«-L//v o. SE?r law B (Dircular of Information idio w 2J -& COURSES Of STUDY FOR THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ISSUED BY THE STATE NORMAL SCHOOL AT SAN FRANCISCO. No. 1 (new series).- — A Course of Study in Primary Language and Hand- book to the State Series Text ; paper bound, 109 pages. By Effie B. McFadden. (Out of print; see Bulletin No. 9.) No. 2 (new series). — A Course of Study in Primary Arithmetic and Handbook to the State Series Text ; paper bound, 1GG pages. By David Rhys Jones. Price, postpaid, 30 cents. (Out of print; see Bulletin No. 11.) No. 3 (new series). — A Course of Study for the Teaching of Reading to Beginners and Handbook to the State Series Primer and First Reader; paper bound, 76 pages. Price, postpaid, 30 cents. (Out of print ; see Bulletin No. 8. ) No. 4 (new series). — A Course of Study in Map Geography; paper bound, 52 pages. By Allison Ware. Price, postpaid, 30 cents. Outline maps. — In connection with Bulletin No. 4, the school pub- lishes a series of nine outline maps from which pupils may trace outlines for use in location. These maps are 9 by 12 inches in size. They represent the following areas : North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, United States, Cali- fornia and the hemispheres. Price, postpaid, for set of nine, 15 cents. No. 5 (new series). — A Course of Study in Literature for the Grammar Grades ; paper bound, 103 pages. By Allison Ware. Price, post- paid, 30 cents. No. 6 (new series). — A Course of Study in Grammar and Handbook to the State Series Text ; paper bound, 89 pages. By Frederic Burk and Effie B. McFadden. Pric t e, postpaid, 30 cents. No. 7 (new series). — A Course of Study in History and Handbook to the State Series Advanced Text ; paper bound, 162 pages. By Archi- bald B. Anderson. Price, postpaid, 30 cents. No. 8 (new series). — A Course of Study in the Teaching of Reading and Handbook to the State Series Second, Third, and Fourth Readers; paper bound, 115 pages. By Alma Patterson. Price, postpaid, 30 cents. No. 9 (new series). — A Course of Study in Language; 174 pages. By Effie Belle McFadden. Price, postpaid, 30 cents, for paper bound ; or 55 cents, cloth bound. [Continued on third page of cover.] SAN FRANCI5CO STATE NORMAL 5CHOOL CIRCULAR OF INFORMATION CONCERNING THE ELEMENTARY DEPARTMENT SACRAMENTO W. W. SHANNON Supt. of State Printing 1910 BOARD OF TRUSTEES. His Excellency JAMES N. GIEEETT ----- Governor Ex officio. Hon. EDWARD HYATT - Superintendent Public Instruction Ex officio. JAMES M. AEEEN - - -■••--... . - San Francisco HENRY G. W. DINKEESPIEE San Francisco VANDEREYNN STOW San Francisco JOHN SWETT .------.. Martinez W. MAYO NEWHAEE ------ San Francisco OFFICERS. JAMES M. AEEEN Chairman HENRY G. W. DINKEESPIEE Secretary EXECUTIVE. COMMITTEE. JAMES M. ALEEN, W. MAYO NEWHAEL, VANDEREYNN STOW. REPRESENTATIVES IN JOINT BOARD. JAMES M. AELEN, HENRY G. W. DINKEESPIEE, JOHN SWETT. FACULTY. FREDERIC BURK, President. B.L., University of California, 1883; Graduate Student University of California, 1890-91; Graduate Student Stanford University, 1891-92; A.M., Stanford, 1892; Fellow in Psychology, Clark Uni- versity, Massachusetts, 1896-98; Ph.D., Clark University, 1898. Teacher in Coulterville District, Mariposa County, 1889; Instructor in Mathematics and Science, California Military Academy, 1899-90; Instructor in Mathematics, Berkeley Gymnasium, 1890-91; Principal Davis Street Grammar School, Santa Rosa, 1892-93; Supervising Principal of Santa Rosa Schools, 1893-96; City Superintendent of Santa Barbara Schools, 1898-99. (Appointed July, 1899.) EFFIE B. McFADDEN, Supervisor oe the Teaching oe Language. Graduate Dos Angeles State Normal School, 1890; A.B., Stanford University, 1900. Teacher in Public Schools, Tustin, Orange County, 1891-93; City Supervisor of Nature-Study in Public Schools of Oakland, Cali- fornia, 1897-1900. (Appointed April, 1900.) *ALMA PATTERSON, Supervisor oe the Teaching of Primary Reading. Graduate San Jose State Normal School; A.B., Stanford University, 1900. Teacher and Principal in Schools of Santa Clara County, 1880-87; Primary Teacher Sherman Heights School, San Diego City, 1888-92; Student Stanford University, 1893-95; Primary Teacher Stockton Schools, 1895-97; elected Training School Teacher, Chico State Normal School, 1897; Grammar Grade Teacher, Riverside, 1897-98. (Appointed July, 1900.) DAVID RHYS JONES, Supervisor oe the Teaching oe History, Arithmetic, and Physiology. A.B., University of Wisconsin, 1896; Summer School, University of Wisconsin, 1902; Graduate Student, University of California, 1902-03; A.M., University of California, 1903. Teacher in Waterville District, Wisconsin, 1895-96; Teacher in graded schools, Waukesha, Wisconsin, 1896-98; Principal of High School and Supervisor of Elementary Schools, East Troy, Wiscon- sin, 1898-1901; Principal of Grammar School, Escondido, San Diego County, Cal., 1901-02; Reader in Education, University of Cali- fornia, 1902-03; appointed Assistant in Education, University of California, 1903. (Appointed July, 1903.) Absent on leave. ALLISON WARE, Supervisor of the Teaching of Litera- ture and Geography. B.Iv., University of California, 1903. Teacher L,emoore High School, 1903-04; Hanford High School, 1904-05. (Appointed July, 1905.) ANNA WIEBALK, Supervisor of the Teaching of Com- position. Special Student Stanford University, 1899-00; Special Student State University, 1901-02. Departmental Teacher in Alameda City Schools; Supervisor of Nature-Study, Alameda City, 1905-06. (Appointed July, 1907.) PERCY F. VALENTINE, Principal of Elementary SCHOOL. A.B., Stanford, 1909. Teacher Mt. Tamalpais Military Academy, 1909. (Appointed January, 1910.) ESTELLE CARPENTER, Director of Music. Graduate Teachers' Musical Institute, Chicago, 1896; Graduate California Kindergarten Training School, 1895. Teacher of Music in Golden Gate Kindergarten Training School, 1897; Teacher in San Francisco City Normal School, 1897-99; Supervisor of Music in San Francisco Public Schools, 1899-. (Appointed July, 1899.) A55I5TANT SUPERVISORS. EVA A LEVY, Assistant Supervisor in the Teaching of Music and Class Management. Graduate San Francisco State Normal School, 1901. (Appointed July, 1901.) ADELYN M. BRICKLEY, Assistant Supervisor in the Teaching of Geography. Graduate San Francisco State Normal School, 1904. (Appointed January, 1905.) CORINNE HAISLIP JOHNSTONE, Assistant Supervisor in the Teaching of Reading. Graduate San Francisco State Normal School, December, 1904. Teacher Stanislaus District, Stanislaus County, 1898-99; Cole District, Stanislaus County, 1899-1900; Modesto City Schools, 1900-02. (Appointed February, 1905.) — 5 ELINOR MEREDITH, Assistant Supervisor in the Teaching of Drawing. Graduate San Francisco State Normal School, October, 1905. (Appointed October, 1905.) NETTIE DUNCAN, Assistant Supervisor in the Teach- ing of Language, Composition and Grammar. Graduate San Francisco State Normal School, March, 1907. (Appointed July, 1907.) MARY WARD, Assistant Supervisor in the Teaching of Arithmetic and Reading. Graduate San Francisco State Normal School, March, 1907. (Appointed July, 1907.) LOUISE CARLSON, Assistant Supervisor in the Teach- ing of Language, Composition and Grammar. Graduate San Francisco State Normal School, June, 1908. (Appointed July, 1908.) ETHEL SMITH, Assistant Supervisor in the Teaching of Drawing and Composition. Graduate San Francisco State Normal School, October, 1908. (Appointed October, 1908.) .WILLA SALE, Assistant Supervisor in the Teaching of Composition and Language. B.Iy., University of California, 1909; Student San Francisco State Normal School, 1909. (Appointed April, 1909.) NELLIE FINN - - - - - - Librarian KATHERINE HUSSEY - - - Office Assistant HUGH HIGGINS ------ Janitor SARAH GORDON ------ Janitress PALMER GORDON ------ Janitor A STATE 5CHOOL. In answer to the inquiries frequently made by parents regarding the features of instruction in the Elementary Department of the San Francisco State Normal School this Circular of Information is issued. The department building is located upon the corner of Buchanan and Hermann streets. It may be conveniently reached by the following car lines : Haight street line, getting off at Buchanan and walking two blocks south ; the Fillmore street line, getting off at Hermann and walking two blocks east ; the Market street line, getting off at Hermann and walking one block west. The department is an adjunct of the State Normal School, and is therefore a State school under the direction of a Board of Trustees, five of whom are appointed by the Governor, and two are ex officio members, the Governor and the Super- intendent of Public Instruction. The school is entirely inde- pendent of the San Francisco public school system, and can therefore select the pupils best serviceable to its purposes. The instruction covers the eight elementary grades. During the present year there have been thirty-five classes, represent- ing an attendance of 600 to 700 pupils. Each class is limited not to exceed 21 pupils. The teachers are students of the Normal Department, and as such are graduates of high school, teachers of experience in the public school, or university graduates. Each class is divided into two sections, and a teacher is usually provided for each section. While one teacher is conducting an oral recitation with her section, the other teacher is helping the pupils at work in their seats. There are, for each class, three shifts of teachers during the day, so that a teacher prepares and conducts the teaching of only one or two main subjects during the day. The first shift of teachers teaches from 9 o'clock until 10.30 ; the second shift from 10.30 o'clock until noon ; the third shift is in charge during the afternoon. The daily instruction by the teachers is closely directed and supervised by the members of the Normal Faculty, about eighteen in number. All lessons to be given are carefully planned in advance with the respective supervisors. DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF THE SCHOOL. Small Classes. No class is permitted to exceed twenty-one pupils in enroll- ment. In the receiving classes the number is generally not more than fifteen or sixteen. For each class two teachers usually are assigned; one assists the pupils at their seats in study, while the other is conducting the recitations. Promotion by Subjects not upon Averages. A feature of much satisfaction to parents and justice to pupils is that the pupil is not promoted from grade to grade upon averages of all subjects pursued; but a pupil is promoted in each subject regardless of standing in any other subject. Thus it is quite possible and frequent that a pupil may be graded in the sixth grade in arithmetic, in the eighth in litera- ture, in the seventh in geography, and in the fifth in drawing, etc. Progress in one subject is therefore entirely independent of progress in any other subject, and a pupil is not compelled to mark time or pass too hurriedly over one subject in order to be promoted in others. Every forty minutes during the school day recesses are taken permitting pupils to be reas- sorted into different grade rooms for the study of different subjects, and by this device pupils are graded differently according to subjects. Frequency of Promotion. The school year is divided into three terms of thirteen weeks each, and pupils are subject to regular promotion in each subject at the end of each of these terms, although they may be irregularly promoted at any time. The principle of promotion is to organize each class so that the pupils in it are of even knowledge and rate of progress, and without any pupils distinctly behind or in advance of the majority. The basis of promotion in arithmetic, language, grammar, spelling, and composition is almost wholly upon the records, mathematically computed, as described under the system of records. In geography, history, literature, drawing, and similar subjects in which progress is not so easily reduced — 8 — to definite statement, except in so far as the cumulative review tests may show results, promotion depends more upon the judgment of teacher and supervisor. But in general the system at the end of each term of thirteen weeks is to arrange the records of all the pupils of the different grades so as to show the groups of about twenty each who will work most evenly together. The best group is given first place, and the others are ranked accordingly. At the end of the next thirteen weeks a pupil in a lower group or class of the grade may by the records of his industry or intelligence have shown his ability to work with a higher grouping for the ensuing term; or, belonging to the highest group he may have per- mitted his comrades to outstrip him and find himself in a lower group. But at any rate, it is rarely necessary for pupils to repeat a term's work, chiefly owing to the thorough- ness of the cumulative system, except in cases of weakness due to absence. Arithmetic. No subject has caused so much discouragement to pupils in schools generally as arithmetic. Pupils who make a poor start in the fundamentals of arthmetic get behind, and this is one chief cause of school failures, as this subject is the common basis of. promotion. In the higher grades the serious mistake has been made in the past to introduce a variety of useless types of examples that are really impossible of com- prehension by pupils, and their solutions can only be memor- ized by exercise of a degree of keen attention which few pupils can give. The Normal Elementary School makes a feature of its arithmetic teaching. In the third and fourth grades' the effort is concentrated by drill in securing a thorough and accurate skill in the common and fundamental operations by means of the cumulative system of reviews. This work in review is continued through the upper grades, but also in these upper grades the course is greatly simplified ; useless types of problems are eliminated and the work is confined to those arithmetical processes common to everyday life. While the results are very satisfactory, the system employed greatly — 9 — economizes the pupil's time. Scarcely half the daily amount of time usual in schools is used. The supervisor of the teaching of arithmetic, Mr. David R. Jones, is one of the joint authors of the State Series primary text. Home Work. There is little home work. We feel that during the long- period pupils are in school we ought to be able to teach them practically all that the school requires. All work that can best be done under the direction and with the assistance of a skilled teacher, representing such studies as arithmetic, writing, composition, spelling, grammar, language forms, f drawing, is done exclusively in school under the immediate instruction of the teacher. The only home work required in these subjects is that type of drill which the pupil under- stands perfectly how to do, but which requires frequent repetition to fix the habits. The class of school work which is usually sent home is pleasurable supplementary readings in history, geographical travel, or interesting descriptions, litera- ture and reading for general information. For these purposes the school maintains an extensive library. As a rule, instruction or assistance by parents is not advised, but if parents wish to keep in close touch with what their children are studying in school they will better comprehend the methods and purposes of instruction by procuring the printed school bulletins containing the courses of study which the teachers in the school follow. A list of these will be found on the inside cover pages of this circular, and they may be purchased at the business office of the school. Avoidance of Text Memorizing. Very little memorizing of texts is required in any subject. There is no value in memorizing mere definitions and rules as what is needed is an intelligent comprehension of facts and an ability to use correctly what the rules direct. The work of instruction is therefore upon teaching comprehension of the facts and to train pupils in habits. The teacher, rather than the text, is the source of information, and instead of hearing what pupils have merely memorized, perhaps without — 10 — comprehension, the teacher first tells and explains in simple language and by blackboard illustrations and diagrams. Pupils are then given the texts, or, more generally, some book in which the topic is more thoroughly and simply treated than in the text. At the next recitation the pupils tell in their own language what they have read in different books, the topic is discussed, and the teacher questions them to develop their comprehension. By this system pupils get a much more thorough and much broader knowledge and clearer understanding of what they study. The teacher necessarily must make a very thorough study of every topic she presents, and the interest of pupils is kept keyed to a point where learning is possible. The dead dreariness of the old-time recitation in which the teacher merely followed the memor- ized words of the text and requiring the learning to be done at home is avoided. The school is the proper place for study. The Cumulative Review System. One chief feature of the system of instruction is that of the so-called "cumulative reviews" which are used in the teaching of practically every subject. Take, as the simplest illustration of this system, the teaching of spelling. From a list of about four hundred words selected from those which are most frequently misspelled by pupils in the third and fourth grade compositions, the pupils begin with four or five in the first lesson ; they are repeated in the next two lessons, recur in the fourth, again in the sixth, and thereafter at vary- ing intervals throughout two years or more. Every new word once introduced is thus systematically reviewed for a long- period and words with which pupils, as a rule, have the most difficulty are most frequently reviewed in this way. The same system prevails in all subjects. In arithmetic each of the forty-five combinations of addition is learned in small groups of five, each group is reviewed for several consecutive days, and then at recurrent intervals for several grades. No combination once introduced, therefore, is allowed to be forgotten through disuse. The course of study has been so constructed that this system of reviewing is necessary as the teachers follow the various lessons. The entire course — 11 — in arithmetic is laid out in this way, so that every item is constantly kept fresh in the pupil's mind by this plan. In the early steps of reading the new words are listed in a certain order and are constantly reviewed by this device of system. In writing, pupils begin with certain strokes, then learn the letters made up of these strokes, and are drilled for a long time upon these letters, or words constructed from them, and these only; new strokes and letters are introduced to be reviewed with those previously learned, and so the process continues. In history and geography important facts worth remember- ing in the study of any topic are formulated into., a series of questions. There are about four hundred of these in each of these subjects. Each topic is taken up thoroughly, and after it is finished, the essential marrow of the topic is preserved in this "cumulative" review. As the pupils proceed to new topics a certain portion of each daily recitation is reserved for the cumulative review questions pertaining to previous topics, so that several times a year all knowledge previously learned has been harrowed and reharrowed, and what has been learned in one grade is carried forward without forget- fulness into all subsequent grades. For example, pupils who are studying history topics belonging to the past twenty years are still regularly reviewing the essential facts of the period of discovery. To frame courses of study providing for this system of cumulative reviews in all subjects has been the laborious work of the members of the faculty for the past ten years. Records of Pupil's Progress. Another important feature of the Elementary Department is the system of recording the daily, monthly, and term progress of pupils individually. These records are based upon the written work in each subject, but as the written work covers nearly half of the pupil's work and includes most of the reviews, it is a very safe basis for determining the. progress of pupils. These records are primarily kept by the supervisor as tests by which to discover the effectiveness of methods employed, and by which changes may be suggested. — 12 — Any falling off from the normal progress in any class is thereby promptly noted and means are instantly taken to repair the difficulty or error, or whatever it may be. The system of recording, differs somewhat in each subject, but in the chapter upon The Course of Study will be found the differences of method. The Library. The Normal School library now contains about 15,000 volumes, almost exclusively books for children. Primarily, the library is used to supplement the study of geography, history, reading, and literature. While pupils are studying any topic in these subjects reading material bearing upon these topics is assigned to the pupils for home reading. The supply of books of this character is probably larger than that of any school in the United States. For pleasure reading of children's literature books are distributed by the teachers upon certain days of each week. For each class of pupils books are selected suitable to their interests and reading ability. Records are kept of the children's reading and their interests are carefully noted. Training in American Social and Civic Ideals. There has just been started in the school the beginning of an important organization among pupils which has for its ultimate goal the careful training of the boys and girls, in fairness of play, in manliness and womanliness in social life, and in ideals and habits of good citizenship. We are organiz- ing the children into a guild of several progressive orders, but which, of course, is not a secret society. Each wiil deal with the phases of play, of social, soldier, and civic life. Already the order of "fair play" has been started among the boys. We are having the children furnish us with a code of conduct in their plays which they would like all their play- mates and themselves to maintain in order that each may get his rights and that the plays shall be fair. By discussions this standard will be gradually raised. Similarly as the other orders are instituted, a code will be formulated for each rep- resenting the social, military, and civic ideals of the nation, and which the pupils will learn by free discussion among — 33 — themselves, by illustrative lessons from history in school, and by beautiful ritualistic and musical ceremonies which we hope will be gradually instituted and carried out in connection with their school life. A Half-day Class for Beginners. At the opening of the school in August, 1910, a class for beginners will probably be formed, which will be in session only from 9 to 12, leaving the entire afternoon free. This feature will be introduced for the accommodation of pupils whose parents doubt, and perhaps justly, the advisability of keeping young children in school all day. The change from the freedom of home life to school is at best a serious change. For pupils who live at such a distance that they must hurry to and from lunch, or who take a cold lunch at school, the innovation of the half-day system, at least for the first six months, probably will prove a desirable plan. Those parents who desire to enroll pupils in this class should make applica- tion in advance. Minimum and Supplementary Courses. With the next school year an important change will probably be introduced in the system of the course of study. In each subject there will gradually be formulated a short minimum course, embodying the essentials of this subject, and there will also be drawn up one or more supplementary courses representing special or advanced knowledge of the subject, but perhaps not necessary to all pupils. The minimum courses will be required of all pupils, but as each of these is com- pleted the supplementary courses will be given to certain pupils and withheld from others, according to special tastes, interests, or needs. Parents will, of course, be consulted in this matter, and when the system is in operation, they will be notified. 14 THL COURSES OF STUDY. The courses of study under which the department is operated cover the same general field as that of the public schools, but in treatment, methods of study and instruction, time and basis of promotion there are a number of departures. The course of study in each subject has been worked out in great detail by the different members of the Normal School Faculty from the daily experience in the classes and the labor expended in completing and perfecting these courses has covered a number of years. Most of these courses have now been printed as separate volumes in the form of school bulle- tins for use by teachers in the public schools of the State as well as in the normal school. They are sold, practically at cost of printing, in large lots to various cities or counties which have regularly adopted them, or to individual teachers who use them supplementary to other courses. Their wide use is shown by the fact that during the past three years over 37,000 copies of these various courses have been printed. These courses give very specific directions to teachers in the subject-matter to be used, references for information, method of instruction, etc. Drill Instruction and Studies of Broadening Intelligence. j There must be recognized in education two very distinct types of instruction, each legitimate within its own limits, but neither can be substituted for the other. One is perhaps best characterized by the term "drill," since the essential principle of instruction is to establish certain habits and memories by repetition, at intervals, over a long period of time. Such types of instruction are those in the subjects of writing, spelling, language forms, punctuation, capitalization and sen- tence structure of .all written material ; in the acquirement of accuracy in the manipulation of arithmetic, the early steps, in learning to read, map geography; in the learning of ^the essential facts of history, geography, elementary science, , and even of literature, the framework of drawing, noteworJ^:- in music, etc. The methods of carrying on these drills by various devices of technique in teaching are made as interesting ( and — 15 — pleasurable "to the pupils as the other type of instruction to be described. This other type of instruction has to do with broadening the pupil's intelligence in the various fields of geography, in the current affairs of intellectual life, history, civics, literature, art, hygiene and sanitation, music, applications of arithmetic, etc. In these phases of instruction success is reached chiefly by stimulating the pupil's interest in these broad fields of knowledge by library readings of interesting books, dramatic and illustrated talks by the teacher, animated class discussions by the pupils, etc. These two types of instruction have too often, in schools, been pitted in theory one against the other as though they were opposed, that one could be made incidental and second- ary to the other, or even that one could bt substituted for the other. In consequence, some school systems make all the work a memory drill and others attempt to obtain the results of drill without the drills themselves. No greater mistake can be made. For each kind of material o"f study one of these methods of instruction is necessary, and it is the chief feature of our courses that we have specifically assigned to each class of educational material its proper method of instructioii. The following is a brief statement of the scope and method of instruction in each of the various courses of study : Composition. The elementary schools should train pupils to spell, punctu- ate, and capitalize properly what they write. Schools, as a rule, put so much attention upon the ideas expressed that the form is seriously neglected. The composition class is not the place to develop what to express, as this matter is one of knowledge. The Normal Elementary School, therefore, bends its energies upon training for habits of correct written expression. Little or no attention is given to memorizing definitions or rules, for these do not teach habits. Composition work begins in the third grade with copying correct sentences and writing from dictation. No words are given in spelling which the classes have not previously learned, and no forms of language are permitted with which the pupils have not — 16 — already been made familiar by previous language les-sons. This rule is carried forward in all higher grades. Throughout the third and fourth grades the classes are carried by easy stages into reproduction of stories told them, and in the grammar grades the material is largely provided by the studies in geography, literature, and history. All written work in these subjects is closely supervised and required to be as carefully done as in the regular composition classes. The various difficulties of composition are progressively graded and each type of difficulty is first covered by the more formal drills in language before stress is laid upon them in the composition classes. The special and unique feature of the instruction in com- position forms is the system of correcting errors. In one lesson the classes write the composition ; the teachers then go over these compositions, and in the margin before each line in which errors occur, write the figure that indicates the number of errors in that line ; but the errors themselves are not marked nor indicated. At the next lesson the papers are returned to the writers for correction. They know the lines in which errors occur and the number of them, but they must discover the errors and correct the line. No errors are counted by the teacher except those of types in which the pupils have already been drilled. The finding of the errors by the pupils resolves itself into a game which never loses interest. When a pupil has discovered his errors and cor- rected them, he counts the number of lines in the composition and the errors made, and also divides the number of errors by the number of lines to obtain his ratio, thus : L (lines)— 60. E (errors) — 10. R (ratio) — 10 divided by 60, or 6 lines to 1 error. This means that the pupil wrote 60 lines, made 10 errors, and his ratio is 1 error in 6 lines. The papers are again returned to the teacher, who verifies the result, and are given to the faculty supervisor, who enters the record of the pupil. Each grade and section of a grade has its standard ratio ; if a pupil's ratio is distinctly above this class ratio, his mark is excellent ; if below, poor. In the highest grades the pupils themselves first go over the papers of one another finding the number of errors and entering this number in the line margin ; the teacher, however, verifies and corrects these markings when necessary. Promotions are made strictly upon the term records of these ratios. The twenty-one pupils having the highest ratios for a term are made the highest class in the school, the next twenty-one become the next highest class, and so on. Con- sequently, promotion in composition is made to depend mathematically upon daily care and attention to the usages of correct language. The term averages show the entire number of lines written by the pupil during the term, the number of errors made, the ratio of lines to error, the number in the class, the rank of each pupil, and each month representative compositions of each pupil are placed on file by the supervisor and are permanently kept as a ground of comparison to show progress when pupils have finished the course of standard rules of composition. Those showing significant literary ability are placed in special classes for courses encouraging originality. Spelling. The course in spelling has been greatly simplified by Miss McFadden, the supervisor, by elimination from the State Series Speller of those words not currently used, and, further, by the introduction of a preliminary special list of words for the lower grades taken from the daily composition work of the pupils. This list has been made of the words which over a long period of years pupils tend to misspell in their com- position. The entire spelling course has been constructed upon the principle of cumulative reviews, so that words once introduced recur regularly at intervals throughout several years. Each teacher corrects the papers of her class daily. At the end of the week the class record shows : (1) the number of words given; (2) the number of errors made by each pupil; (3) the total number of errors by the entire class; (4) the percentage of error of each pupil; (5) the percentage of error of the entire, class ; (6) the rank of each pupil in the class. At intervals of five or six weeks reports of each pupil are sent home to parents. — 18 — Language. Records are kept as in spelling of all sentences given in each daily lesson from which are similarly compiled at the end of each week the number and percentage of errors of pupils and class, and the rank of each pupil. Grammar. The system is identical with that of language. Arithmetic. All advance work is taken up in an oral period correspond- ing to the usual recitation period. The presentation and explanation of each topic is followed by blackboard work, which is continued until in the judgment of the supervisor the pupils have attained a fair degree of proficiency in the topic. Written seat work is then prescribed upon the topic, together with a review each week of all of the work that has been covered by the class. By this system of instruction the fruit- less attempt of pupils to do work at their seats, which they have not been properly prepared to undertake independently, is avoided. The written seat work serves not only to review work that has been taken up, but it provides for increased skill through frequent repetition. All written work is corrected daily by the teacher, and the number of errors and the percentage of errors of the class and of each pupil are reported to the class at the beginning of the next day's work. These reports are tabulated weekly by the supervisor, and half-term summaries are computed, filed, and reported to the parent. Each pupil is encouraged to make as rapid progress as possible, but thoroughness is insisted upon at every step. The system of grouping pupils according to their progress is flexible; and no pupil is com- pelled to mark time while waiting for others who are slower. The half-term reports to the parent show the number of examples worked during the half-term, the number of these examples that were worked correctly, the number of pupils in the class or group, and the rank of the pupil. This last item is found by averaging the rank of each pupil based upon (a) the percentage of correct written work; (b) the amount of correct written work; and (c) the teacher's judgment of — 19 — the ability of the pupil to grasp advance work. The first of these places a premium upon correctness ; the second upon the quantity of correct work; and the third recognizes the general ability of the pupil. The arithmetic course of study is laid out in a series of progressive topics. When an individual pupil has completed any one of these topics he is reported by his teacher to the supervisor as ready for the next topic. The supervisor there- upon examines the pupil, and if the test is satisfactory, he is permitted to proceed. Thus thoroughness is insured at every stage of the progress. Promotions in the primary classes are made by grades, but each pupil upon promotion continues his progress from the topic attained to before the promotion was made. In the grammar grades the promotion is made when- ever the pupil passes from one topic to the next. Thus many pupils are able to complete more than a year's work in a year's time, and practically all pupils are able to complete the entire work of the grammar grades in the years allotted to this work. Those who complete the course before the period of graduation has been reached are assigned advance work not required in a minimum course which all must complete. This plan of promotion has been found by experience to benefit the pupils (a) by permitting the more capable to com- plete the work in less time than is indicated by the number of years in the elementary grades, and this without the diffi- culties commonly experienced by both teacher and pupil when the plan of skipping a grade is followed; and (b) by making possible the completion of the elementary school in the pre- scribed number of years by those who have been obliged to be out of school part of a term or longer, and by those whose general development during this period of growth is not uniform. In the great majority of cases, the required mini- mum course is completed before the end of the low eighth grade, thus leaving a margin of one half-year in the subject. In January, 1910, Bulletin No. 11 was issued, offering a revised course of study in formal arithmetic. A complete series of exercises which are built upon the system of con- structive and cumulative reviews is included. These examples are reprinted in a series of four books, and each pupil of the — 20 — school is supplied with the one he needs. He works as slowly or as rapidly as his abilities permit. Problem work is selected from text-books supplied to the pupils. No time is consumed upon formal work that is not practical, and all obsolete and unduly complex problems are omitted and prac- tical applications are substituted. To this omission, as well as to the plan of individual promotion, must be attributed the fact that practically all of the pupils are able to make satis- factory progress in a subject that is often responsible for pupils failing of promotion from grade to grade. Geography. The work in geography is divided into two parallel courses. One of these subdivisions is called map geography; the other is descriptive geography. Each has a different educational purpose, a different content, and a different method of instruc- tion. Both unite to yield that knowledge of the world and its interests which a good common education demands. The course in map geography consists of the following steps : First, the meaning of maps and of map symbols is taught. Second, the correct pronunciation 'of geographical names is secured. Third, the location of each important map feature is learned and then drilled upon. Fourth, the knowl- edge of such locations is tested. Fifth, a series of reviews makes fast the knowledge gained in the course. The knowl- edge of maps given in this course consists of a number of mental map pictures. These mental map pictures are the result, in the main, of a very considerable amount of drill in locating the features taught upon outline maps. Two periods per week for two years are devoted to this phase of geog- raphy. The map work begins in the third grade, but when children enter the school in later grades they always begin at the beginning of the course and pass through it as quickly as their abilities and needs warrant. Detailed records are kept of the tests of each pupil. Upon the facts shown in these records the advancement and classification of pupils in this branch depend. The descriptive geography begins in the fourth grade. In that year the children take a sight-seeing trip around the — 21 — whole world, during which they meet with many of the more spectacular and novel and interesting aspects of nature and affairs of men. The content is largely presented to the class by the teacher although supplementary reading is used for seat work to help out. In the fifth and sixth grades a second trip around the world is taken, this time in more detail. The topics of the course in these years are based upon the State Series Introductory Text. The tourist interest is predominant here. Manners and customs, travel adventure, wonders of nature, picturesque and striking points of interest are exploited. In the seventh and eighth years a third view of the earth is provided in the form of topics based upon but somewhat expanding the State Series Advanced Text. In this a more thoughtful and mature interest is encouraged. The story of the earth's beginnings is told and the general development of plant and animal life upon it, as well as the general nature of the more marked and notable physical changes, is explained. The elements of solar and stellar geography are also pre- sented. Throughout this course the economic, political, and physical sides of the various countries and areas are empha- sized. Special emphasis is put on the geography of California. The natural beauties of our State, the many opportunities for enterprise which it affords, and the problems of caring for its forests, streams, water-ways, swamp lands and mineral wealth are taken up in such detail as the subjects warrant and the capabilities of the children justify. Throughout the whole of the work in descriptive geography, from the fourth grade through the eighth, runs a cumulative review to preserve the knowledge values which would other- wise be lost. This review consists of several hundred ques- tions. A number of them on past work are asked of each pupil not less than three times per week. Thus, every four or five months at the most, each child reviews all the essentials in all of his past work in geography. The cumulative review quiz is given in the form of seat work. The questions each day are put on the blackboard, and the pupils write their answers in a notebook regularly kept for that purpose. Note- books are carefully examined. If deficiency is found in any — 22 — child's knowledge of his past work, whatever review he needs is given to him forthwith. If mistakes in spelling, punctuation, composition, or general presentability are discovered they are also marked. From time to time correction of errors by the children is required. At such times the pupils repair all mistakes made in the form of their answers. The work in descriptive geography does not aim to give merely a perfunctory knowledge of geographical data. It aims to furnish a fairly complete and wholly intelligent grasp of the main aspects of the world viewed from the standpoint of an enlightened general intelligence. The topics are not mere stringy text accounts set before the children for them to master or memorize. Instead, each topic is first discussed, explained, and threshed out in the classroom. Specimens and models, pictures and chalk sketches, stories and narratives are all used to give color and reality to the work. Classification and promotion of pupils in this work is based upon the quality of response made by them during class dis- cussions and on the permanence of their knowledge as shown in the ever recurring tests of the cumulative review. History and Civics. The course in history begins in the fifth grade and extends through the eighth grade. Three recitations per week are provided in the subject. The method of conducting the work differs widely from the usual method of assigning a text-book lesson for study to be followed by a recitation. Each historical topic is subdivided into several sub-topics, one of which is selected for each day's consideration. The teacher presents these topics in the form of a story or talk to the class in vivid description, full of incidents and detail, thus giving reality to what is often only a condensed and meaningless summary in a text-book. Use is made of pictures, blackboard sketches and maps to aid in giving vividness and life to the incidents that are discussed and in fixing the geographical settings of each. The pres- entation of the topic is accompanied by class discussion, in which the pupils contribute from their own store of informa- tion, respond to questions interposed by the teacher during the talk, make comparisons and establish associations with — 23 — incidents studied earlier in the work, etc. The salient features of each topic are summarized by the class, and these are reviewed in subsequent recitations. Following the presentation and discussion of each topic the pupils are assigned home readings upon the topic. These readings are usually from supplementary books, and not from text-books, since the scant treatment of each topic in a text- book makes these books of little value except as convenient summaries. Home readings of the character described are prescribed twice each week. These readings are reported upon by the pupils on the following day. The mass of information in the subject is so great that it is neither possible nor necessary that it all be retained by the pupils. Special emphasis is placed upon the more significant events, and in order that these may be retained they are reviewed at intervals until the end of the course. This review is often in the form of written seat work, in which the pupils answer in brief form about twenty review questions each day. The method of presenting the work in each topic insures the best cultural acquaintance and avoids entirely the mere mem- orizing of book statements ; and the method of reviews insures the retention of the most important facts. Very little attention is given in this course to details of wars or to intricate ques- tions of government in the colonial or national period, or to dates. Especial emphasis is placed upon those features and issues which have continued into our own time. More atten- tion is given to the history of the last fifty years, and to the history of the west, particularly of California, than the out- lines of text-books would indicate. This furnishes an under- standing of conditions as they exist to-day, and gives an intelligent acquaintance with the origin of most of the issues that confront us at present. The class work in the high eighth grade is chiefly the study and discussion of those problems in civics that are engaging the attention of intelligent citizens generally. No use is made of a text-book by the class. All of the topics are presented by the teachers and discussed by the class. The pupils are encouraged to follow the discussion of topics of civic interest in the newspapers and periodicals. — 24 — Literature. Regular class work in literature is given from the fifth to the eighth grade, inclusive. The course consists of a large number of selections chosen from the best known literatures. The purpose of the work is threefold : (1) To give to each pupil reasonable familiarity with the literature that has become standard among people of good general information and culture. (2) To give the pupils those mental and emotional attitudes which such literature has commonly aroused in the generality of educated people. (3) To stimulate and direct a taste for good books. The work itself falls into three general divisions, each serving in the main one of the above purposes. In the first place, each story or poem in the course is presented to the children in such a way as to appeal to them. Every effort is made to give them its full meaning. As a result each child, according to his abilities, secures from every selection all the values which it may be made to yield to him. The teacher is reader, interpreter and story-teller in this work. The pupils follow the presentation, sometimes with open texts in hand, but always with response and activity stimulated by questions thrown out by the teacher. Each pupil is stimulated to feel and to express as full an understanding and appreciation of the matter of the lesson as he is capable of developing. Children, like adults, forget a great portion of what they learn. If left to themselves they are apt to forget speedily a large portion of the facts brought out in the literature lesson. Some of these facts are of passing value and may well be forgotten ; others are of permanent worth and should be permanently remembered. The method of the cumulative review, the second phase of the work, is used in this connec- tion to insure the permanence of knowledge of staple literary facts. This cumulative review is held orally at the beginning of each literature lesson. It consists, in whole, of a series of several hundred questions selected so as to require for their answering a knowledge of the essentials of the whole course. A definite progressive portion of this review is given each da}'. — 25 — Thus, by regular system, the essential knowledge of all the past work in literature is recalled at least four times each year. Close records are kept of the portion of the past work thus reviewed, the number of questions asked of each child, the number answered by each and the number missed. If at any time a class or a child is found to lack the necessary knowledge of the past work, the deficiency is repaired by special and more detailed class or individual review. The cumulative review thus manages to preserve for future use the most useful portions of the literary knowledge which the course contains. Besides the presentation of the regular selections of the literature course, the work ' in literature undertakes another and even more important result. This is the third phase of the work : the stimulation of good reading habits. As a basis for pleasure reading by the pupils a large and varied supply of suitable material is at hand on the school library shelves. Once a week, on Fridays, a literature lesson period is spent in displaying and discussing interesting standard literature in such a way as to tempt the pupils to wish to read it. The average of one book for pleasure reading every two weeks is maintained, but no child is compelled to take a book. A friendship for good books which this work is designed to encourage is considered to be the chief end of the work in literature. In all but a small per cent of cases it is opening for the pupils a well traveled highway into lifelong pleasure and profit. Health and Sanitation. Instruction in health and sanitation is given throughout the four years of the grammar grades. This course differs much from that usually embraced in text-books in physiology. Only those elementary facts of physiology and anatomy are included which are essential to the intelligent study of personal and community hygiene. The course aims to furnish that intelligence which is neces- sary to promote health and to safeguard against disease. It seeks to acquaint the pupils with the efforts of progressive communities in the work of sanitation, and to enlist the intel- — 26 — ligent co-operation of the pupils in these civic undertakings. Particular emphasis is placed upon the importance of fresh air and sunshine, exercise, proper nutrition, rest, the effects of stimulants and narcotics, and the sources of bacterial infection. The work of city and state boards of health and of the national government in the effort for pure foods and water and for the elimination of disease is discussed. No attempt is made to teach this course from a text-book. Each teacher is required to be familiar with the most valuable literature upon the subject, including- recent school texts, dis- cussions in current periodicals, and reports of city, state, and national organizations. Each topic is presented by the teacher and is then discussed by the class. Salient facts are memorized and frequently reviewed. Drawing. The feature of the drawing system is that its goals are confined to those which pupils may accomplish with some degree of finish, and that the work is pursued by a mechanical and progressive method which does not depend essentially upon native ability. Any pupil who makes an effort can accomplish good results. The course is one which is easily understood and mastered, for it is taught at first in a mechanical way by some very simple rules. The artistic appreciation grows unconsciously from the mechanical skill developed. One feature is the observance of various holiday seasons as special impulses for the making of the various cards, calendars and other devices peculiar to Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, Easter, etc. The pupils are very systematically graded each term, so that those of equal ability are in classes together. The twenty pupils whose work ranks highest in the school for one term are for the succeeding term placed in a class by themselves, and the entire school is graded downward in this manner. The daily work of pupils is corrected by the teacher and stamped as "accepted" or "not accepted," the standard being the general standard of the class to which he belongs. If not accepted, the reasons of rejection are written and records are entered by the supervisor. At the end of the term a total is compiled for each pupil and each class, and pupils upon the basis of these daily records are reclassified for a new term of thirteen weeks. Music. In the four primary grades the music is upon the rote plan of instruction. The teacher first sings the song they are to learn, or portions of it, and the pupils learn it by imitating her. In the first and second grades, and to some extent in the third grade, the rote method is combined with the so-called "motion" songs. The chief purpose in the primary grades is to develop a love and pleasure in singing and in music. In the grammar grades the rote method is continued to some extent, but the chief work is in teaching the reading of music by drills in note work and in note singing. Once a week the entire grammar grades are assembled for chorus work. The one great aim of the course is to make the pupils familiar with, and to appreciate, the world's famous music. To this end the repertoire of the school contains the best of patriotic music, famous selections of the operas within the pupil's power, and some selections of famous sacred music. In music the pupils are not separately graded, as for this work special grading is not necessary nor desirable. — 28 — ADMI55ION OF PUPIL5. It is the general policy of the department to admit new pupils only to the primary grades (first, second, third, and fourth). The chief purpose of this policy is to prevent new pupils, not as thoroughly prepared by the systematic steps of progress outlined, to occupy teachers' time to the disadvantage of the pupils trained under our system. It is the desire of the faculty to have as pupils in the grammar grades only those who have received a thorough groundwork and foundation in the fundamental bases of their education, and who, there- fore, can make more rapid progress. To admit new pupils unfamiliar with the ground covered by the other pupils and the cumulative reviews in each subject, with serious defects in the foundation, takes time from the recitation periods and entire classes may be kept back thereby. However, the very rapid and unexpected growth of the Normal Department during the past year or two has made necessary a more rapid increase of grammar grade classes than the promotion of pupils from the primary grade permits. For this reason we have been compelled to modify our policy temporarily by taking in new pupils into the grammar grades who were not trained in our primary grades. These admis- sions have been restricted, however, to the fifth and sixth grades. These new pupils have been admitted in groups and have not been distributed among the regular classes. They are taught in classes by themselves and trained in the systems of the school for six months or a year until they may be gradually distributed to the regular classes without retardation of the pupils who have come up through our primary classes. It is also the best course of treatment for the new pupils. It will probably be necessary for a year or more to continue the admission of pupils to the fifth and sixth grades until the number of classes is sufficient to meet the increase of students in our Normal Department, but when this is reached pupils will thereafter be admitted only to the four primary grades and the grammar grades will be made up exclusively of those wh'o have been promoted through our own primary grades. — 29 — Form of Application for Admission. The following form of application blank may be obtained at the school, and after it is filed it will be given careful consideration : APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION. 1 . Name of pupil 2. Age 3. School previously attended 4. Grade to which last promoted 5. Name of father or guardian 6. Occupation of father or guardian 7. Is father living 8. Is mother living 9. With whom does pupil reside 10. Has the pupil any special abilities or fondness for mechanical con- trivances, music, drawing, etc 11. Is the pupil fond of reading 12. Is the pupil fond of sports, athletics or games 13. In what school subjects has the pupil shown marked ability 14. In what school subjects has the pupil heretofore shown marked weakness 15. Is the pupil likely to be tardy 16. Is the pupil likely to be absent except in case of sickness 17. Are you likely to ask for any special privileges for the pupil, such as to be excused before the regular hours of dismissal, to remain in the classroom during recesses, etc. 18. Is there any reason, when occasion may require it, that the pupil may not be detained after school for half an hour 19. Has the pupil any outside duties, such as music lessons, dancing lessons, paper deliveries, w hich will be permitted to conflict with school duties 20. Does the pupil play upon the streets with children whom you do not personally know 21. (For boys only.) Does he smoke cigarettes 22. (For boys only.) Does he use bad language 23. Will the fees be paid promptly in advance, requiring no extra bookkeeping ( Signed) Parent or Guardian. — 30 — Selection of Pupils to be Admitted. The general purposes of the school require pupils of the normal type. Under the system of administration and uses to which the Elementary Department is put it is impossible to admit pupils with any physical, moral, or mental disabili- ties requiring special treatment or special privileges — pupils of exceptional difficulty in disciplinary control, pupils who are carelessly tardy or absent ; pupils whose parents want them frequently excused at any but the regular hours of dismissal, or who have outside appointments, such as music, dancing, or dentistry. Our system has no provision for handling such cases, and they are a source of bad precedents and examples which we can not permit. ,We will not knowingly admit such exceptional pupils, and if their admission is inadvertently made parents will learn later by experience that the school is not suited for the needs of such pupils, and that they will do better in the regular public school system. Nor will pupils be permitted in the school addicted to bad or rough language or unfair play upon the school grounds. The playgrounds are closely supervised by teachers, but pupils who need supervision in these matters will not be retained in the school. Fees. The law in establishing normal schools for the training of teachers did not contemplate originally the full extent to which the elementary department has been developed. To train teachers effectively requires that elementary school in which they are trained must of necessity be superior and maintain the highest possible standards of efficiency in teach- ing and regard for the interests and progress of the pupils in their charge. To maintain such a school has proved a heavy expense, considerably exceeding the usual allowances by State appropriations for this purpose. For this reason a small fee has been charged pupils. The normal school, how- ever, provides from this fund all text and ordinary school supplies. As the school has developed and introduced better advantages, the expenses have multiplied, and the fees have been advanced and must continue to be advanced. However, the following principle, in justice to patrons, is observed : — 31 — The rate at which a pupil enters either the primary or the grammar departments will not be increased while the pupil remains in these respective departments. Thus, the pupils who entered the school three years ago when the half-yearly fee was $5.00 still continue at that rate, although for those who entered later the fee has been increased to $7.50. It is probable that it will be necessary to increase this fee in another year, but these new rates will not affect pupils in the school while they remain in their present departments. The fees for admission to the school until September 1, 1910, will be unchanged, as follows: For entrance into the first, -second, third, or fourth grades, per half-year, in advance $3 50 For entrance into the fifth or sixth grades, per half- year, in advance 7 50 — 32 — No. 10 (new series). — A Course of Study and Teachers' Handbook in the Common Literature of Life ; 207 pages, paper bound. By Allison Ware. Price, postpaid, 40 cents. No. 11. — A Course of Study in Formal Arithmetic and Teachers' Hand- book. By David Rhys Jones. This Bulletin is published in various parts as follows : Part I, Teachers' Handbook and examples for integers; 92 pages, paper bound ; price, postpaid, SO cents. Part II, Teachers' Handbook and examples for common fractions, decimals, percentage, denom- inate numbers, and mensuration ; 74 pages, paper bound ; price, postpaid, SO cents. Drill Exercise Books Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4 ; paper bound ; price, 10 cents each. These Drill Books are intended to be used exclusively by pupils, and may be purchased in bulk for classes ; they contain merely the examples from the Bulletin as follows: No. 1, Addition and Subtraction (22 pp.) ; No. 2, Multi- plication and Division (23 pp.) ; No. 3, Common Fractions (15 pp.) ; No. 4, Decimals, Percentage, Denominate Numbers, and Mensuration (24 pp.) ; answers to these examples are found in the Handbook. The following courses of study are now in preparation : A Course of Study in Composition. By Anna Wiebalk, Supervisor of the Teaching of Composition. A Course of Study in Geography. By Allison Ware, Supervisor of the Teaching of Geography. Address: BULLETIN FUND, STATE NORMAL SCHOOL, Buchanan and Waller Streets, SAN FRANCISCO. Payments may be made by check, money order, or stamps. 3 0112 105611062 V* ^ *te