THE BRADLEY BOOKS STORIES AND RHYMES FOR A CHILD STORIES AND RHYMES FOR A CHILD By Carolyn Sherwin Bailey This beautiful book appeals to one at a glance. It is attractively bound in cheerful and artistic covers, and the illustrations are reproductions of really fine charcoal sketches with frontispiece in colors. Mechanically the book will prove a bright spot in the school book shelf and the stories and rhymes are as cheerful and interesting as the exterior of the book suggests. They are stories that can be read to children without elimination or explanation. The "big words" are already eliminated, and a child of primary age can read the stories understandingly or comprehend their meaning if read aloud by the teachers. Price, postpaid, $1.00. 34 BEACON ST., BOSTON 378 WABASH AVE., CHICAGO PRIMARY EDUCATION COMPANY 50 BROMFIELD STREET, BOSTON NOTICE NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS may begin at any time. Ten issues, September to June inclusive, constitute the volume. RENEWALS Subscribers do not always find it convenient to renew at expiration, and REMITTANCES - Checks, drafts, and money orders should be made to the order of the BOSTON 50 BROMFIELD STREET OFFICES CHICAGO 228 WARREN AVENUE WILLIAM BRIGGS Co., 29-33 RICHMOND STREET WEST, TORONTO, AND MCCLELLAND THE AMERICAN SCHOOL AND COLLEGE TEXT-BOOK AGENCY, 10 AVONDALE ROAD, AUSTRALIA A Common Error in Teaching T Spelling M. V. O'SHEA, University of Wisconsin sur HE writer has just come from observing a fourthgrade teacher conducting a spelling exercise, in which the following words among others were used prised, sentence, picture, multiplication, together, signing, frightened, and minuend. The pupils had been given ten minutes or so in which to prepare themselves for the test. Some of them had received aid at home, but others did their work wholly in the school-room. In studying their lesson they first looked at the words, saying over the letters, and trying to repeat them so as to fix them in a vocal series. As a result of the test, it was found that a number of the words were misspelled by the majority of the pupils. Picture, frightened, multiplication seemed to be especially difficult, though each word troubled one or more of the pupils. When the teacher came to correct the errors, she wrote each word on the board and required the children who had A. C. PRESTON, 10 & 11 CITIZENS' BUILDING, 285 COLLINS STREET, MELBOURNE misspelled it to look at the correct form for a moment, and In Fairyland From the Instituter's Note-book Little Lessons in English. An Original Device for Teaching Arithmetic Written Number Lesson Games for the School Yard M. V. O'SHEA 65 66 FANNY A. COMSTOCK ANNIE KLINGENSMITH 70 71 72 CAROLINE HAGAR 73 78 then attempt to reproduce it accurately. This method was successful in some cases, but it failed altogether in other cases. For instance, one boy of average brightness looked at the word surprised for a moment; but when he came to spell it he could not put the various letters in their proper places. The teacher was inclined to be severe with him, thinking that if he had really looked at it he could have correctly perceived it. During the ten minutes while misspelled words were being rectified, there was much fault-finding on the part of the teacher because the pupils did not grasp the words correctly at first glance. When a pupil failed in this, she usually asked another pupil who knew how to spell it, when the dull one repeated it after him orally. She Was this teacher skillful in helping pupils to overcome their difficulties? While some phases of her method were highly commendable, it was seriously defective in one respect. wrote the word surprised, for example, on the board, and asked some pupil who had missed it to glance at it and then reproduce it. She thought she could herself see at a glance the entire word correctly as a unit, and why could not the pupils do the same if they tried as they should? As a matter of fact,, most of what she thought she saw when she looked at 84 the word was read into it from her previous experience with it. The word was really in her imagination, as we say, and she got a suggestion from the form before her, which revived the word established "in her mind's eye." If a foreign word had been put there instead of a word she understood, she would have been confused in exactly the same way that the pupils were who had not seen surprised before. LUCY FRANCES LUQUES 77 KATE K. O'NEILL 80 WINIFRED WILBUR 81 ELSIE PIERCE DYE 82 This may be the proper place to say that most of the tragedies in the school-room arise out of the inability of the teacher to take the learner's point of view. The teacher reacts to everything in the light of her experience, and so she understands complex things which to the child are utterly incomprehensible, because he is not familiar with their elements. Now, the efficient teacher will always understand this, and will help the child to comprehend each element. A really skillful teacher would aid the pupil to break up a complex word like surprised, and react appropriately to each part, and finally learn it as a whole. This principle, as it applies to spelling, requires that the teacher help the child to anlayze new words into syllables, and grasp each syllable before the word as a whole is attempted. Of course, these syllables must ultimately be learned in their connections, so that the word will be a unity; but if a child who cannot spell a word simply glances at it as a whole he may feel that he sees it so that he can reproduce each element, but the chances are that he does not see it at all clearly. In such a case the teacher should ask him to pronounce or write or spell orally the first syllable, say, then the second, and so on. If he has trouble with any particular part of a word, it should be separated from the rest, and the child should spell it orally and write it until he gains a feeling of familiarity with it. Then it should be learned in its connections with the other syllables constituting the word. An effective method to draw the pupil's attention to particular syllables is to require that they be separately pronounced. Any teacher who has observed children from the second to the fifth or sixth grade knows that they do not readily syllabicate words; they do not hear syllables, and they cannot easily analyze a word into syllables. One of the most interesting phases of a child's learning to spell is this inability to hear or think syllables, probably because he has always heard words as wholes and spoken them as wholes, and it is difficult for him to think of their having parts or syllables. But for effective spelling it is essential that he should acquire this habit of first clearly imaging syllables, then pronouncing them correctly and distinctly, then spelling them, then writing them as syllables, and finally ending with the word as a unit, which should be mastered as a whole before it is left. The present writer is always irritated when he hears a teacher trying to have a pupil master a complex thing, whether a word or anything else, when the child is confused because he cannot apprehend the elements. It is extremely wasteful to scold children because they cannot perceive these complex units, which seem simple to the teacher who has had a great deal of experience with them. It is a principle of universal validity that when a child is dealing with involved objects of any sort, whether words or plants or animals or cities, or what not, and he is confused, the teacher must lead his attention away from the thing as a whole, and get him to clearly apprehend the particular elements thereof which are the cause of his trouble. Complaining at a pupil who cannot grasp the complex whole serves no useful end. Indeed, it further confuses the child because it arouses painful emotions, and distracts his atention from the thing in hand. to get the total if necessary, "8 square inches, 16 square inches, 24 square inches." This sounds prosaic, but the children do not find it so. They are as happy as possible, and keep their eager interest to the end. The teacher moves about among them, praising, correcting, encouraging, stimulating. There are little smiles over unexpected situations, but all is orderly and controlled, and the children seem entirely undisturbed by the presence of visitors. Presently a child is sent to the long table at the end of the room to build solid 10" long, 2" wide, 1" thick. Three or four others are given similar directions. While they stand working at the table, another variation is introduced. Some of the results of the seat work are given before the class. A boy takes his blocks and goes out in front, facing the class. First he says some gentle little words which you do not understand. These are afterward explained for your private benefit as "teacher's remarks." The children have been told to imagine that they are the teacher, and tell the others the story of their work. So they have taken up the idea of making encouraging remarks of a general nature in their character of teacher, before proceeding to the business of the hour. A boy goes out and delivers himself after this fashion: "I like the way Ethel sits. I like John's work. I have a solid 8" long, 1" wide, 1" thick, and a solid 7" long, 1" wide, 1" thick." As he says it, he puts his two blocks end to end, and declares that he has 15 cubic inches. The direction in this case was to make a solid containing 15 cubic inches out of two blocks, one containing 8 cubic inches. Such questions as these were put to the class: "Think of a solid containing 15 cubic inches. How could it be made of three solids just alike? Five solids just alike? Fifteen solids just alike?" The answers were quick and usually correct. A visit to the third grade of the same school was interesting as showing the correlation and unity existing between different grades. Here, as in the second grade, the multiplication table was being taught and emphasized through areas, but the method of work was different. The teacher happened to be working on sevens. A great number of cardboard rectangles were prepared, each having one dimension 7", the other differing in the different cases. The attention of the children was riveted upon the teacher, as she held up card after card for them to estimate. "I think the tablet is 7" long and 5" wide, and the area is 35 square inches." The child who made this estimate took the card to his seat to measure and verify his answer. If an answer was incorrect, the card was returned. The table of sevens had been Leaves from a Visitor's Note- taught only the day before, so there was some slight hesita I Book FANNY A. COMSTOCK T was my good fortune recently to see some interesting primary work in computing the areas and perimeters of rectangles. Enough work in building with square inches had preceded this lesson to make these second grade children familiar with the logical treatment of the rectangle. They were accustomed to think first of the number of square inches in one row, then of the number of rows, finally of the entire area. Every child in the large class, so far as I observed, was supplied with a cardboard rectangle, of dimensions appropriate to the progress made in the multiplication table at this stage. Cardboard foot rulers were also provided for each child to test his estimates by. The form of recitation was, "I have a tablet 9′′ long and 3′′ wide. Its area is 27 square inches." "I have a tablet 8" long and 2′′ wide. Its area is 16 square inches." To find the perimeter, the child adds 8, 8, 2, 2. Variety is obtained by sending another child to the board to write these numbers in a column and their sum. As the child gives the numbers for the perimeter, he must say 8 long inches, to distinguish from square inches. If mistakes are made, square inches of cardboard are at hand to use in correcting. Also the teacher helps the pupils tion occasionally over the products. When 56 was in ques tion a girl in front made a confidential remark to the teacher, which the teacher repeated to the class as a good thing. "Martha says her cousin in another room remembers 56 this way "My dog Fido can do tricks; Eight times seven are fifty-six."" This type of question was given on perimeters: "I am thinking of a tablet whose perimeter is 26 long inches. What may it measure?" "I am thinking of a tablet whose perimeter is 16 long inches. What may it measure?" Throughout the exercise there was constant demand for thoughtful work, but the demand was made with so much tact and good nature that the children remained happy and eager to the end. The interest was marked and universal. In both these rooms the children were allowed to move freely and naturally. When a question was asked the hands came up and often the body too. I was reminded of other schools in which this same natural freedom of motion prevailed, scholars being allowed to stand or take a step or turn around without comment, so long as they were interested in work and did not disturb their neighbors. Some of the best results I have seen have been in schools of this class, and I enter a strong plea in behalf of the children for greater freedom of motion than is sometimes vouchsafed to them. Where children droop at their seats and wear tired, listless faces, something is wrong, and we are to find what that something is, if possible. When we think of it, is it not unfair in a teacher to revel in free motion, talk at pleasure, prance around the school-room, flourish the pointer, move incessantly in the most varied ways, and fasten the helpless children in their seats, too often with no employment for the hands eyes front, feet on floor, hands clasped on the desk? One of the pleasantest sights in the world is a school-room filled with happy children; smiling, eager, controlled, interested in work, sharing the experiences of the day with a teacher who sympathizes with every child under her care. This is the ideal atmosphere, and the best work can be done in no other. Teaching the Child How to Study M JEAN WHITMORE ANY a child passes from grade to grade and on into High School who has never had good standing except in the little handwork which is done, because he has never been taught how to study. Did it ever occur to the teacher that the child who is poor has tried, and has spent much more time than was necessary simply for the reason - that he did not know how? A geography lesson in the seventh grade was said by one of the pupils to be too long. When asked by the teacher if he had studied a certain length of time, the answer came in the affirmative. Then he was told that if he had really studied that length of time, he would have mastered the lesson. But had he studied? No. Comparatively few children can be cited, who will not in a reasonable length of time master the lesson if they sit down and concentrate their thoughts upon the subject. The majority have never learned how, and this is the great obstacle. The lesson is glanced at, perhaps a line or two is read, a fly walks across the page and the eye follows it, then sees something more interesting and finally returns to look again at the first paragraph. Invariably the leaf is turned to see how much longer the lesson looked than before. The chewing of the end of a pencil comes next and with a glance at the clock the student finds that half an hour has passed. He decides that the teacher gives lessons much too long and difficult, before he has given even the first paragraph any real thought. Has the child been studying? Not at all. What is wrong? He is not lazy. This boy has never been taught to concentrate his thoughts; they go wandering at random and as a consequence his time is spent with no results. A certain prominent school official told that he spent two months teaching two girls, who had just entered high school, how to study. They were boarding in his home, paying tuition, and seemed much depressed because of their inability, as they thought. They were intelligent and studious, but everything seemed at a standstill. He perceived their lack of enthusiasm and upon investigation found the seat of its cause and proceeded at once to enlighten them. They were spending hours upon work which in reality required but little time. Mr. S. worked diligently with these girls and taught them the power of concentration of thought and association of ideas. He was more than repaid for his efforts as both were soon very enthusiastic over the work assigned them. School work from their point of view was an entirely different proposition and each girl went through school with flying colors. The work of teaching the child how to study should begin in the lowest grades. It is a very wrong condition of affairs to put a poor teacher in the lower grade. to study. She should learn the lessons with him and show him how. He does not know how and is too young to resort to any device of his own. One teacher who was exceedingly poor as a disciplinarian in a higher grade was appointed to a first grade instead of being allowed to go to another field. So much depends upon the primary teacher that the best are none too good. It is a recognized fact among horsemen that the early trainer of a colt may make or mar him. In the first grade the little one needs the help of the teacher Take the spelling and study it with him. The first word is "bird." Have it plainly written upon the blackboard, ask him to pronounce it. Ask him to study it with you quietly aloud in this way, b-i-r-d bird, study it ten times, keeping count on his fingers, repeat it again and again if necessary. In this way go through the entire lesson, which by the way must be short. It may take time and make some noise, but no more so than any oral concert work. The main point is to keep him busy and his mind concentrated upon the lesson while he is working, and there will be little trouble about imperfect spelling. In the number work the same thought may be carried out. Lead the child to believe there is no other way. Many grammatical errors which are so common may be avoided as two and two are four, not two and two is four. After being developed, each combination should be taken separately, with the number cards or upon the board and studied over and over as in the spelling with the child, getting each well fixed before a new one is introduced. Always insist upon the child knowing the combination instantly, as readily as the teacher. Herein lies the secret of teaching the number work. Do not take up a new combination until the preceding one is thoroughly mastered, then there are no confused answers when rapid work comes. In the language story work, as it is termed in the first grade, teach the child to think, compare, and associate the various details. In the story of Chicken-Little, which is an excellent one to begin with, associate the different fowls which the chick meets with each other. Get the child to thinking. First HennyPenny comes along, she is Chicken-Little's mother; then the father, Cocky-Locky. Lead him to imagine he sees these fowls going along. Ducky-Daddles next is met; later, Goosey-Loosey, and last of all, Turkey-Lurkey. All are going to tell the king that the sky has fallen. The child can readily see in his mind's eye old Foxy-Loxy come stealing out of the woods and stopping them. If the child is led to see these as they come and not in a hap-hazard sort of way, when once the story is told, by the teacher, all the children are able and anxious to reproduce it in a thoughtful manner and with care. Dramatizing these stories helps the child to think and associate. If this is accomplished in the lower grades, and it is not hard work, the conscientious teacher will thoroughly enjoy it. When once she gets the children working much has been attained and all through the school career lessons are comparatively easy. When geography, English, history, in fact all of the higher subjects are reached, the work requires but little time for him who has been taught how to study; but the pupil who has never undergone this early training makes sorry work of it and frequently leaves school at an early age. So much has been written as to the association of ideas in teaching reading in the primary grades that it is scarcely necessary to say more than, "Teach the child to think and associate." It is the concentration, thought, and association of ideas which are the basis of a good memory. Upon a long blackboard in a large study-hall were plainly written figures, the entire length. The person in charge. asked each one present to think of nothing but what he was doing and he proved that the entire row of numbers could be remembered by the majority of the roomful. He took each number and associated it with the preceding one and had them think about it, so on throughout; then all were erased and he proved his point. A youngster upon being asked how he remembered the number of his father's post-office box, which was 236, made the following reply, "Don't you know that two times three are six, 236?"—an instance of association of ideas. The same may be said of poems. Many a public reader spends but little time studying. They think and see with the mind's eye what was written upon that page. They have learned how. Why not teach the wee child of the first grade the same thing? Do not let him wait until it is too late. With primary teachers much depends upon their being conscientious and teaching every child how to study. T Grace M Buck. Experience Corner V "As Others See Us" II HE eighth grade teacher had a rare personality and everyone in the building felt it. To-day she had just returned from a visiting tour of the schools in a neighboring city and, when she stopped into the primary room to have a noontime chat with the teacher, all of the others, drawn as usual by her great charm, dropped in by two's and three's until everybody except the principal had joined the circle. Soon they were having an experience meeting with Miss Ward as chief-confessor. "Now, Miss Ward," said the primary teacher, playfully offering a rather high chair, "I vote for one, that the returned prodigal seat herself here and discourse unto us of the bits of wisdom garnered in the great city." Amid a chorus of "seconds" to the motion, the girl indicated took the seat of honor and glanced around the group with the quick, bright look so characteristic of her. "Well, girls, I really did have a novel experience and came back strongly impressed with some altogether new ideas of improving my work." "Hear, hear!" called one of the circle, settling herself more comfortably in view of the interesting recital that she knew was coming. Miss Ward smiled at her enthusiasm and continued, "You know I left here Friday evening and, as the train was four hours late, I did not reach my destination until about noon on Saturday. My friend was waiting for me, and after a lunch, she suggested a visit to the immense saw-mills that are located several miles up the river. I went and 'thereby hangs my tale.'" Here she paused to let anticipation do its full work and then went on. "A very courteous superintendent came to meet us as we entered the office and, when we had made known our errand, he offered his own services as guide and, by the way, this was most unusual and very fortunate. He took us to the very beginning of things that is, to the log-jam in the river. We watched the men separate them, two by two, and guide them into the chute, where they were thoroughly washed by workers placed there with hose intended for that purpose. No sooner was this completed than they were seized by the sides and rushed up an inclined plane to the mills proper. In a flash, each heavy log was placed upon a car, hurried back and forth under an immense saw and, in less time than it takes to tell, it was converted into boards. Each of these, in turn, was whirled away and, like magic, sawed into certain lengths. Odd sizes and lengths went on in the process, until finally they arrived at the stage of laths or kindling wood. Even this last was sorted into large and small sizes with unvarying precision and a swiftness that fairly took one's breath. I turned to the superintendent who had been patiently answering my host of questions and said, 'I think that this system and the speed with which it is carried through, are the most wonderful things that I ever saw. Is there any loss of time anywhere or does the entire system always work with this same perfection?' ""There is no loss of time if we can avoid it,' he said, calling my attention to a group of men, who just at that moment, were starting a new set of saws while they sharpened and replaced the dull ones. 'You see, the output of these mills is fixed at a certain number of logs a day. This is an immense plant and we employ such a large number of men that there could be no efficiency without this exact system. We are constantly trying to improve our plan in order to save as nearly as possible all waste of time, labor, and material.' "Really, girls," continued the speaker, "I am not able, by description, to give you any kind of an idea of that wonderful regime. You would have to see what I did to appreciate its perfect working. After we left the mills and, during the tour of shopping and sight-seeing that followed, I saw indications of almost as perfect system in connection with several large department stores. The telephone plant revealed the same thing, and a short talk with the manager of a leading newspaper and publishing office, gave me a better idea of the business world's standard of efficiency, than I could ever have gained from reading if I had studied the subject for a thousand years. So engrossed was I with this wonderful exhibition of economy in time and effort, that, when I went into the schools on the following Monday, I seemed to be. observing conditions, with the keen and discriminating eyes of a shrewd business man-and-oh, the things I saw!" |