound correctly, the eye to recognize the written symbol, and the vocal organs to enunciate the sounds clearly. The work in phonics should predominate at first, but later should be subordinate. As a preliminary to the reading lesson a phonogram is taught. These sounds are given to little children by telling a story of something which represents the sound element. This holds the interest and atten- tion. In review all that is necessary to ask is, *'What does the cross cat say?" This question can be asked regarding the dog, the bell, the trolley, and so forth. The child is also asked to tell the story which is fixed firmly in his mind and associated with the above- mentioned sounds. 118 PEDAGOGICAL PEP Perception cards are used for presenting the con- sonants, sight words, and blend words. Long and short sounds of vowels combined with consonants are excellent drill. As soon as the child is able to develop words a list is given of the familiar words as at, an, all, ill, and so forth. The child readily sees that, by prefixing a fa- miliar sound such as /, the following words may be formed as: fat, fan, fall, fill. I print, rather than write, the phonograms, words, and sentences on the board because a resemblance to the printed lessons in the book enables the children to develop more rapidly. Of course, as soon as possible I change to script. A list of sounds such as /, I, m, n, k, s, t, b, r, is printed across the board and below them are printed the phonograms ake, old, ing, end, and many others. The child delights in building words as cake, fold, sing, mend.. Pupils are asked to find new words in their lessons and show them to the teacher; and to read sentences from their book and tell what they have read. Many will think this a slow process, but the result of the drill work is the child's ability to read without hesitation, and to be able to get and express thought. The vocabulary presented to beginners should be carefully selected and graded. The words introduced should be repeated frequently enough to make it rea- sonably possible for the child to master them as he progresses in the book. In supplementary readers the vocabulary should compare favorably with the basic reader used. I generally take some standard first reader as a basic text. Have the pupils thoroughly master all the words in that book. By obtaining a READING 119 good vocabulary of standard first-grade words the child is prepared to take up supplementary and other first readers. When new words appear the child knows how to master them. My classes read, on an average, twelve first or sup- plementary readers during the school year. I vary the reading by having the child who reads best stand in front of the class and read alternately a sentence or paragraph with the class or read all the lesson for the benefit of the class, by concert reading which gives the slow pupils a chance to catch up, by dramatization which brings out good expression, or by allowing pu- pils to select a lesson to read. For enunciation and voice modulation have sen- tences expressing fear, sorrow, anger, pity, joy, and other emotions. All drill work should be quick, full of interest and animation, allowing an opportunity for competition. In the presentation of the reading lesson pictures may be used and questions asked leading to oral reproduction. All these devices test the child's ability for getting thought from the printed page and make him familiar with the story so that he will be able to read or tell it to others. Primary reading charts made from pictures add materially to the interest of the class. The blending of sounds and words gives correct pronunciation. There is nothing in the world which so stirs the inter- est of the child in reading as the consciousness of power to master words by himself. Then the interest is accompanied by pleasure. The importance of phonics as a preparation for and aid to reading, especially in the first grade, can scarcely be overestimated. Supervisors everywhere 120 PEDAGOGICAL PEP maintain that the child with a thorough ground work in phonics progresses more rapidly and is a better and more independent reader than the one who depends upon memory or sight words alone. INTRODUCING DRAMATICS INTO READING By Frances J. Claxton Reading should be a real treat to child, teacher, and listener. If it fails to furnish genuine entertainment for all three, it fails of an important aim, a useful and delightful diversion. Yet unfortunately a great many primary reading lessons do fail dismally in this re- spect. The stilted, unnatural monotone, the stumbling pace, the lack of appreciation and the apparent dis- taste for the whole exercise make it anything but di- verting. And a test in reproduction usually demon- strates that the half-hearted, spiritless reader has not even got the thought. Where is the seat of the difficulty and how can it be overcome? It is not the dearth of interesting ideas in the books, for even the second-rate books, if read well, would hold the liveliest attention. It is not a lack of expressiveness on the part of the pupils, for these same children playing school in the home or on the playground will mimic the voice and gesture of teach- ers, associates, and others about them with surprising accuracy. Experience proves that it is not even lack of vocabulary, for a reader who is thoroughly inter- ested and awake will proceed in some fashion though greatly handicapped in this way. How can one explain the peculiar paralysis that seems to overcome pupils in the reading class? Sim- READING 121 ilar behavior is not uncommon, of course, in other les- sons. There are pupils who offer only the shortest possible answers to questions in recitation, and yet are voluble enough among their fellows outside. There are some who can hardly speak above a whisper in the classroom, and yet are uncomfortably noisy on the street or about the house. In the home they may evince similar constraint when they are obliged to assume company manners or meet any embarrassing and unfamiliar situation before critical strangers. All animation seems to be suspended when they are even asked to shake hands and pass the time of day agree- ably. In general, primitive minds tend to stall in the face of any new, artificial formality to which they have not had time to grow accustomed. They cannot or dare not give the natural impulses free rein and they have not mastered the artificial. They have not learned to walk boldly on the thin ice of convention- ality. The cure, in so far as the reading is concerned, is an incentive sufficient to cause the child to forget himself for the time being, almost to drop out of existence, as it were, while he assumes the part of someone else. In other words, it is the introduction of dramatics in- to the reading. When the teacher has created a game atmosphere in the room, and the child is simply the mouthpiece of imaginary friends, Mr. Fox, Mr. Bear, and so on, it is easy to lose himself in the assumed character. He is Mr. Fox. What fun to talk for him,, using the words the printed page suggests. Once we can get him to playing that he is somebody else we can accomplish wonders in eliminating from his voice the flat, wooden tones that we so much dislike in our reading lessons. 122 PEDAGOGICAL PEP If you have no dramatic reader to start with, select the most conversational story you can find in the reg- ular reader; perhaps the story of "The Three Billy Goats GrufF," the goats that crossed the bridge and had their adventures v^^ith the Troll underneath. In- stead of having one child read straight ahead, assign the characters to different members of the class, let- ting each one read his part. "Tom, you may come and be the first Billy Goat Gruff. Jack may be the second. Who would like to be the Big Billy Goat Gruff that beat the wicked old Troll? Tony, how would you like to be the Troll, sitting under the bridge, with a nose as long as an ell, and eyes as big as saucers?" If the parts have been given out wisely this first time, you feel that a start has been made in raising the exercise from the level of a stilted reading lesson to the blissful heights of a game. One child can be given the part of "teller" and it is his business to read the descriptive portions of the tale. The other readers, book in hand, take places where the class can see them act, and, with as little coaching and interference from the teacher as possible, speak the lines for the different characters. An improvement in confidence, understanding, and enunciation is apparent at once. Everybody has a strong incentive to understand his part for he must try to act it out and say his lines so that others can understand the play. If he fails he is not merely fall- ing short of some grown-up's standard, he is spoiling the game for his mates. The children get away from the idea of reading, as such, and use it as a means to furnish themselves and the rest of the class with some fun. Fun is the very antithesis of a feeling of restric- tion and convention. The more fun you can mix with READING 123 a reading lesson the further away you get from muffled voices and hesitating dehvery. When completely absorbed in the play pupils have helped to take care of clear tones themselves. The im- personators of the Billy Goats and the Troll have had no use for mumbling and indistinctness. Big Billy Goat has risen to considerable heights in roughly tell- ing the Troll what to do, and Little Billy Goat has thought to put a little scare into his voice. A certain amount of this power of expression will carry over into the other reading. It will be seen that every read- ing is in a sense dramatic. The reader is always act- ing as a mouthpiece for someone else. If the voice should fall flat sometime, just remind the pupil, "Did Mr. Fox use such an uninteresting voice when he was talking to us yesterday? Get him back into your voice again; you need his voice for this story, too." Dramatic reading not only brings about better ex- pression, but also better speed and comprehension. This can be verified by testing the pupils at the begin- ning and close of the term, that is, by timing the num- ber of words per minute and by asking a number of simple questions on the ideas in the text. A number of standard tests are available but it is also possible for the teacher to mxake her own. THE IMPORTANCE OF SILENT READING By~ Georgiana Boyington That reading is one of the most vital subjects, if not the most vital, in our public school curriculum is be- yond question. Upon the pupil's ability to read with comprehension, rests his power to gain knowledge in practically any study he may decide to pursue. 124 PEDAGOGICAL PEP That this subject has been poorly taught, particu- larly in the intermediate grades, is too apparent to need proof. But, I believe, a new era has dawned. We are beginning to comprehend more fully the aim of teaching reading, the difficulties in the pupil's way, and the kind of reading which will be most helpful to him. Our aim has changed materially during the last few years. Formerly the stress has been laid almost en- tirely upon pral reading. Much time and energy have been spent on having the pupils assume the proper standing position, hold the book correctly, look up from the page with sufficient frequency, and enunciate clearly. I do not wish to belittle any of these. They are all good, but experience has proven that they are not the best for which we should strive. Our chief aim should be to teach the child to read with understanding, thus giving him the best possible tool with which to work out the problems he will meet in his future studies, and, in fact, all through life. I believe our second aim should be to teach him to read with as much speed as possible. The idea ex- pressed in the phrase "slow and sure" does not prove true. It needs but little observation to convince one that speed and accuracy are usually copartners. How shall these aims be accomplished ? Let us make the methods suit the aims. We are trying to fit the pu- pil to pursue his study independently. Will he do this silently or orally? Ask yourself how much oral read- ing you have done during the last year as compared with your silent reading. You will readily see that the amount of silent reading done by the average person far exceeds the oral. We should then direct our ener- gies to silent reading. READING 125 The Department of Education in my state advises that not more than two and, in many cases, only one day a week be given to oral readmg. The work of this one day should be carefully planned so as to accomplish as much as possible. A great deal of stimulus is added to the oral reading if the "audience situation" is furnished. Let different pupils read to the class from a book not in the hands of the others. This gives a feeling of responsibility for the correct rendering of the selection. To give as much practice as possible in this brief time, group reading is very helpful. Divide the pupils into small groups, locating them in different parts of the room. With a good reader for the leader of each group, have the children read orally, each taking his turn. The leader of each group should assist with difficult words. When he is unable to do so, he should call the teacher. Four days a week will thus be left for silent reading. This must be carefully directed or it will fail to accom- plish its purpose. The work naturally falls into two divisions, reading for speed and reading for compre- hension. The teacher will find means of varying the methods for increasing speed, but the following will serve as suggestions. To teach the pupils to grasp as much as possible in a certain length of time, have them find a given page, and, at a signal, read until a signal to stop is given. The number of lines read should then be counted. A record kept from week to week will show the increase that results from practice. In this ex- ercise the pupils should be required to reproduce what they have read lest we encourage speed at the expense of comprehension. 126 PEDAGOGICAL PEP The devices used in aiding the pupil to grasp the con- tent of a selection will vary with the material used. In some cases a group of direct questions will be found very helpful, the pupils reading silently and giving the answers orally. At other times the pupils may give an account of what they have read. To the many teachers who have tried these methods the results are conclusive evidence of their worth. To those who have not, an experiment of a few months duration will, I believe, be convincing. Contrary to ex- pectation the oral reading improves in spite of the fact that it is apparently neglected. As the pupils com- prehend more fully, oral expression comes as a natural sequence. The results in reading are gratifying, and the study of geography, history, and many other subjects re- ceives an impetus from the pupil's added power to glean facts and grasp instructions from the printed page. When this is accomplished, the teacher may feel she has taught the child to read, — and not before. "DOING ERRANDS" MAKES SILENT READING A JOY By Gertrude C. Warner I think, perhaps, that the single event in my own elementary school life which stands out in my mind in boldest relief, was the following trifling incident. One day, my eighth-grade teacher, observing that I had finished my work, told me to put on my things and mail a letter for her. I can remember enjoying all the sensations of playing hooky as I walked along the street in school time. Never was a letter more faith- fully mailed, I am sure. READING 127 Recalling these pleasurable sensations, I decided to try a similar plan with my advanced first-grade class. These children had been in the habit of reading silent- ly sentences involving action, such as, "Go and get a green book.*" At the close of a silent-reading recitation, I wrote on the board : "Pauline and Dorothy, you may go out in the hall and put on your hats and coats. Then come and get the two letters on my chair. Then take them out and put them in the mail box." When some of the class had comprehended this re- quest, they asked if I "really-truly" meant it. When I said that I did, it caused a sensation. The children, apparently, could not believe their eyes, and I am afraid that the two children to whom the reading lesson fell were objects of jealousy. I expected that these two children would take their time in getting across the street, but they returned in record time, all out of breath. This scheme certainly has the element of attracting attention, at least, so I have used it frequently, but never enough to suit the demands of the children themselves. Here are some of the errands which I know from experience, give the children a peculiar delight: 1. If you can read this, you may go into the kinder- garten room and write a story on the board. 2. Will you go and look in my bag, Joseph ? If you can find a little box, you may bring it to me. 3. You may put on your hat and coat and go up to my house. Ask my mother to give you my large red book. 4. Please take this book up to the fifth grade, and give it to Miss Whiting, and tell her I sent it. 128 PEDAGOGICAL PEP 5. Go out in the school yard and find some little stones for a well. Then make a little well in the sand table. 6. Go to your seat and draw a tree. Color the tree green. Then draw a little house. Color the house red. 7. Take a pencil, and a paper. Draw a man and a little boy. Draw the sun. 8. I am going home now. I want my hat. Will you get it for me, Eunice? 9. You may go and get a drink of water, Carolyn. 10. Take the penny on my chair. Go over to the lit- tle store and buy a pencil. This kind of errand-reading would be still more practicable in the second grade, where directions could be more complicated. I have found, however, that any errand involving going out of the room, how- ever simple, is doubly entertaining to all children. A CONCRETE LESSON IN THE STUDY OF LITERATURE By Clara Fowler Of all the ways in which the teacher may influence the life of the child, there is probably none greater than that of creating in him a love for good reading. Reading is getting thoughts. Thoughts govern life. The teacher of reading may measure her success by the child's attitude toward the subject and by his re- sponse to her assignments. She should aim to make the reading period one of the happiest of the day be- cause the average child, when properly guided, de- lights in its approach. I believe it possible for any teacher who is conscientious, earnest, and industrious to teach reading. READING 129 Personally I cannot follow the exact trail of any teacher whom I know, or of whom I have read, as to methods of teaching reading. I find that in preparing to teach this subject I have developed more initiative than in any other line of school work. There are, how- ever, some general principles that may govern all teachers of reading. First, the subject matter should come within the child's comprehension, should have some touches of childhood experience, and should call forth some effort, in order to be appreciated. The assignment must be made in such a manner as to create interest and to arouse curiosity. It is impossible for any teacher to make such an assignment without previously reading the selection and making definite plans. Second, the study period should be supervised by the teacher, if possible. The child, aided or unaided, should spend this time in an effort to satisfy the curi- osity aroused by the assignment. For recitation the selection should be considered as a whole, then in its separate phases. The teacher, by a few thoughtful questions, m.ay call forth the various opinions, and may gently lead the pupils into a comparison and contrast of their several ideas. She may tactfully restrain those who are too talkative, and encourage those who are timid. I have just finished the study of "Snow-Bound" with my sixth grade, and I shall endeavor to show you how we did it. As the children had read and enjoyed "The Barefoot Boy" they were already interested in Whit- tier and were anxious to knov/ more of him. When I explained that "Snow-Bound" really told of the ex- periences of the Whittiers, they began the work with eagerness. 130 PEDAGOGICAL PEP On a table about three feet wide and four feet long, we worked out the scenes described in "Snow-Bound." One little boy built the old farmhouse. He used card- board taken from a suit-box. He marked the door cas- ings with green water colors. He cut and fitted the chimney, then painted it red. The house, when fin- ished, was eighteen inches in length, with height and width in proportion. The girls brought posts and cords for the clothesline. The posts, when wrapped with cotton and sprinkled with artificial snow, really did closely resemble "tall and sheeted ghosts." Some- one built a tiny crib, another the old well-curb and sweep. The trees were represented by tacking tiny twigs to the table and covering them with cotton and snov/. Even the brush-pile, so like a "mound," was real to the children when a few twigs were piled together and covered with snow. We studied the poem during snowy weather. We saw the circle around the sun, and noted a "sadder light than waning moon." These signs foretold our snowstorms, as they had foretold Whittier's. We fol- lowed John Greenf eaf and Matthew to the stock-barn ; we heard the whinnying of the horses and the clashing of the horns of the cattle; we even heard the rooster quarreling because of his forced early perch. We com- pared the nightly chores of the Whittier boys with those of the boys in the class who are farmers' sons. One of the dullest boys pointed to the finished house and said, "I can just see the Whittiers 'round the fire- place crackin' nuts and drinking cider." Various other remarks proved to me that the pupils understood and enjoyed the poem. After we had spent the reading periods of two weeks on the study of this beautiful poem, we carried our READING 131 "Snow-Bound" table to the stage of our auditorium where we gave a thirty-minute entertainment for the rest of the school and visitors. Different pupils im- personated the mother, father, Uncle Moses, each of the sisters, and each of the brothers ; and told the sto- ries as related by each of them in the poem. There are many selections that may be made just as delightful to children as "Snow-Bound," but this is a splendid one to arouse indifferent pupils to action, and to create a love for reading in all pupils. In my efforts to create a love for reading in my pu- pils, I plan frequently for conversational recitations in history, geography, or other subjects. For example, we are now studying the Eskimo. Several pupils have read Eskimo stories which they tell in class. Then we discuss them. This leads others to search for interest- ing thoughts along the same line. I study my pupils and strive to make each assignment mean something to each pupil. LEADING MY PUPILS TO READ GOOD BOOKS By Edith L. McGovern In September I faced the problem of how to make three complete sets of reading books furnish a year's reading material for a class of thirty fifth- grade pupils. I recalled a remark which someone had once made, suggesting that I experiment with an indi- vidual scheme of reading. Here was a possible solu- tion of the problem, and I set about gleaning ideas for a practical working-out of the plan. An exceptionally good library and a librarian who was most anxious to aid me in my efforts furnished in- 132 PEDAGOGICAL PEP spiration and invaluable help. However, I am quite confident that the plan can be used in rural schools which can avail themselves of circulating state libra- ries or in which there are school libraries. Each boy and girl is provided with a notebook for book reports. On the first page is copied this simple outline : Title of book. Name of author. Where is the scene laid ? Does the story deal with the past or the present? Who is your favorite character? Why? Describe a humorous incident related in the book. Each pupil chooses a book from the library or any available source. At first I prepared a suggestive list which the children might use as a guide in making their choice, but I did not insist that books should be selected from it. It was arranged at the library that I should be re- sponsible for all books used in my school. When a pu- pil borrows a book it is credited to me, and the libra- rian lightly pencils the child's name after my number on the pocket of the volume. These books are kept at the schoolhouse. My scheme has now been in opera- tion six months, and no book has been lost and no fine has been incurred for the abuse of a book. Each pupil reads his book as fast as he is able. Up- on completing it he writes a report of it, following the outline. After I have corrected this he copies it into his notebook. Then he is ready to begin a new book. The recording of a humorous incident is suggested in the outline because of a conversation I had with our li- brarian. She told me that she had been interested to find that children, in telling her about books which READING 133 they had read, invariably related some humorous hap- pening which had apparently appealed to them. It seemed a good plan to give them an opportunity in their book reports to write something which they would especially enjoy writing. I, also, keep a notebook in which a page is devoted to each member of the grade. In this I record the date when each book is finished and the date when the cor- rected report is placed in the pupil's notebook. The number of books read varies of course with the ability of the reader. A few of the brightest pupils can read a book a week, while other pupils can cover only four or five books in the term. We read interesting stories of an uplifting and wholesome nature, being careful to avoid all that is worthless. Many of the books correlate with our ge- ography or history. In fact, the books in which are found references to things we have talked about in our school work, are especially in favor. The pupils like the history stories of American heroes, of colonial days, of early explorers, of the Old World, and of Greek heroes. Some of them especially enjoy animal and nature stories. Boys like to read of experiments and inventions, and, of course, both boys and girls are enthusiastic over school stories. Each morning I devote a twenty-minute period to this individual reading study. I go about among the desks, stopping now and then to say, "Read a little of the story to me." Occasionally I ask a question as to references to the first part of the story. Sometimes we devote a reading period entirely to recitation. Pupils give incidents from the stories which they are reading, or tell what they read about last, or answer two or three general questions on their 134 PEDAGOGICAL PEP books. They are very enthusiastic and eager to talk. The giving of oral reports is splendid drill in English. In starting the plan I had thought that it might prove complicated, that there would be possibilities of much confusion; but I found that the children ad- justed themselves very readily to it and that it ran smoothly from the outset. I do not drop the regular work from the basic reader and such supplementary sets of reading books as we have. An afternoon period of thirty minutes is de- voted to the study of an assigned lesson, when the dic- tionary is used and topics are prepared on the definite assignment. Both types of reading study are needed. Extra time for reading is gained because the pu- pils often read from the time they come into school until the gong sounds for the beginning of the session. Though my work has been with pupils of the fifth grade I feel sure that the same scheme could be used with equal success in the fourth or sixth grade. KNO^VING A FEW AUTHORS WELL By- Ida I. Hill Believing that children, as well as adults, derive more benefit from knowing a few authors well than from knowing a great many superficially, I begin liter- ature in the first grade by concentrating on one writer. As Robert Louis Stevenson, both in theme and in use of words — writing more as a child than for the child — seems to me to be more truly the children's poet than any other, I always choose him for my first-grade work. First, I tell in simple language the history of Stev- enson's life, dwelling on his sweet patience and cheer- fulness though handicapped by constant illness. I tell READING 135 of his great love for children as evidenced by the beau- tiful poems he has written especially for them. Then I recite some of his poems, as "The Land of Counter- pane," "My Bed is a Boat," and "The Swing," and ask the children how many would like to learn some of them. They all would, of course, and so we begin. We start with the simplest one, "Happy Thought." "The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings." We say it in concert a few times and then individually. We use this for two or three days, and after that, we average one poem a month. Occasionally, I review the author's life, about which the children love to talk. While we are learning the poems, we also learn to sing some of them which have been set to music. By the end of the school year, we have learned to re- cite ten of Stevenson's poems, and to sing a number of them, and we know a great deal about his life. If this practice — each grade dwelling on a certain author — ^were kept up for eight years, the high school would have an excellent foundation upon which to work, and those children who were denied any further schooling would be well fitted to enjoy the best in liter- ature. I also like to think of the uplift to the commun- ity that would result from following this plan. Once during the year my first grade has a school en- tertainment in which Robert Louis Stevenson is the prominent feature. The parents are invited, and they learn of Stevenson's life, and hear him sung and re- cited. First-grade children like to repeat at home what they learn at school ; and, in this way, parents be- come interested in the better literature. By following this system throughout the grades, the homes would be 136 PEDAGOGICAL PEP inflnenced toward better things, the children's interest in literature would be increased, and untold good would result to the community at large. INSTILLING A LOVE FOR THE BEST WRITINGS By May L. Treadwell The majority of teachers agree that the one aim of teaching hygiene is to teach health habits to children. The aim is not that the child may be able to repeat the health rules but that he must have the habits of clean- liness and right living. Most of us agree that the study of history does prac- tically no good if, through this study, the pupil is not made more patriotic. We think that the aim of arith- metic is to teach accuracy ; and so on through the list of school subjects. But when it comes to literature the ranks are di- vided. Some believe that the aim of the study of liter- ature is to make the pupil able to read aloud pleasing- ly; some think that the student must be able to quote the choice parts of the great classics ; some believe that the child must know how to distinguish between the different figures of speech that the author uses. It seem.s to me, however, that the only worth-while, workable aim of the study of reading or literature is that of instilling a love for the best writings. How many of the children we teach will become public read- ers? Probably less than one out of every hundred. How many will want to distinguish or even to consider a metaphor, simile, hyperbole, or any of the figures of speech? I hesitate to say one out of every thousand for it seems too many. But will not all children spend READING 137 a part of their time in reading? So, if the teacher can implant a fondness for the great writers and poets in the hearts of her pupils, she is giving them a gift more precious than "frankincense and myrrh" — ^the golden privilege of communing with the great of all ages. There is no greater earthly gift. Every boy and girl, even every untrained boy and girl, likes to read some kind of literature. Certainly all children do not read the best literature. Many have read and liked the books and stories that we teachers detest. Thus, after the child has learned to read, the prob- lem is not to teach him to like to read for he already likes to read, but rather to teach him to like the best and to be able to discriminate between the bad and the good. After trying many experiments with various meth- ods and devices, I have decided that the following plan tends to make the child like the best literature. I. Read wholes rather than parts. Instead of studying textbooks that contain excerpts from great stories and poems, the whole story and the whole poem should be studied. The plan that I have followed to procure these clas- sics is very simple. At the beginning of each term every pupil is asked to bring a small sum of money (never more than twenty-five cents) instead of spend- ing much more than that amount on a reading text- book. With this money sets of paper-bound classics are purchased. The arguments for reading the entire story and the entire poem have been advanced so many times by our great educators that I shall not try to give them here. But I do wish to emphasize the truth that a teacher 138 PEDAGOGICAL PEP cannot instill a love for good reading by administering little tastes and daubs of the stories from the great storehouse of literature. The child must read the story or the poem in its entirety in order to appreciate and to love it. II. Make the presentation of the classic interesting. Assuming the material with which to work is at hand, we have the next important step, the presenta- tion of the classic. Some stories like The Gold Bug, The King of the Golden River, The Arabian Nights, and many others are so intensely interesting from the start that very little presentation is needed. The reading is usually done silently unless the classic hap- pens to be an unusually musical poem or a delightful description that should be both seen and heard. On the other hand some stories need elaborate prep- aration. When, however, even with elaborate prepa- ration, the story does not interest the majority of the pupils it should be laid aside, for they are probably not old enough to appreciate it. The children should not be fed one distasteful morsel when the aim is to make them love the best literature. Often after reading a good story the pupils are anxious to read another story by the same author. III. Review the classic in a different form. A discussion follows the reading of the story by the pupils. Soon after this discussion we have a review which is so arranged that it is not recognized as such. The Rip Van Winkle review is a written "Soliloquy of Rip Van Winkle on Awakening from His Long Sleep." The reading of The Gold Bug is followed by the mak- ing of original cryptographs by the pupils and a writ- ten character sketch of Legrand. READING 139 IV. Give credit for outside reading. Credit is given the pupils for reading certain ad- ditional books. A list of these books is furnished each child. The library cooperates by sending any number of these books to the school where I lend them directly to the pupils. In preparing the list of books to be read the aim is to give the popular good books. A book is never put on the list merely because the author is a good writer. It is too easy to discourage the child by lending him a book that is beyond his comprehension. It has been my experience that instead of having to persuade the children to read these good books, we have had to restrain them and restrict them to a cer- tain number a month, as we found that they were spending too much of their time in reading. V. Correlate reading with good motion pictures. Some moving pictures stimulate a taste for good literature. In our city this year we have had good productions of The Three Musketeers, Julius Caesar, Rip Van Winkle, Treasure Island, and others. Thus the children want to read the books upon which the pictures are based. When it is possible, we read these stories before the picture is shown. The work on this problem of persuading pupils to read better books is after all quite easy. If the child has a sympathetic adviser he is eager to follow every suggestion. HANDWRITING HANDWRITING DEFECTS OVERCOME BY A GREAT INCENTIVE By- Blanche B. Mcl^'arland I had always had trouble with the teaching of hand- writing. Perhaps my own incorrect position and ir- regular movement were partly responsible for this. Perhaps the fact that I had been taught the Spence- rian method, then, when I began teaching, found it necessary to use the vertical system, later changing back to a semi-slant, and eventually being called upon to learn and teach the Palmer method may have had something to do with the foregoing; it is more likely, however, that I had never learned any one system well, and had acquired habits of carelessness with the years.' For several years I had exchanged with some other teacher, teaching music in her grade while she taught handwriting in my grade. However, the policy of the school was against departmental work in these grades. I determined that this session I would ask no conces- sions, but make a determined effort to overcome my inefficiency. Doubtless if I had known more about the grade I was to have I would have hesitated to make the at- tempt. The children made no pretense of maintaining correct position and movement except during hand- writing period. Papers passed in on the various sub- HANDWRITING 141 jects were almost illegible. It was impossible to dis- tinguish between the i's and e's, a's and o's, u's and n's. Length above line and below was disregarded, as was spacing ; to distinguish between capitals and small let- ters was frequently impossible ; there was every possi- ble degree of slant. Naturally along with such writing there were smears, blots, and erasures. To create a real interest in writing, to awaken and encourage a sense of pride in accomplishment, and thus to stimulate effort was evidently my task. But how to accomplish this was a problem that seemed beyond my power of solution. I was carefully studying the Palmer manual, painstakingly practicing the drills myself ; and as my own writing, with all that implies, improved I grew more interested in the efforts of my class, more determined that they should accomplish results. It was in this spirit that I determined to try to use with them the same measures I used with my- self. To succeed in this I must do the following : 1. Make them conscious of their inefficiency in writing. 2. Put before them correct standards. 3. Lead them to see their own individual defects. 4. Show them how to overcome these defects. 5. Build up class and individual pride to the point that sustained effort will be secured. The point of attack seemed drastic, but it proved effective. We had just finished several of a series of projects in home geography, covering the industries of our community. The booklets were to be on exhi- bition at a Patrons' Day that we were soon to have, and were later to form a large part of our exhibit at our State Fair. The class had thrown itself whole- heartedly into the working out of these projects and 142 PEDAGOGICAL PEP had done exceptionally well. Every phase of the result except the handwriting would have made any class and teacher proud. It was not without misgivings that I decided to bar these booklets from the exhibit. However, I did not tell the class of my decision. In- stead, I borrowed a number of booklets on various subjects from the grade above and the grade below my own. The next morning when the class entered the room they were struck by the amazing array of book- lets. A light wire had been run across the front and back of the room. On this wire were placed in regular repeating series a booklet from the grade above, a booklet from our own grade, a booklet from the grade below; all were opened to some page in the booklet, thus disclosing the handwriting instead of merely showing the good-looking covers. The class was immediately struck with the compari- son. For a while I refused to let the matter be dis- cussed, as child after child wished. Then a period was deliberately taken and free speech encouraged. Of course there were all kinds of efforts made to evade or excuse this all too evident shortcoming, but finally we settled down to a sober discussion of defects and rem- edy. A handwriting scale had also been hung in the room, so from a general comparison of our handwrit- ing with that of the other grades we came to a specific comparison with the scale. Finally the grade was brought to see that no matter what excellent material their booklets contained the average person would pass them by without interest and with only unfavorable comment as to the handwriting. Hence it was agreed to leave them out of the exhibit. Then came the cheering thought : Though we could not hope to improve enough to rewrite the booklets for HANDWRITING 143 Patrons' Day, we still had two months in which to im- prove before we had to send in our Fair exhibit. The handwriting scale became the center of interest. No handwriting lesson was complete without a compar- ative study. Weekly tests were given when speed and quality were carefully graded, a record being kept of each pupil's achievement. But we needed an even more detailed study of our writing defects. So I wrote on the board the following : Analysis of Defects in Writing 1. Too much slant a) Writing arm too near body. b) Thumb too stiff. c) Fingers too far from point of pen. d) Paper in wrong position. e) Stroke in wrong direction. 2. Writing too straight a) Arm too far from body. b) Fingers too near point of pen. c) Index finger alone guiding pen. d) Paper in wrong position. 3. Writing too heavy a) Index finger pressing too hard. b) Using wrong pen. c) Penholder too small in diameter. 4. Writing too light a) Penholder held too obliquely or too straight. b) Eyelet of pen turned. c) Penholder too large in diameter. 5. Writing too angular a) Thumb too stiff. b) Penholder held too lightly. c) Movement too slow. 144 PEDAGOGICAL PEP 6. Writing too irregular a) Lack of freedom of movement. b) Movement of hand too slow. c) Pen gripping. 7. Spacing too wide a) Pen progresses too fast to right. b) Too much lateral movement. Very carefully every child was led to determine his own defects, and to note the causes thereof. The class was then divided into groups, according to their needs. A captain was chosen whose duty was to check up the work of each member of his group. Specific drills were given for the correcting of specific defects. Day after day, as one error was corrected, one weak- ness overcome, the writing was subjected to careful scrutiny. An improvement chart was worked out and kept by the captains of the groups, every piece of writ- ten work being included in the study. It soon became unnecessary to say anything about neatness, and care as to arrangement on the page. Increasing pride in handwriting led to increasing neatness in every detail. The class won their objective, for not just some but every booklet was copied, and passed even their ex- acting demands. Futhermore, that spring I promoted a class of whose handwriting I was especially proud. The next fall standardized tests were introduced into our schools, and I was not surprised that that class ranked above the standard. Perhaps some other teachers who have struggled with bad handwriting will realize what sweet music it was to my ears to hear, time and again, from the teacher to whom my pupils went that it was a real joy to have a class that handed in such neat, beau- tifully-written papers and for whom handwriting was HANDWRITING 145 an analytic study carried forward with keenness and zest. It may not be out of order to add that I have never since wanted anyone to teach my handwriting classes. EVERY WRITTEN LESSON SHOULD BE A WRITING LESSON By Alice S. Corneveaux The ability to write legibly, rapidly, and easily is a priceless timesaver for both pupils and teachers. Good writing is also an accomplishment and a valuable commercial asset. Realization of its importance is a prime requisite of a successful teacher. With the opening of the school year I begin at once some preparatory drills without pens. The children should take an erect, easy position, with backs straight, heads up, feet flat on the floor, and both arms on the desk. For muscular relaxation open and close the fingers, raise and drop the arms. Rigidity must be overcome. Let the arms lie on the desk and with the right hand make a fist. Play it is a mud turtle. Make it go out and in the shell (the sleeve) ; out, in, out, in, faster, faster — one, two, one, two. Now play the hand is a rake, the fingers the teeth. Rake the garden; rake it faster — one, two, one, two. Now two teeth have been broken on a big stone (the first and second fingers are lifted) , and we must rake fast with the other two. Now break up the lumps, go round and round — one, two, one, two. Play that the hand and wrist are a bridge. They must be kept up from the desk or the water cannot flow under it. There are just two points of contact. 146 PEDAGOGICAL PEP They are the muscle of the forearm, just in front of the elbow, and the tips of the third and fourth fingers, which should slide over the paper. The ingenious teacher can find many devices suited to the particular children with whom she is working. I use these exercises with second- and third-grade children for a week or two before they are allowed their pens. When they are given their pens they hold them upside down at first in order to learn the correct position. Since this is largely a review of first-grade work the amount of time spent on it must be determin- ed by the needs of the class. This year my children spent their writing periods for the greater part of the first six weeks at the board. Their pen and ink work consisted largely of one and two space drills, using the oval and push and pull exercises, and letters and words with which they were entirely familiar. Second-grade children should get their forms at the board where fin- ger movement is impossible. If they are uncertain about forms, hesitation is inevitable and speed and movement are sure to suffer. Children must be taught that every written lesson is a writing lesson. There is little use in insisting on correct position and movement for fifteen minutes, and then utterly disregarding them for the remainder of the day. There is little use in insisting on correct form for fifteen minutes, and then placing before the class word drills, spelling, and sight reading exercises written in disregard of standard forms. If teachers wish their pupils to use good form they must bear in mind that in this, as in all other teaching, the psycho- logical laws of habit formation cannot be disregarded. The first law is that the attention be focalized upon the habit to be acquired. The second is that the first HANDWRITING 147 step be followed by attentive repetition. And the third states that no exception must be permitted until the operation becomes a habit. The "no exception" law may seem hard at first, and a teacher may feel that she cannot take time for criticism of writing in spelling and language periods; but she will find that such efforts are well rewarded later by the saving of time. The regular writing lesson may occasionally be omitted in order that writing may be criticized in other periods. When the children are familiar with the correct let- ter forms, they are ready to apply what they have learned in movement drills to the writing of words and sentences. Here again we must have repetition and peraiit no exception. It is a serious mistake for a teacher to mark a spelling paper one hundred per cent when a child has written the word bell with a b that cannot be distinguished from an /, and an e and two I's exactly alike. There are many little devices that can be used to interest the children, fix important facts, and relieve the work from monotony, I tell them that b sleeps upstairs — never below the line. He likes fresh air and always has his window open while / goes below the line and shuts his window tight — that's why he's so long and skinny. The letters, p, g, and y, are pussy cats sitting on the fence and letting their tails hang down. They must, of course, sit on the fence. No cat could remain poised on the tip of his tail. Some let- ters, like m, begin with Grandpa's cane. It must be straight and strong or Grandpa may fall. A few strokes will convert e into a delightful little chicken. Even older children get profit as well as entertainment from these devices. 148 PEDAGOGICAL PEP Speed is of very great importance, and writing to music is one of the best ways of gaining uniformity. It will stimulate the phlegmatic, and steady the quick, nervous child whose movements are jerky and uncon- trolled. If no phonograph is available a song with strong rhythm may be used, or the conversational count is always good: "One, two, three, four; heads up, feet flat ; nine, ten. One, two ; on your nails ; three, four; make them round, round, round ; nine, ten. One, two; keep time, back straight, two space; nine, ten." The admonition may be accompanied by a light touch on the shoulder of the child in need of it. There will, of course, always be laggards. They may be grouped and closely supervised by the teacher or by assistants chosen from among the most profi- cient children. The little supervisors enjoy this work and consider it a great honor to be chosen. The lag- gards should be made to feel that they are not in dis- grace but merely in need of special help, and that they are expected to outgrow this need with all possible speed. I have found that a bulletin board on which are mounted good specimens from among the daily papers is a strong incentive to good work. Some children must be more strongly motivated than others. Eriendly rivalry will stimulate interest and bring forth in- creased effort. The following ladder device has given gratifying re- sults. A chmbing child is drawn with colored crayons, or cut from a printed picture and fastened to the bot- tom of a pictured ladder with a thumb tack. Name her by all means. One name that we chose was "Mary Go- up." There must be a ladder and a climber for each group of contestants. If a group does well its paper HANDWRITING 149 representative may go up a step ; if poorly, she remains in place or even steps down. The game is to see which will first reach the top of the ladder. Just now we are having a capital-letter race. The class is divided into five teams, each with a captain chosen by the children. The name of each captain ap- pears on a score card and there is ample space for scoring. Team I runs to the board. Each child writes the chosen capital five times, erases all but the best, marks it with the figure I, and runs to his seat. This procedure is repeated by each team in turn until each child in the room has his best letter on the board. Then the best one of all is chosen, and the captain of the team of which the writer is a member places a cross in his space on the score card. When all the capitals have been studied and used in the race, the team that has won the most crosses will be victorious. It is not best to have the races every day but to alternate these lessons with others or to have a snappy race at the close of an especially good lesson of another kind. Interest is keener if the races are viewed as a treat. After the middle of the school year, the children will be found differing more or less widely in ability. The capable child's interest is likely to be killed by repeti- tion that both he and the teacher know is needless. Now several pages in the manual may be assigned or numbered selections may be placed upon the board for those who can complete the specified amount of work in less than the average time. As the teacher goes from seat to seat for individual instruction she may lightly tap the shoulder of the successful writer who may write the next number. In this way all are kept profitably busy. 150 PEDAGOGICAL PEP HANDWRITING MOTIVATED BY INTEREST By Marion P. Stevens In the school described, writing was not begun until the second half of the first year. For the first few les- sons, single letters were carefully studied, one at a time, beginning with a, m, n, d, r, s, t, and others which do not go below the line. Both the sound and the name of the letters were used interchangeably. In studying a letter the children watched the teacher write it several times, and then they discussed its form, place of beginning, and so on. It was then erased and written by the children. Most of the work was done on paper because of insufficient blackboard space. The paper used was double-lined, the space for a small letter being a half inch, for a capital letter one inch. Each day a review was given of letters already known. These were written on the blackboard by the teacher, one at a time, and copied by the children on paper. A star was given for a correct line, and mistakes pointed out to individuals. Then the new letter or letters were introduced and practiced. This very formal type of work was exceedingly in- teresting to the children, who previously had had a great deal of free work. It seemed to the teacher that they felt very importantly grown-up during the short drill periods. The joy of really beginning the writing, to which they had been eagerly looking for- ward, motivated the abstract drill and brought great satisfaction. By the time, however, that the more common letters of the alphabet had been taught, and a few simple HANDWRITING 151 combinations — such as am, one, see, tree, me — ^had been made, it seemed time for something new. The teacher therefore suggested that the children might like to make writing books, if they could decide what sort of writing should go into them. A short class meeting was held, and they decided to write the names of the colors, and make a patch of each color be- side each word. After examining crayon boxes, the following eleven colors were decided to be possible: red, pink (light red), orange, yellow, green, blue, pur- ple, black, brown, gray (lead pencil), white (damp chalk) . Half sheets of writing paper were cut the long way, making three lines on a page. The class figured out that eleven colors would require four sheets, the last page having one vacant line. Two heavy paper covers were cut for each child, and the books were put to- gether with brass fasteners. A few children made a design on their color books, a few printed the name of the book, but the larger number left the cover as it was. The name of each color was written several times on one line, and a square of color made at the end of the line. The children copied the words from the black- board after watching the teacher make them and after discussing each letter and noting the difficult joinings. It was pointed out and insisted upon that an entire word should be written without lifting the pencil. The words were not erased, as the letters had been, but left for the children to look at while they wrote, since they had not had enough practice to be able to carry both form and spelling in their minds. Certain advanced pupils were encouraged however to write without looking at the copy. The children exercised 152 PEDAGOGICAL PEP great care in making their books, and seemed proud of the results. Next, a different sort of book was made. The sheets of writing paper were folded once, the cover folded once, and the books sewed together at the crease with silkateen. This made a page of seven or eight lines, more like a spelling book. This book was to be filled with the names of ani- mals. The teacher suggested grouping wild animals, Eskimo animals, farm animals, water animals, and so on. The children decided to do this. It made them more thoughtful as they decided what animal to write next, and it gave them a rough classification of the ani- mal world. Certain long names, such as hippopota- mus, the teacher refused to write, explaining that the class was not yet ready for words containing so many letters. In the animal book, each word was written but once. Some child suggested writing rhyming words for the third book, so as to give practice on difficult let- ters. Sewed books were made, and one list of words written on each page: king, ring, wing, sing — hack, rack, tack, track — top, hop, stop, pop, shop. For this abstract work the children asked to have stars for a perfect page. It seemed that they found rhyming words less interesting than color words or names of animals. This is corroborated by the known fact that children's interest in rhyming is not strong at six or seven — an idea which might perhaps influence some teachers to put less emphasis on the teaching of rhyming words during phonetic drill. "Things in the Room" — such as clock, sand, blocks, hook, chair, table — was the next book made. Many of these books were lettered or decorated, several discus- HANDWRITING 153 sions having been held previously, at which time book covers made by various children were shown and com- mented upon. The points made by the teacher were : (1) filling the space well (2) balance (3) good lettering (4) appropriate cover designs (as a rainbow for a color book, a cat for an animal book) (5) contrasting colors so that cover design would show plainly (6) neat-looking books The last book of the term was to be filled with "Spring Poems." The children were asked whether they were sure that they knew enough short spring poems to fill such a book, before beginning. With this book the work in writing came to an end. Almost all of the children could write any simple word, including their names, and knew many of the capitals. The time spent was about twenty minutes three times a week, though some children were given individual help at other times. Whenever a new letter was needed while making the books, the children were carefully shown how to "write it. Difficult combinations like wa, bu, of, og were noted many times as they reappeared. The method used was not extended drill, but focal- ization upon one point at a time, and constant effort "to allow no bad habits to be formed. Interest and con- tent were considered of first importance, but correct habits, such as pencil holding, posture, spacing, and correct formation of letters, were given a major place. The results seemed to show that handwriting can be taught from the interest side, without sacrificing the essentials of form and technique. 154 PEDAGOGICAL PEP A SUCCESSFUL METHOD OF TEACHING HANDWRITING By" Elsie N. Dodson Handwriting is a practical art that must be used daily. To serve this everyday need of common life, a legible, fluent handwriting must be taught in our schools. I have been a teacher for years in the public schools of a large city — having had experience in all grades, particularly, the first four grades. By the following methods I have never failed to get every child inter- ested in putting forth his very best effort. First : I am enthusiastic. They become so. Second: I write with them. Children, as well as adults, would rather work with others than for them. Third : I use the blackboard often and permit them to do so. The freedom the blackboard gives pleases the child. By means of the board, too, any new letter form or word may be seen easily by all. Each has a chance to try it. All work is criticized and a friendly rivalry brought about. The children soon show a re- markable ability to criticize their own as well as others' work, and it is no uncommon thing for a mon- itor to return from another room and criticize the writing he saw while in there. In the free use of the blackboard, time is well spent because good blackboard work insures good seat work later. True, it must be done slowly at first, but when forms can be made auto- matically, speed takes care of itself. Fourth: I see that all work is done carefully. Even a short period of careless practice will do away with adjustments of muscles gained during many pe- riods of careful practice. For this reason I never HANDWRITING 155 assign such disciplinary sentences as "I must not talk" to be written a certain number of times because such work is always done carelessly. I never allow myself to do any careless writing before them. Fifth: I display the best work. As a special in- centive I offer writing certificates to those making sat- isfactory improvement. These are printed on paper about five by six inches, and say: (Name of child) is a member of the model Handwriting Class and this certificate is awarded for satisfactory improvement in handwriting, and for good habits in general writing. The cards are inexpensive and have a neat border which appeals to the child. The parents are glad to provide frame and glass, and the child has something he values very highly, as well as the ability to write well — a great asset. Habits of great value have been taught, among which may be mentioned neatness, orderly arrange- ment of work, care in attending to details, and self-re- liance. Also health has been promoted by proper pos- ture and movement. HANDWRITING MADE A LIVE SUBJECT BY A TEACHER'S ENTHUSIASM By" C. L. Carroll I had taught handwriting for a number of years, with what I now consider but slight success. I gave the subject a place on the daily program, but the time devoted to the lesson was gone through as though the subject was merely a side issue. While attending a summer session at normal school I came in contact, by accident, with the handwriting instructor. He was an excellent teacher. He was full 156 PEDAGOGICAL PEP of enthusiasm and belief in his line, like a salesman selling his idea. He explained to me the method taught in the normal and training school, together with the various awards. I became a student of handwrit- ing. I secured the first two av/ards without difficulty. For the third, which was the Teacher's Certificate, I found it necessary to try three times, I value the cer- tificate all the more because I had to work for it. Needless to say I caught a glimpse of handwriting from a new angle. My being a student kindled within me a spirit of enthusiasm that carried over to my pu- pils. I systematized my recitation work so that in a short time a good percentage of my pupils showed evidence of work accomplished in handwriting. Those who were successful in making the first step started for the second ; the unsuccessful ones made a study of the criticisms on their work and started a second time on the first step. I would sometimes tell the unfortu- nates of my own experience. I gave a short speed test at the opening of the se- mester. The object of this test in addition to speed was to determine letter formation. For the test I copied on the board one stanza of a familiar poem and had the children copy it on a piece of paper. We then read it over together to make certain that all under- stood it. Everyone was then asked to get a clean sheet of paper and to write his name, grade, and the date at the top of the page. At a given signal all wrote, stopping at a signal at the end of one minute. The exact number of letters written during the one minute was recorded immediately after the work was com- pleted. The papers were then collected and placed on my desk. I talked briefly to the children about the value of writing and then asked how many thought HANDWRITING 157 they could do better on a similar test at the end of the semester. Nearly every hand went up. Therefore, at the end of the semester a test was again given. The two specimens were placed together and handed back to the pupil for his inspection. The improvement for the most part was very marked. These two specimens were returned to the desk to be kept on file until the end of the year. At the beginning of the second semester we talked over the question of a writing exhibit at the end of the year at which time we would use the specimens from the three tests. First, second, and third place ribbons were to be given, not for the finest specimen, but for the greatest improvement. My county superintendent sent a competent judge for the exhibit. I have seen fine exercises placed on exhibit, but never have I seen an exhibit that attracted more attention from pupil and parent. Since that year handwriting has been a live subject in my schoolroom for both pupil and teacher. DEVICES FOR ENCOURAGING IMPROVE- MENT IN HANDWRITING By Helena M. Ryan Good handwriting is a great business asset as well as a social accomplishment. To stimulate pride in ac- quiring it is no mean task in the daily routine of a wide-awake, progressive teacher. The first week in September and likewise the first week in the second semester, give each pupil a good piece of ink paper containing about twenty lines. Tell him to write the date in the upper left comer. It is a matter of good business to date every paper used, 158 PEDAGOGICAL PEP and uniformity of upper left corner for date saves time. Write the name and grade in upper right cor- ner, thus: John Baker, 5 A. Omit one line. Write the flag salute. Omit one line. Write the capital let- ters, then the small letters, followed by a line of figures. Collect papers. Rule a line with red pencil under the specimen, below which the same flag salute, capitals, and so forth will be written about Thanksgiving time, and again at the close of the semester. This is called "The Improvement Sheet," and is to be hung in a conspicuous place in the classroom, as a sort of "Before and After Advertisement." In the meantime, hang up daily papers from every pupil in the class. It pays. The greater the contrast in the work, the keener the stimu- lation. During intermissions, the pupils, in groups of twos and threes, will bring into play the socialized recitation, for curiosity is prompting them to go from paper to paper complimenting and criticizing, with a result that their next display will be better looking. Have you ever thought how much a child loves a show? Have you ever considered how much your work may be helped by a really good show, a show in which every child is represented? If you have not given this phase of school work much thought, try it very soon. Do not tell when the shows are to be. They should come as surprises. A very keen interest was awakened in this manner. A wire fifteen feet long had been stretched along the wall near the door. Papers on "John Paul Jones," which had been written the previous day, with no mention made of the intended display, were hung upon the wire. These were fastened with snapper clothes- pins. The pupil's name was turned under on each pa- HANDWRITING 159 per, so that no partiality would be shown. The teach- er put a large number on each piece of work. Near the display she placed a ballot box, having a slit in the top. Pupils from another grade were invited to vote for the best looking paper hanging on the wire. They voted with the greatest of interest. In the afternoon, tellers were appointed, votes were counted, and the best looking paper received twenty-two votes of the twenty-nine cast, which showed the good taste and judgment of the voters. This voting stimulated much interest among all the grades. Next day these papers were re-hung showing the owners' names. It was really quite laughable how electrifying the plan proved to be. Good results in handwriting cannot be obtained without hard daily work on the part of teacher and pupil. At the beginning of each day, fifteen minutes are spent on formal handwriting. Also constant re- minders are given throughout the day. The teacher should never become discouraged, and should always praise when even so much as one letter in a line is good. Finally, the writing machine is under control, and then it glides along automatically. Correct posture is most important. It may be grouped under five heads and must be learned by the pupil. 1. Head up. 2. Body — a little to the right of seat. 3. Feet flat on the floor. 4. Both forearms on the desk. 5. Hand gliding on third and fourth finger nails. The kind of pen point and holder is very important. A child should always use a cork or wooden holder, 160 PEDAGOGICAL PEP never a metal holder, for it slips and slides. A stub pen is not the pen for a child. And, now, a little thought about the child who uses the left hand. It is exceedingly unwise to try to make him write with his right hand. Save the left-handed child an immense amount of grief and time, by train- ing him to use his left hand gracefully. Be patient with him. In conclusion do you prepare your handwriting les- son, each day, with as much care as you do your geog- raphy lesson, or your arithmetic lesson? Are you careful about the appearance of your writing upon the blackboard? Children are great imitators. Do you keep across the top of your front board the capital let- ters, the small letters, and a specimen of figures, so that, when incorrect letters and figures are made in the classroom, you can quickly point to the type forms on the board and bring about a change? Have you a good handwriting manual, which you carefully study before giving a lesson ? ARITHMETIC DEVICES FOR DRILL IN THE FOUR FUNDAMENTAL OPERATIONS By Carolyn L. Strasser Each September brings to us, as teachers of the inter- mediate grades, children who are negligent, or poorly equipped for accurate, speedy calculation in arith- metical work. The work of the grade and the progress of the more competent pupils is hampered if these poorer ones are not brought to a realization of their weaknesses and aided in establishing a surer founda- tion. After a well-arranged preliminary test in the four fundamental processes in arithmetic, I group my pupils according to their i7iabilities. Those who are slow and inaccurate in column addition and whose attention span is below standard, are given the exercises described below. First we build a pyramid of the forty-five combina- tions. The pupils are pleased with the novel arrange- ment and also with the discovery of the fact that these are the only possible combinations of the digits. They study and verify them. Then we have a snappy drill. Children are paired off. One of the pupils who is very proficient in addition is the leader. He calls out to each contesting couple ten addition problems. The contestants write only the results on the board. 162 PEDAGOGICAL PEP Then by comparing and checking the answers it is possible to see who has won. Thus each one of the chil- dren in this remedial group is given a chance to im- prove his speed and to test his accuracy. When again we have our ten-minute addition practice the pupils compare their scores with the ones they have made previously, and note improvement in speed or accuracy. The subtraction drill is planned and given to all who need no further drill in addition. For this the addition pyramid is reversed. Home study on sub- traction precedes the daily ten-minute exercises until we eliminate difficulties and failure in that process. Finally a rapid-fire test dictated by the teacher gives an opportunity to check the results. In a group of twenty-eight who had been considered "unfit," when they entered my grade last fall, only four pupils fell be- low standard on their last test. The others were then considered on a par with those who had not needed the addition and subtraction drills; and in all calculations involving these operations they proved that they had profited by the intensive work. Except when careless- ness caused errors, the results were almost invariably encouraging. As an aid to our work in multiplication we play a game called "Buzz." I announce, "We will play Buzz 7." The children are given a few simple directions for the game. All remain seated, there being an equal number of pupils in each row, if possible. All have one turn at counting 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Buzz, 8, 9, 10, and so forth. Every time a 7 or any multiple of 7 occurs, a pupil must say "Buzz." Instead of 17, 21, 27, 28, and so on he says "Buzz." The game goes on until the goal which was previously set has been reached. When anyone fails to say "Buzz" at the proper time, he is out ARITHMETIC 163 and must remain out until the goal is reached and a new game is begun. Ninety-eight is the usual goal. The row having the greatest number of pupils to reach the goal is declared the winner. Any number may be used for the buzzer in playing this game. Nine is a good one, as it is often a stumbling block in multiplication. For division we play a game in which the leader calls the name of a child and states a problem, such as, 72 divided by 8. The players have cards on which are written numbers from 1 to 12. The player who is called upon for this problem, for example, must flash the 9 card in answer. If he flashes the incorrect card it is taken from him. At the end of the game the player having the most cards is declared the winner. After several weeks of daily ten-minute drills in the four fundamental processes an endurance test is given and all who are able to make a record of eighty per cent in accuracy in a given time are presented with a paper on which is stamped, "I can succeed. I will be a first-class calculator." With this slogan, each success- ful pupil gains confidence in himself and proves more ambitious and painstaking. We cannot hope to make all our children reach the standards we set; but let's put a tick in arithmetic by making it alive, and by animating ourselves and our boys and girls with the "I can" and "I will" spirit. VISUALIZING PRIMARY ARITHMETIC By" Florence R. Jordan I have often had pupils who found miscellaneous problems a great stumbling block. Of course I am not speaking of bright pupils as they need very little 164 PEDAGOGICAL PEP assistance from the teacher. I am referring to the ones who fail to get the gist of the question, and are never sure whether to add, subtract, multiply, or di- vide. For them, I have used the following method and have found it helpful. I present this problem to the class : How many trees are in an orchard which has eight rows of trees with six trees in a row? Before any child has a chance to give a wrong an- swer, such as "Fourteen," have the children close their eyes and try to see the orchard. Ask : How many rows are in the orchard? How many trees in each row? How many times do you see six trees? How many trees altogether? What have you done to find the number ? Another problem which I use is : A man has a flock of sixty sheep. He sold seventeen. How many had he then? As before, have the pupils imagine that they see the flock of sheep, see some of them sold and moving away, and a smaller flock remaining. Ask : How many were there at first, how many were sold ? How many are still there? What have you done to find the num- ber? If the problem is in addition, the pupils can see the first group of objects become larger by putting more objects with it. Division may be taught in a similar manner by the use of such a problem as this one: A woman divided thirty roses equally among five little girls. How many did each receive? Have each pupil imagine that he is to do the same thing. To make it more real, ask several what color his roses are. Tell the children that before they pass the ARITHMETIC 165 roses to the little girls they must be sure they know just how many to give each one. Ask how many know the number, and what they have done to find it. Give many supplementary problems. Ask the pupils to see each step before going on, but do not continue the leading questions unless necessary. Wait until the children have had plenty of time to get the answer before asking for it. Keep up this practice, for when children do the same thing often enough, the habit is established. This habit develops clear thinking, and with clear thinking comes accuracy. ARITHMETIC MOTIVATED BY THE CHILDREN'S INTEREST IN BASEBALL By Clinton H. Atwood Arithmetic had not been going very well during the first month of school. The children had evidently lost interest in it during the summer vacation; but their interest in the outcome of the world's baseball series was at its highest point. Realizing this last fact and also realizing that the subject must have some "pep" injected into it, it was decided to connect the subject with the thing that vitally interested the pupils ; name- ly, the world's series in baseball. With this conclusion in mind, a game of baseball arithmetic was devised. Two teams of practically even scholarship in arithmetic were chosen. Two students who lead their class in the subject were se- lected as captains of the competing teams. The teams were then allowed to choose their names, which very naturally became the "Giants" and the "Yankees." The game then began. 166 PEDAGOGICAL PEP The contest was to be held for six weeks in succes- sion, and then the winning team was to be given a party by the losers. Each week's work was to con- stitute one game of five innings. A score board was arranged on a part of the blackboard where it would not interfere with the other work. It was drawn in the following manner: 12 3 4 5 Total GIANTS 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 YANKEES 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Games Won Games Lost Per Cent GIANTS 1 1 i 1 YANKEES 1 1 1 1 The standing of the teams from week to week was a scheme to keep the interest running high. If one of the teams lost one week, it would have an equal chance to improve its work and win the following week's game. This device was found to be very helpful in keeping the interest up at all times. In fact, the losing team each week always won the following week by persistent and hard work, and at the end of six weeks the two teams were tied, having won three games and lost three games each. It was necessary to run the contest for the seventh week to break the tie and de- cide the winner. The per cent received in arithmetic by each team member was scored for his team as follows : 80-89% scored one run. 90-99% scored two runs. 100% scored three runs. 0-49% lost two runs. ARITHMETIC 167 50-70% lost one run. 71-79% neither scored nor lost. The above points were based on the results of the written work for the day. Just before school closed at the end of an afternoon session, the captains went to the board and, as each student read his results, figured the scores for the day. Students reading scores that lost runs for their team were sure to hear from their team members after school was over. At the end of the week, the scores for the week were added up and the results were placed in the table. At the end of the contest, a number of interesting conclusions were reached : 1. Interest, enthusiasm, and "pep" were no longer lacking in arithmetic. 2. The standard of the class was brought up to a high point in arithmetic. 3. Poor arithmetic students did better work than ever before in their school career. 4. Pressure was brought to bear on lazy students by their more zealous team mates. 5. Arithm.etic became more real and more vital than ever before to the competing pupils. 6. Good sportsmanship was developed by the con- test. 7. Cheating was entirely eliminated from the class because opposing team members saw to it that no one copied. 8. Delightful fellowship was gained through a final party at the end of the contest. Generally reviewing the contest, it was a great suc- cess in many ways. It developed in the children good habits which are noticeable in the higher grades into which these children have passed. 168 PEDAGOGICAL PEP HOW I SECURED SPEED AND ACCURACY IN MULTIPLICATION By Mae Bradford I discovered that my fourth and fifth grades were hampered in their work by a lack of speed and accu- racy in the multiphcation combinations. They seemed to have no serious trouble in repeating the tables in their regular order, but they were completely at sea when certain combinations, standing alone, were en- countered. The pupils were as anxious as I to conquer this state of affairs, as they were able to see how this lack of fundamental facts hindered them in the more com- plex processes. Accordingly we agreed upon a system that interests the pupils as well as instructs them. On slips of paper I write mixed multiplication com- binations and distribute them to the class. At a signal, all begin to write the answers to the various combina- tions. At the end of two minutes the papers are taken up, and on a score card I mark after each pupil's name the number of answers which are correct. We repeat these tests every day for a week or more — giving different lists every day — until almost every pupil can boast of a perfect score. Af tervards we have frequent reviews to see how well the combinations and answers are retained. This, I think, is especially good drill work, as it is not a case of the pupil's rivalry against the class or any particular person in the class, but against him- self. Each day he tries to improve the score of the pre- ceding test, and even though he may be backward and ARITHMETIC 169 somewhat slow in getting as high a score as the others, he feels encouraged if he can make small im- provements in his own work from day to day. It is a race with self, and it surely counts in both principle and precept. ARITHMETIC MADE A LIVE SUBJECT IN THE CURRICULUM By Mabel M. Richards My distinct feeling toward the problems in any arithmetic text is that they are but guides for the real teacher of arithmetic. The practical problems are found in the everyday environment of the child. Begin- ning with the school, there are any number of prob- lems arising out of school activities such as the school garden, excursions in geography, standings of the va- rious teams in athletics, graphs, finding percentages of attendance, and so forth. The next rich field is the home. Our pupils are re- quired to work out certain lists of problems from data furnished by the home and are in every way encour- aged to try to find in what ways arithmetic functions in the home. We are brought into contact with the arithmetic problems of the city, state, and nation through the col- umns of our daily newspaper, and we sometimes think that, after all, a good teacher of arithmetic could teach with a newspaper as the only text. Here we are cer- tainly brought into contact with all sorts of interesting problems in the interpretation of data, the sporting world, the stock exchange, foreign exchange, and so forth. Our local market reports are used in figuring costs of various articles and we have no end of good 170 PEDAGOGICAL PEP problems in fractions and mixed numbers thus fur- nished. Our merchants' advertisements furnish us all the problems we need about discount. There are any number of things constantly being reported about such topics as insurance and taxes. When the football season is on, we teach the children how to follow the ball across the field from the newspaper accounts alone, how the scores are figured, how the field is laid off, and how percentages are reckoned. In our seventh and eighth grades we find wonderful opportunities for furnishing problems of vital inter- est. When the subject of taxes is under consideration, we use the local data compiled by our city and county treasurer, visit the office, see how the books are made up, having the collector explain the various phases of the tax situation. We then figure out taxes on certain pieces of property according to the local rates, com- paring our rates with those of cities about our size. When we study insurance, we have a representative of one of the companies talk to the class on the subject, giving local rates and explaining in detail what every- one ought to know regarding insurance. The same thing is done in connection with life insurance and the pupils are permitted to ask any questions regarding it and thus many matters are clarified. When the subject of investments is considered, we have one of the investment firms send up a number of their representatives who discuss the problem with the class most thoroughly, explaining how to judge an in- vestment, how to figure your returns, and best of all what type of investments to make and not to make. In banking, a local banker explains to the class many of the details of banking not generally understood, and also the value of a bank to its customers. ARITHMETIC 171 When we study about the parcel post system, our postmaster is most kind and allows us to visit the office and see how the packages are weighed, cared for, and distributed. In figuring gas and electric light bills we use as a basis the local rates, which a representative of this company very kindly explains to the class. We often require pupils to furnish a home for a given sum of money. Our merchants are most courte- ous and take the class through their stores, being as careful to explain everything and quote prices as if each child was a bona fide customer. These are but a few of the many ways in which we try to make arithmetic a real live subject in the cur- riculum. We find such contact with the business world most helpful. We have yet to find a business man who is not more than willing, even enthusiastic, to co- operate with us. Thus the confidence of the business world in the teacher and the schools is strengthened, and in return a very friendly attitude is developed on the part of the schools. THE PLAY ELEMENT INTRODUCED INTO ARITHMETIC By Fannie M. Norton Gymnastic arithmetic serves a double purpose. It provides exercise and change for a restless group of children, and gives drill in quick, clear thinking and absolute attention. Have the children form a circle around the room. A child is chosen to be "It" and takes his place in the center of the circle, with a soft ball, or better still, a bean bag, in his hand. At the signal from tY 3 teacher 172 PEDAGOGICAL PEP he gives a problem in arithmetic, using the processes of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division in any order, and keeping the results in his mind as he goes from step to step; for instance, 2x10+8 — 4-^. 2x3=? As soon as he has finished giving his problem he throws the ball to some member of the class, vi^ho must announce the correct result as he catches the ball. In case the child to v^^hom the ball has been thrown has not been quick enough to solve the prob- lem he throws the ball to someone else in the ring, and so on until the correct answer is given. Here the teacher must be on the alert. Each time a child fails to reply, or replies incorrectly, when the ball is passed to him, a foul is recorded against him. Three fouls make a strike. Since this is a form of quaker game, and absolute attention is required, speaking out or grabbing the ball out of turn or in fact anything which disturbs, is counted as a strike. Three strikes put a "man" out and if this happens he takes his seat and is given work to do. The children enjoy this game immensely, and the way in which they develop in quick accurate thinking is very gratifying to the teacher. THE HOUSE THAT THE CLASS BUILT Bj^ Letitia M. Nash , With twenty-five restless, wide-awake boys and girls in my seventh-grade class just ready to take up building problems — those problems involving brick, stone, and board measure — I was confronted with this question : How shall I present this work in a vital way so that J. may have the cooperation of my pupils, and accompli^'" the end for which I am striving? ARITHMETIC 173 At last I thought of the following plan, which I hope may help some other teacher over a rough place. Knowing that several of the boys were Scouts and often camped out, and that most of the other members of the class had made one or several trips to a camp, I decided to use their interest in camping. Accord- ingly, at the proper time, the subject of "camping out" was introduced, apparently quite by accident ; and soon we were all busy talking of the joys of camp life, and all quite eager to relate our experiences. No doubt some of the more cunning pupils were slyly laughing "up their sleeves" because they had managed to get me away from the unpleasant subject of arithmetic to the much more attractive one of camping days. When the interest and enthusiasm had reached a proper pitch, I proposed that we plan a summer camp cottage, suitable for the class; find out what it would cost to build it; and also build a small model of it in order to see just what the big camp cottage would be like. The children were wild to begin at once, and each member of the class wanted some task assigned to him. "First, we must have a plan of the cottage," I said, and plans were discussed with a vim unheard-of in the history of that class. Of course the children differed widely in opinion at first, but by judicious questions and suggestions all finally came to desire about the same style: a kitchen and storeroom, a big dining room, and two long sleeping porches, one the full length of one side of the house for the boys, and an- other just like it on the other side for the girls. Each was to bring to class the next day a carefully drawn plan. These were examined and criticized, and finally one of them, drawn by one of the older boys, was ac- cepted as being the best. Another boy reported that 174 PEDAGOGICAL PEP his father, an architect, had offered to make a blue print ; so the plan was turned over to the architect who had so kindly offered his services. The next step was to plan for the foundation, and here again there was a lively discussion which finally resulted in the decision to use brick pillars. The class then worked together over the brick problem, a com- mittee having visited local dealers a day or two before this to get prices on the different kinds of brick. The children had examined and measured brick pillars at home or elsewhere, and could tell just how the bricks were laid, so they very easily arrived at the number that would be needed. This information, together with the price of the kind decided upon, was then placed in the form of a problem by several of the class, the best one being selected and solved for the collection of problems we were making. Every part of the building was worked out in the same way, even to the windows and the curtains, lin- oleum for the kitchen, and a rug for the dining room. Dealers were consulted, prices and samples collected, and the suitability and durability of everything used was carefully discussed. Sometimes the discussions became almost heated when there was a difference of opinion as to the best to use, the children arguing as seriously as though we were really going to build the house. When we decided what to use, the problem was then made by the class and solved by them. Not the least important part of the work was the building of the little house, which was done by several of the boys who worked after school as long as there was sufficient light, and also on one or two Satur- days. The lumber was secured from the scrap heap of a planing mill, and brought to the schoolhouse by two ARITHMETIC 175 of the little builders. A dealer donated the roofing, the teacher brought the paint and some of the pupils brought wall paper, a scrap of linoleum for the kitch- en, and a piece of carpet for the dining room. The windows were made of old kodak plates. The little house was painted white and trimmed with green, the walls were papered, and the floors covered. One of the boys built a dining table, and camp cots similar to army cots. The girls made curtains for the windows, and mattresses, pillows, sheets, and blankets for the cots. The little model was made on the scale of one inch to the foot, and was thirty-eight inches long by thirty-six inches wide. The tiny cots were six and a half inches by three inches. When the little house was finighed we took its picture, and we also took a picture of the whole class. The last bit of work we did was to arrange the pic- ture of the house, that of the class, the plans, and all the problems in a notebook, each page with its proper label; as, "This is the house that the class built," "This is the class that built the house," "These are the bricks that hold up the house that the class built," and other similar and appropriate explanations. Our problems had an individuality about them, too. The little cottage and the booklets were placed on exhibition during the general school exhibit and at- tracted not a little attention and comment. Later the house and some of the best of the booklets were ex- hibited at the state fair with other exhibits from our school. SPELLING DEFECTS AND REMEDIES IN THE TEACHING OF SPELLING By Emma H. Gramberg Poor spelling is one of the most glaring faults in the public schools of to-day. Business men of ten years ago wailed dismally that their stenographei*s could not spell, but unless some drastic measures are adopted and enforced in the common schools, the business man of twenty years hence will have ceased to v/ail — for he will be no wiser orthographically than his stenographer is. Then our country will lead the world in the unen- viable reputation of being a nation in which its citizens cannot spell their own language. Perhaps you think me a fanatic on this subject. After having battled bravely with the spelling inabil- ities of some eight or nine hundred young Americans only to find that the percentage of poor spellers in- creased as each new wave poured in upon me, I turned into a spelling ''crank" in self-defense. The following are a few of the causes of poor spell- ing: 1. Phonetic impossibilities of the English language. 2. Incorrect phonetic teaching. The old method of alphabetical teaching has given place to phonics, which would be vastly superior if handled in the right way, but results indicate wrong handling. SPELLING 177 3. Lack of understanding by the pupil of basic prin- ciples of word building. 4. Lack of observation. The pupil learns to recog- nize a word by its general size and shape, and can thus read rapidly, getting more or less of the thought of the lesson, but he fails to see the word in its alpha- betical make-up. 5. Not enough drill on the word itself. Phonics and spelling together should supply this drill, but they somehow fall short. 6. Not enough written work to use words learned. 7. Habit of learning spelling for recitation only ; cramming, not learning. This habit is sometimes fos- tered by giving rewards for perfect spelling recita- tions, regardless of practical spelling on other papers, and thus giving the children high grades when they really are poor spellers. 8. Indifference of many teachers in correcting mis- spelled words. 9. General carelessness on the part of the pupil. This is one of the worst enemies of efficiency. Pupils must be impressed with the necessity of working care- fully and thoughtfully. 10. Pupils fail to divide words into syllables and often cannot see the phonetic divisions of a word. They try to grasp the word as a whole and when that is imposible they get excited and give up. 11. Lack of knowledge of some of the simpler rules, and of prefixes and suffixes and their effects on words. The following cures are recommended : 1. Be sure the pupil knows the word, its meaning, and how to pronounce it. 2. Teach a few simple rules for spelling that have few exceptions. 178 PEDAGOGICAL PEP 3. Teach and emphasize rules always, never excep- tions. For example, ask, "Does that word follow the rule?" If it does, have the rule repeated. If it does not, have the rule repeated just the same. Lay the stress on the rule, and not on the exception. 4. Let pupils write their words to study them, pref- erably at the blackboard, but do not let them copy the words incorrectly. If possible, let them study words aloud occasionally. Let them dictate the words to each other. This helps both, as the dictator has to follow the word closely to detect errors. 5. Do not allow an incorrect form to remain before the pupils uncoiTected. At the blackboard, have them erase an incorrect form at once; on paper have them cross it out and write it correctly at your dictation, or let them copy it from the book or dictionary. 6. Have most of the spelling at the blackboard. It saves your time, the pupils' paper, and improves their handwriting. Let them back away from the board and criticize their handwriting frequently, favorably as well as unfavorably. Perspective is necessary. Most people cannot see blackboard work accurately unless they are from three to five feet from it. 7. Let pupils spell orally the words of the previous spelling lesson. Always require the pupil to write correctly from five to fifteen times the word misspelled in a spelling lesson. In correcting to, too, or two re- quire the word which follows to be written with it ; as, to town, too busy, two dogs. Keep a notebook in which to record all the words misspelled by your pupils in any and all written work, each pupil's words by themselves. If the same word is again misspelled on a pupil's paper, have it written from ten to fifteen times. Increase the penalty, and give frequent oral tests on such words SPELLING 179 until the pupil spells them correctly. Grade children should rarely be asked to rewrite a whole composition on account of misspelled words. A distaste for com- position work follows such forms of correction. Dis- taste for writing may even follow the five-times meth- od, unless the teacher is tactful and makes use of healthful competition. 8. Encourage pupils to keep a complete correct list of "stumbling blocks," that they may review them frequently. 9. Have words used in sentences, orally or written. It strengthens word knowledge and aids in composi- tion. Devise drill games, have "spell downs" or any- thing to keep up the interest and gain the objective. 10. Require much written work, that you may find the words in which the child is weak ; tiy any vocabu- lary builders you may find in books, institutes, or else- where, but never let a misspelled word pass by. 11. Correct all written work and hand it back. See that the pupil understands why he was corrected. In conclusion, a few lines will sum up my theme: Drill, drill, drill, for the sake of the future ortho- graphic reputation of the greatest nation on earth; bubble over with cheerfulness and hope and enthusi- asm. The worst speller may surprise you yet. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ASSIGN- MENT IN THE SPELLING LESSON By Cecil S. Easton To my mind, no subject in the entire curriculum is more important than spelling. When we leave school and enter the various pursuits of life, we are indeed handicapped if we lack the ability to spell. And yet, 180 PEDAGOGICAL PEP in many of our rural schools, we may scan the entire program to find only a few brief minutes at the close of the day set aside for this important subject; and then, it frequently happens that the history or geog- raphy lesson is allowed to run into this short period, so that the teacher has only time to pronounce the words hastily, collect the papers, and say, "Take the next twenty words for to-morrow. Dismissed." For some time I "taught" spelling much in this man- ner; but, as the results obtained were about on par with my method, I began to realize that a change was necessary, and finally succeeded in working out one which has not only produced better spelling but has also made the class periods infinitely more interesting. I learned to give a short advance assignment, not more than ten words, and about an equal number of Vvords from previous lessons or from the "Black List," a list of words which had been prepared from the mis- spelled words in other lessons. The advance words were written on the board, correctly divided into syl- lables, and accented. The attention of the class was called to each silent letter or "catch" of any kind; sometimes the parts requiring especial attention were written in colored chalk. I took the greatest care that each child should be able to pronounce every word. The word meanings were also discussed in a general way and the words were sometimes used in oral sentences. Occasionally, a group of children were required to use these words in writing sentences on the board, while the remainder of the class watched for mis- spelled words. This brought the word before the vi- sion many times and the muscles also became familiar with the movements necessary to produce it. SPELLING 181 Frequently we played a game in which I wrote a word in large letters or in colored chalk on the board. The class looked closely at it, spelled it aloud in con- cert, and wrote it on paper after I had erased it from the board. This, you will see, brought into use the vis- ual, auditory, and muscular senses. We proceeded in this way through the whole advance assignment. Then the papers were exchanged, the list replaced on the board, and the papers corrected by the class to ascer- tain who spelled most correctly. The recitations occupied but a small part of the class period. I believe in both oral and written recita- tions. Usually the class stood and spelled aloud, in turn, the words from the day's lesson and from one or two previous lessons. They then wrote them, as I pronounced them. It is my policy never to let a word "die," therefore reviews were frequent and interesting. If time per- mitted, we closed the period with a spelling game, A SPELLING MATCH BETWEEN PAR- ENTS AND PUPILS AROUSES INTEREST By" Blanche B. McFarland Before school had been in session six weeks I real- ized that vigorous measures must be taken to bring up the work of my sixth grade in spelling. Careful teach- ing, calling attention to mistakes, low daily grades, and the very low grades given at the end of the first month brought very little improvement. I made it a point of honor to correct every paper handed in, whatever the subject, underlining the mis- spelled words in red ink and requiring a return sheet giving each of these words correctly spelled. We 182 PEDAGOGICAL PEP spent hours of time "staying in" to make up failures in the daily spelling lessons and correct the spelling on papers of all kinds. Each step forward represented an undue amount of effort on my part, with no assur- ance that the good work would go on when this force was removed. Meanwhile, I was carefully checking up ray teaching of spelling. I studied and put into practice some splendid methods; and I made use of a system of teaching spelling through games. There was undoubt- ed gain but little real enthusiasm. It was about the end of the fourth month that, at a county institute, a number of us who had been talking over our spelling troubles determined to work up a county contest to which the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grades throughout the county would be eligible. The county superintendent entered heartily into our plans. The announcements as to this contest became the signal for renewed effort with my grade. Since the real purpose of teaching and learning spelling is that we may write words correctly, the county contest would be a written, not an oral, spelling match. But since little is accomplished without enthusiasm, and since I realized the great potentialities in oral spelling for arousing enthusiasm, a series of spelling matches was arranged between my grade and the fifth. The fifth grade won the first match. For my grade it was the best thing that could have happened. The children were at last aroused. One boy, whom I had previously tried in vain to awaken to his need, an- nounced boldly, "If I had been present that day they wouldn't have won." I reminded him that the sixth grade still had a chance. They went to work of their SPELLING 18S own accord, with the result that they won the series, though the fifth grade fought valiantly. During this time spelling became the subject of much talk among the pupils and their parents. Fre- quently parents were heard proclaiming the fact that spelling was not taught as it used to be, and deploring the decadence of spelling ability in the public in gen- eral and their children in particular. One day, when a pupil had been telling me what his father had said in this connection, I asked how many in the sixth grade would be willing to spell against their mothers and fa- thers. Instantly the grade was interested, the result being a challenge to the parents to meet the grade. A committee of pupils was chosen to arrange the de- tails of our challenge; and two days later a hecto- graphed copy of the following was sent to each patron : There is to be a county contest in spelling in which our sixth grade hopes to play a win- ning part. (Here essential details of the con- test were given.) This is a splendid thing for us in more ways than one. We want a well-prepared representative, and we want every pupil of the grade to profit as well. Are you interested? Will you help? Please answer the following questions and return this slip : 1. If a spelling match between pupils of the sixth grade and their parents is held, will you be present if you can? Yes No Mother Father 184 PEDAGOGICAL PEP 2. Are you willing to spell in this match? Yes No Mother Father 3. What night next week would be most convenient for you to come to Franklin School for this spelling match? Your children are interested. Are you? (Signed) Meanwhile another committee wrote the following announcement, and arranged with the editor of our paper for its publication. A Challenge The statement is often made that spelling is not so well taught now as in the good old days, that children of to-day cannot spell as well as their parents could when they were the same age. Can parents spell as well now as their chil- dren do ? The parents of the sixth grade pu- pils of Franklin School are invited to "prove up" in a good old-fashioned spelling match, with parents versus pupils. We are ready for the battle. Are you ? (Signed) Chairman of Pupil Com- mittee, Sixth Grade, Franklin School. The returns from our questionnaire were most grat- ifying ; and the next Friday night was agreed upon for the great event. SPELLING 185 Many homes had parent representatives — in some cases the mother or father, in others, both parents. From three homes, since neither father nor mother could come, a married sister, an uncle, and a grand- father, respectively, were pressed into service. A committee on arrangements had planned every phase of the program. A reception committee wel- comed our guests ; a committee on rules governing the contest, composed of a pupil, a parent, and a disinter- ested person, went into another room and determined the details, the crowd in the meanwhile playing a bean bag relay under the direction of the teacher. The rules were then read, after which a young lawyer of the community made a humorous speech as to the na- ture of the occasion and called the combatants into the arena. There were forty-one children ready to spell with only twenty-seven parents ready to spell against them. So the young lawyer undertook to "auction off" the va- cant places, causing much laughter with his witti- cisms, and succeeding in getting ten more parents to enter the lists. It had been previously agreed that all pupils would be allowed to spell, whether or not an equal number of parents could be enrolled. To the sprightly accompaniment of a march, played on the phonograph, with much laughter and gay chat- ter, each side filed past the umpire and the one who was to dictate the words, and shook hands with them. Again in line, the cheer leaders for a time held sway, after which the battle was on. And what excitement there was, what good-hu- mored raillery! How the "old boys" and "old girls" did cast away their years and vie with the youngsters in interest and in effort! What a feeling of real hu- 186 PEDAGOGICAL PEP man oneness prevailed as they struggled — and won or lost — and laughed together! The pupils won. The representative of the sixth grade also won in the county contest. But to me those facts were merely incidents, for the real victory was in the work done by those pupils from then on. A SUCCESSFUL METHOD OF TEACHING SPELLING By* Margaret M. Clark For several years I have been a teacher in the gram- mar grades, and have found few pupils who, upon en- tering those grades, could pronounce ordinary words correctly or spell with any degree of accuracy. I always begin with the simplest of all the mechan- ics of spelling, syllabication. I continue with it until the pupils are sure of this phase of the subject. Then I take up the diacritical marking of words. I make my own chart from a large sheet of white bristol board. With a pencil I place all the marks, of which Webster makes use, upon this chart. Then I begin with *'A," and give its seven sounds with words to il- lustrate. Next comes "E," and so on until all the vowels are illustrated. After this I place the few sounds of the consonants on the chart, and a word to illustrate, as in the case of the vowels. I find that the pupils take great interest in syllabi- cating and marking the words in their spelling lessons, as well as other words, which they do with perfect ease. Best of all, they can now use the dictionary in- telligently, for both pronunciation and meanings. As to meanings of words, I find that the simplest ones are often those which give the greatest trouble. SPELLING 187 To ascertain just what the children need along this line, I have the pupils use their spelling words in oral sentences. If they can use the word correctly, I sel- dom call for the dictionary meaning or meanings. Oc- casionally, however, I assign a dictionary lesson on difficult or obscure words which I feel the class should understand. After the class becomes sufficiently interested, I find that the study of the derivation of words is very profitable. Children of French lineage are anxious to see how many of our commonly used words are of the French extraction ; those of Greek parentage are inter- ested in the wonderful contribution of beautiful and expressive words from Greece; while all are quick to notice the usefulness of the Latin words, which form the backbone of our more or less hybrid language. As we progress, I teach the diphthongs and triph- thongs; review the phonetic work of earlier years; and begin to correlate the spelling with all other sub- jects. In composition work I find an opportunity to teach the use of synonyms and antonyms. I lay spe- cial emphasis upon the use of the right word in the right place. The children delight in compiling lists of synonyms for common words. Since many children do not know how to use the dic- tionary intelligently, I generally give several lessons in its use. I show the children how to tell derivation, parts of speech, syllabication, pronunciation, and mean- ing, together with the synonym, if one is given. In teaching the common suffixes and prefixes, I have a chart, similar to the one used for the diacritical mark- ings. In this manner the desired information is con- stantly before the pupils, and aids them in their work in spelling. 188 PEDAGOGICAL PEP When this work is completed, I find that spelling takes on a newer and easier aspect. The children be- gin to use better English and a greater variety of words to express their thoughts. Each lesson becomes a spelling lesson. Composition is no longer a bugbear ; geography, with its hard words, becomes a game, in which students vie with one another in spelling the chief rivers, cities, and products; history, arith- metic, physiology, all become fields in which ambitious spellers exercise their prowess. This eliminates the poor spelling found on examination papers, even when the pupil has a good understanding of the subject. My spelling class spells orally about once a week. At this time I bring up all the words which have been missed during that time. I keep my text marked, and refer to all misspelled words, not once, but many times, until the troublesome words are learned. Having used these methods for years, I know they are a satisfactory means of teaching the subject. SPELLING SHOULD OCCUPY AN IMPOR- TANT PLACE IN THE CURRICULUM By Grace Kiner One of the most difficult subjects in which to arouse interest in the four upper grades is spelling. To most pupils spelling means learning a list of letters in order, and remembering them long enough to write them down at class time, with little idea of their pro- nunciation and less of their meaning. Arousing inter- est in spelling in the four upper grades is a task re- quiring work, intelligence, and imagination. Oral spelling, except as a novelty once a week, is useless. No child spells orally in ordinary work. SPELLING 189 Some children may be ear-minded, in which case spell- ing orally may help to fix the word upon their memory, but for most children it is unnecessary. However, a child should not learn to spell a word that he cannot pronounce. The object of the spelling lesson is not only to teach the child to spell words with which he is already familiar but also to enlarge his vocabulary; and he certainly will not use any words that he cannot pronounce. If he is to get the most good from the les- son he must know the meanings of any new words and be able to use them in conversation. In both of these connections a good desk dictionary for each child is in- dispensable. Teach the diacritical marks and famil- iarize the child with the dictionary so that he will turn to it as readily as to any textbook. Often, instead of merely writing down the list of words in the lesson, I have the children write a sen- tence using the word correctly, and then read the sen- tence aloud to the class. There can be very helpful and Interesting discussions as to the use of certain words, and this of course helps the pupil to become fa- miliar with them. Sometimes the teacher may have the pupils write stories or descriptions using all of the words in the lesson. This is a good drill in spelling and in language, and is a great aid in developing the imagination and ingenuity. Too many teachers tuck spelling away into any un- occupied ten minutes in the day ; to conduct a spelling class properly requires as much time as is given to reading or language. The lack of significance attached to it probably accounts for the lack of interest shown in spelling. The first of the period can be devoted to writing the words of that day's lesson and discussing their meanings and pronunciations ; then the last half 190 PEDAGOGICAL PEP should be used in going over the next day's lesson. The new words should be pronounced, spelled aloud, fami- liar words noted, new ones marked for study, and the class made generally familiar with the assignment. One device that creates interest is to have the pupil look for a few seconds at a column of words, then close his book and say them in order, thus visualizing the words as they look in print. Then have him look at them a few seconds longer and try to spell them in or- der. Of course at first he will fail almost every time but soon he will be able to do it almost at a glance, thus learning concentration and quick perception. Spelling should be closely correlated with other sub- jects. New words in reading, geography, and history can often be substituted for the regular lesson from the spelling book which too often is made of words al- ready familiar to the pupil. In this way the children learn the necessity of knowing the spelling of words outside the set lists in the speller, and the subject is given a new life and interest. One way of creating interest is to let the children take turns being teacher. The pupil who pronounces the words and grades the papers, without the use of the book, is graded upon his pronunciation and his grading of the other papers. It is easy to get children interested in the etymology of words. Tell them of the various languages of which English is composed — Latin, Celtic, Teutonic, and Anglo-Saxon. Give them lists of words from the vari- ous origins and soon they will be watching for the ety- mology of the new words that they come across. There are interesting stories connected with many of our common words, for example the word "laconic" which refers to the short, terse speech of the early Spartans, SPELLING 191 the people of Laconia. If you can arouse the spirit of research in a child the battle is won. Of course, for this a dictionary is indispensable. The spell-down is good training and a valuable means of arousing enthusiasm, but there are many ways of varying the old-fashioned spell-down. Some- times have the children use the given word in a sen- tence, or let the teacher spell the word and the pupil pronounce it, or give a root word for the pupil to give a derivative. Giving a synonym or antonym of the word is a good practice. Many more such devices will occur to the thoughtful teacher. In connection with the spell-down there are many simple spelling games which can be used when the pu- pils are dull and in need of relaxation. A good one is the game of "Ghosts." The pupils choose sides. The leader on one side gives the first letter of a word, not telling what the word is. The player on the other side adds a letter to it with also a word in mind, and so the players each add a letter, trying not to finish the word. If a player must finish a word he becomes a "ghost" and must take his seat. If one player thinks the speller before him had no word in mind he can challenge him to tell his word. If he had none he becomes a "ghost" and drops out. If he did have a word in mind and was spelling it correctly the challenger becomes a "ghost." The side left with the most players at the end of the period wins. This is a good sharpener for sluggish wits and the children enjoy it immensely. By giving as much study and thought to the spelling class as she does to any other subject any teacher can make it intensely pleasant and profitable to the pupils, and she will find that with proficiency in spelling will come increased ability in other subjects. LANGUAGE LANGUAGE LESSONS THAT LEAD THE CHILDREN TO TALK By Karriette Wilbur If the use of language lessons is to lead the children to express their thoughts in correct words and phrases, then by all means the first step is to get them to talk. I have used the following plan successfully. On Friday afternoon I announce the names of five children who are to give oral compositions the follow- ing week in the language lesson periods. The names are assigned in advance so that the talks will not be just scrappy, uninteresting sentences, but full of some interesting experience. If children are to talk well, they must have something to talk about. Monday, at the beginning of the language lesson, I ask which one of the five is prepared to make his little speech. If all volunteer, I choose the speaker for the day ; if none, I tell the class to put their heads down on the desks and be quiet for one minute while the five collect their thoughts, remember what happened over Saturday or Sunday, what they did, read, or heard about, or any experience that will make a good speech. However, the speaker of the day usually materializes at the first call, for children are always eager to talk. And how interested everybody is, including the teach- er, in the child's linguistic effort. LANGUAGE 193 One little boy, who was selected from the volunteers because he seemed so extremely eager to tell his story, came forward, faced the children, and with glowing eyes began : "Listen while I tell you what I saw at the dog and pony show my grandfather took me to Satur- day." You may be sure that his theme occupied his full time. When he had finished there were many questions, which he answered as best he could. At this "free period" of a few minutes, those who had also at- tended the performance waved hands excitedly, wait- ing their turn to ask such questions as, "Do you re- member when the black dog caught the ball ?" "Yes, wasn't that done v/ell?" replied the speaker of the day. When Maggie's turn came to "make a speech," her theme was a description of the color and style of the new dress her mother was making for her. Selma once told us how she came to America, for the subjects are not limited to present time. A snow man the boys had made, a walk in the woods, a new play house, a trip uptown with Mother, a movie (though these are not permitted to monopolize the talks), a story Grand- mother read, a family picnic, a snowstorm, a wind- storm, and a rainbow were some of the selections made. One subject that was of keen interest v/as a hornets* nest which a boy brought to illustrate his speech, in which he described how he and his big brother had found it on a jaunt in the woods. Another boy told a story beginning, "Once upon a time my father — ," and a little Swedish girl gave a delightful story of when her grandmother was a little girl. Whatever has in- terested the child he can make sufficiently interesting for others. If a child appointed for the week fails to have anything interesting for his speech by Thursday 194 PEDAGOGICAL PEP evening, I give him a picture to study, so that he may prepare a description of it for his talk. I do not correct every httle error the children make in telling a story, but do take notes of gross offenses against grammar or good taste in phrases, and at the close of the lesson have the child repeat these corrected parts of his story. BETTER SPEECH STIMULATED BY POSTERS By Marjorie E. Chaffee A friend of mine who teaches English was very much discouraged when she first started her work, for the pupils used such incorrect English and so much slang. One evening she remarked, "I wish something could be done for those pupils which would arouse their in- terest and make them take more pride in their speech. After giving the problem considerable thought, she finally evolved the following plan. She told the pupils that they were to make posters forbidding the use of slang and bad English. First, they made rough sketches upon composition paper, which were handed in. Needed suggestions were offered and corrections made. Next, they were given sheets of green and gray drawing paper to use in making the posters. Some of the posters were excellent. One pupil drew at the top of the sheet a picture of the ocean with two ships upon it, one named "Slang" and the other "Good English." The ship Slang was being dashed to pieces on the rocks, while Good English was sailing safely along. Below were the words "Direct your course." LANGUAGE 195 Another pupil made a drawing of a table with books upon it. The words on the poster read, "Become ac- quainted with good books." Still another poster con- sisted only of the words "Danger! Watch your speech !" A fourth poster, which carried the greatest appeal to the pupils, showed a drawing of an ornamental clock. Instead of having the hours marked upon it, the words, "First Grade, Second Grade," and so forth, were written in circular form upon the dial. The hour hand was shown pointing to the grade in which these pupils were, with the minute hand very nearly there. Below were the words, "Now is the time to watch your speech." The drawings were done with a pencil, and the writ- ing with pencil or pen. Some of the pupils cut large letters from newspapers and pasted them on the draw- ing paper. The posters were placed on the walls so that they would serve as constant reminders of the need for better speech. Another method of securing better results in cor- rect speaking was the "Incorrect English Box." A small wooden box with a slit in the top was placed near the door, so that it was within easy reach of the pupils when passing from the room. If a pupil heard someone make a mistake it was written on a small slip of paper, with the name of the person who had made the mistake and the one who had corrected it. At the €nd of a week the mistakes were counted. The names of the pupils were put on the front blackboard, with the number of errors which each had made and cor- rected. In this way great progress for better speech was achieved, and the pupils enjoyed the work. 196 PEDAGOGICAL PEP PUTTING PEP INTO AN ENGLISH LESSON By Lida C. Collins The writer has always felt that "pep" is an abbrevi- ated form of pepper, and that it bears the same rela- tion to a subject to which it is applied as the afore- mentioned condiment bears to a well-seasoned dish. It stimulates the appetite and adds to the flavor of the article in question. In short, a little "pep" is neces- sary to stimulate "literaiy digestion" and increase the desire for knowledge of any subject. Speaking seriously, it is an epitome of the American slogan, "Put energy behind your purpose." It might be called a composite of the three requisites of all good teaching, namely: Preparation jE'nthusiasm Presentation The first is an essential element. It is the reservoir of knowledge supplied by various channels, — study, travel, experience. The second is that vital spark, which gives the best of one's self to the project that means the uplifting of mankind. The third is the per- sonal touch that sets one man apart from another be- cause of his originality or uniqueness. Out of the abundance of the first and the fire of the second are wrought those skillful devices that constitute an apt presentation. To get away from the monotonous drill of mechan- ical English, yet to present the subject clearly and forcefully, has been a special problem for the writer. Many claim that grammar is lacking in interest, so we have contrived a few devices that have added some LANGUAGE 197 fun to our recitation, yet brought comprehension as well. A glance out of a schoolroom window usually reveals some houses. These are our nouns and, like them, have various properties. Houses have roofs, windows, doors, stories, and so forth, just as nouns have gender, person, number, case. As a house may be a unique dwelling or one of a row of similar buildings, so nouns may be common or prop- er. As the houses may have different styles of roofs, so nouns may have different genders. The one-, two-, or three-story building corresponds with first, second, third person. The single house or apartment corresponds with the singular or plural number of nouns. Case, being the relation of nouns to other words in a sentence, may be likened to the position of houses in a block or street. The use of pronouns for the purpose of avoiding repetition may easily be shown. "Mary went with Mary's mother to visit Mary's friend and get the hat Mary had bought at Mary's uncle's store." Thus the definition of a pronoun is made plain, — just a word that stands for a noun. To us, the preposition is a grammatical "signboard." Just as a signboard points the distance in either direc- tion, so the preposition shows or points the relation between its object and some other word. The conjunction is a coupling pin, and we have a good time finding the cars to be coupled, for, as you know, the coordinate pin couples only similar kinds of cars. If you find one end linked with a word, phrase, or clause, then the other must be hooked to a similar word, phrase, or clause. An adjective car should never be coupled with a phrase or clause car. We use the 198 PEDAGOGICAL PEP subordinate coupler when we have a flat and a box car, namely, a principal and subordinate clause. When we learn the irregular verbs, our ball season opens. Tickets sell well. A column of some twenty verbs is assigned, together with some parsing or other work. The teacher, being the referee, starts the ball by naming a verb, and calling upon a pupil who stands, gives the principal parts, names another verb in the list, and calls upon another pupil who proceeds in the same manner. So the game goes. A failure is a foul and the referee quickly passes the ball to another, ask- ing that all be impartially included in the game. These are merely devices by which we make some facts plain to pupils, but the great aim of our lesson is to so apply our knowledge that we will endeavor to speak and write correctly. The use of excellent Eng- lish will become a thing on which we pride ourselves, and thus we will refrain from slang and endeavor to set a higher standard in the home and throughout the community. INTEREST AROUSED IN CORRECT SPEECH By- J. Haberle The following language game was originated for our "Better Speech" week. It has resulted in correct speech not only in the school but in the entire commu- nity, and it has given a great deal of pleasure to both the pupils and the teacher. For this reason it was not dropped, but has been used throughout the year. One thousand colored shoe pegs were purchased at a school supply house to be used as counters ; but beans, buttons, or toothpicks could be used as well. Ten pegs LANGUAGE 199 are passed to each child every morning. During the day, at class, at recess, in speaking to teacher or pupil, if a certain grammatical error is heard, a peg is de- manded of the person making the mistake. Only one or two errors are remedied at a time and these are put upon the blackboard with the correct form following them. For instance, we started with those nightmares of the English language — ain't and got. Whenever these two words slipped out we were sure to hear at once, "Give me a peg." The one who was so unfortu- nate as to have made the error had to forfeit a peg. If two or more pupils hear an error and call for a peg at one and the same time it is a tie, of course, and no one receives a peg. At the close of school, pegs are counted, and the name of the pupil having the greatest number is post- ed on the bulletin board. The child having the highest average is the winner for the week and is given some special privilege. Imagine my joy upon finding that this game has spread to the homes and is being played there by fa- ther, mother, and grandparents with the children, us- ing beans or buttons for counters. If mother uses the word ain't while >vashing the dishes she forfeits a counter as readily as little Earl is expected to if he forgets and uses / have got. Are we not starting a community-wide interest in "Better Speech"? And since our corrections are being carried over into the home will they not be the more lasting? We add a new "error" as often as possible, so that we now have a long list of undesirables, such as : all the double negatives, / seen, Where is he at, and / done. We still retain the ones we started with, although it is seldom possible to catch anyone on ain't and got. 200 PEPAGOGICAL PEP The game has never dulled and interest in it is still high, but if I perceive one or two pupils w^ho do not go after pegs with quite their normal zest or who do not seem to be listening for the errors as they should, I say, "We will keep our pegs for a week, with a special prize for the week's winner." The prize may be only a much-coveted privilege or an early dismissal. Many teachers will object to the corrections in class, fearing that disorder will result if the reciting pupil is interrupted in the midst of his recitation by, **You said 'seen.' Give me a peg." Those who fear this may eliminate it, but I have found that we can be back to the subject in a second; and, since constant watchfulness on the part of both speaker and auditors is what I want, I should not think of discontinuing the corrections during class. Do you not see that all of the corrections are coming from the pupils and not from that worn-out source, the teacher? Also the ears are being trained so that they feel the jar of a grammatical error, and you may be sure that after John has earned several pegs catch- ing his classmates saying his'n he will not be liable to make the same mistake himself. Then, too, it has brought about a realization of personal faults, and I often hear a child say, "I must break myself of saying *your'n.' " Let us make this a national game. THE RIGHT WORD IN THE RIGHT PLACE By Jean L. Gowdy "These grapes are luscious," said little Mary, at [whose home I had been invited to luncheon, as her mother passed them to her. LANGUAGE 201 Her mother gave me a puzzled look, but I smiled re- assuringly. "Is this salad healthful, mother?" asked Mary when it was served. "I hope so," answered her mother. *'It certainly is very appetizing," continued Mary unconscious of her mother's worried and almost pa- thetic expression. When Mary had left the table and we were alone, her mother asked me if I were teaching Mary to use these words. She then said, "Mary often surprises me with this grown-up use of descriptive words and she seldom makes a mistake. It is sometimes almost un- canny in a child. Yesterday when I was sweeping she asked me if I did not think, 'an electric sweeper would be more convenient and labor-saving.' After her bath this morning she said she was 'much refreshed.' I am sorry to say this proper use of such words has not been learned from either her father or me. I am fre- quently chagrined by my use of the word nice in de- scribing almost everything, and her father is most apt in using slang in his descriptions. Mary has often made us realize our lack of a descriptive vocabulary. I suggested that she go back to school with Mary and me, and spend the afternoon in our room. This she did willingly. There was a large card standing on the chalk trough of the front blackboard. On this card was the picture of a smiling boy shoveling snow. Beneath the picture ;were these words in large black letters: Healthy Helpful Industrious Cheerful Happy Energetic Merry Animated Vigorous 202 PEDAGOGICAL PEP I explained to Mary's mother that the card was to be used in the language lesson. I also showed her some of the cards we had already used. On one of these, marked No. 1, was the picture of a low table in what appeared to be a nursery. At one end of this table sat a boy and at the other a girl. The table was set in readiness for their supper which consisted of bread and milk. Below the picture were these words: Whole-wheat bread Milk Healthful Satisfying Refreshing Nourishing Appetizing Card No. 2, which had no words below, showed a large picture of father, mother, son, and daughter seated at a table. The meal seemed to consist of muf- fins, butter, cookies, and marmalade. The father was in the act of passing the muffins to the mother while the children waited with eagerness. I showed this card to the children before beginning the regular lesson, asking them for sentences regard- ing it. The following were given : "The family have bran muffins, butter, marmalade, and graham cookies for luncheon." "The luncheon is simple, but very satisfying." "The children are politely waiting to be served." "Bran muffins are healthful and nourishing." "Bran muffins with marmalade are appetizing." "After eating this luncheon the family will feel re- freshed." Occasionally I asked the children to explain their sentences. They understood the meaning of the words they used. LANGUAGE 203 I then selected the picture of an interesting play room, and made the same request as before. The children readily responded. "This is a children's play room." "The play room is daintily furnished." "The children who play here are orderly." "The toys on the shelves are tastefully arranged." "The toys are in good repair." "The play room is neat and cheerful because it is orderly and well lighted." "I should enjoy playing in this room." I then turned to the card on the blackboard, and asked the children to tell me what the picture told them, using the words on the card that were familiar to them. Hands were at once raised. "The boy appears healthy." "The boy seems cheerful." "I think he is cheerful because he is laughing." "The boy is merry and happy." "He is merry and happy because he is helpful." Many other comprehensive sentences were given. "There is a new word here that means he is merry, lively, playful, cheerful, and perhaps frisky and spir- ited like a young animal. I wonder if you can tell me which word it is," I said. There was silence for a mo- ment, then "Animated," answered the children. The word was pronounced and spelled. "Tell me why you think this boy is animated," I said. "I think he is animated because he enjoys his work," "I think he is animated because the air is cold and bracing and he feels lively." "He feels animated because his work is like play." "He is animated because he feels like a playful kitten." 204 PEDAGOGICAL PEP After each child had given a sentence using this word I was obliged to conclude the lesson for the day, telling the children to be thinking of other sentences in which this word could be used, to use the word at home, and among themselves. "It is your own word now," I added. "Are you satisfied?" I asked the mother. "Yes, and no," she answered. "I am glad my little daughter is having such excellent training in school, but I am ashamed that her home training has been neglected in this direction. My husband and I must henceforth make ourselves helpful to her. I wonder if I could assist her by making some of these charts at home. Where do you get these colored pictures?" "I find most of them on the advertising pages of our leading magazines," I replied, "and the descriptive words are suggested by the pictures. I am careful to select pictures that are simple enough to speak for themselves and in which the colors are in good taste. Another requisite of the pictures is that they show well ordered and moderate life. "May I visit you often ? I need your help," said the mother. "As often as you like. I am sure we will be mutual- ly helpful," I replied. THE THREE TYPES OF LETTERS By Sara V. Prueser Everybody writes letters. So it is absolutely im- perative that everyone learn how to write good letters. To get good results in letter writing, the work must be made practical. The pupil must be taught how to dis- tinguish a good letter from a poor one. In order to do LANGUAGE 205 this, he must have some good examples shown and read to him. All letters naturally belong to one of the following types: the newsy, commonplace type, the intellectual type, the formal type. Let us begin with the newsy, commonplace type of letter that comes to every home. It may be a very good one or a very poor one. Start the discussion by asking the pupils about the letters they receive from friends and relatives. In response to your questioning John will probably say that they had a letter from Cousin Ann last week, and that it was a good letter. Then follow up with some such suggestive questions as these : "Was the news or information definite and com- plete? Did Cousin Ann tell all you wanted to know about the news? Did the letter seem abrupt in style, with just a sentence or two on a subject? Was the let- ter kind and cheerful, or was it doleful and depress- ing? How did the letter make you feel?" These questions are likely to call forth some such answers as the following: "Yes, the news was interesting. She told us all about herself and her family and what they were do- ing. She doesn't write short, patchy letters like Cousin Jane, who doesn't say anything. All we know about Cousin Jane is that she is alive and well. Cousin Ann's letters always make us feel good. She has a funny way of telling things. I don't know why, but every time I get a letter from her I can work better in school." By a continued discussion of such letters you can de- velop the facts that a social or newsy letter, to be good, should be interesting and contain definite and complete information on the subjects written about; 206 PEDAGOGICAL PEP that it should be cheerful, witty, humorous; and that it should be inspirational. Begin the work in social letter writing by assigning some subject to each pupil. Suit the subject to the pu- pil. Let it be the one in which he is most interested. This will largely prevent the monotonous phrasing found in most letters. A few of the subjects that may be suggested are: A Basket Ball Game I Attended; How I Made a Moving Picture Machine for Showing Post Cards; How My Course in Domestic Science Helped Mother; My Trip to Washington. I have found the following plan to be very helpful in getting good letters from the older pupils, for it de- velops the faculties of observation and imagination in the writer. Let each pupil imagine himself to be a representative for some American business house, or some large manufacturing firm or establishment, in a foreign country. Then have him write a letter home telling of his travels and his experiences in getting the people of that country interested in the goods of the firm he represents. The pupils will need to do some real research work in order to write on the sub- jects. For the intellectual type of letter which is often an essay or an editorial, read to them, or better yet, have them read the letters of John Burroughs, Henry van Dyke, and Theodore Roosevelt. I mention these be- cause each one of them stands for some particular type of character in American life. Emphasize the fact that the letters of these men are now embodied in our very best books of American literature. From this fact the children will come to know that a good in- formative letter may be a good essay and worth pre- serving. LANGUAGE 207 The formal type of letter is not so difficult to write, for the formal note and the business letter usually fol- low certain prescribed forms to which the writer ad- heres more or less closely. These forms may be found in any good textbook on English. After a study of them show the pupils some announcements of mar- riages, letters of condolence, formal invitations to parties, dances, and luncheons. Then have the pupils write several of each particular form. In teaching the writing of the business letter the pu- pils' attention must be called to the following impor- tant facts. It should be brief. The personal tone should be almost entirely eliminated, except when it is written for advertising purposes. Since, in most cases, the business letter is written to get or to give information it should be clear and definite on the sub- ject treated. It should be correct in every detail; in arrangement, use of capitals, and punctuation. LETTER WRITING LINKS OUR SCHOOL WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD By" Frederick H. Spinney In my early teaching days, whenever I suggested writing letters in school there ensued forty distinct varieties of groans, and there appeared on young fore- heads forty formidable frowns, all differing in length and breadth of furrow. Following this, came a cho- rus of, "I don't know what to write !" Naturally my enthusiasm was thus so thoroughly quenched that the letter-writing lesson was invariably a dismal failure. In my intercourse with my fellow creatures, I have observed that, while nine people in ten like to receive 208 PEDAGOGICAL PEP letters, not one in ten finds any pleasure in writing them. This refers to adults — a species of humanity which has the audacity to assume the function of in- structing the young in this undesirable exercise. If adults thus manifest a distaste for writing let- ters, even when they realize that the receipt will be a source of pleasure to others, is it not the very height of folly to expect children to find pleasure in writing letters which they know are destined for the scrap basket? Yet it took me two years to convince myself that I was uncomfortably perched on that very height of folly; and that thousands of my fellow workers were also perched thereon. One evening, following a letter-writing lesson, when the chorus of groans and the forty furrowed brows were painfully vivid in my recollection, an interroga- tion somehow penetrated my new-idea-proof cranium. Why not ask the pupils to write real letters to real live boys and girls? I could scarcely await the next letter-writing peri- od. In fact, I found an excuse to assign the lesson two days in advance of the regular day. Just previous to the noon dismissal, I talked to the class somewhat as follows : "There are boys and girls in England who know very little about our country and perhaps never heard of our little town. I think it would be a good idea to write letters, telling them about its location, surround- ings, the occupation of the people, the products, our homes, our gardens, our pets, our games, the books we like, and perhaps little journeys we have made to other towns, and asking them to answer our letters, telling us about their homes." LANGUAGE 209 In place of groans and frowns, there were smiling nods of approval and many questions. "May we have answers sent to our own addresses ?" "May we write what we like?" "Must we write the letters over?" Here was the first fundamental of a successful les- son — enthusiastic interest on the part of teacher and pupils. The letters were to be written in the afternoon, and each pupil was to bring one cent to pay for paper and postage. We decided to select three towns in three parts of England, and send the letters in three large envelopes. The topics were written on the blackboard in their most natural order, each pupil to choose the topics he liked, or originate his own. I offered the following suggestions. If you are in doubt about how to spell a word, ask for the correct spelling. Complete one topic before beginning the next. Do not use "and" where it may be omitted. All the pupils wrote with eager interest. On the following day I read aloud the best letters, omitting the names of the writers, and explained why I con- sidered those letters the best. All the letters were mailed without rewriting. Try rewriting your own letters. How do you like it? We should frequently try on ourselves some of the tortures we inflict on the children. Such a practice will make us richer in pa- tience and sympathy. Before the answers came from England, a batch of letters was sent to California, and another to Austra- lia. Previous to each lesson, all the words misspelled in former letters were written on the blackboard. When a pupil asked for the correct spelling of a word, 210 PEDAGOGICAL PEP that word was written for the benefit of all. At the beginning of each lesson, special attention was given to one particular feature of composition. That is pro- ductive of better results than attempting to apply a number of rules at each lesson. Then came the answers to the first letters. The ex- citement is better imagined than described. The pu- pils brought the letters to school, and I asked permis- sion to retain them until the next letter-writing day, when I read the best ones aloud. Later we wrote to India, New Zealand, and New- foundland. From a Girls' Mission School in India we received very interesting letters; they were also very amusing, as the young writers — Hindu girls just learning English — misplaced their adverbs and prepo- sitions. To further add to the interest, many of the best let- ters written and received were published in the local weekly newspaper; and clippings were always sent to the young writers in the distant schools. It is a source of inspiration to a child to see his or her orig- inal work in print. In undertaking such a letter exchange, it is well to have the periods once a week for three weeks; then once a fortnight, as many of the pupils keep up a cor- respondence at home with the first boys and girls from whom they receive letters. That should be encour- aged. One father told me that he never knew his two boys to be so much interested in geography as they were immediately after beginning the letter exchange, and then he added, "My oldest boy is now correspond- ing with five boys of his own age in different parts of the world. He reads aloud to his mother and me all his own letters and all the answers." Thus does the LANGUAGE 211 letter exchange secure the helpful cooperation of the parents. If the rewriting of the letters is made optional, a number of pupils will ask permission to rewrite them, particularly when their ambition has been aroused by reading the published letters. These pupils have then reached a very desirable attitude. Any teacher who adopts this method of securing in- terest in letter writing will be highly gratified with the results. CORRESPONDENCE WITH ANOTHER SCHOOL MOTIVATES LETTER WRITING By~ Nettie A. Selkirk Letter writing is an accomplishment, the value of which can scarcely be overestimated. Much of one's success in life depends on his ability to write clear, correct, forceful letters. Because of the great need and worth of this art, it should be given a very prom- inent place in the school curriculum. A great many of our pupils leave school at the end of the sixth year. Consequently, it is very essential that they shall be given much instruction and prac- tical experience in both social and business letter writ- ing throughout the primary and intermediate grades. Our school is a small ungraded rural school located in the mountains of the Adirondacks. My pupils cor- respond regularly with the pupils of a small country school in the southern part of the state, writing about four letters during the year. The teacher of the other school is a personal friend and correspondent of mine. It occurred to us that an exchange of letters between our pupils might prove of 212 PEDAGOGICAL PEP great advantage and, at the same time, add variety and interest to school vi^ork. The children readily be- came interested in the plan and the letter program was at once instituted. I wish you could see the interest and enthusiasm in the faces of my children when the letters, which they have been so eagerly expecting, arrive. But now comes the part which they enjoy most of all — ^the an- swering of these letters. This is accomplished as a part of the regular English work. All of the children down to and including those in the last half of the first year have a part in this. We have a round table and discuss freely the letters received. We note any ques- tions asked, comment on items of news and informa- tion, and call attention to interesting bits of descrip- tion. Following this we plan the answers. The chil- dren suggest many things to write about ; such as, the beautiful scenery of our mountains, lakes, and wood- lands at the various seasons; animal and plant life, particularly the birds and the wild flowers; local in- dustries and activities; important incidents and events; their school and home life and interests, in- cluding their pets. There is always such a super- abundance of interesting material that it is difficult to draw the line and decide what must be left out. The letters are then written, giving the most care- ful attention to both grammatical and mechanical de- tails, the while remembering that letters must be in- teresting and entertaining to be enjoyed. The chil- dren's eagerness to excel their classmates and their cor- respondents stimulates them to put forth most vigorous efforts, and letters of real merit result. As our children, at present, are all in the fourth grade or below, only a very little work is being done LANGUAGE 213 in the writing of invitations, acceptances, regrets and so forth. For business practice, they write postal cards or brief letters courteously requesting copies of circulars, bulletins, seed and picture catalogues, and other mat- ter listed for free distribution, all of which we use in connection with our school work. Again, they write postal cards or short i^indly letters of thanks for ma- terial received. They also write letters and orders for school supplies. Occasions for communications of this sort are numerous, and we utilize them for a double purpose. The best letter is always selected for mailing. I have found this a very attractive and effectual method of teaching letter writing. The children are enthusiastic over the work. The days on which we write letters are their "red letter days." The work is a pleasure to them and to me. The knowledge, experience, and skill they acquire by thus actually writing real letters should prove an asset of inestimable value throughout their entire lives. SPONTANEOUS EXPRESSION ESSENTIAL TO GOOD COMPOSITIONS By~ Louise Montgomery In my childhood the writing of compositions was the bane of my existence. I recall the half -audible groans that escaped from the grade whenever the teacher an- nounced that we were nearing the end of the month and compositions must be ready for the following Fri- day afternoon exercises. We used to stop after school and meekly ask her what we should write about. Pa- tiently and sweetly she suggested subjects: Persever- 214 PEDAGOGICAL PEP ance, Honesty, Love for Parents, The History of Print- ing, The Invention of the Cotton-Gin. We wrote them down. Then we went home and pestered the life out of our parents for the remaining days, but received only similar suggestions. Somehow we usually man- aged to round up the week with something that would pass for a composition. After the ordeal was over we rejoiced in three weeks of blessed freedom until we had to be goaded and threatened into another eflfort. The subjects which were suggested were unrelated to anything that seemed real in our lives. We were as a group fairly honest and would have resented any suggestions to the contrary, but that idea alone failed to fill the pages. We had the normal love for parents without analysis of the feeling. We cared lit- tle for perseverance ; and to get a knowledge of either the printing-press or the cotton-gin we had to read too many pages from the heavy encyclopedia, and most of the matter was beyond our understanding. With this lack of interest in the subject the compositions were worthless even from the standpoint of discipline in sentence and paragraph construction, because all ex- pression was so forced, stilted, and unnatural. The recollections of my painful efforts provided me with an incentive to search for new methods of ap- proach to this dreaded subject when I reached the teacher's chair. I made a discovery. Nobody writes a composition that has value of any kind whatsoever until he writes voluntarily on a subject that fills him with interest, and that so expands his being with the need of telling about it that he cannot escape expres- sion. Children of all ages will talk about anything that has made an appeal to them. When talk of this kind is transferred to paper the fundamental, vital require- LANGUAGE 215 ment of a good composition is met, and it matters not at all how many words may be misspelled, how few and far between are the punctuation marks, how often the plural subjects unite with singular verbs. These points that may be grouped under the laws of correct English are but the trimmings of a garment. They are indicative of culture, refinement, good taste, order, form, and an artistic sense of values, not by any means to be despised but never under any circumstances to be made the objective point and emphasized as such. They must follow, not lead. By a curious paradox whenever a misguided teacher places the details of correct expression as the chief requirement of a good composition she loses even those points for which she is so conscientiously striving. To begin with the let- ter, and not the spirit of good composition, is to put the whole subject on a wrong foundation, thereby in- hibiting spontaneous expression, the foundation with- out which nothing worthy can be made. Having arrived at my theory I tested it for the first time in a sixth grade. I invited the entire group to go with me and have a Saturday picnic on the banks of the Mississippi River. We did not talk school. We had a real picnic. Later I called for compositions on any part of that picnic about which they chose to write. I even said that all who did not have a good time need not tell about it. That was a little unsafe but it worked. I did not care in this first venture whether they wrote about the lunch, the sandwiches, the bottle of pickles that rolled down the bank, or the wonderful walk through the ravine from the river to the lake where we found the bittersweet berries just bursting their outer shells. No subjects were assigned and no requirements were made as to the number of 216 PEDAGOGICAL PEP pages. There was no mention of grammatical rules or the need of getting more than seventy-five per cent in order "to pass." Those compositions were read and discussed from two points only, accuracy of observation and the way each one did or did not make the rest of us see what the writer had seen. Many a child saw where he had fallen short and was eager to stand up and tell orally what he meant to write. The oral expression was granted as a means to a clearer understanding of what the next composition must contain. This method was followed for six weeks with varying subjects all based on direct contact with something about the town ; the fire department, the shoemaker, the gipsy camp, the chair factory, the county fair, and the new public laun- dry, the first the town had seen. Spontaneous expres- sion of something actually seen and enjoyed in the seeing did much to destroy the old inhibitions en- gendered by dread and fear. When these were out of the way we began on the details, taking up one point at a time, always and insistently showing punctuation, arrangement of phrases, all the rules of grammar as a means to a wonderful end, namely, making other peo- ple see and enjoy what we had seen and enjoyed. Was not the end and aim worth a little study and hard work? I have followed the same methods in other grades. In all cases the subjects in the beginning must be se- lected just as the children selected theirs at that first picnic. The wisdom of the teacher must be shown in enough understanding of her group to either person- ally conduct or to direct attention to something easily accessible and bound to enlist the attention of the dull- est mind. I have found that I must give the start. LANGUAGE 217 There are few self-starters in this world ; but the ma- jority of my pupils have learned to get up their own excursions, and to look for new places of interest, either alone or with others. Even those who have lagged behind have developed a mental quickening without which I know I could have extracted nothing from them worthy the name of composition. At this point I know some one may say that I will find only description and narration resulting from this method. This is true in the beginning but the skillful teacher need not stop there. Children will uncon- sciously begin to make their own original observations if encouraged to do so. I have had imaginative tales, meditative discourse, abstract essays and dramatic dialogues spring from many pupils at the end of a year or two of such work, following the law of natural growth in expression from the primitive narration of the savage to the highly developed literature of the civilized man. This has been my experience. It has also been the experience of others who have realized that in order to secure good composition a mental quickening, resulting in enthusiastic, spontaneous ex- pression, must precede the study of form and method. USE OF THE DICTIONARY INTRODUCING THE DICTIONARY By" Florence R. Jordan Dictionaries, as a rule, are put into the hands of the pupils in the fourth grade. However, before passing out the books, I have found it beneficial to review the alphabet, which is placed at the top of the blackboard. To do this have the pupils start at any given letter and finish the list ; then ask what letter follows a given let- ter, as for example r, and see who can answer first without going back to a, or referring to the black- board. While the majority of the children can do this easily, a few will find it difficult. They may look at the blackboard when necessary, as the alphabet is there the entire year to give the correct form for both cap- itals and small letters. When the order of the letters is well known, I ask the pupils to copy the alphabet on the left side of a sheet of ruled paper, putting one letter in each space. Let them think of words which begin with a. Tell them to write these words on the line with a. Take b next; and in like manner the entire alphabet. This work can be done in connection with the spelling les- son, giving only ten or fifteen minutes a day to it if the program is very full. When the papers are finished, with at least one word for the more difficult letters, explain that the dictionary is made on the same plan. USE OF THE DICTIONARY 219 The next step is to pass the dictionaries to the pupils and let them look at them. They enjoy finding the pages where each letter starts and will often check the alphabet on their papers as they work. They soon see that the words under each letter are in turn alphabet- ically arranged in regard to the second and third let- ters, and so forth. Children are much more interested in finding famil- iar words at first. I like to ask for names of animals, because pictures illustrating them are usually given. Definitions are often beyond the little child's compre- hension, but pictures are always plain. Suppose we were going to find the word beaver. Before anyone starts an aimless search, ask the fol- lowing questions : "Under what letter will it come? Where will we find 6? Will beaver be among the first words begin- ning with b ? Where will you look ? How many have found it? How many have not ? Mary, what is at the top of your page?" If Mary finds the syllables bal and bam at the top of the page, explain what they are for. Ask the class which way the pages should be turned from bam to find beaver. Go slowly; give examples yourself, such as : "My book is open at the page headed by feel and feme. I wish to find the word fox. Which way shall I turn the pages to find it ? Why ?" Be sure each one understands what he is doing. Time spent in this way at first is saved later on. When words can be found independently, place two or three on the board each day for the children to look up. These words may be taken from the reading, spelling, or geography work, and should have at least something in the definition that they can understand. It is not necessary for the pupils to copy the definition. 220 PEDAGOGICAL PEP but it is well to ask that the page where the word was found be marked down on the paper beside the word, and under that a sentence be written using it, as : mink — page 5J/.0 I saiv a mink near a stream of water. At a regular time on the program these sentences should be read aloud by the children. In a short time the pupils may make their own selec- tion of words to find in the dictionary. They like to do it, and it makes a variety of sentences to be read. The only restriction that need be made is that the words found must have some connection with the work of the day. As they read their sentences the pupils may tell from which lesson they took the words. SYSTEMATIZED INSTRUCTION IN DICTIONARY USE By" Emma Boiler Pupils, as a rule, do not like to look up the meaning or pronunciation of words — and no wonder, for many of them do not know how to find a word in the diction- ary. To such pupils the task is akin to that of hunting a needle in a haystack. The first step in learning to use the dictionary is to learn the letters of the alphabet in their order. The children should be able to repeat the alphabet as rap- idly as they count. Facility in finding words depends upon their ability to do this. Practice in finding given words is the next step. Each pupil should have a dictionary for this drill, but any alphabetical vocabulary will do if necessary. Something of this kind may be found at the end of the reader, or in the glossary at the end of the geography. USE OF THE DICTIONARY 221 But let us suppose that each pupil has a dictionary. With their dictionaries on their desks before them, let the teacher call the attention of her pupils to the fact that all words beginning with the letter a come first in the book, that they are followed by those beginning with h, and that these are followed by words beginning with the letter c, and so forth, in alphabetical order. Point out the fact that all words beginning with the letter I are approximately in the middle of the book; practice turning to this section of words until the pu- pils can turn readily to I words in the dictionary. Now point out thatiiwords beginning with letters that come before the letter i^ in the alphabet must necessarily be looked for in the first half of the book, and that words beginning with letters that come after I are found in the last half of the dictionary. Drill them in turning to words beginning with such letters as I, g, t, until they have gained some speed in locating the places where words beginning with certain letters may be found. Let the pupils open their dictionaries at the letter I in order to proceed to find the word label, which should be written on the blackboard. Call their atten- tion to the fact that the first words under I begin with la. Tell them to run a finger down the column until they find the word label, saying nothing about the third letter yet. In their haste many pupils will pass over it and have to go back ; have them practice until they can stop when they come to the word. It is better to go slowly at first than to waste time in going over the ground again. Now let the dictionaries be closed and take another word in I — labor. Follow with lack, lad, lag, lamp, land, lap, lark, last, laugh, lax, lay, etc. (all beginning 222 PEDAGOGICAL PEP with la) . Each time the pupils should turn to the be- ginning of I and run down the columns until they reach the word looked for. Almost immediately, however, some will take notice of the third letter in the word and skip the first columns and look to the end of the la's to find the desired word more quickly. Take the word lea; let them look up lead, leaf, leak, lean, learn, least. By this time the pupils should have noticed that the fourth letter in the word is also in al- phabetical order. To fix this fact firmly in their minds place a list of words beginning with the same letter on the board and let the pupils arrange them in alpha- betical order. Probably they will make some errors at first, but this is good practice and should be continued for several days. Use lists of short words first, then longer ones. When the pupils have learned all this, explain the use of the key words at the top of each page ; that the one at the left is the first word on the page, and that the one at the right is the last word on the page. Drill them in the use of these key words so that they may see how much time is saved by using them. To quicken interest in looking up words, contests may be held to see who is first and second in finding a given word. When the pupils have acquired some facility in find- ing words, the teacher should call their attention to what follows the word when found — its pronunciation, derivation, and definition. The first thing that follows a word is a key to its pronunciation, either by means of diacritical markings or phonetic respelling. The part of speech is indicated by small letters (usually italics) used as abbreviations, as n. for noun, v. for verb, a. for adjective. It will interest many of the pu- USE OF THE DICTIONARY 223 pils to learn that most words are derived from roots in foreign languages, L. indicating Latin, Gr. Greek, F. French, and so forth. Impress on the pupils the necessity of having the correct spelling of a word in mind before attempting to find it in the dictionary ; many a fruitless search for a word is due to having the wrong spelling in mind. Comment on the fact that finding words in the dic- tionary with facility is a valuable accomplishment which the pupils will use throughout life in the course of their study, reading, and writing; that the diction- ary is a guide and teacher in self-education ; and that its use should become a habit. Point out that the dic- tionary is a book of useful facts, and a friendly aid to the reader, scholar, editor, writer, teacher, and stenog- rapher. Tell the pupils that the card catalogue, the encyclopedia, and reference books are used like the dictionary. Dictionary work should be required of all pupils above the fifth grade, and the teacher should encour- age them to consult it freely upon their own initiative. EXIT "MRS. MALAPROP" B/" Martha E. Bonham If there were storehouses containing a never ending supply of riches as accessible as the comer gasoline stations, to which one could go and take freely as much as he desired, how many would be poor? Yet think what a wealth of words lies within the reach of all, and still so many are poverty stricken in language. One of my hobbies is to induce pupils to add new :words to their vocabularies. Before stating any re- quirements I endeavor to impress two important facts 224 PEDAGOGICAL PEP upon the minds of the pupils : first, that the ability of a person to grasp quickly the content of what he reads depends upon his understanding of words; second, that an idea can be expressed in many ways, but in varying degrees of effectiveness. Pupils like dennite- ness. Failure is so often due to vague assignments. In order that the dictionary habit be foraied, some of the laws of habit formation must be put into prac- tice. Regularity is essential. I require my students to keep a vocabulary notebook. Every day they are expected to add at least two words to their vocabu- laries. These words they select from their geography, history, or reading lesson. The idea is not to choose the longest or the most difficult words, but the most usable ones. Before a word can truly be said to be a part of one's vocabulary, one must be able to spell and pronounce it correctly, to have a clear understanding of its mean- ing, and to use it effectively in a sentence. In the note- book the pupils write the word, the definition, and an original illustrating sentence. The sentence is the true test of the pupil's knowledge of the word. I fre- quently devote a part of the recitation period to a dis- cussion of these "vocabulary words." The remark that I do not want any Mrs. Malaprops, arouses their curiosity. I then tell them how this woman in Sheridan's play, "The Rivals," makes her- self a ridiculous and comic character by the incorrect use of long words. The confusing of contagious and contiguous, orthodoxy and orthography, are repre- sentative examples. I encourage the pupils to practise their new words on their classmates and members of their families. One boy became intensely interested in word study. USE OF THE DICTIONARY 225 In three years' time I watched his vocabulary grow. Into his conversation as well as into his oral and writ- ten themes, there gradually crept a diversified diction. "The biggest thing we can do for another," said Hugh Black, "is simply to open a door, or rather to show him where the door is open, out to a larger knowledge, a broader sympathy, a fuller life. This alone is education." The dictionary habit is the key that will unlock doors leading to immense literary treasures. Every teacher can help her pupils acquire the key. MUSIC GOOD RESULTS OBTAINED IN MUSIC IN THE FIRST AND SECOND GRADES By Nora E. Ungles I am not musical, yet feel that I have been successful in teaching music. We sometimes teach more success- fully that which we know the least about. Realizing our shortcoming, we put forth the most effort on that particular subject. When I began teaching in the pri- mary department, the music was the one big thing which confronted me. The want of confidence in my- self to sing alone the most simple song was a great hindrance. After carefully committing to memory a few songs which should be taught the first day of school, I make a plan for presenting them. The first step is to get the children to express themselves freely in speech as well as song. Therefore, I select a song which is of much interest to them, as "Here's a Ball for Baby." I talk to them about the baby at home, his name, his gifts, and so forth. Home is yet the big thought of their hearts. After they have talked with me about baby, I tell them that I know a delightful little song which I am sure they would like to sing — ^which tells of many presents the baby at home would like. We learn the song by rote, one phrase at a time. First, we commit the words; then I sing the phrase, MUSIC 227 and the pupils must whisper it. In this way they get the tune fixed in their minds. We repeat this three or four times before they sing the phrase aloud. We con- tinue thus throughout the song, using our fingers for expression. After the children learn a few songs well I allow them to keep time by tapping with pencil or finger tips on the desk. This aids in teaching rhythm and time. I also allow them to pretend to play different musical instruments, singing different syllables to express tone, as — la, ha, ho, and so forth. If the children play that they are using a slide trombone they take the proper position and pretend that they are going through the correct motions. This is very effective, and other instruments may be used with the same pleasing results. The children also march by different tunes which part of the children play on imaginary drums. Some- times they all keep time on drums, using fists for imaginary drum sticks, and saying: 'Thrum, thrum; thrum, thrum, thrum" in place of "Left, right; left, right, left." I teach the meaning of solo, duet, trio, and quartet by having the children group themselves and sing the proper parts. The braver ones are always willing to sing the solos. This helps to form that independence so essential to singing. I am able to teach from ninety to one hundred new songs each year. The second-grade teacher plays the piano, of which we have the use for fifteen minutes each day, and I lead. Since we have worked together for three years we understand each other thoroughly and are able to accomplish a great deal. The results have been very gratifying. 228 PEDAGOGICAL PEP HOW I TAUGHT THIRD-GRADE MUSIC WITHOUT A SUPERVISOR By~ Catherine E. Jaynes After accepting the position to teach the third grade in a certain school I found that the state course of study included public school music. I learned also that this particular school could not afford a music super- visor. Aside from the course which I had in public school music when I was preparing to teach, I knew little about the subject. I have a keen sense of rhythm, which together with my genuine love for any kind of work with children gave me a starting point. There were thirty-five children between eight and twelve years of age in my grade. None of them had ever studied music in school. We had a music recitation of twenty minutes three times a week. I made it the last recitation in the after- noon. I like this plan because it sends the children away in a happy and enthusiastic frame of mind. For our first lesson we learned to sing "Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater." This seems to me to be one of the best songs for beginners. They like to sing it, and the teacher can easily emphasize rhythm and tone. There are so many ways to express rhythm that I need not dwell on them. The one we used most was tapping the desk with the forefinger. I insisted that each child make an attempt to sing and mark time. To accomplish this I divided the room into sections or rows, changing from day to day. We learned the songs by phrases. I sang the first phrase with each section until they could sing it without my help. Then all the children sang it together. After this, we began the second phrase in the same way. MUSIC 229 Here was my chance to teach the children to be alert. For instance, I would ask section one to sing the first phrase, section two the second, and vice versa ; then all together. Next, I would ask section three to sing the first phrase, section four the second, and vice versa; and then all together. The children were soon so eager and alert that we could sing the song through in this fashion and never lose a count. Dividing the class into groups and learning the song by phrases secures attention and alertness, and enables the teacher to study the children individually. If I found pupils who were timid and slow to take part I placed them near those who were quick to respond. I would ask them to sing with one who was especially strong, and then with me until all were taking part. If one had difficulty in learning the air, I would sing with him over and over, sometimes dwelling on one word until his voice was in accord with mine. It is surprising how quickly and how well children learn to sing a song by these methods and, what is best, how much they enjoy it. For our second lesson we reviewed the song. I was pleased to note how eagerly the children took hold of it and how well they sang it. Then we began working on the scale. I employed the same method here that I used in teaching the song. While the children were learning the scale they were also studying new songs, but very short and simple ones. Later in the course we learned how to make the staff, the letters on the staff, the measure, and so on, until the children could read and write four line melodies. With this we began notebook work. I gave the children a great deal of personal help, emphasizing neatness. I required them to memorize the music to some of the 230 PEDAGOGICAL PEP songs they sang. This did not prove difficult. They were soon able to go to the board and write the music to certain melodies. I often asked two children to write the first measure of a song on the board and two other pupils the last measure. We also often sang from memory. Then we began to compose little melo- dies. This was exceedingly interesting work for the children. Each recitation we reviewed some work and started a new song, if the children were ready, always em- phasizing rhythm, alertness, and tone. Children can be taught to express rhythm without being noisy. They can be taught to sing with force without scream- ing. The influence of the teacher's attitude and per- sonality is very apparent here. If she is mild and pa- tient and controls her voice she will have little diffi- culty in controlling the children. I used this exercise often: "Sing first phrase gently, second with volume, third gently, fourth with volume." Of course, the songs we used gave opportunity for practice in con- trolling the voice. The sleepy songs are easily sung softly while the soldier songs, marching songs, and others require forceful singing. By the end of the term the children were able to sing fifty rote songs, had learned the scale, how to make the staff, the letters on the staff, and the measure, could read whole and half notes, and could compose and write two line melodies. Some of the children could write little rhymes to sing to the music they composed. The children had a remarkable sense of rhythm and a fair control of their voices. To hold the children's attention in these exercises the teacher must be filled with enthusiasm and must not lag one moment. She absolutely must not lose pa- MUSIC 231 tience. Strong words and threats of punishment will never evoke a response in teaching music to children. Children must not be required to work until they are tired. If the teacher can enter easily and enthusiasti- cally into this subject she will find the recitation in music to be the most interesting, the most enjoyable, and the most restful one of the day. The superintendent where I taught silently watched my work in music. One morning he came into my room and found some music left on the board from the previous lesson. He asked rather bluntly, "Did the children compose that?" I replied, "Yes, Virginia did." He said, "Can she read it?" I quivered a little but replied, "She did yesterday." "Well, let's hear her," he requested. Virginia rose and sang it very clearly without a mistake. The superintendent said, "Thank you," and left me wondering what he thought of the work I was doing in music. Sometime later he asked me if I v/ould appear on the program in a teach- ers' conference and explain how I secured results in public school music. I said, "I can't talk but I'm will- ing to have my pupils talk for me." My pupils appear- ed, did their best, and carried off honors. AN APPRECIATION OF MUSIC GAINED THROUGH A STUDY OF GRAND OPERA By Nelle Averitt In the upper grades of our school we have instituted a fight against jazz music through a study of grand opera. Since children are always delighted to have visitors come to talk to them, we invited one of the club women who has made a study of opera to present the subject to us. She comes one afternoon each week for 232 PEDAGOGICAL PEP thirty or forty minutes, and tells us the story of an opera. As an act is covered each week we are able to study approximately one opera a month. We collect a number of phonograph records for the particular opera which we are studying, getting some from the homes of the children, buying some, and ask- ing the music store to lend us others. The records for the act for the afternoon's study are played on our phonograph during our opera period, and are repeated during the opening exercises each day of the following week so that the children may become familiar with them. At the end of the month we have a brief oral test on the story of the opera which we have just fin- ished studying. We then test the ability of the chil- dren to recognize the selections from the opera by play- ing strains from them on the phonograph and having the children write the names on slips of paper. Our pupils look forward to "Grand Opera After- noon," and they are all really learning to appreciate good music. Every child has his favorite selection from each opera ; and many of the children can explain very intelligently why they consider it best. Their in- terest leads them to look for accounts of the lives of the authors and composers of the operas. They are also learning to recognize the voices of the artists. The children are arousing the interest of their par- ents in good music. Mothers go to the music store to hear some of the opera records about which the chil- dren talk at home ; and they are buying these records instead of so much jazz. We believe that we are developing m our pupils a love for the best in music. DRAWING SELF-EXPRESSION THROUGH DRAWING Br Lydia M. Wilbur It is not difficult to teach children to love to draw, es- pecially if they are little children, for picture writing, reaching back as it does to primitive times, is almost instinctive with them. To begin with, I draw for the children myself, day in and day out. Whenever there is any possible excuse for it I make my meaning clear on the blackboard. That sounds like a great task but it really is not. My audience is most appreciative and anything but crit- ical ; and besides, anyone without a grain of talent can work wonders with chalk, charcoal, and a certain amount of preliminary practice. The children often say, when I have put a sketch in chalk and charcoal on the board, "Do it again, so we can see how you make It." They like to watch the picture develop, and to see me put in the shadows and other details. Sometimes, when correcting other written work, I will find a paper decorated with a little sketch that has been done just for the mere pleasure of making it. One child, a lad with no especial ability in drawing, was very fond of doing that sort of thing. I would find a little wigwam in a setting of trees, or a log cab- in, or an Eskimo hut. Often it would be a copy of something I had drawn on the blackboard, but why 234 PEDAGOGICAL PEP not? He took great pleasure in doing it and it added much to his self-confidence in learning to express with his hand the picture in his mind. When the children are learning to cut paper dolls I draw a sketch of the process on the board in -^ '■Idicion to folding and cutting many dolls for them. xi. many- problems of construction, too, a sort of working draw- ing on the blackboard is of great help. So they learn to think of drawing as a natural and necessary means of expression, as it should be. Action figures — ^we call them "stick boys" — are a delight to children. I use them constantly in illustrat- ing language lessons, reading lessons, numbers, and all sorts of things. As soon as the children begin to want to make them for themselves, as they invariably do, I teach them to draw the figures in different ways and also to dress them. One year the children were so interested in learning to draw them that they made a large poster of Mother Goose Village, drawing, color- ing, and cutting out the familiar characters, and mounting them on a background of blue sky and green grass, with plenty of trees and houses scattered about. I believe thoroughly in showing children how to drav/ certain things which they need in their pictures, instead of allowing them to blunder along alone. In making their first pictures of outdoors, children will almost invariably use blue for the sky, green for the grass — and a wide white space between for the air. I take them outdoors for a walk, and we look at the sky and talk about it until they see for themselves that the sky is blue behind the trees, that it seems to com© down to the very ground. The following drawing les- son or two will serve to clinch the point, or if it does not we take another walk. DRAWING 235 We study trees in the same way, to see how the smaller branches grow from the large ones and the limbs from the trunk. When we return to the class- room I show how, in drawing a tree, it is easier and much more successful to make it grow naturally from the ground up, each successive branch adding to the growth and the strength of the trunk. The other day I was giving a lesson on the flag. We had a talk about the colors, counted the red stripes and the white ones, and the rows of stars. Then, with the children in a group beside me, I drew a flag on the blackboard with colored chalk, the boys counting the short stripes and the girls counting the long ones. As I worked I was glad to observe, out of the comer of my eye, that one little lad who used to ask, "Do we have to?" whenever I suggested drawing for seat- work, was edging nearer and nearer. When I got to the blue field, he gave a long sigh of pleasure and exclaimed, "It's getting prettier every minute !" In illustrating stories and poems, the first lesson is always a free expression in drawing by the children, followed by class criticism and much practice on diffi- culties. I like to make use of clay and paper-cutting in this practice work, especially with animal forms. We have a bulletin board, where each child's work is shown sometime during the month. The children criti- cize and commend their own work and that of each other. Not many of us have talent in drawing and very few may ever become artists, but it is possible for any- one who can learn to write to learn to draw also, at least well enough to express his own ideas and mental images. And self-expression is the purpose of drawing. 236 PEDAGOGICAL PEP VS^HEN CHILDREN LOVE TO DRAW By Mary B. Gnibb The small child's universal fondness for stories is rivaled by his love for picture-making. Under the guidance of teachers this natural love for drawing is easily retained, if the artistic skill of the hand develops along with the development of the other faculties. A well-known psychologist carefully viewed our an- nual drawing exhibit. His verdict was : "Subject mat- ter fine in all grades, but the primary drawing too good! Children do not see things that way." The chart to which he referred was filled with pictures of baby chickens. I explained to him that I had given the lesson to a large class of advanced first graders. First, I knew the majority of the youngsters would draw a vertical line for the leg with three slanting lines extending down- ward to represent the toes — a sort of pitchfork. To obviate this error I said, "To-day we are to draw baby chickens. Before we begin, I want you to play that your left arm is a chicken's leg, your fingers its toes. Show me on your desks how it would stand." They all placed their fingers spreading flat on the desk, holding the arm almost perpendicular. "Now take your right hand and follow the direction of the leg and toes, and show me in the air how you are going to draw the leg and toes." This done, I continued, "I hope none of you will make your poor chicks stand on tiptoe." This brought forth a hearty laugh, and a chorus of "No, No." We then brought in about a half-dozen chickens and gave them feed. The children were asked to study them, then to follow the shape of one by drawing its DRAWING 237 outline in the air. When they had learned to use both the eyes and hand, I held one of the chicks against a sheet of paper for a few moments to give an idea of the size. Everyone worked happily, frequently stopping to study the subject again. The teacher and I stood in the back of the room, that we might get the effect when the entire class raised their drawings. The results were surprisingly good. The majority had made at least one toe almost horizontal and they were approximately the correct size. We both praised the work. Then I added, "All of you have drawn the chicken with its side toward you. Suppose we make another picture with the chicken facing you." The teacher and I each held a chicken on a book. We stood in front of the children and paused in each aisle long enough for all to get a good view. Then they drew from memory. The next lesson we again worked from life, but used water colors instead of crayons. The best work from the two lessons was pinned upon the burlap, which we had glued to the wall over the low blackboard. The burlap was finished with a narrow wood moulding. We always hung our best work there for a day or two. "Best" is an elastic term. If a child who found draw- ing difficult made a show of improvement, that piece was placed on the burlap. If a gifted child made a fair drawing, but one not so good as he was capable of doing, it was not exhibited. This method gave each an incentive to do his best. This scheme worked espe- cially well in the higher grades. The psychologist accepted, without any criticism, our way of presenting the subject and made several notes regarding our method. 238 PEDAGOGICAL PEP The lesson described was only the beginning of the subject. We made a collection of chicken pictures. Poultry books, magazine stories, and advertisements, as well as Easter cards, were the source of this mate- rial which was filed away in a large paper case. A third-grade class had made very unsatisfactory nature drawings. Their lines were poor, and the ar- rangement on paper and the size of sketch unsatisfac- tory, but worst of all they made no attempt to show the truth of structure. They had drawn a branch of buds, with no regard for their arrangement on the stem or the correct number. After studying the results, we planned to try again. Each child was given a branch of pussy willows, cray- ons, and three sheets of paper, each three inches by nine inches. The teacher said : "For to-day's lesson, I want you to think of just one thing. It is that your picture must tell the truth. As I ask some questions do not answer in words, but remember to answer them in your drawing. Is the stem hard or soft? Is it smooth or rough? Is there a bud at the top of the branch? Is the second bud at the right or left of the branch? Are the buds exactly opposite? Can you see just a part of some of the buds? How many buds are there on the branch you have ? Are the buds hard or soft ? "Now place one sheet of your paper at the left of your desk. Lay your branch upon it, not exactly in the middle, and be sure that it does not point toward the comers. Remember you are to answer my ques- tions in your picture and to make your drawing life- size. Do not move the branch. Take one of your sheets of paper and draw." The result showed a wonderful improvement. DRAWING 239 To summarize: — 1. Show the children how to see and feel things, and they Mall leaiTi to draw, 2. Select subjects of interest. 3. Draw when the interest in the subject is at its height even if it means a revision of an entire week's plan. 4. Try to tell the truth of structure and of appear- ance. 5. Have good reference material, such as, pictures, books, nature collections, poems, myths, and stories, that will add to the interest of the subject. RELATING DRAWING TO A PRACTICAL PROBLEM By" Fairolia B. Weaver In one schoolroom the drawing class appeared to be a real bugbear. Only a few pupils showed the least aptitude or interest in the subject. They endeavored to avoid as much of the work as possible bj'- various subterfuges. For this reason the teacher enforced a ruling that each pupil who v/as not fully prepared for the drawing period must remain fifteen minutes after school for each offense. Then the teacher began studying the problem in an effort to make the class so attractive that each pupil would look forward to it with delightful anticipation. Finally she decided to try a series of drawing lessons grouped about a central idea, which she hoped might stimulate the pupils* imagination and hold their attention. The teacher introduced the work by telling the class that each pupil was to imagine that he was going 240 PEDAGOGICAL PEP to build and furnish a cottage near a lake. She ex- plained that in order to make a pleasant and com- fortable home it was necessary to plan carefully and thoughtfully each detail of construction, decoration and furnishing; therefore it was expedient to make a book of drawings and descriptions illustrating these points. Since the name of the cottage was to serve as the title of the book the first requisite was the choosing of a name before designing the cover. The teacher ex- plained that the naming of a home was desirable, as it was a means of identification and a convenience in locating places and people ; that it showed respect for the home ; and that the name should be appropriate to the surroundings or suggestive of some distinctive feature. To illustrate, she wrote on the blackboard the names of the homes of a few noted writers. Then the class was requested to give suggestions. Some mentioned the names of homes in the neighborhood, while others who had visited lake resorts gave the des- ignations they had observed on some of the cottages. The teacher bade each pupil to come to the next recita- tion with a name for his cottage. During the first lesson a simple border for the cover was made. Several pupils exhibited clever originality by using a motif suggestive of the cottage name, as, for instance: Oakdale — a border of oak leaves and acorns; Ivy Cottage — a repetition of ivy leaves; Clo- vemook — clover leaves and blossoms; Orchard House — two pupils chose that name, and one made a design of apple blossoms and leaves, while the other used bright red and yellow apples. At the second lesson the name was printed in block letters, and the whole de- sign was then colored. DRAWING 241 The teacher worked out forty-three lessons, as fol- lows : Selecting Name of Cottage. 1. Designing border for cover. 2. Printing name of cottage. Selecting Plan of Cottage. 3. Drawing plan of cottage. 4. Drawing front view of cottage. 5. Drawing side view of cottage. Living Room. 6. Design for stencil border or wall paper. 7. Illustration of hanging draperies. 8. Rug design. 9. Working drawing of library table. 10. Working drawing of bookcase. 11. Illustration of fireplace. Dining Room. 12. Design for stencil border or wall paper. 13. Illustration of group windows draped. 14. Rug design. 15. Working drawing of dining chair. 16. Monogram design for table linen. 17. Drawing of cup and saucer below eye level. 18. Drawing of electric light fixture above eye level. 19. Drawing of bowl of flowers. Kitchen. 20. Design for linoleum. 21. Drawing of stove. North Bedroom. 22. Design for stencil border or wall paper. 23. Design for flowered cretonne draperies. 24. Rag rug design. South Bedroom. 25. Quilt pattern. 242 PEDAGOGICAL PEP 26. Stencil border of conventionalized flower design. 27. Same design for flower-bordered draperies. 28. Crocheted oval rug design. Bathroom. 29. Design for tiled walls and floor. 30. Working drawing of cabinet. Porch. 31. Design for rug. 32. Nature drawing of geranium in pot. Garage. 33. Plan. 34. Front view. 35. Car. Grounds. 36. Plan of lawn and flower beds drawn to scale. 37. Plan of vegetable garden. 38. Drawing of shade trees. Study of Bird Houses. 39. Design of bird house. 40. Working drawing of bird house. 41. Nature drawing of bird. Landscapes. 42. View of lake from cottage. 43. View illustrating perspective. In connection with the study of each room the color, materials, and design for the walls, floors, and fur- nishings were discussed and decided upon. Catalogue and magazine clippings offered useful suggestions in our discussions. Simple mechanical drawings, such as the different kinds of lines, triangles, and plane and solid figures, were made during the construction lessons. The teacher aimed to teach simplicity, harmony, and good taste as well as to inculcate ideas of thrift DRAWING 243 and economy. This method of teaching drawing of- fered excellent opportunities for correlation, as the teacher easily included lessons in nature study while studying landscape and vegetable gardening, selecting flower designs, kinds of wood for floors, furniture, and woodwork, and planning bird houses. Hygiene and sanitation were taught while discussing suitable sites, drainage, plumbing, lighting, heating, and ventilation. Practical application of arithmetic v/as necessary for scale drawing, pattern making, working drawings, and estimating building and furnishing expenditures for the cottage. History and geography were reviewed while discuss- ing the homes of authors and the origin of building materials and furnishings. English and spelling were correlated by written descriptions and expository themes about the manufacture of such materials as lumber, brick, paint, linen and cotton cloth, rugs, paper, china, and linoleum. This practical m.ethod of presenting drawing work proved a decided educational success, as it excited and held the interest of the pupils throughout the entire course. CHILDREN LED TO SEE AND EXPRESS THE BEAUTY IN THINGS THAT GROW By Maud M. Hayman One of the delights of my life when I was a little child was to go walking with my father. He was a man with a seeing eye for the hidden, as well as the apparent beauties of nature, and he had an almost sympathetic affection for everything that grows from the ground. 244 PEDAGOGICAL PEP On these walks we did not pick flowers ; we visited them. You might have seen the big man and the little child down on their knees looking in the face of a Spring Beauty where it grew; you might have heard us talking about it and to it; you might have heard the man saying that probably the fairies had painted the delicate streaks of color on the white petals. As we walked along we watched our steps, not wishing to tread down anything too frail to right itself after our passing, as the grass could. Thus I grew able to see and enjoy the beauty of line, proportion, form, and color, not only of flowers, but of the plant before and after flowering. Not only the showy growth, but equally the commonest weed came to have for me beauty of line, form, and color. When I became a teacher and supervisor of drawing my work brought to me the knowledge that while most children like flowers, they have no sympathy with them as living things. My heart was troubled for both the flowers and the children, when in the spring they came to school bringing bunches of tender wild flow- ers, suffocated, crushed, and dying in their hot fists. Their vandalism as they played Indian in weedy lots horrified me because their careless feet destroyed so many wonderful things. So I set myself to work to teach children to see and to draw and paint the subtle beauty in the things that grow. I brought in specimens, pointed out their char- acteristic shapes and colors, and set the children to drawing them. The results were painfully disappoint- ing. The children did not see any beauty in the speci- mens and did not understand what I was talking about. All this was amazing and disconcerting, so I stopped this effort and did other things. One day I made a DRAWING 245 new start. This was with children of the fifth and sixth grades. First, the children were taught to know by name, and to draw, three curves. The arc was made in all sizes, from a small finger movement to a large arm movement, and in all positions. The curve of force was drawn in all sizes and positions. The curve of grace was drawn in all sizes and positions, and was given many variations, from the letter S curve to a subtle curve that at first glance seemed to be a straight line. Also the children learned to vary its proportions from a curve having its reverse in the middle to one having the reverse near the end. Next, the children were led to recognize these curves wherever they could be found, first in obvious exam- ples, as in contours of pottery. Then they were given leaves and asked to draw them first in natural size and then very large (arm movement) : for instance, the curve of force on the edge of the lilac leaf, or the ex- aggerated curve of grace which forms the morning- glory leaf. They were asked to show how one side of the leaf differed from the other, as it usually does. Then they were required to draw with two lines the less evident curves forming the leaf stems and to show carefully just how much these two lines departed from parallelism. Many leaves were studied in this way, for I wanted to be sure that the child had possession of something. Then seed pods, carefully chosen for their interest- ing forms, were studied, preferably the seed pods of weeds, such as the Evening Primrose, and Toad Flax. Many, many seed pods were studied as the leaves were, for just one thing — the line movement of their contours. Again, every drawing was made nat- 246 PEDAGOGICAL PEP ural size and then very large, with free-arm move- ment. Immediately after each lesson we pinned up and kept before the children all the drawings that had good curves. The children began to be critical, to make comparisons, and to appreciate the grace of a well-made curve. A surprising thing began to be apparent. Propor- tion, which we have always made such an effort to teach, did not need to be mentioned. We started out to get one thing at a time, and found that in getting line movement the children also got proportion with- out anyone saying anything about it. And also, true structure and perspective appeared later in the draw- ings, though we did not mention them. There is hardly a straight line in nature. After much experience the children therefore began to see the difference betwen a straight line and a subtle curve that they would formerly have called straight. After a v/hile it became possible to give them a leaf or seed pod joined to a piece of stem and have them shov/ the modified contour of the stem where it makes a place to hold the leaf stem or pod. Very early in the spring a single leaf bud on a sec- tion of stem was given to each child. The children were then asked to tell what curves the bud and the stem required them to draw. They drew the curves natural size and then much enlarged, with arm move- ment. This drawing was outlined with a strong brown line, by using the point of a crayon. Then, by using a short, uncovered piece of crayon, a smooth, light tone of brown was easily spread within the outline. A few days later the children were each given an- other single bud on a piece of stem. Interest in this was just as keen, because by that time the children DRAWING 247 knew that no two buds, however much alike apparent- ly, would require them to draw exactly the same kind of line. An enlarged drawing was soon on the paper, corrected and outlined. Again, with the small, un- covered crayon, brov/n was spread lightly inside the outline. Here something else was noticed. The brown was not like the brown of the first bud. It had some red in it. So red crayon was mixed with the brown. Thus the children learned that when the sap begins to run and the tree awakens from its long sleep, the brown of the twigs and buds begins to blush with red. Then yellow and green appear in rapid succession. By this time the children are actually excited, and they come to school bringing, not thick bunches of wilting flowers, but one small miracle of growth. They show the teacher its color blendings and its interesting lines ; and they tell her that they want to draw it. Lately I went into Miss K.'s room, and she said: "Do you see that that big boy over there is drawing. He usually causes quite a bit of trouble, but he came in early to-day with that curious bit of growth to show me. He said to me, *Say, isn't that a pretty color? May I begin to do it now?' It really is wonderful, isn't it? What a fine looking thing a bud, or seed pod, or a flower with its petaL gone, is when we know how to look at it. The children enjoy drawing these things as much as, if not more than, drawing flowers." And I went out with a prayer of thankfulness in my heart. NATURE STUDY STUDYING NATURE'S WONDERS WITH THE CHILDREN Br Edna P. Adel One hears on all sides such remarks as, "The idea of asking me to teach nature study. I know nothing about it." "I can't teach what I don't know." "What do I know about bugs and worms ! I just hate them." You have all, no doubt, heard at least one of the above remarks. I wish to make the alarming statement that the most enthusiastic and effective teachers of nature that I have ever seen were those who knew little or nothing of it when they started to teach it. Learn as the children learn. Oh, how they love to find something that you do not know, some moth new to you, some insect that you have to hunt up! How they love to come in with their hands full of weeds and get out a weed guide for identification so that they can help you mount and label them! I'll never forget my early days in studying the most common moths. I did not know any more about them than the children did. I did not know a Cecropia from a Promethea, or a Luna from a Sphinx. This added interest to the great game of hunting through a good moth guide to see what treasures we had. Our souls expanded and in a short time there were little groups NATURE STUDY 24» teaching the teacher the glorious things they had found out. Very soon each little group picked out its special in- terest in the gifts of nature, and brought in a great wealth of specimens and information. Some chose to watch the flowers. Some could not cease to marvel at our common weeds. The exquisite milkweed, the sedge, burdock, mullein, yarrow, teasel, and dandelion all hold the children by their lure and magic. The ferns with their curled-up fingers enchanted many of the children. The moths with their glorious riot of color almost made us breathless. The hunt for cocoons took us into highways and byways. The joy of having our first cocoons open before our eyes and of seeing the occu- pants come forth looking so unlike the vision of loveli- ness that we knew they would become, was a joy to be long remembered. We could not find a Luna or Pro- methea cocoon so we sent East and bought some. We just could not afford to miss the wonder of it all. Cecropia cocoons are so plentiful that one year we. found twenty-three in our down-town city district. Of course the birds held our interest throughout the year. One child discovered a pair of orioles weaving their nest on a great elm. That meant hours of silent watching by a group of us. It was a rare treat. Im- agme the joy of the boy who discovered it! It is all so wonderful, so worth while, so inspiring,, that no one should hesitate to spend time on it. In God's great out of doors, all will conspire to help you if you will undertake to try to learn of it, and as you learn, teach, and as you teach you will think of the widow's cruse of oil — the more you give of your knowledge the more you will have. 250 PEDAGOGICAL PEP WESTOVER JUX^iOR AUDUBON SOCIETY By Ida S. Given Near the Westover School are some maple trees which the birds chose as a safe place for their nests and the rearing of their young. One day the children found that by some unknown means a nest had been destroyed and the young birds were all missing, ex- cept one that lay under the tree, all mangled and bleed- ing. This little non-feathered helpless form was brought into the schoolroom, and caused a great deal of excitement and comment as to what should be done. We talked about this little bird and what might have happened to its mates. The home next door to the school building owned a cat. The children had seen this cat with a little chicken in its mouth one day, so, of course, it was put under suspicion immediately. We then began to discuss ways and means of band- ing ourselves together to protect the birds from such foul play. We had several talks about the matter, try- ing to figure out the best action to take. At last we de- cided to ask the other grades what they thought about organizing a bird club to find out more about birds. In order to create a greater interest in their plan- ning, one teacher showed the children two books that her grade had won as prizes in other schools by organ- izing bird clubs and competing in some picture con- tests. These books were awarded by the National Audubon Society. We called a general meeting of the different rooms and talked about the possibilities of an organization. It was decided that each room was to discuss whom they would like for officers and to submit a name for the proposed organization. At the next meeting they NATURE STUDY 251 were to be given a chance to join the club by bringing a fee of ten cents. At the opening of the next meeting the other rooms reported favorably for an organization and submitted these names for the society, "Jenny Wren Bird Club," *'Westover Sentinels," "Westover Warblers," and "Westover Junior Audubon Society." The latter name received the most votes, and the club was so called. They then proceeded to elect a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. One of the teachers had just had a letter from the secretary of the National Audubon Society, explain- ing how to organize and that the fee would be ten cents to cover cost of sending the bird leaflets and a badge to be worn by each member. The society met on Friday afternoons. Each room took turns at leading the meetings. Sometimes they were led by the teachers, sometimes by the pupils, but each room was supposed to be prepared to discuss the bird to be studied at that meeting. Sometimes the children read stories or compositions written about the bird, and sometimes the phonograph was brought in and a suitable record was played. Before the bird literature and badges came, we dis- cussed bird life in general from the coming of the birds in the spring to their migration in the fall; their uses to us : why we should protect them ; their natural enemies; and to whom we should report in case an offender is caught treating birds cruelly. The law on bird protection was explained. It was a gala day when the literature and badges arrived. All the members stood in a row, about sev- enty-five in all, and the literature and buttons were passed. As the buttons were pinned on, it v/as ex- 252 PEDAGOGICAL PEP plained to the children that in wearing the button they pledged themselves to protect birds from that time on. In the early spring we began to talk about building homes for the birds. Several different designs for houses were posted on the bulletin board and each child was to select the design best suited for the bird for whom he wished to build the box. After the boxes were all made and labeled with the child's name, age and grade, they were placed on tables in the hall on the first floor of the building where all could see them. Three men from the faculty of a near-by university •were selected as judges to award the prizes to the makers of the best box. Two dollars and fifty cents was given as first prize; two dollars for second prize; and one dollar and fifty cents for third and fourth prizes. Pictures were given by the school to those re- ceiving honorable mention. HOW I HAPPENED TO TEACH NATURE STUDY Br Vera E. Ball I had agreed to teach a district school which had the reputation of being rather hard to manage. As all former teachers complained of a lack of cooperation and interest on the part of parents and children, I de- voted a great deal of thought to this problem. How- ever, when September came I had no solution. By the end of the first week I found myself fully agreeing with my predecessors. There was no order, except such as I brought about by force of strict disci- pline. Then, by accident, I found the source of inter- est I desired. NATURE STUDY 253 One day one of the boys brought in a large cabbage butterfly to show me. I took the little captive in my hand and began to tell the children its strange life his- tory. I noticed that they seemed interested, so went on to tell of other butterflies. When I had described the common brick-colored variety, one of the boys said, "Why, I can get you one of those. I see them every day on my way to school." I thanked him, and then suggested that they each bring any kind of but- terfly they could find, and we would study them. The ice was broken, and all were eager to talk at once. The next day I was deluged with butterflies. As we could not study them all at once, I showed the children how to prepare the insects for mounting. We spent our noons and recesses in the fields collecting butter- flies. We obtained some very fine specimens. Some of the children even brought bees, dragonflies, and wasps to add to their collections. The study of the insects added much to the interest of the school work, and furnished a topic for essays and discussions. When the frosts put an end to our collecting, we prepared our insects for exhibit. We filled flat boxes with smooth white cotton, and placed in the center a pressed flower. In some cases it was a spray of gol- denrod, in some a bunch of field daisies. One child found, in a book at home, a pressed wild rose, which looked very pretty against the white background. Around the flowers we grouped the best butterflies, in as nearly natural a position as possible, putting one of the bees on the flower, as if it were gathering honey. A glass cover, the size of the box, was fastened on with black passepartout. Then rings for hanging were put on the back, and our natural pictures were ready for exhibit. They were much admired by the parents on 254 PEDAGOGICAL PEP Patrons* Day. At the end of the year, each child proudly bore off his collection to decorate the wall of his own home. I feel that the effort was worth while, because of the increased interest in the school work, and the develop- ment of the child nature by contact with and deeper understanding of the outdoor world. THE RIPPLE- VIEW BIRD STUDY CLUB Br Edith B. Blair Autumn was growing into winter. In the little schoolhouse not far from the Mississippi River, the children spoke of nutting parties, and of helping to get in the apples and to "pick up" potatoes. The Big Boy of the school, whose entrance I dreaded because of the stories I had heard of his disregard of rules and regulations, sent word he was coming as soon as the corn was "shucked." The children, though surrounded with interesting material to study, knew little of nature. I was sur- prised at the ignorance and indifference they showed. I decided that the birds and their study would come first, and was shocked and dismayed to find that they did not know the names of even the commonest birds, and cared little to learn them. Field trips of any kind were new in the Ripple-view district — a certain num- ber of hours hard at their lessons was the plan there — so we began with a field trip to see how many birds we could see and recognize. The result was not encourag- ing. The children were noisy and excited, regarding the trip as a sort of picnic. They frightened the birds away, and did not know the names of the few they saw, describing them variously, "a sort o' brown looking NATURE STUDY 255 one" or "a blue one that looked kind of black." Yes, that first field trip was a failure, but we kept right on. I got several copies of a good bird guide, and a pair of secondhand field glasses. We studied the birds as they went south, spending several days with the black- birds as they gathered in the big maple tree near the schoolhouse. As winter came on I was sure I had ac- complished one thing. The children were interested. They almost embarrassed me with their eager descrip- tions and questions. I encouraged them to study the birds they saw and identify them from the bird guide. They learned to describe more accurately as they studied the descriptions in the book. The parents be- came interested and the guides were in demand, as "Papa wants to know what that kind of yellowish bird with spots on its head is that lives down in the or- chard." Yes, they were interested. Then the Big Boy came. I knew he had heard of the new teacher and "her being crazy about the birds." He made me no trouble, but spent his extra time in studying my copy of the guide. At noon that first day he asked my permission to go out with my field glasses to study a big bird that nested near by every year. Two of the smaller boys went with him, and they came back with an interesting story to tell us of a hen hawk that circled round and round a huge mass of twigs and feathers, a last spring's nest. They wondered why the big bird was so slow in going south. Later in the week they reported that all was still, and the big bird was on his way to the southland. I think it was early in December that we organized our Bird Study Club. We met on Friday after the last recess in the afternoon. We elected officers, mak- ing the Big Boy president. One of the girls was elect- 256 PEDAGOGICAL PEP ed secretary, and the two sat at a small table in the front of the room during the meetings. Each member of the school down to the tiniest child belonged, and was expected to take part in the program occasionally. I sat in the back of the room, and had a part in every program, usually a short talk which I tried to make very interesting. Everything was on the subject of birds. Sometimes we made our programs general and sometimes we studied one bird or family of birds. There was a program committee — new every month — that had charge of the programs with suggestions from the teacher. Sometimes the entire program was a surprise to me, and as I rested in my seat in the schoolroom and en- joyed the interesting numbers, I realized that the training the children were getting in initiative was as important as the nature study. There were readings and recitations, with a chance for the telling of true stories about birds. The programs were very good. The children planned them early in the week, and practiced at home. The mothers became interested and gradually began to at- tend. The children begged me to let their mothers join the Club. I was willing, and though they took little part in the program they enjoyed the meetings, and an audience helped the children to do better work. It is a long story, how we planned and studied that winter, how we looked forward to the coming of spring and its birds from the south, how we fed and cared for the brave little fellows who spent the winter in the north. Then came the early arrivals. Each morning we put down the birds seen and identified, with a spe- cial page of our Audubon Calendar for the names, dates, and obsei^vers of the first bird of each kind to be NATURE STUDY 257 recognized. The boy or girl who saw the first blue- bird, or heard and saw the first robin was proud in- deed. This list was read at the Club meeting each Fri- day, and thus they learned by actual observation when to expect the return of the songsters. Spring same with its field trips, full of interest now to the quiet little group with field glasses and guides. The Big Boy had to leave us to help with the spring plowing, but one day he arrived breathless at the schoolhouse door just as I called the second reading class. He had found the nest of a loggerhead shrike, with the snakes and mice hanging on thorns near it "just like the book said." He had tied his horses and come across the fields, because he wanted us all to see it. I might have waited until after school, but I didn't. That eager look in his eyes was too much for me. I dismissed the class, and as quietly and quickly as we could we all hurried back with him, each with a Guide open to the picture of the shrike or butcher bird, and the field glasses screwed to the proper focus. She was on the nest, and she stayed until all, down to the tiniest child had a chance to see that she was exactly like the picture, then she flew away just far enough so that we could study her again perched on the hedge. We examined the nest, and then went back to our studies. Late in April we celebrated Bird Day with a whole afternoon of pleasure. We had guests, nearly fifty of them, and our last Club meeting of the year was the most enthusiastic we ever had. Our program was un- usually good. The Big Boy president was with us for the afternoon dressed in his best, with his mother smiling fondly from the front seat. He had walked two miles that morning to dig up three mulberry trees 258 PEDAGOGICAL PEP for us to plant on the school grounds for the birds, during the exercises of the afternoon. Later I took his picture with the spade as he planted the trees. The girls served hot chocolate and frosted cookies, and everybody enjoyed them. We had over fifty members when the meeting was over. The whole neighborhood was there. Our Bird Study Club was a success ! THE JOYS OF NATURE STUDY By Sara V. Prueser How much joy we would bring into our lives if we would but open our eyes to the wonders of God's handi- work. Are we going to permit the American boys and girls to remain blind to the nature that is around and about them, or are we going to have them employ all their senses in the joy of finding it? Children, naturally, love nature. To them the world is a heaven that lies about them in their youth. Why should it not continue to be a heaven as they grow up to manhood and womanhood? Will you not help to make it so? Take five minutes some February morning to tell the boys and girls about a bird you saw, concealing its name. Let them tell you what it is. If they do not know, ask them to find out all they can about it by con- sulting the bird books in the library. Insist that they talk to their parents and friends about this particular bird. The next morning show them a picture of the bird. Then test their observation and research work. Being sure of its identity, record on a chart, or in a notebook, its name, date, and the name of the pupil making the identification. After this work is done, ask them if they would not like to know fifty birds. I NATURE STUDY 259 assure you that they will, if you but add a little fuel to the fire of your enthusiasm each day. A little boy in my room identified seventy-eight last Spring, with- out taking any school time for it. Direct the children's work in bird study from the following outline by having each pupil make a copy of it; also have him record all observations made in a notebook. 1. Name — Date — Where seen? 2. Size — compare with English sparrow or robin. 3. Color — plumage, bill, feet. 4. Markings — top of head, back, breast, wings^ tail. 5. Shape — ^body, bill, wing, tail. 6. Movements — hopping, creeping, swimming, walking. 7. Flight — rapid, undulating, circling, direct, soar- ing, sailing, flapping. 8. Song — ^variety of notes. 9. Food — animal or vegetable, or both. 10. Nest — location, shape, size, materials. 11. Eggs — number, color, size. 12. Young — first plumage, food, care of young by parent birds, length of time in nest, why they leave the nest. The first week in March, I said to the boys and girls, "Let us see how many song birds we can raise this summer. Whose dooryard is going to have the great- est number of birds singing in it?" With these sug- gestive questions the bird boxes and houses went up not only in their own dooryards but in the dooryards of others, as they induced their neighbors to put up boxes too. The first week in June, each boy took the bird census of the street on which he lived. One street 260 PEDAGOGICAL PEP had fourteen robin nests in maple trees, and a wren family in every wren house. I never saw such a bunch of enthusiastic youngsters as they were. Often their joy at making some new discovery was so great that they would come out to my home to tell me about it. The children's interest was greatly aroused when I asked if each one would like to establish a little bird park or sanctuary at his home. I had the children ex- plain to me how the birds were attracted to shrubs, trees, and flowers because of the shelter they gave and the insect life they provided; how on winter days of ice and sleet the bird's food supply was cut off ; how on dry, summer days their water supply was limited to rivers and lakes; and how the children must provide for these three essentials — food, water, and shelter — in order to attract the birds to their park. We de- cided that a little bird park should have at least one feeding station, a drinking fountain, and a number of suitable nesting places. This suggestive plan gave the children much constructive work to do, and kept their minds occupied with new and original ideas which resulted in beautiful bird parks. Wild and cul- tivated shrubs were planted, pretty gardens made, at- tractive bird houses and boxes put up, and, in some cases, artistic little seats were placed under the trees. Through the winter, the boys and girls did not for- get their **pets," as some called them, for whenever the weather conditions were such as to make the food supply short, the children put out cracked nuts, seeds, and bones. A number of the larger boys strung bits of suet on the thorn bushes, and tacked bones to the trees, besides making a number of shelters for the quail. They also saw to it that the feeding stations were kept NATURE STUDY 261 supplied with food. Their attitude towards the pres- ervation of bird life was blest with the same feeling that they had for their pet animals at home, — solic- itous interest in the happiness of all life. The methods I employed in acquainting the pupils with the trees, shrubs, and wild flowers were quite similar to those I used in the study of birds. Trees were studied during the winter season. Pupils were asked to bring in sketched outlines of the trees ob- served. On Friday afternoon some of these sketches were drawn on the board. Then they were asked to tell about the bark, bud, and branching of the trees which helped to identify them. We studied the gen- eral usefulness of trees and what could be done to pre- serve them. The leaves of the trees were observed in the springtime. For the study of wild flowers, I have found the fol- lowing plan an excellent one for it provides suflficient variety to stimulate continued interest in the flower life of our woods and fields. In September the pupils report the wild flowers that are in blossom for that month; they do the same for October. A few general characteristics are observed. The simple life of the flower is taught as it appeals to the child, putting aside any effort to teach botany. Each pupil is then given a set of white cards six by eight inches, and asked to mount, after pressing, a specimen of the leaf and blos- som, but not the root. Uprooting flowers is a bad practice and should be discouraged, as it often results in the destruction of rare specimens. On the back of each card the pupil writes his simple description of the specimen: — name, date, where found, kind of soil, general appearance of blossom, stem, leaf, and buds. In the spring the wild flowers, blossoming in April, 262 PEDAGOGICAL PEP May, and June, are studied in the same way. So each year the pupil learns to know the wild flowers growing in his locality, to enjoy their beauty, and to provide for their propagation. Keep a map of the sky on your table and ask the pupils to find out what constellations can be seen each month of the year; what planets are evening stars; when they become morning stars; what astronomers have found out about the universe. Such suggestive questions as these will take the child out under the stars to scan the heavens that declare the glory of God. BIRD LIFE IN OUR CX)MMUNITY B>^ Alice J. Patterson It is surprising how easy it is to interest school chil- dren in the bird life of their community. Without ques- tion the best way to arouse this interest is to teach birds as a part of the nature study course. In schools that are not fortunate enough to have regular periods for nature study much may be done informally in correlation with language, reading, or geography. What the teacher wishes to accomplish is not merely to have the children talk about birds or know bird pic- tures, but be able to recognize the common birds by sight, to observe their habits, and to learn to protect them in every way possible. The method of approach will vary somewhat with the different grades. With any of the grades, how- ever, the work may start with a sort of challenge from the teacher as — "I saw a blue jay as I came to school this morning. He was calling 'spee spee' in a loud voice. I had a good look at him. I wonder if you know how many dijfferent colors he has? Keep on the NATURE STUDY 263 lookout for jays and be ready to tell to-morrow what you see. Look for other birds also." I have never found this plan to fail in arousing the immediate interest of the children. All come ready with their reports, each one, perhaps, wanting to talk about a different bird. Many worth-while questions are asked and an interesting discussion follows. After several days of this independent observation the children are given some definite points to look for as — "Watch birds that are on the ground. How do they move about ? How do they show they are looking for food ? Watch birds when they fly. What do they do with their tails? Their wings? Their feet? Watch birds moving about in trees. Which ones walk along the branches ? Which hop from one twig to an- other? Which climb up the trunk? Stand still and listen to bird songs. Try to imitate them. "Watch birds collecting material for nests. If you can find a bird in the act of nest building watch it every minute you can spare. Try to determine whether both the father and mother bird work on the nest." These points are simply suggestive; the teacher will find others for the children to look for. Upper-grade children may be encouraged to keep records of the nesting habits of birds if they find a nest that can be conveniently observed from day to day. Another device to aid in keeping up the interest of the primary and intermediate grades is the picture calendar. For this the teacher needs colored pictures of the common birds. These should be mounted on stiff cardboard. When a child reports a bird that he has seen he is sent to the pile of pictures to find his bird. The picture is then hung up in a special place arranged for the bird calendar. The name of the bird 264 PEDAGOGICAL PEP and the date are written either on the board or on a sheet of cardboard and kept for reference. The next bird reported has its picture placed beside the first. This is continued just as long as new birds are re- ported. Upper-grade children keep in their bird booklet or in a pocket notebook a calendar of the birds they see. In connection with the calendar these children look up the migratory habits of some of the birds and weave into a story the journeys of the birds, telling the vari- ous countries they visit and some of the interesting things they see. Another plan that we sometimes use with the lower grades is to have the children cut outline forms of the birds they report and color with crayon or water color. Sometimes we use free-hand cuttings, sometimes stencils. Upper-grade children make bird booklets. They use colored pictures, three by four inches, that are ob- tained for one cent each. Each bird fills one page of the booklet. The picture is pasted near the top and below this the facts that the children have discovered for themselves are written. Frequently we suggest to the children certain interesting groups of birds for their booklets; as, "Birds Seen Around My Home," "Birds Seen in the Woods," "Birds Found in Fields," "The Thrush Family," "The Sparrow Family," and "The Mocking Bird Family." Each child chooses his own groups. Well-planned excursions are another incentive to keep up the interest. In the early spring the after- noon at the close of school is a good time for field study. If there is a large roomful of children it is better to take part of them one afternoon and the oth- NATURE STUDY 265 ers the next day. During the latter part of April and the first part of May early morning excursions are best. These may be taken by upper-grade children. From five-thirty or six until seven o'clock is a good time. The chief value of the excursion is to help the chil- dren catch the spirit of bird study. Two or three of these field trips v^^ill do more to stimulate the desire to continue bird observation than a dozen indoor lessons. Nothing tends more to create a permanent interest than to encourage the children to care for and protect bird life. A discussion brings out the fact that birds need w^ater, food, nesting sites, and materials. Birds may be attracted to school and home grounds by providing them with plenty of water. Pans for this purpose should be placed a foot or two above the ground to prevent the attack of cats. During the sum- mer, birds find sufficient food in the woods, fields, and gardens. But in winter or early spring they often suffer from lack of food. Feeding stations should be placed on school grounds and children encouraged to place them at home. Upper-grade children should learn the shrubs whose berries attract birds and set some of these out on their home grounds. The best of these are bush honeysuckles, Japanese barberry, ar- rowwood, high bush cranberry, and flowering currant. During the nesting season building material should be supplied. Cotton strings, bits of yarn, threads, and horse hairs should be scattered on shrubs or the branches of trees. Small twigs taken from branches, pruned from trees and shrubs, may be scattered about. Pans of mud may be placed where robins can find them. Upper-grade children should make houses for wrens, bluebirds, flickers, and martins. These may be 266 PEDAGOGICAL PEP made in connection with manual training when that is taught. Some of them should be placed on the school grounds, some at home. Children should do everything possible to prevent the destruction of birds. The need of getting rid of stray cats should be emphasized. Pet cats should be fed properly and watched to see that they do not form the habit of killing birds. A program on Arbor and Bird day in which the children tell some of the facts they know about birds is an excellent climax for the year's work. An exhibit of bird booklets, posters and bird houses may be an interesting feature of the program. GEOGRAPHY LOCAL GEOGRAPHY AS A STEP TO WORLD GEOGRAPHY By Edith Whitcomb .We have been inclined in days past to look upon geography as a subject to enter the curriculum in about the fourth grade after the pupils have acquired considerable power and independence in reading. And so it should be if it is looked upon as learning a given amount of subject matter from some text, coupled with a detailed study of maps. But fortunately, mod- em ideas give us quite a different view of the subject. We learn that geography is the study of man's rela- tionship to his environment and the world in general, their interdependence upon each other, and how this relationship is effected. Asked not long ago "Where do you begin geogra- phy?" I replied, "In the kindergarten." This is liter- ally true for there the child first begins to reach out beyond the home into a concept of his dependence up- on others. He learns of the work being done for him by the farmer, grocer, baker, miner, and so forth. He learns that the trains bring him many necessities and that thousands of people are contributing daily to his well-being. This study is carried on through the first and second grades in more detail. He learns how the whole world is called upon to supply man's three great 268 PEDAGOGICAL PEP needs — food, clothing, and shelter — and, through a study of primitive peoples, how from the days of the tree-dwellers man has gradually developed more effi- cient methods for meeting these needs. The lives of cliff-dwellers, Eskimos, Indians, pastoral people, and pioneers all enlarge his vision of the world in general and the complexity of life. This paves the way for a detailed study of local geography in the third grade. I have found the outline, given below in skeleton form, which we are developing this year in the third B grade in our school very useful. The major part of the class discussion is carried on by the pupils, with the teacher acting as guide and occasionally furnish- ing a bit of information. Many questions are brought up in the discussions which form problems for the next day's lesson. These the children solve either by reading or making inquiries at home. The children are encouraged to suggest points for discussion and to bring in all additional material bearing any relation to the topic. For instance, last fall, in discussing news- papers, the teacher asked at the close of a lesson, "Have we learned all we wish to know about news- papers ?" A little girl replied, "I should like to know how they get all the news from so many places" and a boy added, "I have been wondering how the paper is made." These were used as problems for the follow- ing lessons. Excursions are made to every place pos- sible, and all types of material are brought in to sup- plement the discussions. Construction work, language work, and arithmetic are all correlated with the discussions. Some of these are suggested in the outline and additional ones are worked out by individual teachers. This year one group of foreigners worked out in detail a miniature GEOGRAPHY 269 city on the sand table. The principal buildings as well as residences and an occasional garage were rep- resented. These were made from two to four inches high. Streets were laid out, and railroads were added. Other groups have worked out excellent posters showing the evolution of transportation. There are innumerable opportunities for language correlation through written work, oral descriptions, and poems. For instance, Stevenson's "The Lamplighter" was read in connection with the discussion of less modern methods of street lighting and made a very direct ap- peal to the pupils. In the third A grade this work is continued with de- tailed study of the leading industries of the com- munity. Of course, this study includes much more than just geography, but it is my opinion that it is the only way by which we can teach real geography — the world in relation to man's great needs. Outline for Third B Grade OUR CITY A. General knowledge 1. Name, number of people, location in general, principal industries, near-by towns. 2. How town originated, why so named, early his- tory as related by pioneers. 3. Prominent large cities of U. S. B. Government 1. City government — name of mayor, how selected, principal duties. How we can help officials. 2. Government beyond city — state and United States. Chief officer, how chosen, where he lives, how he helps us. 270 PEDAGOGICAL PEP C. Schools 1. Needs of education. 2. How we learn. a. At home. b. At school. c. In libraries. d. Newspapers and magazines. e. Theatres including moving picture houses. f. Travels and lectures. g. Church. h. Observation. i. Compare primitive education and pioneer education with ours. ,Why does ours need to be different? D. Fire protection 1. Needs. 2. Causes of fire* 3. Ways to prevent fires. 4. Location of fire alarm boxes. How to call fire department. 5. Equipment of fire department. 6. Duties of firemen. Heroic lives. 7. Use of fire drill in school. E. Police protection 1. Needs. 2. How we can help police. 3. Life-saving crews. Their work. 4. Lighthouse keepers. F. Water system 1. Needs. 2. Source of supply. 3. How cost is met. 4. Compare with primitive methods and methods employed in country life. GEOGRAPHY 271 G. Lighting system 1. Needs. 2. Sources. H. Health Department 1. Needs. 2. How we can help. I. Transportation 1. Needs. 2. Modes of transportation. a. Railroads. b. Trolley lines. c. Automobiles. d. Aeroplanes. e. Boats. J. Postal service 1. Needs. 2. Transmission of mails. 3. Money orders. 4. Parcel post. 5. Rural mail service. K. Correlated work in connection with this subject 1. Map of state showing location of villages, cities and industries. 2. Language booklets illustrating "Our City." 3. Posters illustrating the many varied methods of transportation to and from "Our City." 4. Sand table representation of "Our City." 6. Arithmetic. a. Population of cities. b. Appropriation of money for various pur- poses. c. Taxes. d. Distances from "Our City" to places of in- terest. 272 PEDAGOGICAL PEP HOW TO MAKE GEOGRAPHY INTER- ESTING AND UP-TO-DATE By Lewis S. Mills Geography is one of the school subjects that changes rapidly. One day the capital of Russia was St. Peters- burg, the next day it was Petrograd. Before the war Germany held vast possessions in Africa, and at the close of the war she had lost them. Explorers are searching the far north, the far south, the interior of Asia, the tributaries of the Amazon, and other unex- plored portions of the earth. The boundaries of coun- tries change from time to time. New canals are opened and shipping routes change. The peoples of the earth, the winds, the tides, crops, occupations, in- terests, and activities, are continually changing here and there; and new adjustments are made. Land is rising in one place, sinking in another, and all the time the mountains are slowly wearing away. All is change and variation as the days go by. Yet, many teachers and classes study geography from the book alone. Perhaps the book was printed three years ago, possibly only a year ago; but there have been changes since then in some way in some parts of the earth. These changes should be noted. The interest of the pupils and teacher lags when day after day they turn to the same books, the same maps, the same pictures, the same descriptions and the same questions. The map drills on peoples, riv- ers, mountains, cities, lakes, islands, and countries of the world lack interest unless some new element is introduced. At the opening of school last fall we, the teachers and superintendent, decided to make the geography GEOGRAPHY 273 work of the year one of our project subjects. We de- cided to find some way to make it up-to-date, inter- esting, and of more value than hitherto. With these objects in view, we adopted the follow- ing plan: 1. The teacher and pupils were to look through magazines, papers, and any other available sources for cHppings and pictures to illustrate the subjects studied. These were to be brought to class to provide geography themes. 2. The teacher and pupils were to watch magazines and papers for any reports of changes of names of cities, or changes in boundaries, or for new discov- eries; and these, as found and reported, were to be listed in the geography notebooks. 3. Each room was to have a geography bulletin board in the school where geography items and pic- tures, on approval of the teacher, might be posted. 4. Friends in other parts of the country or world were to be asked to send the school picture post cards or descriptions of worth-while things. 5. The work in geography was to be no longer con- fined to the pages of the textbook. The textbook was to be supplemented from every available source. Last week on a visit to a fifth grade which had been studying China and Japan I found them reviewing and summing up the work. Pupil after pupil came before the class for a one- or two-minute talk. The first pu- pil held maps of China and Japan. He explained the location and climate. Other pupils followed with larg- er maps showing Pacific and world trade routes. The ports of China and Japan were named and located. The time from these ports to a few other great ports of the world was given. These were not maps from the 274 PEDAGOGICAL PEP geography but maps which had been found in maga- zines and a large city daily paper. Then followed pic- ture after picture of these countries. A few children brought in one or more books printed in China or Japan, and one child had a Japanese daily paper to show the others. Any part of the world can be studied in any grade in much the same manner as here described. The work must be planned by the teacher and organized definitely so that the children will know exactly what is to be done. In our school the interest in geography is greater than it ever has been, and the quality of work, both of teachers and pupils, is the best we have ever had. School books are useful and necessary, but we need to teach pupils to use the sources of information that will be available to them when they are no longer in school. As children grow up they cannot depend on a textbook in geography. The books they will have will probably be out of date ; and unless we teach them to follow the geography of the world in picture and print from day to day in the magazines and papers, they will find themselves, like many people of to-day, five or ten years out of date in their geographical informa- tion. HOW GEOGRAPHY BECAME A JOY TO MY PUPILS By Grace Wolgamott [When I began teaching in a little rural school, the most perplexing problem was how to interest the children in geography. The foreign countries and even our own neighboring states seemed so remote GEOGRAPHY 275 from their daily lives that they could not grasp the facts concerning the people and their trades. I devised the following plan, whereby interest was awakened and geography became a joy. At that time, we were studying Asia, so I will tell how we proceeded with that particular continent; the same method ap- plying to all others. First, I took a large smooth piece of heavy wrap- ping paper, about three feet wide and four feet long. This I tacked on the wall in a place where the class could work at any time without being disturbed. Then I drew on the paper the outline of Asia. After a brief but lively discussion about the main rivers, mountains, lakes, and deserts, I turned the comple- tion of the map over to the children. They put in the countries, outlining the boundaries with black crayon. The mountains were also put in with black, while the rivers and lakes were done in blue. The children then colored the various countries in delicate shades. When completed we had a large, and really attractive map. As we took up the study of each particular country, we found pictures to illustrate the homes, customs, dress, and religion of the people; also the products and animals native to each. The products of each country were also neatly printed on the map and as the study progressed, towns, seaports, railroads, and canals found their proper places. In connection with the map work, the pupils did a great deal of supplementary reading regarding the lives of the peoples, especially the Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, and Hindus. Several magazines were help- ful to us in this work. A lively discussion in class of all that the children had read enabled them to retain a great deal of valuable information. 276 PEDAGOGICAL PEP One girl, after completing the study of Asia, said : "I can remember so much about those people. Geog- raphy is so easy now." This method socializes geog- raphy and gives the children a more sympathetic un- derstanding of our foreign friends, and of their rela- tion to us in our everyday living. GOVERNMENT MATERIAL A VALUABLE AID IN TEACHING GEOGRAPHY By NelUe B. Allen We live in a changing vi^orld. New industries are flourishing, new regions are being developed. The white man is penetrating the jungles and forests of the tropical world to obtain the valuable products of those regions, while the colder temperatures of north- em and southern lands are but little hindrance to his progress in those directions. As the years go by we are more and more dependent on other countries for many things, — minerals, animal products from other lands in the temperate zone, and silk, rubber, coffee, chocolate, tea, sugar, hard woods, oil seeds and nuts, gums, resins, dyes, drugs, and fruits from tropical and semi-tropical regions. Our young people who so soon will hold the reins of gov- ernment need to know of these industries, what coun- tries produce these articles, and what nations of the world supply our mills, factories, and distributing houses. World conditions are changing so rapidly that books which are only a few years old are not to be relied up- on. From the different departments of the goverment at Washington information regarding industries, products, and nations which is accurate and up-to- GEOGRAPHY 277 date can be obtained free of cost. A monthly cata- logue of these publications can be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents at Washington. In writing to government offices for material, pu- pils must not expect an immediate answer to their let- ters. These departments are busy places. The offi- cials there are ready and willing to send to schools and individuals any material that they have for this purpose but allowance must be made for the enormous amount of work which passes through their hands. Letters should state very definitely just what informa- tion is desired and material for only a very few sub- jects should be asked for in one letter. If the course of study calls for work on North Amer- ica, an extensive use of government material may be made. Alaska may well be studied almost entirely by this means. The Bureau of Fisheries will supply ma- terial on the fish and fur industries ; the Bureau of Ed- ucation issues pamphlets on the schools and the peo- ple, and the Geological Survey will furnish material on mines and mining. The Department of Agriculture, in its series of Farmers* Bulletins, gives much valu- able information on fur farms in northern lands and the animals best adapted for this work. Though not a government department, the Alaska Department of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce issues material which is of great value in the study of Alaska. The pamphlets issued by our government give in- formation regarding industries and products in other lands besides our own. When studying Canada the work may be made much more valuable and inter- esting by the use of such material. From the Ca- nadian government at Ottawa also information con- cerning the different parts of the country may be ob- 278 PEDAGOGICAL PEP tained. The Departments of Agriculture, of Mines, of Trade and Commerce, and the Commission of Con- servation will be found especially helpful. The lessons on the United States will be of greater value if much study is given to authoritative material from Washington. Information from the Geological Survey regarding our minerals, the amount produced, the rank of the different states, and the production of different countries can be strictly relied upon. Our wheat, com, cotton, rice, flax and other products will assume a new importance when studied from descrip- tions written by experts in our Department of Agri- culture. The same is true of the information given by our Forestry Bureau concerning forests and forest products, and by the Bureau of Fisheries on the har- vests of ocean and lake and river. The Reclamation Service will send pamphlets de- scribing the great irrigation projects in the West, maps showing their location, and illustrations of reser- voirs, dams, and methods of conveying and using the water. From the National Park Service pupils can obtain material telling of the location, size, and number of our National Parks with interesting descriptions and illustrations. The Weather Bureau will send out information re- garding its work in foretelling storms, in warning sailors of dangerous seas, and in informing farmers of floods and frosts. Besides the assistance which may be had from these and other government departments, the Pan American Union at Washington has a wealth of material relating to the industries, cities, and people of the countries to the south of us. From this source the pupils can ob- GEOGRAPHY 279 tain descriptions of industries such as that of the henequen from the fiber of which such quantities of cordage is made, the chicle from which our chewing" gum is manufactured, and the bananas from the won- derful plantations on the coast of Central America. Descriptions and illustrations of the industries and the fine cities of South America can be obtained from the same source. The study of countries in the Eastern Hemisphere may be made more interesting and more accurate in regard to present conditions if use is made of the help which the government can give. The Department of Commerce has for many years issued reports of in- dustries and countries written by the United States consuls in different parts of the world. Much information can also be obtained from de- partments of government in Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, and other places. The Cape Peninsula Publicity Association in Cape Town, though not a government department, has issued pamphlets relating to the developments in that far- away part of the world. Associations have done sim- ilar work in Melbourne, Australia, in Wellington, New Zealand, and in Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands. There is no better way for our boys and girls to be- come acquainted with the different departments of our government, the important work which each one is doing, and the many benefits resulting from their activities than by the direct contact in obtaining ma- terial for their school work. The idea has passed away that a school is a place where the children prepare for their real life which is to come in after years. The pupils are experiencing in their schoolrooms life that is as real as any that will 280 PEDAGOGICAL PEP come to them later. Therefore they should do real things. If in their early years our boys and girls realize the value of books and the benefits of govern- ment help, they will as mature citizens work to obtain these things for the town or city in which they may live. THE TRAVEL CLUB By- J. H. Mould A really successful teacher must be an inventor — that is she must invent new and better ways of teach- ing the old subjects. This is preeminently true in teaching the subject of geography. Several years ago there was a class of boys and girls in our school, numbering twenty-three in all and made up of left-overs from grades six, seven, and eight. They ranged in age from ten to sixteen and were reported as being hopeless and helpless cases in the study of geography. One teacher in the school claimed to have made an invention and wished to see if it would work with this class. It did not seem quite right to experiment with these children. All agreed, however, that it would be impossible to increase their hatred of geography or add to their geographical stupidity. So the teacher was given a free hand and this is what happened. At the first meeting of the class the teacher talked for a few minutes about the Yellowstone National Park and California. She then asked if there were any other places about which the children would like to know. One of the girls wanted to know something about Niagara Falls, and a boy wanted the teacher to talk about the Grand Canyon. The teacher did not GEOGRAPHY 281 talk about these places, but suggested that the class organize as a club to plan trips and learn about these and other interesting places and sections of the United States. This led to the organization of the Travel Club, with the following officers elected for twenty weeks : presi- dent, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. Funds were needed for postage and a "real trip" to New York City, which was only a few miles away, at the end of the year. To meet these financial needs dues were fixed at ten cents a week. The next day the Travel Club met at the usual time and place. The president sat at the desk and the teacher, having joined the Club, sat among the mem- bers. The matter of purchasing pins for the Club was discussed, and a committee of three was appointed to present to the Club as early as possible sample designs and prices. It was also voted to hold a party the last Friday in each month from three-thirty to four-thirty o'clock. These parties were to be held in the assembly room, and all the games had to relate in some way to travel. A committee of five was appointed to have charge of the first party. Another committee of five was appointed to meet with the officers and the teacher to look up and report at the next meeting on several travel routes to the Pacific and return. At the next meeting four travel routes to the Pacific and return were presented. The advantages and dis- advantages of each were discussed. The Club finally voted to take a northern route to California and to re- turn by a southern route. The teacher moved that the president appoint a committee of three to report to the Club at the next meeting the names of the states crossed by this trip. This led to the appointment of a committee 282 PEDAGOGICAL PEP to report on cities, one on industries, and another on climate and products. The following day the pupils were actually anxious for the time of the meeting to arrive. Without any suggestion from the teacher some of the pupils took their geographies to the meeting. The textbook had become a servant in place of a taskmaster. The route was traced through the states during the committee's report. Other committees were anxious to report. New ideas were brought out, and new and interesting facts learned by all, the teacher included. The inter- est was so great that the period seemed very short. As the committees reported and the study progressed at succeeding meetings, it was found necessary to col- lect more information relating to the trip. Commit- tees were appointed to write to railroad companies for time-tables and folders; to chambers of commerce in various cities, asking for descriptive matter relating to their cities; to great industrial plants, asking for literature describing their plants. So much valuable descriptive matter, written and pictorial, was received that it was necessary to elect a librarian to classify and care for it. This material with the one hundred or more essays written by the members of the Club, describing scenery and industries connected with study trips, is still in the school as a part of its equip- ment for the study of geography. After this kind of work for four weeks, the route was again traveled, this time with time-tables in the hands of the pupils. This was a very clever way of conducting a review. New time-tables were given out when there was a change from one line to another. Before the Pacific coast was reached every member was able to read his time-table and tell at just what GEOGRAPHY 283 time any city would be reached, barring accidents or delays. At Erie the teacher asked the president's per- mission to move the hands of the clock one hour. (The teacher had previously placed in the room a clock dial.) Permission was granted. At this point some- one asked the president for information. Whereupon the president very cleverly appointed a committee to explain the matter at the next meeting. At the next meeting the subject of standard time was discussed. As the journey progressed the hands on the dial were moved at the proper cities to represent the change in time. The interest in this imaginary trip was very great. The teachers in this school noticed that the "left- overs" were always busy during the study periods. The geographies were in constant use. However, the pupils were not studying geography; they were pre- paring their reports. The Club was the only envied class in the school, and the class was the most talked-of one in the school and in the community. At the beginning of the second school term new offi- cers were elected. It was an interesting and exciting election, yet honest and orderly. It was evident that while the boys and girls were learning geography, they were also learning self-government. During the year the Club carried out, using the same general plan as given above, the following study trips : 1. Canada. 2. Around South America by the Way of the Pan- ama Canal. 3. Around Africa with Three Side Trips Inland. 4. Southern Europe, Russia, and back across North- em Europe. 284 PEDAGOGICAL PEP 5. Trip to Japan, China, East Indies, and Southern Coast of Asia, Returning by the Way of the Suez Canal. Early in June the Club took the "trip" to New York City, visited the Statue of Liberty, Aquarium at the Battery, and Museum of Natural History. This teach- er had invented a method of teaching geography so that it was the most interesting subject taught in the school; and while she was teaching geography she taught more real English than the teacher of English, more history than the teacher of history, and more patriotism and self-government than the teacher of civics. LET YOUR TOWN TEACH YOUR SCHOOL By Mabel L. LaRoche Every town has its noble character, its industries, its public utilities, its beautiful scenes; each of which should be required to contribute its quota to the educa- tion of our country's future leaders. Much of the value of lessons from these sources is dependent, of course, on the originality of the teacher. The textbook slave never gets outside the covers of her book, with the re- sult that glory and pride in one's community do not have a chance to develop through efforts of hers. Miss A. was a self-made teacher with opinions, but she was not opinionated. She was given to weighing evidence and forming her own conclusions. She read widely, and she attended many teachers' conventions. From the mass of material she was constantly gather- ing she had the common sense to make use of what was worth while and reject the nonessential. It was her be- lief that the schools should be made to fit the everyday GEOGRAPHY 285 life of the children, and she felt that the environment of any school furnished ample material for thought and study which was fully as interesting as the wilds of Australia or the civilization of ancient Greece. "Know America First" was her motto and above all, "Know Your Own Town." The following- is a simple but authoritative account of the way she let the town teach her school. It was a small town of not more than two thousand inhabitants and few industries, but Miss A. made the most of what there were. Early in the fall a canning factory always operated for a few weeks. Miss A. enlisted the cooperation of the superintendent of this factory and arranged a date when she might take her school to visit the place. The children were delighted. To get beyond the confines of the schoolroom walls delights any child. A preliminary discussion on excursion etiquette was necessary before they started out. Miss A. told the children that their behavior on the street should be quiet and refined ; and that they might repay the super- intendent for his kindness in allowing them to visit the factory by being quiet in manner, by seeing with eyes instead of fingers, by being careful not to distract the attention of the factory workers from their tasks, and by listening attentively to all explanations the oper- ators might give them. Then Miss A. gave the children a list of the things she wanted them to observe care- fully so that they would be able to describe them later, for example : how the blueberries came into the fac- tory, how they were cleaned, cooked, and canned and how the cans were sealed, labeled, and crated. Needless to say the excursion was interesting as well as successful. >VTiat one child did not see another did. 286 PEDAGOGICAL PEP One might ask how this was of value from an educa- tional point of viev*. Its vakie lay in the fact that Miss A. correlated the cannery with practically every school subject. The realm of geography was entered when they discussed where the berries came from and where they were going. Whence came the tin cans, the paper labels, and the wooden crates? Extensive research work was necessary in order to learn as much as possi- ble about the materials upon which the canning indus- try depends, and the reason why such industries spring up where they do. The canneries of other parts of the country were studied. Who can measure the amount of geography which followed this expedition to the canning factory ? For days drawing, spelling, hygiene (sanitation), language work, and arithmetic lessons revolved about it. This, and other expeditions that came later, furnished material for practically every phase of arithmetic — the four fundamental processes, fractions, measurements, compound quantities, per- centage, gain and loss, interest, and so on. This town was a railroad center, being the halfway point between two important terminals. It boasted a turntable and a splendid big engine house ; so with the consent of the yard master Miss A. and her school made the railroad yard their next scene of invasion. The yard master conducted them on their tour of in- spection, and the engineers and firemen were most ac- commodating, taking considerable time to explain the mechanical workings of the various parts of the great machinery. Can you doubt that interest ran high, and especially so when each child was invited to climb aboard one huge engine and have a ride around on the turntable? More than two weeks passed after that excursion to the engine house before its geo- GEOGRAPHY 287 graphical, mathematical, and other educational possi- bilities had been exhausted. The printing office of the village weekly became the next object of interest and it would be difficult indeed to overestimate the kindness shown by the editor and his staff. All of the machines, including the linotype, almost human in its perfection, the huge presses, and the paper folding machine, which worked with light- ning rapidity, were put through their paces for the special enlightenment of the children. And the joy of possession was boundless when each child was given his own name made in lead by the linotype machine. One of the language lessons following this visit to the printing office was an informal letter of appreciation written by each child to the editor and his staff. The best letters were sent to him ; and did not the pride of authorship run high when two of these letters appear- ed in the paper the following week? One beautiful day in midwinter offered the setting for a visit to the lake to see how ice was cut and stored away for summer use ; while in early spring a generous farmer extended an invitation to the school to visit his camps to see how maple sugar is made. There were numerous other expeditions that year into the great school outside the schoolroom: nature walks to study birds, flowers, and trees ; and tramps to the hills and fields to leani geography from the great teacher, Mother Earth. The early history of the vil- lage was easily obtained by interviews with its oldest residents, while Civil War veterans took delight in re- lating their fascinating reminiscences of the days of '61. This method of instruction proved enduring ana truly educative. From it the children learned lessons 288 PEDAGOGICAL PEP in character building; resourcefulness; self-control; appreciation of Nature in all her loveliness; love for one's community and its organized industries and achievements; and a desire to lead nobler and more useful lives by promoting the highest welfare of one's social center — ^the home town. HISTORY HOW I ENLIVENED A DEAD HISTORY PERIOD By Inez M. Polder All teachers have experienced those moments when the atmosphere seems heavy, the children restless, and interest at a low ebb. This happened one day in my history class. It was an unusually large grade, and the lesson waxed dull because there were facts that had to be drilled in. I was just about ready to scold when the thought came to me to try something differ- ent. I closed my book and said: "You may have ten minutes in which to prepare a dramatization of some fact in history. You may use anything in the room you need, and you may move the furniture if you wish." Was there interest? Well, in a moment the room was astir. There were groups here and there talking excitedly over what they should picture, and, in order to decide whether it was this way or that, many refer- ences were made to the book. When I said, "Time is up," they were all ready to put on the "show." There were scenes of all kinds: Columbus taking possession of the new world, the Boston Tea Party, Washington crossing the Delaware, and many others. I know some will say, "This would be burlesquing his- tory." I almost thought so myself, but the next day 290 PEDAGOGICAL PEP when I heard the animated discussions and found the children going through the text to find facts that might be pictured, I decided it served a purpose. Be- sides, it saved a situation. The class just escaped a scolding vi^hich might have given someone a lasting dislike for history. THE USE OF STORIES IN TEACHING HISTORY By Lula P. Whinna If I were asked which period of the day my boys and girls enjoy the most I should say without a mo- ment's hesitation, the history period. One of the most important functions in the teaching of history is to develop an historical point of view in which present-day events are seen in their relation to the past. If rightly taught, it gives to the children a sense of contact with people of various types. In our history work in the third grade we present a series of stories dealing with heroes of the ancient and modern world. We appeal further to the historical sense of the little people by telling them stories relat- ing to national, state, and seasonal holidays. The teacher must prepare her stories with care, for her time is limited and there are no textbooks in the hands of the children. The story may be told in one lesson or divided into two or more chapters. We use the oral method without the use of notes or outlines. "A long time ago" or "In olden times" rather than formal dates, makes a strong appeal to the average story-loving child. As the story moves on, pictures, objects, and costumes may be introduced to illustrate a point. Sometimes at a critical situation I ask, HISTORY 291 "What would you have done if you had been in — 's place?" Added interest results from saying: "Perhaps this afternoon we may make a log cabin like Lincoln's/' or "To-morrow we shall have a cutting lesson and make a picture of the Pilgrims going to church." When the series of lessons is ended we gather up the threads by a socialized recitation. When the children realize that this socialized recitation is to follow, they listen very carefully to the stories. At first the work will be very crude and some confusion may result from the fact that a number may want to speak at once but a little training and the suggestion "We must be very polite and not speak when another boy or girl is on the floor," will result in surprisingly interesting and help- ful recitations. Last but not least from the standpoint of interest, is the dramatization of the story. "Shall we play the story ?" always brings an unanimous "Yes." We must not forget that the teacher should remain in the back- ground and let the children express themselves. The "playing" has a threefold purpose; it gives pleasure to the child, gives free play to his creative imagination, and by putting his thought into action makes the character live. THE DRAMATIC ELEMENT IN HISTORY By Sabra Conner History may be made a very dry and uninteresting subject to a boy or girl who is wide-awake and likes to do things or it may be so presented as to arouse the imagination, stimulate interest in life, and create a love for reading which will be a lifelong joy. 292 PEDAGOGICAL PEP Any appeal to the feelings must be by concrete pre- sentation, not by abstract reasoning. The more di- dactic and moralistic it becomes, the less vital it is. A good historical novel presents a truer picture of a peri- od than a history of that period. The reason is that a novel takes life at an intense moment and presents it concretely, while a history, too often, presents facts and deductions in a logical order and makes an ab- stract appeal to reason. If, then, one wished to make children like history, every device for concrete presentation should be used. In beginning history, stories of men and women who helped make great periods are usually given. These stories create an historical background which may be used as a basis for the teaching of facts. I have found that a little time spent in working out simple dramatizations vivifies a history class as noth- ing else will do. It is a good thing to have the stu- dents write their own one-act dramas. Where Eng- lish work can be correlated with history this is an ideal thing to do. Pupils will gladly use history for re- search on anything so intensely interesting as a play about Pocahontas or Miles Standish. Where this cor- relation is impossible, and the amount of time neces- sary for working out the details of a play by members of a class is a thing that cannot be arranged, the next best thing to do is to make use of some simple drama- tization already written. It is important, however, that the play be brief enough, and simple enough in its stage requirements, so that it may be frequently presented in the history class, and thus its drill value be not lost. If it is to be constantly used, a play's wording must be excellent. For my own use, I did not find any of HISTORY 293 the books of dramatizations altogether satisfactory. I wanted bits that could be quickly learned and often presented. Therefore, I took moments of intense ap- peal and put them into dramatic form. Even so dry a document as the minutes of the Con- stitutional Convention is really alive with drama. Moreover, the language of the delegates as recorded by its secretary, James Madison, is worth memorizing. I have never found a way of teaching the Constitu- tional Convention that equals in interest the drama- tization of the vivid moments when Benjamin Frank- lin, Alexander Hamilton, Robert Morris, and George Washington spoke in person, heatedly, or judicially, according to temperament. It also proved a most ef- fective manner of teaching parliamentary procedure and fastening in mind the troublesome compromises of that period. The history teacher who fails to make constant use of dramatization in teaching is neglecting one of her keenest tools. A HELPFUL HISTORY GAME By~ Annye Allison Some time ago I had a class which greatly disliked history, so I tried this plan. During the week, the pu- pils were told to pay close attention to all of the les- sons and make note of any questions which could be used in a history game. On Friday at the beginning of the history period, each one was privileged to make a report and hand in all questions selected during the week, with corresponding answers. The teacher read these aloud and the class selected the best, revising the wording, whenever necessary, for language work. 294 PEDAGOGICAL PEP These questions and answers were copied on separate cards and numbered. One pupil was then chosen for teacher and all the questions given to him, while the answers were equally divided among the other children. The one who was chosen teacher read a question aloud and counted ten. If by that time the child who held the correct answer had not replied, any pupil who knew the answer gave it, and the card was handed to him. The child having the largest number of cards at the end of the game was declared the winner. The children showed immediate interest, and as the number of questions grew steadily from week to week, and the game which they were proud of having made themselves, was played only on Friday, they did not tire of it. What was better, they came to have a thorough knowledge of the history course through this regular weekly review, and I felt well satisfied with the experiment. AN INTERESTING HISTORY NOTEBOOK By" Mary M. MacDonald In teaching history, it is very important to have pu- pils keep a notebook in connection with their lessons. If they take pride and pleasure in the making of their notebook, interest in history is almost assured. Instead of requiring pupils to take down notes in the order of events, regardless of what the events are, let them keep those of a kind together. In order to do this, first number the pages, allowing so many for wars, so many for government, so many for progress, so many for territorial expansion, and so on. Have an index in the front, so that pupils may turn to any HISTORY 295 heading with little difficulty. As each portion of his- tory is studied let the pupils put material under the proper headings. This enables them to easily trace one phase of the growth of the nation from early days to the present time ; otherwise they might fail entirely to make any connection between one stage of develop- ment and another. The last few pages of the book might be used to keep a record of the great men and women famous in history. Have these pages ruled into spaces by draw- ing lines down the page. The first space could be used for the name of the person, the next space for the dates showing the time he lived, the third space for what he was — whether general, statesman, religious reformer, inventor, author, and so forth, and the last space for what he had accomplished. A similar device could be used to keep record of the presidents. Have these pages divided into four spaces : the first, to be used for the name ; second, for the date ; third, for whether good, fair, or poor, (this to be left to pupils' own judgment) ; fourth, for the principal event in each administration. The history notebook should be illustrated. Pic- tures which are miniature reproductions of paintings of historic scenes by famous artists can be obtained from magazines or from picture catalogues. These could be pasted into the notebook. Maps of parts of our country of historic interest should be drawn by the pupils themselves. Pictures and maps, of course, should be placed beside the notes to which they are related. These notebooks have resulted in excellent work in history in my school. The systematic method appeals to the children and develops a much greater interest and pride in their work. 296 PEDAGOGICAL PEP. USE THE CHILD'S LOVE OF MOVING PICTURES IN TEACHING HISTORY By Doris Beard History is termed dead, dry, and hard, by children of all grades and ages. I was not surprised, therefore, when I found my sixth grade no exception to the rule. Yet history is one of the important school subjects, so I set myself to serious thinking on why children dis- like it, and what could be done to remedy the matter for my grade. I arrived at these conclusions : children, almost uni- versally, enjoy stories; history consists of story after story of adventure, wonder, courage, and devotion; therefore, children who do not like history are not able to see the story in it. After further exploration I found that the children who really did like history were children with a great deal of imagination. The others did not have sufficient imagination to see the story in history as it had been presented to them. Even an exceptionally interesting history text roused only a faint interest in these children. The next question to solve was : "Is there anything in which these children are vitally interested, that could make them see history as a story?" "Yes, the movies." Teaching history would be no problem at all if it could be depicted through moving pictures. But machines and the proper films are, for most schools at least, unattainable. At this point I thought of my plan. My children were studying the story of Rome in Caesar's time. The next day I opened the history lesson with the question, "How many of you like to see moving pictures?" An eager waving of hands was my response. HISTORY 297 "Well," I went on, "think hard and try to remember which, of the pictures you have seen, is your favorite." The answers were varied, but finally I got one that suited my purpose perfectly. Norman had seen a pic- ture in which ''they had put a lot of people in the ring and let the lions come out and devour them, and all the people yelled, and everything !" "And — why," he added, as a new thought dawned on him, "it was sort of like our history 1" Other children then began to remember things they had seen in moving pictures that were a "little bit like history." As they told of these a vague idea that his- tory and the "movies" were in a way related was dawning in their minds. It was time for a history review. Instead of say- ing, "To-morrow's lesson will be a review of the story of Rome," my assignment was the planning of a scenario that would be interesting to see, and that would tell all about what the old Romans were like, and what they did. Our composition lesson that day was the making of a simple outline or form, in which to put their scenari- os. In class we wrote the outline for the first two scenes. It was: 1. Inside a Roman Dwelling. Flash on screen : "In the old days there were wandering story-tellers, who told the people stories that were handed down as myths." Brief description of room and assembled Romans. Old man enters, sits down and tells stories. 2. Bank of River Tiber. Flash on screen : "One of the favorite tales of the Romans was that of Romulus and Remus. When they were babies a cruel uncle set them adrift on the Tiber to die." Picture shows the uncle setting the twin babies adrift on the river. 298 PEDAGOGICAL PEP The children were enthusiastic over "making mov- ies" and the results were therefore wonderful, A few of the scenarios, while crude, were very original and good. But more important than that, for my purpose, all of the papers included a correct account of the en- tire history lesson, and the children had enjoyed writ- ing them. When we had our examination in Roman history every child, with only two exceptions, in the class of twenty-four made eighty-five per cent or higher, and nine of them made between ninety-five and one hun- dred per cent. Best of all, they like history. LEARNING BY DOING By Elizabeth Mitchell "How long did it take our forefathers to draft the Constitution?" I asked my class. No one seemed to know ; the text did not say. "How long was it before the treaty of peace was signed after the battle of York- town ?" "Why were we so long in making peace with Germany after the armistice had been signed ?" The pupils had been talking in an apparently intel- ligent manner about The League of Nations and the World War, but a lack of response to the foregoing questions told me that they were not understanding the fundamental laws of government. I was getting back from them only what the book gave, and they were not doing any constructive thinking. I knew that my problem was that of the average teacher. Besides a course in history, the class needed time on current topics; and their oral English was very poor. Something must be done to make the work more practical and to create interest. HISTORY 29y I took a mental inventory of my class and found them rich in possibilities. They had had a smattering of drill in parliamentary law, but had never used it in a practical way. It seemed to me that they had at hand all the needed material for work. Why not dramatize their lessons in current topics and history? As I said in the beginning, no one seemed to grasp why it took so long for conferences to accomplish re- sults. The time element and the immensity of the task did not seem to belong with the recited fact. Suddenly it occurred to me to give my pupils a lesson in the machinery of government. This thought led to my assignment. "To-morrow I want the class to organize as a legal body," I told them. "You are to elect a president, a vice president, and a secretary." (At this point we discussed the qualities of a good executive and of a capable secretary at some length.) "This organized body is to have control of the class work for one period each week, I making the assignment. Your first prob- lem is to draft a constitution of no more than eight and no less than five articles." (A committee of three pupils was named to bring to class a proposed draft.) The next day there was no lack of interest in the classroom. Rivalry added to the zest of the election. The boys, who were slightly in the minority, had dis- covered the principle "In union there is strength," and by simple political methods had won the election. The constitution was next presented, and, at the suggestion of one of the pupils, was considered article by article. One of the girls, whose hobby was gram- mar, objected to the wording of the first clause and suggested a change. The boys resented her attack, but she proved her point. The second article was pro- 300 PEDAGOGICAL PEP posed for adoption when the bell rang, and adjourn- ment was in order. "Let's go on with this to-morrow," came a chorus of voices, and one pupil even suggested that we omit the next class and complete the work. It took three recitations to get the "legal body" or- ganized and in proper running order, but I think that as a result they understand a little better just why con- ference work moves so slowly. My problem as the teacher was to find work for the class that would make their efforts worth while. Usually I found it easy to correlate some other class work, and sometimes I was helped by a problem from the pupils themselves. One day two boys came to me asking if we might change a certain part of our work. I would not make the change, but told them it meant the amending of their constitution, which the class would have to do. "How amendments are made" now became a living issue to the class, and I am sure it was more clear to them after they had performed the process. When we studied city government the pupils sat as a city council, each alderman discussing the light, heat, or sanitation of his precinct as the problems arose. We even held a special election and bonded the city for improvements. A session of county court afforded an opportunity to visit a trial. At our next meeting the boys arranged for a trial, having served papers on one of their classmates for speeding. We even sat as a council and discussed the then cur- rent topic, The League of Nations. Interest ran high, for we were working with world problems ; and I am sure the world's statesmen would have been astounded at the profound and prophetic wisdom of young Amer- ica, had they heard it speak. HISTORY 301 CURRENT EVENTS IN THE RURAL SCHOOL By Harriet Spalding I find that the study of current events, in the rural school where I teach, is most interesting and profit- able. We have our current events period every Mon- day morning. There are usually a number of little folks who cannot manage the work alone. To them I assign a helper, that is, a pupil from one of the higher grades. Perhaps a sixth-grade boy will be the helper of a second-grade lad. In our school we have several copies of a weekly paper. The older boy is to select from the paper an interesting current topic and ex- plain it to the younger one. In class the children often present the events which they have found, in the form of questions. The ques- tioner is allowed to ask any pupil in the room to an- swer. After each one has given an answer or asked a question on the event chosen and the topics have been discussed we select a number of the most important topics. I write these on the blackboard and the children copy them in their notebooks. This is a very impor- tant part of the work, as it stimulates their interest. As every child likes to have his work chosen for the notebooks he will strive to select interesting and im- portant facts. The work in current events would be of no lasting value unless fixed in the pupils' memory in some way. The notebook work helps to do this. iWe have a regular monthly test in current events, as in other subjects, and the children study their note- books in preparation for the test. We sometimes have a current events match. This is conducted in exactly 302 PEDAGOGICAL PEP the same manner as the ordinary spelling match and creates much enthusiasm. If one cannot find time for this work it may be profitably substituted for the reg- ular history period once during the week. I am sure that any teacher who is willing to try this plan sincerely and thoroughly, will find that it makes real, live, little citizens of the pupils and gives them training which will be of value to them as they grow older and become high school pupils and, later, the young men and women voters of our land. KEEPING UP WITH THE BUSY WORLD By Verna C. Holmes In making a systematic study of present-day events, most teachers have difficulty in finding time enough to do the subject justice. This may be partly overcome by more careful planning of the daily lessons. Current events should be correlated with nearly all of the school subjects, especially geography, nature study, and read- ing. The following plan will be found helpful. Obtain from the school board, or have your pupils earn enough money for a subscription to a good Sunday newspaper, preferably one of national preeminence. It will be found to contain a review of the week's news, in pictures and short articles, presented in a way more easily studied than in the daily issues. Such a paper will reach even the remotest parts of the United States within four or five days after its publi- cation. If care is taken at the beginning in selecting the paper, very little censoring by the teacher will need to be done. However, it will of course be neces- sary to use good judgment in regard to doubtful pic- HISTORY 303 tures and articles. If for any reason, something im- presses you as having even a tinge of harmf ulness for your little group of young Americans, clip it out. Have a convenient table or desk v^here this paper may always be found. Allow classes or groups to take regular turns reading it. Back numbers, if saved, should be filed neatly. If one does not care to save the whole paper, it is a good idea to clip out any parts that give promise of later usefulness. The children will be glad to help you do this. Do not overlook the advertisments in the paper. Often they contain the most recent information about raw materials, means of transportation, or factory methods. In arithmetic problems may be made about the goods advertised, the rates of rental for houses or rooms, the relative value of money in different coun- tries and so on. Occasionally a subject of vital interest to your own community will be discussed by writers of the highest authority. The editorials will give you topics for many interesting talks or debates. Properly guided by a tactful and understanding teacher, children will comprehend and enjoy a sur- prising amount of the world's news. "WE KNOW!" By Doris Beard "Teach the children how to reason. Teach them how to use facts. The facts themselves are not so impor- tant." Thus we are instructed by modern pedagogy. However, it is very plain that, important as this reasoning is, one must know some facts in order to ex- 304 PEDAGOGICAL PEP ercise the power to reason. The schools are criticized by many people who say that children leave the eighth grade knowing so few facts. We cannot deny that they might easily know more facts without overburdening their minds; but the modern curriculum is so full of new and vital things that there is little time left for the teaching of mere facts. I was appalled one day to find that half of my sixth grade actually could not give a correct answer to, "Why do we celebrate July Fourth?'* Further question- ing revealed these startling facts : Only eight could give the first and last name of the President of the United States ; five could not name the Governor of our state ; a dozen of the children did not know where the Gover- nor lives, although the Governor's home is only four miles from their school; none of them could tell me what officers their city had ; about fifteen of them knew nothing about the Liberty Bell; five or six said that Washington was the largest city in our country, and one said London. From that time on I have set aside ten minutes at the close of each session of school for the learning of mere facts. On one of our boards in large, red letters are the words "We Know." Under them we list each week five new facts learned. The children themselves suggest about half of the facts, such as : the names of the President, Governor, City Manager, and leading men of the day ; largest cities, rivers, and states ; why we celebrate various days; and facts about strikes, peace conferences and so forth. The children enjoy the period and are proud of the "We Know" board. Even with very little time spent in this way each day, it does not take many months for the class to collect a fund of important facts of all kinds. CIVICS TEACHING THE MEANING OF THE CON- STITUTION TO PRIMARY CHILDREN By Maude M. Grant In teaching the small children we must proceed, as it were, from the "known to the unknown." In other words, we must seek to develop the new ideas from facts and ideas already familiar to the mind of the child. The Constitution of the United States seems indeed a remote and difficult subject to present to small chil- dren. However, the little child knows what it means to obey, — "to mind." By judicious questioning it is possible to bring out the answers from the children themselves. Who looks after us in our homes? Fa- ther and mother. What do father and mother do? They give us food, clothes, take care of us, and make us mind. Why do we have to mind? Because father and mother know what is good for little boys and girls; they want them to be good and kind and honest and healthy. So father and mother make rules for little boys and girls to obey. If we do not obey these rules, what happens ? We are punished. We have rules in our school. They must be obeyed. These rules are made to help the boys and girls grow; into fine, useful men and women. 306 PEDAGOGICAL PEP By obeying the rules we will become kind, thought- ful, helpful, and considerate of the rights and proper- ties of others. When we know we are doing what is right, we are happy. Our fathers, our mothers, and our teachers all want us to be happy. When we are happy we can do a great deal of good. Rules are sometimes called laws. We have laws for our town. If a person breaks a law, if a man steals from another man, what happens? Yes, the police- man comes and takes him to jail. The jail is the place where the lawbreakers go. No one likes to go to jail, but if one breaks the law, then the law, in the person of the policeman, puts him in jail. Now you can see how the law protects everyone. It would never, never do to have bad people who are lawbreakers running all over our town, so the law, by putting the bad people in jail, takes care of us; and if we obey the law our- selves, we are happy and contented. A long time ago, little boys and girls, there were only Indians living in this beautiful country of ours. Then some white men came across the sea in a boat called the "Mayflower." These men built log houses, churches, and schools, and by and by they had towns and cities. After a while they called this country that they had settled the United States of America, and then our flag, the beautiful "Star Spangled Banner," became the emblem of our country. You have all heard of the great George Washington. Well, George Washington and his friends, who were great, and wise men, decided that they must make some laws for our country. They said: "We must make laws that will help our people. We must make laws that are wise and good and that will protect our CIVICS 307 people from danger. We want our people to be happy and contented and to prosper. Our laws will give them rights. We want our laws to be the very best and most helpful laws that any people have ever had." So these wise men worked for many days and weeks and they made a set of laws which they called the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution is the law of our country and it is this Constitution that has made our country great. If it were not for the Constitution, we would have no country, no flag, no towns, no schools, no pleasant homes. So you see how important the Constitution is, and how much we owe to it and to the wise men who made it for us. Here is a little verse I have written for you to help you" remember about the Constitution and what it has done for us. The Constitution, our pride of state. Is what has made our country great. Its laws, so noble, clear, and free, Are what give us our liberty. Thus we enjoy its gifts of worth. The noblest document on earth. The "document" means the laws or Constitution of our country written by those wise Americans so many years ago. THE LITTLE CITIZENS' CLUB By^ Frances Meacham It is a trite old saying that we learn to do by doing, and it is a saying that we have applied to almost every branch of education except the making of citizens. 308 PEDAGOGICAL PEP For many years the idea seemed to be that obedience was the only phase of citizenship. Later/ elaborate systems of self-government were formulated for the city schools. But what of the one-room country school — could it have self-government, too? I once had a school of from twelve to fifteen pupils. Most of them were young, but some three or four were of the troublesome age. After studying the school for a short time, I decided that the worst boy among them was not really bad. He simply "hated to be bossed," as he would have expressed it. I had known the feel- ing myself, but I also knew the need of good order in the schoolroom. I decided on self-government. The first step was a talk on the need of government in the nation, the state, and the school. The children saw at once that there could be no order or justice without government. I explained the difference be- tween a monarchy (unlimited) and a republic, and asked which the children preferred. Of course, they were in favor of a republic. I asked the children if they would work for the good of the school if I allowed them to form a republic. They all agreed and signed a paper to that effect. I told them that as long as they lived up to that promise they might govern themselves; but that I should be breaking my contract if I let them harm the school. I had to help the children with their constitution, the preamble of which set forth the reasons for the step we were taking. Our only officers were a presi- dent, vice president, secretary, and two policemen. It was understood that the policemen were to do helpful things, rather than to arrest evildoers. I told the children to write on slips of paper the rules which they thought would be the best for the CIVICS 309 school, and hand them in. I read these rules aloud. After we had talked about them, we voted on which ones we should adopt. Really, the children were more strict with themselves than I would have dared to be. Of course, they needed to try out some things for themselves, and so for a while there was a rule allow- ing them to whisper. They soon saw that this made un- necessary noise and disorder, and they voted against whispering. My "worst" boy went home and told what we had done. His father laughed and said that the boy would break all of the rules before a week was over. The boy replied that he was determined to obey them. He forgot a few times, but for the most part he lived up to the rules, and when he did forget he took the pun- ishment the rules recommended without a word of complaint. The children named themselves "The Little Citizens' Club." Their colors were purple for royalty and white for purity. Their officers were elected by ballot for one month. They held their meetings on Friday after the last recess. Even the second-grade children learned to preside at the meetings. The school work did not suffer, for the children were happy and contented and consequently made good progress. HOW CIVICS ^VAS CHANGED FROM A DRY TO AN INTERESTING SUBJECT By Catherine Hill It was the first day of school. I heard a pupil here and there make the remark, "How I hate civics." "It is so dry." "I wish I didn't have to study it." I re- 310 PEDAGOGICAL PEP solved that this year's work should prove that civics is not a dry subject but a very interesting one. I placed several small flags in prominent positions about the room. I talked to the pupils about the flag, what it means to us; its colors and what they repre- sent ; and our debt of loyalty to our flag and our coun- try. I then read to them, "America For Me," after which we drilled on the flag salute. For the next lesson the pupils learned the Preamble to the Constitution. The meaning of the terms an^ phrases was discussed. I followed this with a talk on *'Why we need laws" and "Our duty to the laws of our country." I required pupils to watch the daily papers and cur- rent magazines for events of importance and espe- cially for events bearing on the subject being studied. I decided that this would be a good time to use note- books. We obtained blank books,on the backs of which we stamped the seal of our state. Into these books we pasted clippings taken from the papers, pictures of present-day men, pictures of battleships, and of vari- ous industries. We also used the same books further on in the study of the state and county. From this time on it took but little effort on my part to keep up interest. The pupils became very enthusi- astic over the work and would often say when the class bell sounded, "What a short period this was to-day !" It was not long before they were telling me, "This is the best study we have." The main trouble was to keep down discussions that might lead away from the lesson of the day. I used the topic method for most of my teaching and gave every child the opportunity of ex- pressing his opinion on every subject brought up in class. CIVICS 311 I invited a man in our community, who had been at- tending the state legislature, to give a special talk on "How the state legislature conducts its business meet- ings." He told the pupils about legislative procedure. He explained in detail the various committees and how they are timesavers. His talk was very interesting. It appealed to the pupils for it made the government of the state seem much more real to them. I always welcomed visitors into the class and tried to get them interested in our discussions. It was a pleasant surprise to the pupils to have a visit from the principal or someone outside the school who would give us a special talk on: "Citizenship," "Patriotism," or "Americanization." I did not fail to call for the flag salute at least once a week, and now and then I would ask for some pas- sage from the Constitution. I would usually ask, "What does the Constitution say about this?" Now and then I would assign patriotic poems and songs to be memorized. I insisted upon every member of the class memorizing the words of "The Star Spangled Banner." By this time, the pupils were so enthusiastic that they asked for a large flag to place in the room where it could be seen as they saluted. I wrote to a specialty company that offered a flag five by eight feet to a class which would dispose of a gross of lead pencils at five cents each. I sent for the pencils and they were all disposed of in three days. We received the flag, and a premium picture of two of our most prominent Amer- icans, for the prompt sale of the pencils. I kept on hand a quantity of small flags for use on patriotic days. On these days each pupil was pre- sented with a small flag to pin on dress or coat. 312 PEDAGOGICAL PEP After completing an intensive study of the Consti- tution, I took up the study of the governments of the various nations of the world. We discussed what it takes to make a nation, the formation and the growth of nations, and the development of the state. I fol- lowed this with a close study of the government of our own state, proceeding in a similar manner to that in which I presented the study of the nation. The pupils then took up the study of the government of our own county, town, and school district. THRIFT AN ESSENTIAL OF GOOD CITIZENSHIP By Irene Goddard Thrift is rather a new subject in our curriculum but one that promises to be very important if pre- sented in the right way. I am teaching in a mining town composed of Americans and several different classes of foreigners. The majority of the parents earn good wages but spend as they go. The children, as a rule, have money given to them but they had been in the habit of spending it as fast as they received it. They did not know the meaning of saving. A hard problem confronted me. I outlined my les- sons to teach the meaning of thrift; why a person should be thrifty; and how to obtain that goal. I de- cided to help the children save money as I knew that this would be a great service to them. In our state we have a Stamp Banking System of which I decided to make use. I secured my mate- rials for establishing the system from the State De- partment of Education and presented the plan to the school. The plan is very simple. A Stamp Book about CIVICS 313 four by seven inches in size is given to each pupil. On the front of the book are the words "Stamp Banking System" and space for the pupil's name, address, grade, school, and the name of the bank. The book contains ten blank pages on each of which is room to paste twenty stamps valued at five cents each. The children purchase these stamps from the teacher who deposits the money in the bank to the credit of her particular school. When a pupil has one page full of stamps he takes it to the bank, endorses it, and is given a pass book showing his deposit of one dollar. The children were very enthusiastic and entered heartily into the plan. Several bought as many as one page of stamps at one time. I soon found some par- ents who objected to their children's buying the stamps. On investigation I found that they had bought other kinds of stamps and lost some money and that they did not understand our saving plan. I knew it would not be possible to explain the plan in a meeting of the parents as many of them are foreigners who do not understand our language; so I wrote a letter ex- plaining the system in detail so that they would under- stand that their children would not lose their money. This letter removed the doubts from the parents* minds regarding our plan. The foreign people took their letter to some one speaking their language and ours too and had it read and now they are the most en- thusiastic savers I have. Various means may be employed to maintain inter- est in savings accounts. Our plan has been very suc- cessful here and is not difficult to handle. Seventy per cent of my pupils have savings accounts and the sum of one hundred and thirty-five dollars has been deposited by them. 314 PEDAGOGICAL PEP RELATING CIVICS TO EVERYDAY LIFE By Marjorie E. Chaffee Since many pupils find the study of civics dry and uninteresting, it is our work as teachers to make it such a live subject that each pupil will be inspired with a desire to learn about the working of our gov- ernment. We must present such seemingly dull topics as the naturalization laws and the recall and referendum in an interesting way. Above everything else, it is our duty to train the pupils to become good Americans who respect the nation's laws, so that they may take the bur- dens from the shoulders of this generation and bear them successfully. If one asks those who have studied civics how the government is related to their everyday life, they make vague answers or reply that there is no connection be- tween them. So let us teach the children that it is to the government that they owe freedom of speech, our public schools, and the protection which they receive at home and in other countries. The first week, I have the pupils learn the Preamble to the Constitution. We mention its purpose and the meaning of it. They seem to enjoy learning it because there is a certain dignity and harmonic sound to the words. Then I introduce the study of home government. We talk about the duties which parents owe to their children and, in return, what the children owe their parents. Next, comes the study of school government. When taking up the subject of voting we obtain samples of ballots, and study their form. Then we make ballots and have mock nominations and elections. CIVICS 315 Some time might be spent in the making of speeches for the candidates. Civics classes should be taught parliamentary rules of order so that all meetings of classes or societies may be conducted in the proper manner. A method which I have found successful in teaching about local offices is to have the pupils make a table, listing the office, name of officer, length of term, and whether the office is elective or appointive. The class enjoys doing this kind of work and takes much inter- est in it, because most of the officers are known to them. Even the fathers or mothers may be holding some of these offices. When teaching local government I emphasize the fact that taxes are used to buy schoolbooks, pay the teachers* salaries, and build schoolhouses. By all means, when studying about the courts, let the class visit a courthouse and note the arrangement of the courtroom. If possible, visit one while a trial is being held. I find that court procedure is taught more easily when visualized in this way. Visits to other public institutions are also advisable. If visits cannot be made by the entire class, individuals may make them and give a report to the class. A mock trial will teach better than anything else the methods employed for public trials. We study the development of the Postal System and the Treasury Department, showing their impor- tance and close relationship to us. The pupils like to write the autobiography of a letter, telling of its trav- els to the dead letter office or from country to coun- try. Drawings are a great help in the teaching of civics. Maps of the state, locating county, township, borough, 316 PEDAGOGICAL PEP and schoolhouse are drawn. Also, a map may be drawn showing the judicial districts. A drawing of a courtroom will help pupils greatly. A collection of pictures of great men is interesting to have, for the pupils learn to recognize a large number of them. I find that much can be learned by debates. If there is a literary society in the school, the debates can be given at its meetings. It is advisable to have one or two a month, according to the amount of time it takes to prepare for them. To make the study of civics a success, the teacher must be interested and have a broad knowledge of the subject. She must be able to give illustrations and connect the subject with present-day events, when- ever possible to do so. Let us in all our teaching of civics endeavor to make the pupils good American citizens. Teach them to love their country and their flag. HEALTH EDUCATION THE BANK OF HEALTH By Estelle C Batchelder There is no greater factor in education that will pro- mote efficiency than that of training in the care of the body. All projects which tend to develop the mind are useless unless the recipients are physically fit. One very effective means of helping the child to ac- quire bodily fitness is to establish in the schoolroom a "Bank of Health." This has met with great success in the fifth grade of our grammar school. Some sixty children have become heavy depositors. They have bank books in which the entries mount in a most satis- factory manner. Consequently the children come to school every day with whiter teeth, brighter eyes, red- der cheeks, and with their faces and hands clean. This Bank of Health is very easily introduced, re- quiring only a short space of time and not interfering with the regular studies. The time taken is that usu- ally allotted to opening exercises — from five to ten minutes. In order to get the full cooperation of the pupils, it is necessary to present the subject in an at- tractive manner. To put the plan into active working order officers are elected, consisting of a president, a head cashier, assistant cashiers, and receiving tellers. The office of president is held by the teacher, and the remaining 318 PEDAGOGICAL PEP officers are chosen from the pupils. The president ap- points the officers for the first week. Afterwards they are appointed in the order of their credits — as a re- ward of merit. Each pupil has a bank book which he made from a small notebook. The nine rules of health are listed on each page, at the right of which spaces are ruled off for the days of the week. Thus there is a page for each week. The following health rules are observed : I. Sleep nine hours with windows open. II. Brush teeth the first thing in the morning and before retiring. III. Brush teeth after each meal. IV. Brush and comb hair. V. Wash face and hands before each meal. VI. Eat a good breakfast (cereal, or fruit, bread and butter, egg, and milk). VII. Take three deep breaths of fresh air three times daily. VIII. Exercise in open air for two hours. IX. Take a hot bath at least twice a week. Each morning the bank customers get their deposit slips from the tellers, upon which they make entry of the rules they have kept the preceding day. On Mon- day they report for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. These slips are then collected and entered in the bank books by the receiving tellers, a blue star being given for each rule observed. Every Friday the assistant cashiers find the totals for the week, and the head cashier places the following stars in the books : a gold star for fifty-five or more blue stars ; a silver star for from fifty to fifty-five blue stars; a red star for from forty-five to fifty blue stars; a green star for from forty to forty-five blue stars. HEALTH EDUCATION 319 That this project meets with the approval of the parents is demonstrated by their cooperation in aiding the children to accomplish each rule. In fact, the pu- pils are so eager that many of them request the proper food for breakfast so that they may win their stars. One girl who disliked milk and eggs decided to have French toast for breakfast, thus combining bread, but- ter, egg, and milk. (Rule VI.) On rainy days exer- cise is taken on the piazzas or in tents. (Rule VIII.) If windows are closed during a thunder shower, they are immediately opened after it has passed over. The pupils are most enthusiastic over the carrying out of these rules, and every one is a gold star pupil. HEALTH EDUCATION IN PLACE OF ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY By" Sara Dorcy A crowded course of study is no argument against introducing health education into the curriculum. We can well spare most of our anatomy and physi- ology if we can substitute a live course in health edu- cation — a broader term than hygiene. What if our boys and girls are unable to name their teeth, if they know how, and when, and why they should care for them, and do it. What if our boys and girls do not know the names of even the larger mus- cles of their bodies? It is of far more importance in their lives to learn to appreciate physical perfection and to know what kind of exercise will best develop these muscles. I am not advocating this practical subject at the ex- pense of culture. There is little culture in memorizing — not learning — a grist of technicalities in anatomy 320 PEDAGOGICAL PEP and physiology only to forget them in a few years. An educational system that does not develop a healthy- body and a healthy outlook on the problems of life is a miserable failure. As a primary teacher I plan to interest my wee charges in the phases of personal and public health and sanitation that it is possible for them to grasp. To make it still more effective I assign them very sim- ple tasks that illustrate my point. The children are responsible for the appearance of the yard. It is their pride and they keep it very clean. They fight mosqui- toes in a small way by watching rain barrels and put- ting kerosene on the water. Scraps of food that are of no use are burned. They also fight flies very strenu- ously. These and many other simple tasks that local conditions may suggest will teach lasting lessons in public health and civic economy. Another health lesson is personal cleanliness. Some children are naturally clean. Others can be won over to form habits of cleanliness by one incentive or an- other. It is my intention to encourage habits of per- sonal cleanliness in the young child so that as time goes on such habits will become instinctive. This all sounds visionary but the reaction in my class is en- couraging enough to keep me enthusiastic. I have a little game that I play with my pupils. I pretend that I am their mother and they are my chil- dren. Sometimes I am their aunt and they come to visit me. Sometimes we have a party and I am the hostess. The purpose of this game is to teach habits of regularity, promptness, cleanliness, cheerfulness, health, manners, diet, and any other little points that come up unexpectedly. The first grader is not too young to learn to refuse to eat harmful foods. He is HEALTH EDUCATION 321 not too young to take pride in his physical improve- ment. This is the way we play : — I say "Eight o'clock, chil- dren." They stop whatever they are doing, brush their teeth and drop their heads on their desks. I tell them to think of something pleasant. This suggests sweet dreams of perfect health. In a few minutes I say cheerfully, "Time to get up." All heads come up. They make motions of dressing, brushing teeth, washing, and combing their hair. They turn to the windows, which are open, and take a certain number of deep breaths. They skip lightly around the room and back to their places which we then pretend are in the dining room. Breakfast is then served. I insist on smiling faces and a cheery greeting. I offer the children different foods which they accept or politely refuse depending upon their judgment of a proper diet. For example, a child might answer, "No, thank you, I never drink cof- fee," or "Yes, if you please. I drink all the milk I can get. I want to grow strong," or "No, thank you, I do not eat much sweet food," or "Yes, please, mush will make me grow tall and strong." When we have dinner or lunch I teach them why they should choose brown or coarse bread in prefer- ence to white, when both are put on the table. I sing the praises of vegetables, fruits, soups, butter, milk, eggs and other foods of recognized merit for a child's diet. I am not sure that all of the pupils of my class have been won over to this diet reform but I do think that, from the cheerful eager spirit of our little games and the well-developed idea of improving their physical condition, much good Is bound to result. 322 PEDAGOGICAL PEP A CONCRETE DEMONSTRATION OF THE VALUE OF NUTRITION By Orpha Totten The teacher, better than anyone else, knows the true state of her pupils' health, for it bears so directly upon aU of the schoolroom activities. Many parents do not seem to be keen observers of their children's health. My first term of school was taught in the third and fourth grades of a small town in western Kansas. There were over thirty pupils enrolled in these two grades. I soon noticed that a few looked thin and life- less, as if they did not have the proper food to eat. In other words, they were underfed. They were not nat- urally dull, but simply lacked the vitality to enable them to do the standard work for their grade. I watched these pupils very closely, and always their work was below the average class work. The people in this community were well-to-do, and I knew that each child had plenty to eat. The cause of the children's condition lay in the fact that their par- ents were ignorant of the principles of nutrition. Having found the cause of the noticeable cases of mal- nutrition, the next step, therefore, was to find the cure. Here the greatest difficulty presented itself because it is so hard to make the parents realize the importance of proper food. In the rural communities, especially, parents are prone to look upon any innovation with more or less suspicion, so I could not begin by telling the parents that their children were underfed. It re- quires tact to deal with such a subject. After considering the problem for several days, I decided that the best way to bring this matter before the parents was to do so through the children them- HEALTH EDUCATION 323 selves. I noted that the school possessed no equipment for teaching the children the real need of being physi- cally up to standard. This school was never visited by an inspector, and visiting nurses and dentists v^^ere un- known. Thus, the success of any attempted campaign depended entirely upon the teacher. With the assist- ance of the superintendent, I succeeded in borrowing a scale from a grocery store. Equipped with the scale, a yardstick, and a chart of standard weights and heights, I proceeded to get the children interested. I placed the chart in a conspicuous place in the front of the room and the scale near it. When the pupils began to arrive the next morning, they gathered around the chart and examined it. I offered no suggestion until a number seemed to be in- terested in it. Then I approached the group and asked a well-fed boy how old he was. I measured his height and told him that he should weigh, according to his age and height, fifty-four pounds. The scale showed weight of fifty-seven pounds. After I had weighed and measured a few of the other children and showed them how to use the chart, the rest of the pupils want- ed to get weighed and measured to see if they came up to the standard. Some were surprised to learn that they were below weight ; others were proud of the fact that they were above the average. During the time that I was weighing and measuring the children, I lost no opportunity to tell of the relation between the gen- eral welfare of the body and the eating of the right kinds and amounts of food. I illustrated by means of the different fuels used in engines, and the children completed the illustration by telling of the various grades of oils and gasoline which are used for auto- mobiles. 324 PEDAGOGICAL PEP Of course, the children discussed the difference in weights of the pupils, and their parents were, no doubt, informed of the simple experiment which I had started at school. It was not long before I began to see results. Those who were underfed inquired of the well-fed what they ate. The mothers took the matter in hand and began to believe that food really did have something to do with the children's physical condition. Some of the mothers even came to me (I suppose at the request of their children) and asked me to make some suggestions in regard to their children's diet. This was what I had been working for, as it was im- possible to extend this help unless it was desired. I kept the chart posted and made a graph, plotting the weights and heights of the different children. When one gained or grew in height, the change was recorded on the graph. The children eagerly watched the graph, and seemed willing to help their playmates to reach the standard so that the room could have a fairly normal curve. In the course of a few months there was marked improvement in the school work of the children. THE CHILDREN'S HEALTH BAND By Leeta M. Lingle I have in my first and second grades fifty pupils from six to eight years of age. The first week of school I organized a Health Band. The children brought money to school to purchase the instruments, which were not to cost more than twenty- five cents. At roll call every morning each pupil is required to respond by standing for inspection for clean hands, HEALTH EDUCATION 325 neatly combed hair, and clean clothes. A perfect in- spection from a pupil for a month raises his general average five per cent, and also entitles him to wear a yellow cap each time the band plays. Each month a silver star is placed upon his cap, which signifies that he has had a perfect monthly inspection. At the end of the term the child who has received a silver star for each month wins a gold star. Once a month the band plays for one of the other rooms or visitors. Every child plays in the band and all are eager to appear in a yellow cap. On one occasion the Health Band entertained a gath- ering of about four hundred persons, and each child wore a yellow cap. The band was accompanied by a piano and furnished an interesting program consist- ing of bird whistle solos, songs and instrumental pieces, each division carrying its own part. The yellow caps are made of cambric, one yard mak- ing four caps. This material has proved to be very economical, because it does not wear out with the con- stant folding of the caps. The Health Band consists of ten drums at twenty- five cents each, fifteen tambourines at twenty-five cents each, five bird whistles at five cents each, and ten sets of bells at ten cents each. CLEANLINESS THE FIRST LAW OF HEALTH By Mayme Leonard I had come to a railroad, box-factory town without making much change in the teaching plans which I had followed for three years previously in a clean little country town. 326 PEDAGOGICAL PEP Although knowing that I was in the roughest part of the town, where there were few permanent homes made, where the mothers of a great many children worked in the factory and had very little time to spend with their children, I was not prepared for the rows of grimy faces and frowzy heads that met my gaze on that first morning. Still, there were many bright faces and keen eyes, so I was not wholly discouraged. Until the natural timidity for the "new teacher" wore off, and the chil- dren felt at home, I did nothing. One day a small girl had a toothache, so I found my first opportunity to begin talking about health habits and cleanliness. After we had learned all we could about the teeth, how they are built, the effects of dirty teeth, and how to keep them clean and strong, I prom- ised the children small tubes of tooth paste. They were very much interested and anxious to have the paste, which I ordered immediately from a leading tooth paste company. When this important step on the road to cleanliness had been taken, I said to the children: "I know that your nice, clean white teeth feel sorry when they look out and see dirty faces around them and dirty hands coming up to see them." So we began on the hands, face, and finger nails. One thing led to another until we had discussed, be- sides the above points, the importance of always hav- ing a handkerchief, and how to use it ; drinking cups ; neat hair; neat shoes and stockings; harm of tea and coffee ; and need of fresh air in bedrooms at night. To keep all of these things continually in the minds of the pupils and help them to remember, I made on the blackboard a chart like the following : HEALTH EDUCATION 327 Did Did Not Clean Faces — Clean Hands — Clean Nails — Clean Teeth- Neat Hair — Neat Shoes and Hose- Handkerchiefs — Drinking Cups — Coffee- Fresh Air at Night — Under the words "Did" and "Did Not" I wrote the number of children answering to each item. It took a very few minutes each morning to inspect hands, nails, faces, hair, and shoes ; and I accepted their reports on the other items. The children were so anxious to be numbered in the "Did" column that often they would bring at noon a handkerchief or cup which had been forgotten in the morning, and ask me to change the number. There was a decided improvement in the appear- ance of the children in a short time, and at the close of the year they would hardly have been recognized as the same group of neglected, unkempt children who had greeted me the first day of school. Children need to be encouraged and commended for what they do. I tried to get the children to feel a re- sponsibility toward making the chart a perfect one. Whenever we had a better one than usual I invited the other teachers in to see it. This made the children realize that I was proud of their endeavor. They, too, were proud of their record, and never tired of reporting the necessary information for the chart. Whenever I forgot or neglected it, some child 328 PEDAGOGICAL PEP with unusually clean finger nails or one who had cleaned his teeth that morning generally reminded me that I had not yet asked them all the questions. Since that year, I have used about the same method, adding health songs, stories, plays, and the making of health posters. Health Crusade work is a wonderful power in the school. However, the plan is a rather difficult one to use in the primary grades because of the time that is required for filling out the blanks for the children, since they are too young to attend to it themselves. RELATING SCHOOL ACTIVITIES TO HEALTH By~ Erna M. Shaw I feel it my duty as a public school teacher to teach right health habits and to encourage the children to practice them not only at school but also in their homes. The mothers, of course, have their children's well-being at heart, but either do not realize the neces- sity of instilling right health habits early in life, or are so busy with their domestic cares that they become negligent of this important duty. I consider this in- struction the most vital of any in the curriculum for the simple reason that every other subject is so greatly dependent upon and influenced by it. When the teacher makes plans for her lessons for the following day, she should keep in mind this question, "In what way can I introduce at least one new health principle or enlarge upon one already learned?" Let me illustrate my meaning. I find an opportu- nity during geography recitations to discuss healthful living conditions and the merits of the foods raised in HEALTH EDUCATION 329 different countries. I mention that where the race works and exercises a healthy nation results. When my arithmetic classes learn to tell time I teach the children to count the number of hours of sleep that they get, and to place upon the clock the hours at which meals should be eaten and the hours for rising and retiring. They also learn to measure their height and to determine what they should weigh. They compare this with their weight which they re- cord every month. When studying liquid measure- ments we often play that we are fanners selling milk. This is a good way to teach the value of milk. When school began in the fail I placed sc number above each hook where the wraps were hung, also above each hook where the cups and towels were hung. I gave each child a number, and explained to him that he should hang his coat, towel, and cup on the hooks below the number corresponding to his. We take up and discuss the health chores as they appear upon the record blanks given out by the Red Cross. The children keep the first rule by washing be- fore each meal. I gave them each a sample bar of soap to instill the habit of cleanliness. Every morning we check up on the number who have clean hands, face, neck, ears, teeth, finger nails, and hair well-combed. If there seems to be a lack of interest here divide the number of pupils into factions and see if competition does not arouse more interest. I divided the group so as to have the boys against the girls. This plan proved very successful. We have a toothbrush drill quite often. I instruct the children as to the proper method of brushing the teeth. There are a number of songs and verses that can be used in connection with this drill. Space does 330 PEDAGOGICAL PEP not permit the giving of any here but they may be found in school magazines. These verses as well as those about other health chores may be learned for language or the Friday afternoon exercises. I gave each child a sample of good tooth paste when we had our first drill. We make health posters illustrating every health rule. We cut the letters for some of them and print others with our rubber printing outfit. Old magazines furnish most of the pictures. The children who keep things other than food and drink from their mouths have their names put upon the board in colored chalk. They choose the color they de- sire. The names remain here until the rule is violated. They must be encouraged to be honest about reporting for themselves. During their drawing lessons the children each draw a daisy. Every morning they color a petal if they have brought a clean handkerchief. Each child is anxious to have his daisy colored first so tries to remember his handkerchief every day. We spend much time making charts and menus and studying government bulletins when discussing the subject of foods. The children take the bulletins home for their mothers to use. We have a supervised lunch at noon which furnishes at least one warm dish. Every child brings his bottle of milk daily. I find this a good time to instruct the children in table etiquette. I tell them about the bad effects of fast eating. I do not allow the children to leave their places until they have finished eating, removed the spread upon which they had been eating, folded it and put it away. We make this hour as pleasant as possible as it is so es- sential to proper digestion. HEALTH EDUCATION 331 When we play outdoor games in winter the older ones help the little ones with their coats and overshoes. They have all learned the healthful reason for keeping on warm wraps while outside. When it is too cold or stormy to play outside I direct the physical energy of the children indoors. We never fail to allow extra fresh air to enter before taking these indoor exercises. Last spring we had a fly-swatting campaign. All of us took part in this and checked up often to see who was ahead. Every spring and fall we clean the school yard. This instills in the children a desire to have their homes clean and attractive. The children take pride in the result of their labor and try to keep the yard, as well as the schooihouse, clean. The pupils wrote letters to the county nurse, telling her what they do to become healthy. When she sent a reply we posted it in the room. The children are pleased to know that she approves of their efforts. They have all tried hard to carry out the health pro- gram, and with barely an exception they have the cer- tificates of enrollment and Health Crusader pins. HOT LUNCHES IN SPITE OF GREAT OBSTACLES By Irma Luedtke Teaching in a state where the winter air is very in- vigorating and pupils have long, cold rides to school, I realize the importance of the hot school lunch. I didn't feel competent to try hot lunches during my first year of rural teaching, but now I see no reason why I should have felt so ; as the benefits derived from the lunches are well worth the extra work. My school 332 PEDAGOGICAL PEP has certainly increased in interest and efficiency, as a result. My equipment consists of a small cupboard, an old kerosene stove, a teakettle, a fair-sized kettle, a frying pan, a dish pan, and a water pail. The school board provided this equipment, and furnishes the kerosene. The children bring their own cups, plates and spoons. The mothers help by lending a can opener, butcher knife, mixing spoons, and jars. These will be re- turned at the end of the year. The food supply seemed to be the hardest problem at first. The patrons were willing enough to contrib- ute, but as each one has a large family, with no crops or gardens, there was very little money to spare. I finally decided to ask each pupil to bring five cents a week. With this money I purchased sugar, cocoa, beans, and various other staple groceries. Now that our cupboard is well-stocked, we bring only five cents apiece a month, to buy sugar and cocoa. Vegetables are so scarce here this year that the children cannot bring them. For this reason I bought a supply of car- rots and onions which I keep at my boarding place, bringing them to school as needed. We bought milk at first, but now each pupil brings a cupful for his own use. The patrons are very generous in giving what they have. Mothers like to send treats, such as chickens, meat balls, and stews. I have an ordinary heater and use it more than the oil stove. I have no oven and as there were several baked dishes I wished to try, I resorted to the ash pan of the heater. I have baked com, beans, and po- tatoes in this way. I put the food in a large cast-iron frying pan with a tight cover and bring it to the boil- HEALTH EDUCATION 333 ing point on the top of the stove. Then I shake down some red hot ashes and place the frying pan on them. One must be careful to close up the bottom of the stove to keep in the heat. Some of the dishes we serve are: potato chowder, escalloped potatoes, baked potatoes, creamed potatoes, creamed carrots, escalloped corn, cocoa, rice pudding, chocolate pudding, and all kinds of soups. The pupils are very fond of soups. I have a small school and therefore not very much help. The three largest boys take turns carrying the water which must be brought from a distance of a half-mile. We use snow water for dish washing. The six girls do the kitchen work in pairs. I do the more difficult cooking, but the girls are responsible for the senang and the cleanliness of the kitchen. They furnish their own aprons and towels. Every Thursday they may cook any special dish that they de- sire. They certainly are proud of our kitchen, which is located in a corner of the girls' cloakroom. LET THE CHILDREN PREPARE THE HOT LUNCH By Ada Marsh As I am a teacher in a one-room rural school, and have thirty-two pupils enrolled, the hot lunches at first seemed a problem rather difticult to manage. As I have a class every minute of the day, it was impossible for me to supervise the work closely, so it seemed necessary to improvise a plan by which the pu- pils could work independently. I choose four pupils each week ; two of the older ones and two of the younger ones. I then divide these pu- 534 PEDAGOGICAL PEP pils into Groups I and II, an older pupil and a younger pupil in each group. To prevent any disputes about time and duties of each group, I post on the wall, in the part of the room we use for a kitchen, a schedule as follows : Duties of Group I. 1. Prepare, cook, and serve lunch. 2. Heat water for dishes. 3. Put slips in dinner pails, telling what should be brought for to-morrow's lunch. Duties of Group II. 1. Pass dinner pails. 2. Wash dishes. 3. Sweep and clean kitchen. Group I. Helen and Alice Lillian and Hazel Corice and Clarence Time Oct. 24 to Oct. 28 Oct. 31 to Nov. 4 Nov. 7 to Nov. 11 Group II. Alvin and Raymond Earle and Marion Everett and Marie I keep this schedule posted all the time so that the children only need to refer to it to find when they are to work and what they must do. Near this card, I tack a booklet containing a list of dishes that are to be served each day for a month, the materials that are needed for each dish and the direc- tions for preparing it. For instance, if the pupils in Group I want to know what to put on the dinner-pail slips Monday night, they go to the booklet and find a list of the materials needed for the dish to be served on Tuesday. HEALTH EDUCATION 335 Class work is not discontinued until lunch is served and dinner pails are passed. Then the children are allowed to talk, but must remain at their desks until a quarter after twelve. This plan may take considerable of the teacher's time in its preparation, but I am sure the worry and responsibility saved are well worth the time and energy spent in preparing it. THE HOT LUNCH AS A PROJECT By^ Gladys Starke I was teaching in a one-room rural school of twenty pupils where the children had to eat a cold, unappetiz- ing lunch. There was little interest, and I was al- most desperate, when our county home demonstra- tor suggested that I put hot lunches in the school. As I had met only a few patrons, I knew I was facing quite a problem; but I immediately went to see my directors, and, though dubious as to results, they said I had their support. I then sent notes to all the mothers in the district, asking them to come on a cer- tain afternoon and help us plan our work. On the appointed afternoon, there were nine moth- ers and several fathers present. The home demon- strator also was there, and gave us a very interesting talk, explaining the best system for, and the value of, hot lunch in the school, from the standpoint of the mother, child, and teacher. When we asked for volunteers to donate equipment, the response was very gratifying. One mother of- fered an oil stove, and others offered a cupboard and a table. We decided to have a pie supper and candy sale to secure funds to complete our equipment. 336 PEDAGOGICAL PEP The days preceding our supper were very inter- esting, as the pupils were so enthusiastic over our "little kitchen," which was to occupy one half of our large cloak hall. Wherever possible the project was correlated with regular class work. For seat work, my primary class made invitations for the supper, and the third and fourth grades made posters to advertise it. For language work the advanced classes wrote advertise- ments, the best of which was to be sent to the paper. For arithmetic work, the advanced classes com- puted the amount of paper necessary to decorate the school, and a committee was chosen for this purpose. Our supper was a big success, the proceeds amount- ing to nearly eighty dollars. Shortly after this, we secured the rest of our equipment, which consisted of individual bowls and cups of heavy china; squares of white oilcloth for desks, tables, and benches ; and such utensils as teakettle, stewpans, dishpan, measuring cups, knives, and spoons. The purchase of this outfit furnished many prac- tical problems for use in the arithmetic classes. The making of chairs, benches and tables gave opportunity for manual training at recesses and noon. All pupils between ten and eighteen organized a hot lunch club, and they derived many benefits from this formal work. They learned much concerning parliamentary law and also gained self-confidence. Besides the usual officers, the pupils elected a chief cook, assistant cook, dish washers, and chore boys. It was the duty of the chief cook to plan and serve one hot dish every day for two weeks ; check up supplies ; make out orders ; and see that the assistant completed her work properly. The assistant cook helped the cook HEALTH EDUCATION 337 and superintended the dish washing and the cleaning of the kitchen. Each child was required to carry his dishes to the kitchen and leave his desk clean. Only wholesome food, such as beans, rice, soups, cocoa, potatoes, and puddings were prepared. We asked for volunteers to bring certain articles, the staples being purchased in town. In a few days after our project was started I began to see the many benefits of the hot lunch. Deport- ment and scholarship were improved, and the chil- dren seemed much brighter, quicker and more inter- ested in their work. Table etiquette was taught inci- dentally, and the value of milk and wholesome food was emphasized. The children readily accepted new responsibilities and their mothers were much pleased with their attitude toward home duties. Our geography class was made more vital by study- ing about rice, cocoa, tapioca, and other foods which we were serving at school. The children enjoyed find- ing the homes of these foods on our maps. In language classes, letters were written to agri- cultural stations for bulletins; and recipes were ex- changed with other schools. Some of the girls col- lected these recipes and made booklets for their moth- ers for Christmas. The physiology class work was not neglected, but was made very interesting and practical by working out such problems as "Values of Milk," "What We Should Eat," and "Values of Cleanliness, Fresh Air and Sunshine." This last problem was carried out by keeping the kitchen immaculate. In the latter part of the term, when the days were ;warm, we discontinued our hot lunches; but there were a number of interesting things yet to be done. 338 PEDAGOGICAL PEP We made posters, balanced up supply books, made out reports, and wrote themes on what had been accom- plished during the term. Everyone was enthusiastic over this work, and it was not until I read the themes that I realized how much our project had done for the school and how much pleasure had been derived from it. The county nurse visited our school both before and after the project, and it was found that every pu- pil had gained in weight, besides completing a very happy and profitable term of school work. MISCELLANEOUS SEVEN QUALIFICATIONS OF A SUCCESSFUL TEACHER By Jean L. Gov/dy The teacher's importance in the training of the child is very great. What are the qualifications of a teacher who shall be a success in this work ? I think the following are the essential ones. The teacher must be a wise lawmaker. The ability to make wise laws presupposes an understanding of those for whom the laws are made. With this under- standing the judicious teacher will make only such laws as are absolutely necessary, knowing that liberty is one of the essentials of child training. She will try to make the children understand why these laws are necessary, that they are for the good of all in the school and not to please herself or to show her au- thority. Her attitude will not be, "Obey me," but rather "Obey your better self." She will strive to command little and to consult with the children much. She will even let them have a part in making the laws, if they are old enough to use judgment (and this power comes earlier than we sometimes think), by questioning them as to which would be better, such or such laws, and why. The laws made must show the children their relationship to the world. This can be done naturally. In short, the teacher should seek to 340 PEDAGOGICAL PEP multiply the opportunities for placing the children on a thinking basis, and for securing their hearty coopera- tion by allowing them to use their own judgment. Many teachers fail in training the child because they let these precious opportunities to make right impres- sions slip by unheeded. The teacher must be a just judge. She must always take time to be just. She should never feel that she must hurriedly place some sort of sentence upon a child in order that she may go on with the recitation. The recitation can be taken up again to-morrow and comparatively little damage be done, but children are very quick to detect injustice, and the resentful feel- ing aroused by it may never be overcome. The teacher must be a prompt executive. She may make the wisest of laws, but if she is slack in their en- forcement, or if she is strict at one time and easy at another, all she may say or do will make but a poor impression; in fact, such discipline is decidedly harm- ful. Promptness, certainty, and justice in the inflic- tion of punishments are the factors which render them efficient and make them become unnecessary. The best punishments are the retributive ones, as these make the children see the absence of the teacher's per- sonal feeling in the matter. Such punishments also make the children feel that they are brought on by themselves, that they are the natural consequence of their own acts. The teacher must be a leader. She must have a forceful, firm honesty that carries weight. Every time she speaks she must make an impression. In order that this may be done she must not do a great deal of talking. The children must feel the power of the teacher's personality. The ultimate aim must be MISCELLANEOUS 341 to make herself unnecessary; to develop in the chil- dren self-control and independence. The teacher must be liberal. She must think of her school as a miniature world. All types of people will be found there in embryo. They cannot all be trained by the same methods, they do not all think alike, neither do they perform the same acts at the same age. The teacher must recognize these facts and be careful to give each child his thinking rights and to respect his honest opinions, never seeking to make hers pre- dominate. She should present all sides of questions, giving the children a chance to form their own judg- ments. When disputes arise the teacher should listen to each child as he presents his side of the question, and then give an unbiased judgment. The teacher must be a genial companion and a true friend. She should bring her real self into the school- room, and that self should be sympathetic, kind, gen- erous, patient, courteous, and fun-loving. She should always remain young. One of her duties is to make the children happy. She must not see in every mis- demeanor a direct insult to herself. An offense is al- ways better considered as a breach of school discipline than as a personal insult. The greatest service one person can render another is to believe in him. The teacher must always see a great difference between the doer of a dishonest act and a dishonest child. In every child that comes under her charge she should look for that which is good and strong and honorable, and re- joice in it. Expect to attain whatever you strive for. What we really expect from children we usually get. Let us have faith in them. Last, but not least, the teacher must be a master workman. She should be honest with the children. 342 PEDAGOGICAL PEP If a thing is difficult for her to perform, it is well to let the children see that she is determined to master it. The children recognize and enjoy fresh knowledge, and the teacher who comes before her pupils well pre- pared to carry on the lesson, losing no time in placing it logically before them with freshness and enthusi- asm, will have no difficulty in holding their interest and attention. At the same time she will be training them to appreciate the beauty of a systematic life, and when a child appreciates the benefits derived from such a life he generally strives to emulate it. Emerson says that it matters little what a child studies, but that much depends upon Vv^ho his teacher is. It is the teacher who by her personality and ex- ample molds the characters of her pupils ; who by her judicious tact changes curiosity and freshness into enthusiasm, originality, and ambition; and who through the development of interest, thought, and judgment turns the impulses and desires into the right channels. THE VALUE OF THE PERSONAL TOUCH IN THE SCHOOLROOM By Lee Hornsby Teaching children in the mass has its distinct ad- vantages. It is economical for the taxpayer and it saves time for the teacher. It is probably the only satisfactory method that could be used to give an edu- cation to all children. However, it often lacks the personal touch which is so essential in the schoolroom. The personal touch is that which goes from the teacher to the child, and lifts him out of his mental lethargy and moral indifference into the realms of stronger am- MISCELLANEOUS 343 bitions and higher aspirations. The personal touch is that which arouses the child's courage and pride, and spurs him on to do his best, in an effort to merit the approval of his teacher and the esteem of his fellow pupils. The personal touch is that which inspires, rather than teaches. If the child is given the right kind of inspiration it is safe to say that he will develop the best powers that lie within him. The mass system of teaching is apt to give the teacher the impression that all children can be and should be taught the same things in the same manner. Nothing in education could be more erroneous. In such a system of teaching, children cease to be per- sonalities and simply become so many units of raw material to be milled into a finished product. The close companionship of teacher and pupil is destroyed and the influence of strong and lasting friendship is lost to the pupil. The normal pupil longs for the friendship of his teacher or of someone whom he rec- ognizes as stronger and wiser than himself. Many children cannot be taught successfully in the mass and the teacher must resort to special methods and devices for such children. Some children, like some adults, are individualistic in their thinking and they cannot be herded with the rest of the class. The fact that a child is failing is not a sure indication that he is either deficient or lazy. Many times the laggard has the best mind in the class, and he fails because the teaching is beneath his capacity rather than above it. Any system of class teaching which does not take the individual pupil into account is not worthy to be called teaching. We, as teachers, are prone to pass judg- ment on children and to excuse our own poor methods of teaching and our inability to get results from some 344 PEDAGOGICAL PEP members of the class, because we lack that essential — the personal touch. If a pupil is failing in geography it is better to try a new method with him than to pronounce him defi- cient or lazy. If he is given some important project to work out for the class on his own initiative he may develop undreamed-of capabilities. For example, if the class is at work on the geography of the United States the child under consideration may be given a project on the corn crop of the United States. This project he can work out completely. He can compare our com crop with that of the whole world. He can treat the selection and care of the seed, the planting, cultivation, and harvesting, the use of com as feed and as a raw product in various manufacturing establish- ments, its relation to the dairy industry and the pork industry, and the history of the com plant. A similar plan can be used for any other product or for any other phase of geography. The child should not be ex- pected to give all of this matter in one lesson. This method makes the individual child stand out by himself. It distinguishes him from other members of the class, and the matter of distinction is a wonder- ful stimulator. It inspires the failing child with new courage, with confidence in himself, and with a desire to succeed. It develops energy, persistency, self- respect, and pride in the power of accomplishment. Edison, John Burroughs, and other distinguished men made themselves famous because they stole away from the crowd long enough to take time to think, to put their thinking into concrete form, and to develop their individual powers. In one county in my state the county superintend- ent and the teachers have been trying to give some- MISCELLANEOUS 345 thing of the personal touch to the children of the rural schools who are failing in their work. The plan fol- lowed is a very simple one. The teacher first makes an effort to determine the cause of the child's failure. This is done by having a heart-to-heart talk with the child. He is shown in a kindly manner where he is failing. All scolding and complaining are eliminated. By careful questioning the teacher learns the child's attitude toward school and toward the subjects in which he is failing. She also learns something about his home. The teacher is now prepared to help the child in his personal difficulties. She is also in a posi- tion to consult the parents intelligently and to get their cooperation. The county nurse is called upon if it appears that she is needed. The failure of the child is reported to the county superintendent who writes a personal let- ter to the child. This letter contains nothing of the nature of reproof or of threatening. The child is not told that unless he works harder he will fail. Nothing is done to arouse his antagonism but everything is done to gain his respect and his confidence. In this manner the county superintendent, the teach- er, the county nurse, and the parents cooperate to the fullest extent to impart to the child the personal touch. All of this is done without exposing the plan to the child. In many cases the child who has appeared to be dull proves to have more than average ability to do good work. The same method in less degree is used with the un- usually bright child. Very often he is one of the heav- iest responsibilities that the teacher has. The average pupil will take care of himself. He is much the same day after day. The brilliant pupil does his work so 346 PEDAGOGICAL PEP easily that school fails to impress him seriously and he soon arrives at the conclusion that life's responsibil- ities are all light and frivolous. He soon wastes his time and drifts easily into idleness and loses interest through sheer inactivity of mind and body. The personal touch administered by parents and teachers will help to bring such children into a life of service, and they will become an asset instead of a liability to society. A SENSE OF HUMOR By Harold Barnes Give a newspaper to a real boy and what is the first thing he will look for ? If the sporting season is on he looks for the sporting page. Having digested that he turns immediately to the comic section. What does he care about news! Sports and humor are his news. How many teachers are there who can talk sports with the boys or laugh with them at the antics of familiar cartoon figures? Low humor is it? Why not take it as you find it and, if you like, gradually put it through a refining process by dint of suggestion and illus- tration ! A teacher without a sense of humor is like a sky without sunshine. Just as it takes sunshine to make things grow, so it takes a sense of humor with its con- comitant sympathy to open up the soul of the child and make it grow. Heat expands and cold contracts. The schoolroom is the last place in the world for a grouch. Some teachers pride themselves upon their effective use of sarcasm. The word sarcasm comes from a Greek compound which means "to tear flesh like dogs, to speak bitterly." It is true to its derivation. One MISCELLANEOUS 347 might just as well try to revive a thirsty plant by pour- ing a copious quantity of ice M^ater on it as to try to get the right reaction from the child by the use of sarcasm. Either process shuts up the cells of growth and chills and shrivels. Fear is not educative. I found a boy at my office door one day — a boy who had been sent there a number of times before by a young man teacher who did not understand boys. "Well," I said, "what are you here for this time?" Drawing down the corners of his mouth and speaking in a very much offended tone, he said, referring to his teacher, "He ain't got no sense of humor !" And, not- withstanding the boy's ungrammatical expression he was right. The man was one of those prosaic souls who had no appreciation of the humor of a healthy boy. It is as natural for a normal child to see the funny side of life as it is to breathe. The possession of a sense of humor on the part of the teacher does not im- ply that she shall let the child run riot in his quest of fun, but it does mean that the teacher has the ability to understand and sympathize with the child from the standpoint of the child. If a teacher lacks a sense of humor she should either strive faithfully to attain it or she should change her vocation and take up v/ork that will relieve her from a contact with children. A smile in the schoolroom works wonders; a continuous scowl is like a frost in warm weather. I knew a teacher who almost never smiled in the presence of her pupils. She was a driver, not a leader. The order in her room was atrocious, and there was a continuous trail of pupils to the principal's office for punishment. She was finally urged to seek some ether employment. 348 PEDAGOGICAL PEP It pays to cultivate one's sense of humor. A smile warms one's inmost feelings and thaws out the reserve and timidity of the child. It stamps an individual as really human. And one must remember to laugh with and not at his pupils. Enjoy the humorous side of life with them. THE OIL OF COURTESY By Harriette Wilbur Lessons in courtesy may quite properly form part of the language period, the opening exercises, or the games. I instituted such lessons in a certain school where I taught the first-grade children, consisting of about twenty nationalities, — Finns and Jews predomi- nating. Women from uptown who came "slumming'* were often very enthusiastic over the children's man- ners, evidently expecting hoodlums and hoodlum ways. More than one asked the secret, and said that they found more courtesy among these foreign children than in most of the uptown schools. One visitor said that the expression, "Pardon me, I didn't hear you," was not commonly used in the other schools in town, even in the higher grades. The pupils preferred the more laconic "Huh?" or "What?" to in- dicate that the speaker had not been heard. "How do you secure this result?" she asked me. "I began giving drills in politeness. You noticed how nicely Jakey lifted his hat when we appeared in the doorway just now? He was my first initiate. I had him get his hat and play he met me in the street ; then I pretended to be the principal ; another teacher in the building ; a woman he knew ; a visitor at school ; and, finally, a strange woman who dropped something MISCELLANEOUS 349 that he picked up for her. Now I pride myself that both the girls and the boys, young as they are, will know how to conduct themselves in such emergencies. "You perhaps noticed that when I asked Hilme how her sister is this morning, she replied 'Much better, thank you*? I told the children that was a very good answer for such a question, and they seldom fail to thank me for inquiring about the health of an invalid at home. In order to keep them from becoming too parrot-like, I encourage the children to think up new ways of answering such questions. Some of them bring out very quaint new expressions that are satis- factory." "The children certainly do treat each other, and you, and visitors with courtesy," remarked another visitor. "I was amused when there was a rap at the door and little Elsie left her place at the blackboard to open the door. It was a boy from another room, but she said to him, *Come in, please,' in the same way that she invited me in. The nice way that Joey placed a chair for me was indeed a pleasure to see. Oh, I am very enthusiastic about these children." Naturally, I was delighted, not just because my ways had met with approval, but because the nice little courtesies that the children performed so graciously put them in such a good light. Moreover, courtesy lessons have an added value in creating self-respect among the children ; and when one awakens these es- timable qualities a long step has been taken in solving the government problem of society. In short, the oil of courtesy is a good lubricant wherever there is friction, and so has a use in the pub- lic schools. I do not mean that lessons in courtesy and courteous expressions need become a part of the 350 PEDAGOGICAL PEP course of study, but that they should be given at odd times for the general good of all. I have heard a child say to a schoolmate : "Oh, I did- n't mean to step on your toe, Gertie" ; or, "Pardon me for bumping into you." At such times I have felt thankful that some previous lesson in manners had forestalled a disturbance in the room or after school. In order to make visitors feel welcome, I appoint monitors by the week. One will be monitor of the chair ; and, in case company comes or I want my chair moved from one part of the room to another, it is the duty of this monitor to take it in charge. Another child will be monitor of the door, whose duty it is to answer raps ; to invite visitors in ; to inquire of pupils from other rooms what is wanted; to bring me notes if the caller is a child, and so on. If the one calling at the door be a parent or another child wanting a pupil, the monitor goes to the child wanted and whispers to him to go out. Each class also has a book monitor, whose duty it is to see that the visitor is offered a book, opened at the correct page. It is astonishing how little things like this make for discipline, self- regard, and a wholesome attitude toward the world in general. RELATING ALL SCHOOL SUBJECTS TO THE NEEDS OF THE FOREIGN CHILD By- C. Claire Shaver There come to the United States every year thou- sands of foreigners with their children. These children think foreign thoughts, have foreign habits, and speak a foreign language. In fact, they are as much foreign as though they were still in Europe. MISCELLANEOUS 351 When they are six years of age American laws re- quire public school attendance, and the parents are forced, often reluctantly, to send their children to school. This means a complete change in life for the child, introducing new thoughts, new habits, and a new language. In a certain number of years these children will be American citizens. The kind of Americans they will become depends entirely upon the teachers the children have in the public schools. The kind of a teacher we need for foreign children is the best that America can produce, because we want the best American citizens. The children who come from the average American home do not need to be taught patriotism, the English language, the funda- mentals of American history, and regard for American freedom to the extent that foreign children do. Foreign children meet America in their school — their teacher is America to them. Therefore, their teacher should be one who is interested in her work and who teaches with a whole-souled, prayerful am- bition. Given a teacher with all of these qualities how shall Americanism be taught with the required school cur- riculum? Without claiming the qualities, let me tell you my plan. I am the teacher of fifty little foreigners of ten or twelve nationalities. I will take you through the curriculum with my fourth and fifth grades. By means of the songs in our opening exercises the children unconsciously learn a deep, true sense of patriotism. Their favorite songs are the American folklore songs, such as, "Old Black Joe," "Dixie," and "Swanee River," and our patriotic songs, "America," 352 PEDAGOGICAL PEP "The Star-Spangled Banner," and so on. These songs are followed by the pledge of allegiance to the flag. Geography and history are the two subjects that lead most naturally to the teaching of Americanism. The first should be purely United States geography un- til at least the sixth grade. Perhaps you will contra- dict this statement. But do you not think that it is bet- ter for these children to have a thorough foundation in United States geography, to understand the physical construction of the United States, the location of the different states and cities, and its commercial problems and relation to other countries (for this is really for- eign geography to them) than it is for them to have a smattering of European geography ? United States geography can be vitalized by pictures, which you can get at almost any public library, by short talks, and by the use of rocks, fossils, and so forth. During a lesson on the southern states I brought to school a specimen of picked cotton and its products ; also pictures of gins and the manufacturing of cotton secured from the library. During the study of the southwestern states I showed the children a cac- tus leaf which gave them an idea of the cactus plant. American history is a revelation to the foreign child. The Indian, since they have never seen one and never heard of him at home, is a very abstract subject. In- troducing this I received such questions as : "What do Indians look like?" "Are they people like us?" "Are they all dead?" "What became of them?" I enlight- ened the children by reading several Indian stories and having them read an Indian story from their readers. I correlated the geography here by telling the location of the different tribes and that their names have been given to some of our rivers, cities, and states. MISCELLANEOUS 353 In discusing the colonization of the United States I found that the children could not understand it, so I asked them why their fathers came to this country. I received such answers as : "To make money." "To get work.'* "To see America." A few said that their fathers thought they would have a better chance in this country. Then I was able to show them why the first colonists came over. The Revolution and Civil War were terrible prob- lems for the children. Why ? Because their grandsires had not fought in them and these children had not heard, as American children have, of the winter at Valley Forge or Sherman's march to the sea. I ex- plained the wars by short stories which I read or told to the children. Holidays offered an occasion to corre- late our drawing. We made hatchets, three-cornered hats, log cabins and, when we studied Western emigra- tion, we drew covered wagons. The stories of frontier life were hailed with delight. As I had fifty dirty, ragged little children from un- hygienic homes, the health problem was a very impor- tant one. It is one thing to have a child study health rules from a book, and quite another to have him apply them in his life. So we planned a "Clean-Up Week." This required clean faces and hands, hair combed, teeth brushed, at least one bath a week, a clean floor in the schoolroom, and a neat desk. On the first occasion of breaking this rule the name was placed on the black- board under the caption, "Untidy People." Even to these children this seemed a great disgrace. Each day I placed a memory gem on the blackboard, such as : "Clean bodies make clean minds," "Fresh air at night makes children bright." "Children should play in the fresh air each day." 354 PEDAGOGICAL PEP These we learned. They were followed by a talk in which I explained the cause and effect of each slogan. At the end of the first week every child was pre- sented with a cake of soap. We continued the cam- paign a second week, at the end of which time we gave to each child a tube of tooth paste. These small favors helped to change an abstract subject to one of interest and value. Does hygiene Americanize? Yes. With- out clean bodies we could not have clean-minded Amer- ican citizens. Arithmetic provides many opportunities for Ameri- canization as it deals with American money, products, and problems. There is but one way to teach English to the foreign- er. He must have a foundation of phonics. Without an oral conception of the English word he cannot grasp the written. Only American stories with common words should be used for the foreigner in the lower grades. After the idea of English words is gained the rules of grammar seem easy, and we are able to cover them rapidly and thoroughly. The problem of the foreign child is a difficult one and it requires diligent work. But the result is greater than in any other field. It is true patriotic service to teach them. HOW I TEACH ORAL ENGLISH TO FOREIGN CHILDREN By Nellie Collins For the past seven years I have been teaching oral English to non-English speaking children. I have had pupils from Spain, Austria, Russia, Italy, some of the smaller countries of Central Europe, Mexico, and MISCELLANEOUS 355 China. They have ranged in age from six to fourteen, inclusive. Having had no previous experience in teaching foreigners, and being unable to get much help for this special vi^ork from books, as most books deal with teaching the adult foreigner, I have been forced to work out my own methods and devices to a large ex- tent. In the hope that I may help some other perplexed teacher to work out a similiar problem, I am writing this article. I find that a very generous supply of objects and pic- tures is absolutely necessary to prevent a narrow con- ception of the words and sentences taught. I secure my pictures from the covers and advertising pages of magazines. These I cut out and mount on stiff paper. I have a three-foot board above my blackboard all around my room. On this I fasten my pictures with thumb tacks, as they are needed. I collect my objects from every source, often borrowing from my friends. Sometimes I buy simple toys. I train the children to handle the toys, pictures, and other objects with care, and to talk about them freely. I also encourage the pupils to bring things from home to illustrate the work. I put them up for at least a few minutes where all can see and enjoy them. As soon as the children have learned enough English I have them make sentences about the various objects. I find that physical activity on the part of the child, in connection with action words and sentences, is es- sential to this work. I teach English names for famil- iar objects, such as, chair, window, door, and table. My first sentences are something like the following : / run. I run to a window. I open the window. I sit on a chair. I shut the door. I eat an apple. In every 356 PEDAGOGICAL PEP case the child performs the action as he gives the sen- tence. At first he can only repeat after me, but soon he learns to give the sentence independently. Later we dramatize our stories, going over them again and again. The stick is actually burned by the fire, the fire quenched by the v^ater, and so on. An unfailing source of joy is to let the children give a real party, when that word is taught, having games and refreshments and in- viting the grade just higher as guests. Then, too, a genuine picnic is never forgotten. I take every class to a bakery and let them buy a gingerbread boy, when that story is told. Thus buy is forever afterward a part of the vocabulary of the class, and is used in all future games of buying and selling. The first work must of necessity consist of words, phrases, and sentences repeated individually after the teacher, but I try to get independent expression just as soon as possible. I always praise each attempt, even though the result be faulty. I try to put myself in the child's place. If I should attempt to express myself in Russian or Chinese, I am sure my language would be far from perfect. I find that a calendar for each school month is a great help. The children decorate it and write the date for each day. For decorations we often use a yellow circle to represent sunshine, a blue surface for the sky, and white or gray to represent clouds. The teacher may choose a different symbolism, but her object should be to train her pupils to observe natural phe- nomena, and to talk about them freely. From the cal- endars I teach the names of the seasons and months, and the characteristics of each ; also the names of the days of the week, and interesting facts about the special days that we celebrate. MISCELLANEOUS 357 English idoms and irregular verbs are difficult to master, and require frequent repetition. I give many games to this end. I also have frequent matches on such words as he, she, his, her; see, saw, seen; do, did, done, having pupils use them in sentences. Any good book of language games will give suggestions that one may use in this work. I always adapt my games to the needs of the class, and I try to vary them often enough to keep up lively interest and enthusiasm. The chil- dren enjoy these games very much. I have the class salute the flag and sing "America" every morning. At first they are only able to go through the motions of saluting the flag and to sing la to the air of "America," but gradually they learn the words. I teach many simple flag songs, in an effort to instill a love for our "Red, White, and Blue." I give thorough drills in phonics, teaching the conso- nants and short vowels first, then the long vowels. As the children do not know English I cannot use stories in teaching these word sounds, so I simply show a let- ter (printed) and give its sound. I drill on these sounds just as I do on words. I have each child make a phonic booklet in order to fix the sounds in his mind, also to give him a reference to which he may go. In this booklet he pastes under A and a pictures of objects beginning with that sound. Each page is devoted to one sound. I also have much word-building. A small printing outfit can be used to great advantage, first by the teacher, later by the pupils. Though I use all these various materials and devices, "and have not love, it profiteth me nothing." A gen- uine affection for my little foreigners and a sincere desire to help them to be happy, loyal Americans must be the foundation upon which I build. 358 PEDAGOGICAL PEP THE MOST SUCCESSFUL STORY I EVER TOLD By Gertrude A. Zerr It happened to be "Ben Hur." I told it because my sixth grade was studying Roman history and not en- joying it at all ; and I consider it the most successful story I ever told because I learned a great deal from it. My pupils ranged in age from five to eleven, but I told the lower classes they need not listen if they did not wish to. My story-telling periods were of one-half hour's duration. When I had reached the third sec- tion of the story, a little boy fractured his leg and had to be out of school. He cried because he said that he would never know what became of the family of Hur after the catastrophe. So I went to his home twice a week to tell him the portions of the story I had related in school. And the family always hurried through the evening chores so they could sit and listen, too. Even the baby, two and one-half years old, caught the solem- nity of the occasion and for days after would repeat phrases that caught her fancy, such as, "eyes o' b'ue an' hair o' dold." I learned that the appeal of the classics is not a scholastic appeal ; and I went right on through the rest of the year, reading all of the unread books the library held. They were thick books with fine print and no pictures. One day when I told a trifling tale about small boys and dogs, one of the seven-year-old boys informed me that it was all right but he liked "real stories" better. To tell the story of a book requires a little different technique, I think, than to tell a short story. It must MISCELLANEOUS 359 be told in sections. What is dramatic to the adult may not be dramatic to the child. Therefore, it re- quires a little thought in the preparation. I read about twenty pages the night before, stopping "when I come to what I consider a dramatic point and endeavoring to end always with a question, whether the author does or not. I open the next story-telling period with the question with which the former section closed, and let that question give rise to another. If there are military maneuvers to be executed, or trails in dense jungles to penetrate, or castles to be be- sieged, I make sure I understand them myself, and I draw diagrams on the board, and pictures of the com- bat. I cannot draw, but that makes little difference. I say my drawing represents a castle, and nobody ques- tions the fact. I do not hesitate to take liberties with the author's presentation, though I stick closely to the plot and make much of the atmosphere. I never prepare any more of the story the night before than I am going to tell ; it gives me a definite unit, and if I read ahead, I am apt to ramble. Of course, philosophizing, and court- ship, and sectarian prejudice, and anything unsuited to the emotional development of children is omitted; if any of it is necessary to the plot, it takes only a little in- genuity to substitute something else. I have found that the classics (and a few stories which are not technically classic) make a greater im- pression, geographically and historically, than the short stories and children's descriptive travel books, in which courses of study place so much confidence. I read in the summer time because, even if I do not teach the same children every year, I enjoy telling stories new to myself. Since I spend my winters in the 360 PEDAGOGICAL PEP remote mountains I like to be in town in the summer. In the cool libraries I read, with the help of the libra- rian, the literature of the ages or of the world's geog- raphy. "Give me a Russian classic," I say. And if the first one is not suitable for telling, I ask for another one, un- til I find one that is at the same time dramatic and characteristic. It does not matter for geographical purposes what time is described. The point is that I cover the whole earth every year, geographically and historically ; and eveiybody loves it ! We have a very good library law in our state, and the teacher in the rural school is always allowed to se- lect the year's books every September, so I have no difficulty in getting the books I want. There is some- times a question from the county superintendent as to the reason for such advanced reading, but the explana- tion is always satisfactory. Of course, reading for the purpose of telling makes a great deal of extra work, but when you love to read anyway (otherwise, how can you inculcate a love of reading?) isn't it just as well to read for a purpose? And reading around the world is a charming way for an adult to read. I refuse to tell a story more than once. "When you are older, you can read it for yourself," I say. So the book goes home to a patient mother and father to be read again, and told ; or the thick, uninteresting, unil- lustrated volume in which the treasure is buried is brought to me, and I am asked to point out the place where Ben Hur won the race, or where the Indians fought the white men under the waterfall, or where the eruption of the volcano saved the doomed Glaucus, and thus a chapter or two is read in a book that would MISCELLANEOUS 361 otherwise have been forever only a piece of the fur- nishing of the bookcase. I thoroughly enjoy this form of story-telling. My own education progresses and, best of all, my pupils find out what books are for. WRITING THEIR OWN PLAY By Edna L MacKen2ae I have the children in ray fifth grade write their own plays instead of using the made-to-order dramatized story. This develops in them imagination and real creative ability, while their enjoyment in acting some- thing they themselves have written makes up for any crudeness in the material. "Damon and Pythias" was the first story we at- tempted to make into a play. We read it carefully, and I had it retold several times until all the children were perfectly familiar with the plot. Then I suggested that we make it into a play. Before attempting to do this, however, I explained the most simple of the tech- nical terms of a play, such as, dialogue, scenes, char- acters, and exit; also the use of brackets in denoting action, giving directions, and so forth. As a practical illustration I had the pupils take out a book and study. Then when I asked a question I had a girl rise and ask if she might go to the library for a book. Permission was granted and she went out. Then I wrote the following on the blackboard : Mary's Request Characters Miss Merton — The teacher Mary Ross — A pupil 362 PEDAGOGICAL PEP Scene 1. — ^The classroom. (Curtain rises, revealing the pupils in their seats quietly studying. Teacher is at desk, correcting papers.) Teacher (Looks up) — Has anyone a ques- tion to ask on the lesson? (Mary raises her hand.) Mary, what don't you understand? Mary (Rises) — May I go to the library for a book, Miss Merton? Teacher (Smiles) — You may, Mary. (Exit Mary) After one or two more scenes similiar to this, but with different action and dialogue, we proceeded to write our play. Selecting the characters was the first step. I wrote them on the blackboard in order of im- portance. Characters not mentioned in the story were introduced. For instance, one pupil said there should be a spy to report the plot to the king, so we put him in. Another child thought that there should be a messen- ger to go to Pythias, so he was added ; while still an- other pupil suggested a queen to plead for Damon. He was told that he could put her in his play. Every ori- ginal idea that was at all practical was encouraged. Then came the discussion of the scenes. The teacher must use her own judgment in separating the wheat from the chaff in the answers that are given. We add- ed two scenes to those clearly defined in the story ; one at Pythias' home where the messenger goes with the message, and the other in the prison where the friends meet. These scenes are short but are valuable, as they put the child entirely on his own initiative in devising the dialogue. I began the first scene on the blackboard, using the simple language of the child : MISCELLANEOUS 363 Scene 1. — The courtroom in the king's pal- ace. (Curtain rising, reveals the king seated on his throne, with soldiers standing guard. En- ter spy.) Spy (Bows before king) — Your majesty, I have discovered a plot against your life. King — Who has dared to plot against me? Spy — Your majesty, it is a man by the name of Damon. King — He shall die. (To soldiers) Go and bring the traitor here. (Exit soldiers and spy. They reenter with Damon between soldiers.) King — Why have you, etc. Damon (Gets on his knees) — Your maj- esty, it is because, etc. With this to start them, the children entered into the spirit of the play and most of them had no difficulty in continuing it. I impressed on them that they should see each scene in their minds as they wrote it, and even had several close their eyes and tell me what they saw. I set a definite time for the play to be finished and then had each pupil read his own before the class. The children decided on the best scenes by vote. I had them vote on each scene separately rather than on the play as a whole, as it gave more children the pleasure of feeling that they had helped to write the play that was really to be acted. One of the pupils was given the honor of collecting the scenes chosen and putting the play together. Then came the acting. We chose for the characters pupils with the most dramatic ability. Special tim.e 364 PEDAGOGICAL PEP was given them to learn their parts and have a rehear- sal. They had to use their own ingenuity in planning their stage (the front of the room) and providing nec- essary equipment. The originality of the dialogue in the play and the cleverness of the actors in overcom- ing obstacles in staging and equipment was a revela- tion of talent that had hitherto been unsuspected. HOW TO GIVE A SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENT By- Sarah H. Murdock The public school entertainment, to be successful from a community, social, or financial standpoint, must be most carefully planned. Like the short story, the program should begin with a striking note, and develop to a splendid, surprising climax, at the same time introducing lights and shadows: contrasting speaking voices with singing voices, solos with mass effects, voices with instruments, boys' voices with girls' voices, and unison songs with part songs. Above all, the program must have some kind of human interest, and must arouse the emotions of the audience. It must have a strong beginning and end with a flourish. Generally speaking, the larger the number of chil- dren participating, the greater the appeal to the com- munity. Especially valuable for these desired mass ef- fects are drills and choruses, if well-grouped and staged. Artistically planned exits and entrances and the massing of groups in picturesque tableaux or geo- metric figures, with pantomimes and simple dances, contribute to good staging. A practical working knowledge of gestures and simple folk dances, and a scrapbook well filled with notes on stage "business" MISCELLANEOUS 365 personally observed, and with clippings and pictures of scenes from operas and plays, will greatly aid the teacher, not only to plot out tentatively the entire stag- ing, but also to guide her in teaching the children to ex- press vividly emotions like joy, sadness, patriotism, and pleasure in such an objective manner that the audience will be emotionally aroused. For, after all, the response of the audience to the human interest ap- peal, is the true test of the success or failure of the program. When there is to be difficult part singing and the stage is provided with a curtain, it is sometimes well to have the curtain drawn so that the children may be carefully seated in their respective places beforehand. The music, then, might start before the curtain rises or the chorus may be "discovered" as the curtain rises. At other times, children might be arranged according to their respective heights ; tall ones next to tall ones and all graduated down to short ones next to short ones. Straight lines may be kept straight and curved ones may be correctly curved by requiring these chil- dren to toe a chalk line on the floor of the stage plat- form. Where the curtain is not used to mask entrances, boys may march in with a fast double quick step, cross stage, wheel, march in opposite direction, wheel, come to position in a horizontal line, marking time before they plunge into a rollicking song with gestures, words emphasized by shouts. Girls, however, must avoid these smart, humorous songs affected by the boys and must adopt quieter songs requiring graceful, curving gestures, dance steps, and picturesque group postures. "Off-stage" effects give variety to the program. Cer- tain groups may sing or play instruments in the dress- 366 PEDAGOGICAL PEP ing rooms adjoining the stage; others may approach the stage from the rear of the hall, coming through the audience. Whistling, comet solos, and mandolins massed are especially good if used in this way. The staging once planned, the rehearsals begin. First of all, tell the children just what emotional re- sponse they must try to win from their audience and then show them how to do this through facial expres- sion and gesture. In drilling your chorus it is well to rehearse certain words in the lines as signals for cer- tain group gestures and also to train certain special leaders to start the group pantomimes. After the planning and rehearsals comes the ques- tion of costuming, because costumes, though not al- ways absolutely necessary, undoubtedly add much to the pleasing final effect of the program. These need not necessarily be elaborate. A bright-colored cap or shoulder band from right shoulder to waist line at the left for the boys, a bright crepe-paper ribbon bow or sash for the girls may be all that is required. How- ever, the white slips over which the girls wear these changes of costume should all measure the same dis- tance from the floor. The younger boys can don Boy Scout uniforms or other khaki suits; the older ones may wear dark coats with white duck trousers. If more elaborate costumes are desired, one might consult her well-filled notebook containing announce- ments of fancy dress patterns advertised by fashion magazines, pictures of actors and actresses in pictur- esque costumes, pictures of historical and mythical per- sonages, pictures of foreign peoples, notes of clever masquerade and theatrical costumes personally ob- served. Many of these more elaborate costumes may be copied simply by using crepe paper, silkaline, tarla- MISCELLANEOUS 367 tan, dyed surgical gauze, or cheesecloth. In all cos- tuming, however, one should remember not to use deli- cate tones like heliotrope which appear faded under artificial lights but rather, warm, vivid tones, espe- cially if the entertainment is to take place in the evening. Good decorations with simple, conventional and sub- dued effects help the public-school entertainment. Glaring colors and too high decorations should be avoided for they would lessen the effect of what takes place on the platform. For good ideas along this line, too, it is well to keep a notebook of pictures and clippings. When the day for the entertainment arrives, post the program behind the scenes where all the children may see it. Appoint leaders behind the scenes to be responsible for starting the different groups to the stage without a second's loss of time. Above all, no matter how discouraging the indispensable dress re- hearsal may have been, no matter how many last-min- ute criticisms you may feel forced to make, it is well to avoid all eleventh-hour criticisms or suggestions and to pass out only compliments which will conquer the children's natural stage-fright and send them on full of confidence and anxious to exact an emotional re- sponse from the audience. Especially charge the large chorus, or the boys who open the program with a dramatic or rollicking song, that they are "shock troops" responsible for thawing out the audience so that those who follow may have a pleasanter time. These "shock troops" will be more successful if they are not weary from too much last-minute rehearsing. Granting that the "shock troops" win the audience, the rest of the program is apt to fare well. Enthusi- 368 PEDAGOGICAL PEP asm will increase if the program is properly planned to secure an increasing emotional response. The big number at the end should be so splendid that the well- pleased audience will hear its rhythm and remember it, at least until the next year when you wish to launch a new entertainment. CX)NSTRUCTION WORK MOTIVATED BY THE FURNISHING OF A ROOM By~ Alvina Kirchner The problem which we are working out in my third grade this year, is the furnishing of a room in a colo- nial home. It has been a very interesting problem be- cause it correlates so nicely with the study of geog- raphy and history. The aim of this problem is to secure skill in con- struction work and to teach some of the important principles of interior decorating. The room, which has three side walls and a floor, was made of beaver board by the boys of the manual training class. It is fifty-six inches long, thirty-two inches wide and thirty inches high. Real wall paper was used for the walls. Samples were brought by the children and after a talk about the best kind to be used for the room, one was chosen and a sufficient amount brought to school. The paste and brushes were furnished by a boy whose father is a paper hanger. Several children were chosen to paper the room. Some measured and cut the strips, while others pasted and put the paper on the walls. For a window we used, instead of cutting the box, a piece of white paper thirteen by fifteen inches. A nar- row strip of brown construction paper, one inch wide. MISCELLANEOUS 369 was pasted around the edge and two one-half inch strips were crossed with three strips to make the pa- per look like window panes. Small hooks were used to hold the curtain rod. Curtains were made of white material with a design made with stick-printing. The rugs were woven of blue and white carpet rags. The pasteboard looms were made of backs of tablets or similar pieces of pasteboard. Each child made his loom the size he wanted. One large rug was made by the children who finished their small rugs first. The furniture was made of pasteboard boxes. Each child was allowed to make as many pieces of furniture as he cared to make or for which he had boxes. Only the best pieces and those of the right size were used for the room. Dark orange paint was used for the fur- niture because it covers all printing on the boxes. Glue and brass fasteners were used to fasten the boxes to- gether. Shoe boxes were a good size for chairs and were the foundation for a number of other pieces of furniture. The girls pieced blue and white quilts, and the pret- tiest and neatest one was used for the cradle. Dishes and candlesticks were made and were painted with blue and white. Throughout the entire project the children worked out their own ideas with suggestions from me when they were needed. We found good colonial pictures in histories and books on colonial life. I think the first thing to be done in working out this problem is for the teacher to plan the work just as she expects it to be done. One can get many ideas and much help from various books in regard to color schemes, interior decorating, rug weaving, making of clay dishes, and construction of furniture. After the 370 PEDAGOGICAL PEP teacher has planned the work and knows just what must be done, she must get the children interested in colonial life through history and the study of different types of homes in geography. As soon as the children become interested they will begin to furnish the mate- rial, such as pasteboard, boxes, carpet rags, wall pa- per, and other materials that can be brought from home. It is well for glue, brass fasteners, and stick- printing to be furnished by the school. Other problems which can be worked out in a simi- lar manner are the school playground, the nursery, the kitchen, the dining room, the living room, the sleeping room, the garden, the farm, or the stores in a com- munity street. I have helped work out the last two problems and both were very successful. The farm was made on a sand table and included the house, barn, silo, chicken house, hog house, windmill, com crib, fences, orchard, garden, fields of corn, horses, cattle, and machinery; in fact, everything that could possibly be made. The material used for this problem was construction paper. The community street was made on a very long table and included dry-goods stores, shoe stores, ready-to-wear and millinery shops, butcher shop, grocery store, book store, garage, ice cream parlor, ten-cent store, and furniture store. For this project we used pasteboard boxes, construction paper, model- ing clay, bits of cloth, lace and ribbon, tissue paper, tinfoil, pictures from magazines and catalogues, and many other things that children were glad to bring from home. These problems are very interesting and also inex- pensive. Their educational value is easily recognized. MISCELLANEOUS 371 VITALIZING A RURAL SCHOOL THROUGH MANUAL TRAINING By" Mildred E. Watrous My first experience with manual training was in a small country school. The boys in the school were nearing the age of adolescence, and they were all in a state of unrest bordering upon insubordination. They felt no interest in attending school, were of the opin- ion that the "stuff" they were forced to learn would be of no value to them in adult life, and were, in truth, completely out of harmony with school life. A teacher friend suggested sloyd work, and, while I had only a faint idea of the meaning of the word, I grasped eagerly at the suggestion. I found my boys were supplied with pocket knives and with these, some glue, small brads, a tack ham- mer, and some cigar boxes secured from a local supply store, we made numerous articles, such as paper knives, envelope holders, tie racks, picture frames, key racks, and match scratchers. I combined my sixth, seventh, and eighth grades in one division for this work, giving an hour twice a week to the careful supervision of their efforts. During the same period the primary grade and intermediate students were do- ing such work as weaving, modeling, and illustrative paper cutting and construction work. The older girls were given lessons in sewing. At the close of four months I found that the idea was working out well; my boys were showing a de- cided interest and looked forward eagerly to the man- ual training period. At Christmas time I purchased for each member of the class a coping saw, and se- cured patterns, shellac, stains, and a small paint 372 PEDAGOGICAL PEP brush. We did excellent work with this equipment the last four months of the term, as the boys seemed to have developed considerable muscular control and con- structive ability. As a teacher of manual training, however, I felt in- competent, and, during the following summer, I took a short course in the subject under a very able instruc- tor. I explained to him the nature of the work I wished to carry on in my school, and he very willingly gave special instruction in the use and care of all com- mon tools, making of joints, rope work, and the gen- eral principles of woodworking, together with many practical suggestions. I entered my new school with a fair working knowl- edge of the subject which had become, by this time, of such deep interest as to be a hobby with me. The oldest boys in this school were sixth-grade pu- pils, with no experience in manual arts of any kind. For the year's work I chose a textbook containing sim- ple projects, explained in a clear and comprehensive style, with careful working drawings, easily followed by the beginner, and with all -difficult steps in wood- working approached gradually and worked out definitely. Early in the fall we gave a school entertainment which netted us enough to procure an eight-drawer manual training bench, a few tools, and the necessary lumber for the year's work. We borrowed some tools, also, and did some really good work through the year, holding an exhibit in the spring to which we invited all patrons and the school directors. The articles ex- hibited, together with the enthusiasm of the pupils, the patrons' evident pride and satisfaction, my at- tendance record, and remarks on the general vitalized MISCELLANEOUS 373 condition of the school, led our directors to generously offer us a complete equipment of tools. One of them remarked that as we had gone a long way on our own initiative, he would like to see the outcome of the ex- periment. After three years the experiment has resulted in our having a room built on to the school for a shop, all necessary tools and the interest and enthusiasm of all patrons and pupils. The projects now attempted are more difficult. Such useful furnishings as ironing boards, stepladders, milk stools, brooders, porch swings, and playground apparatus have been con- structed and sold to people in the community. A very complete doll house was made which has given the lower grades ample motivation for construction work along decorative lines. No teacher need wait for equipment, or hesitate be- cause of being a woman. I have never seen a growing boy who was impressed by the teacher's evident knowl- edge of conjugations or declensions, but I have seen genuine respect and wonder reflected in boyish coun- tenances when a woman teacher, with no apparent ef- fort, ties divers kinds of knots with rope, or divulges the tricks of the trade with hammer, plane and saw. The teacher who has worked with boys at bench work has doubtless broken through their boyish re- serve more completely than would be possible in any other line of study. Manual arts vitalizes the school in a degree only exceeded by athletic exercises, and will hold the boys at an age when a great percentage of them drop out for sheer lack of a subject which has a meaning for them. "The only true way to learn a thing is to live it" and adolescence is the golden period for acquiring the skill that comes by practice. 374 PEDAGOGICAL PEP A NOVEL WAY TO CREATE AN INTER- EST IN SEWING By Genevieve Bischman Last fall our county superintendent asked the teach- ers in the rural schools to organize sewing classes which should meet for a half-hour once each week. We were to teach the girls to mend their own clothes and make a few of the simplest garments. One day I asked some of my girls if they could sew, or mend their own clothes, or if any of them cared to learn to do either. The reply to all three questions was **No." One girl said that her mother had taught her to darn her stockings, but that she didn't like to do it. I said no more about sewing to the girls, but I began to work out my program. All girls like pretty clothes, so I wore some of my prettiest dresses, blouses and skirts to school. Not many days passed before one girl after another remarked to me, or to the other children about my pretty dress or blouse. I was not "showing off" my clothes but merely creating a desire for and an interest in sewing. To all the remarks I simply said, "I made this dress. Wouldn't you like to make a dress for yourself?" Many times I received this reply, "Yes, I would, but I know I never could." I always told them that sometime they could if they began on easy things first. I often wore clothes that I had neatly darned or patched. Most children sometimes wear mended clothes to school, and one day one of the girls laugh- ingly said to me: "Don't you like my dress. Miss B — ? See the patch on the side. I caught it on the fence and tore it, and Mother had to patch it in a hurry." MISCELLANEOUS 375 "Why, Helen," I replied, "see how nice it would be if you could mend your own clothes. You would have saved your mother all those stitches, and you would have been able to show the girls how well you could mend." I brought odd bits of sewing to school, and sewed for a few minutes at noon or recess. You see this was part of my scheme, therefore I was not wasting time nor spending it on anything other than school work. Whenever I sewed, some of the girls would come to my desk to watch and question me. One noon while I was sewing, an industrious sev- enth-grade girl, the one who said she could darn but didn't like to, came to me and said: "See, Miss B — , I darned my stocking this morning before I came to school." "Isn't that just fine, Edna?" I repHed. "How nicely you have done it ! I wonder if any of the other girls mend their clothes?" "We don't know how," was the answer. Ruth, the only sixth grader I have, smiled, and her eyes brightened, as she asked me, "When do our sew- ing classes begin. Miss B — ?" I, too, smiled, and I'm sure my eyes must have brightened, as I replied : "To-morrow each one of you may bring one of your own stockings, and I shall bring one of mine. You may also bring your own darning needle, and darning cotton, and at half-past three to-morrow afternoon we'll start our first sew- ing class." How glad I was! I had won the day! I had at least created a desire! Our first lesson was successful, as all the lessons have been. The girls now dam their stockings, patch 376 PEDAGOGICAL PEP their clothes, and sew on their buttons. If they hap- pen to wear the mended articles to school they show them to me, and I make suggestions about their mend- ing, as they seem anxious to do their best. I grade the mending that each girl does, placing the mark on her report card. I always keep needles and black and white thread at school so that whenever a child tears her clothes she may mend them. This, too, has helped to create an in- dustrious spirit and has secured the cooperation and admiration of the mothers. The chief thing in teaching sewing, as in everything else, is to create a desire and an interest. One must also have patience, as it is extremely hard for some girls to sew. HO\A^ I MADE MY SECOND-GRADE CHIL- DREN WANT MORE EDUCATION By~ Frances C. Duggar I had not been teaching the second grade long before I began to wonder if all the time I had spent in colleges and universities had been wasted, and that in my chosen profession I could make use of none of the fas- cinating material of which my education so largely consisted. No, surely whatever training I possessed must have some value to the little minds entrusted to my care. Why not use a little of it then? After thinking for some time, the idea of a surprise period developed in my mind. I would have a certain time every day in which I would talk to the children of the wonders of the earth around them. I would show them things they had never seen before. I would make them want to MISCELLANEOUS 377 learn more of the great world in which they lived and of the many interesting and strange processes that go on in it daily. If possible, I would fire them with such a desire for knowledge, that they would want to go to high school, to college. I would place before them an objective toward which they must strive. They must look on the second grade work as a step in the great ladder which leads to knowledge — knowledge of all the things which they most want to know. But when could such a period be introduced? The curriculum was already crowded. Then another happy thought came to me. Why not arrange this period before school hours? In other words why not utilize the time between the ringing of the first bell and the ringing of the tardy bell, fifteen minutes later? And if I made those minutes interesting enough, another great objective would be accomplished. The children would not want to miss the period and there would be no more unnecessary tardiness. And so the plan was put into operation. All that I do in this period could be done by any teacher with a high school training and the use of a few good text- books. This period in no way replaced or detracted from the regular nature-study period given during school hours. In fact it made the children so alert that even familiar animals and flowers are studied more intelligently. So strange and so fascinating did the children find this period that they began by calling it the "Trick Period." I changed its name to "Surprise Period," explaining to the children that the curious things they saw were perfectly natural if correctly understood. The surprises that I introduced were of three classes: (1) chemical, (2) biological, and (3) physical. 378 PEDAGOGICAL PEP For the first few weeks I used the latter class almost exclusively. This was because the experiments in phys- ics required so little apparatus and so little expense. In the meantime I ordered what I wanted for the rest of the work. And after I had all my material at hand, I alternated the experiments, performing one in chem- istry on the first day, one in physics on the second, one in biologj" on the third, and so forth. For biology, I made out a list of strange and un- usual animals in which I thought the children would be particularly interested and which would enlarge their vision of the scope of animal life. This list included jellyfish, starfish, sea urchins, various kinds of coral, sponges of several types, including the beautiful Venus Flower Basket and Glass Rope varieties, sea worms, and many other specimens. I sent my list to a biologi- cal laboratory, asking for a price on it, one specimen of each kmd selected, put up in separate bottles of al- cohol or other preservative. The price was satisfac- tory, and I ordered the collection. Each specimen constituted the surprise for a sepa- rate day. Suppose the specimen were a jellyfish. The jar was passed from child to child while I drew the animal on the blackboard, pointed out its principal features and told the children the story of its life, — how it ate, how it swam, how it defended itself, and so on. To the children it was as interesting as a fairy story. Last of all I impressed upon them that more, much more, could be learned of the jellyfish, of its life, and of the life of other animals in the sea when they had learned to read and study and think for them- selves. When they went to high school they would be old enough to learn many things that they were now too small to understand perfectly. The response was MISCELLANEOUS 379 unanimous. They would keep on going to school until they reached high school. And then if they went to col- lege they would learn things even more wonderful. They would all go to college too. Every child was quite sure of that. The coral specimens were the starting point for many strange stories about the little coral animals and how they built the wonderful coral reefs far out in the ocean. We learned about red coral and white coral, and how coral necklaces are made. The starfish also was very wonderful to the children. They located its mouth, its spines, its tube feet, and learned their uses. How the brittle stars could throw off a leg and grow another was wonderful to them be- yond words. And I never failed, not one single time, to let the children know that there was more, far more which they would like to learn some day. Botany too was a rich field for experiment. A white star printed on a living leaf by cutting off the sunlight with a cardboard star was the starting point for intro- ducing the whole mysterious story of the leaves, the light, and the chlorophyll. And how the children did enjoy a big word now and then! Chlorophyll — the green dye in a leaf — they understood it perfectly ! And microscopes ! How many things they magnified ! How big the children's eyes grew when I told them of the high power microscopes which magnified hundreds of times, making a tiny dot look very large. This was very wonderful to them. The physical experiments were very simple ; but how much they taught the children ! I am listing below a few of the favorites : Siphon. Pulleys. 380 PEDAGOGICAL PEP Batteries and electrical shocks. Cartesian Diver (nothing required but a tiny bottle, a large bottle and some water) . A great favorite with the children. Water pressure illustrated by pouring sand into lamp chimney stopped with cardboard under water. Fusion of ice, illustrated with a wire, a piece of ice, and two weights. Magnets. Soap films over wire frames and thread loops. Making water boil by pouring cold water over flask containing hot water at reduced pressure (nothing required but water, heat, and a corked flask.) There are hundreds of such experiments, illustrating every law of natural life. Teachers can find full di- rections for performing them in any good physics text- book. Chemistry to me is the most fascinating of all sciences. I ordered a few dollars worth of chemicals, and they furnished untold bliss to the eager little learners. Filtering, distilling water, making and test- ing for oxygen teach valuable lessons, such as the puri- fication of our drinking water, the function of oxygen in the body, and the importance of fresh air. The color surprises delighted the children. Two clear liquids poured together, and lo — a pink liquid! Another clear liquid poured in, and lo — a clear liquid again! Phenolphthalein, an alkali, and an acid per- formed the miracle. Can you imagine a child being tardy when he misses all this ? Can you imagine a boy or girl with this start who will not intensely desire an education — desire it and strive for it with all his heart and soul? Try it and see. MISCELLANEOUS 381 TEACHERS ! USE STANDARDIZED TESTS I By Mildred V. W. Patterson Educational Measurements! Standardized Tests! What do the words mean to you? It behooves every teacher to know, for they are matters of importance to aU, from the teacher of the smallest rural school to one in the largest city school system. It is not human nature to be intensely interested in those things of which we know little. If teachers can be made to see the vital need for educational measure- ments the motive will have been supplied for wanting to know more about them. Arithmetic is a subject in which the majority of teachers must give a daily mark. No doubt they con- sider that they do this most accurately, since a figure is either right or wrong and judgment does not enter into their mark as in the case of correcting a history or geography test. Let the teacher therefore take any pupil's arithmetic paper that has a number of mis- takes, make several exact copies of the paper, and ask a number of teachers to mark the paper in terms of per cent and return it to her. She should then tabu- late the different marks given it and note the range of the difference. Lest you may not take the trouble to do this, please stop and correct the following copy of an arithmetic paper and give it a percentage mark. Test Paper of a Fifth Grade Pupil in Multiplication (1) 310 (2) 623 (3) 5095 (4) 165 4 7 6 40 1240 4371 30546 660 382 PI 2DAG0( ^ica: LPEP (5) 235 23 705 470 545 (6) 145 206 870 290 3770 (7) $6.49 8 51.92 (8)^x2=X (9) 24 2yz (10)>^ Lx>^=l (11) 9.6 4 (12) 287 .05 48^ 384 143.5 Now compare your mark with the following, which were given to this paper by a group composed almost entirely of principals and superintendents. Percentage mark given Number giving each mark 60 2 55 2 50 4 40 2 30 10 25 4 Which mark did you guess ? Don't mind my calling it a guess, for does not the scattering difference from 25% to 60% show that these marks were simply guesses, though all worked seriously and conscien- tiously to determine them? Does the above in any way explain the complaint of Mary Smith's mother that you do not mark Mary as high as Miss White, her former teacher, did, or the compliment of Johnny Jones' mother that she is so glad that she moved to your school district, because Johnny's card is so much better than it was at the other school? We may safely assume that no teacher can immediately transform a stupid child into a bright MISCELLANEOUS 383 one or vice versa as the change in marks would seem to indicate. Had the pupil's height been measured and his weight taken at the time he left one teacher and again when he came to the next there would have been practically no difference in the measurements. Why? Because the same standard of measurement would have been employed by both teachers to determine the weight and height of the child. But alas what standard did we have for measuring his accomplishment in the various school subjects? Nothing except arbitrary standards made by each teacher, which give as many variances as there are teachers, so the marks really are but guesses no matter how much time and thought you may put in trying to make good guesses. The inaccuracy of teachers' marks has been the sub- ject of various investigations in school subjects. When I say inaccuracy of teachers' marks I use teachers in the broadest sense of the word, for we have observed from the above data that the principals and superin- tendents are no better "guessers" than classroom teachers. Assuming that I have shown the need for educational measurements I now state the object of the article. It is to urge teachers to begin the use of educational tests in their classes even though they have had no in- struction in their use, to the end that by this beginning they may see the value of and feel the need for a greater knowledge of them. To put it in a practical way, they are of personal value to the teacher because she is able to (1) know definitely just what her pupils can do when they come to her, instead of assuming un- knowingly the burden of poorly prepared pupils who have been passed on to her, (2) determine the exact 384 PEDAGOGICAL PEP weakness of the class and each individual in the short- est possible time, (3) apply measures to remedy these weaknesses, (4) reclassify pupils according to their ability in each subject, (5) determine just how much progress each child is making, and (6) determine whether a pupil should be promoted or retained. Having no one to advise me in the work, the only method open to me was to read all I could about the tests, send for all available material, study the direc- tions diligently, give the tests, wonder at the results and resolve to learn all I could about them by special study as soon as an opportunity was given. I embarked on an unknown sea in my first use of the tests, but to-day that is unnecessary. Colleges and some of the state institutions give courses in this work, not only during the year but in their summer sessions. If it is impossible to attend such sessions one can at least obtain specialized advice from state departments of education, regarding the best tests available for various school subjects, the price, where they may be purchased, and so on. The cost need not deter one from making a start. For less than one dollar scales for testing spelling, handwriting, and composition work may be purchased wherewith any number of children may be tested any number of times in those subjects. The results de- rived from the use of these tests will lead you to pur- chase others. One need be no prophet to foretell that the day is near at hand when no order for the yearly school sup- plies will be complete unless including standardized tests; and when every applicant for a position will be asked if she understands their use. So it behooves progressive teachers to make a start in this direction. /