FIFTH GRADE.

1. Practice of school virtues already learned, enforced by a more prominent appeal to reason and judgment.

2. Pupils should be directed toward voluntary good conduct, self-accountability and personal responsibility.

3. Explanations of the relations of good morals and good health. 4. Fables and stories illustrating individual virtues and vices.

1.

SIXTH GRADE.

Courteous attitude toward teacher and helpful attitude toward younger pupils.

2.

Talks on study, industry, purpose, self-reliance.

3. Warning against envy, jealousy, talking about one another. Good stories from biography and mythology.

4.

SEVENTH GRADE.

1. Practice of school virtues, with more prominent appeal to proper pride, self-respect and moral motives.

2. Explanation of difference between grades (marks) and attainment, between reputation and character.

3. Ideas of justice, duties toward schoolmates, toward neighbors, toward fellow-men.

4. Direct pupils in some elevating and interesting reading to be done by themselves.

EIGHTH GRADE.

1. Qualities to be sought-independence of conduct, self-reliance, self-control, preparatory to entering High School, with bearing which younger pupils may follow.

2. More formal explanation of the social usages and good forms that would concern a boy or girl of thirteen or fourteen.

3.

Increased confidence extended by teacher.

4. Higher grade of reading.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

How to Teach Manners in the School-room, by Julia M. Dewey, Kellogg & Co., N. Y., 50c. Helpful in suggesting methods of handling this subject for the youngest pupils.

School management, White, American Book Co., $1.00. Good lists of the virtues, outlines of moral lessons and lists of reading.

Moral Instruction of Children, Alder, D. Appleton & Co., $1.50. Good discussion of duties and classification of reading matter to be used in school.

Moral Education, Edward Howard Griggs, B. W. Huebsch, N. Y., $2.00. Sane, sensible and practical teaching, with rather full bibliography.

GLEANINGS FROM THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEEE OF FIFTEEN.

Reading:

"After the second year, one lesson each day for the entire eight years." (p. 89.)

"After the third year, reading lessons should be given of selections from classic authors, with reference to (a) elocution, (b) grammatical peculiarities, (c) literary contents." (p. 89.)

"In composition work, reading lessons will give matter for literary style, geography for scientific style, and arithmetic for a business style." (p. 92.)

Language:

"The oral grammar lessons from the first year to the middle of the fifth should deal chiefly with the use of language, gradually introducing the grammatical technique." (p. 91.)

"The punctuation, spelling, syntax, penmanship, choice of words, and style should not, it is true, be made a matter of criticism in connection with the other lessons, but only in the language lesson proper. But the pupil will learn language all the same, by the written and oral recitation." (p. 91.)

"A frequent error is the practice of making every recitation a language lesson, and interrupting the arithmetic, geography, history, literature, by calling the pupil's attention abruptly to something in the form of his expression.' (p. 96-7.)

"The faulty English should be criticized as showing confusion of thought or memory, and should be corrected in this sense. But solecisms of speech should be silently noted by the teacher for discussion in the regular language lesson." (p. 102.)

"Technical grammar can never educate the child in the use of higher and better English." (p. 48.)

Literature:

"The chief esthetic training of the elementary school is the study of fine selections of prose and verse. These may be intensified by the use of pictures." (p. 48.)

"Literature is artistic according to the fullness with which it expresses some phase of soul-experience." (p. 47.)

Miscellaneous:

"Grammar demonstrates its title to the first place in the seven liberal arts by its use as a discipline in analysis, in logic, and in classification." (p. 48.)

"Side by side with language study is the study of mathematics in the schools, claiming the second place of importance of all studies." (p. 52.)

"The higher moral qualities of truth-telling and sincerity are taught in every class that lays stress on accuracy of statement." (p. 12.)

"Natural science claims a place in the elementary school, not so much as a disciplinary study, as a training in habits of observation and in the use of the technique by which such sciences are expounded. (p. 69.)

"Thus the pedagogical order is not always the logical, or scientific order. A first course should be given in botany, zoology, and physics, so as to treat of the structure of familiar plants and animals, and the explanation of the physical phenomena as seen in the child's playthings, domestic machines, etc." (p. 69.)

"The overcultivation of the verbal memory tends to arrest the growth of critical attention and reflection."

(p. 49.)

Staple Branches in Their Order:-"Grammar, literature, arithmetic, geography, and history are the five branches upon which the disciplinary work of the elementary school is concentrated." (p. 67.) "Most practical knowledge is knowledge of human nature." (p. 47.)

GRAMMAR SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS.

Under legislative act of 1903 the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is given power to prescribe uniform rules and regulations for grammar school examinations. In accordance with the authority thus granted, the following regulations have been announced:

1. Three examinations each year will be held, as follows: (a) The last week in August.

(b) The third Thursday in January.

(c) The third Thursday in May.

2. Pupils are expected to show County Superintendents that they have completed the subject in which they take the examination. For this and other purposes County Superintendents will require from the teachers of the county a statement of the pupils' work in all subjects covered by the eighth grade examinations. Superintendents may require, in addition to this statement from teachers, such other information or recommendations as they desire in regard to the pupils.

3. Pupils will be permited to retain all grades of 80 per cent. or above that they make at three consecutive examinations; but no pupil shall be recommended by the County Superintendent for the eighth grade diploma who does not show to the examining board that the work in all subjects has been regularly and satisfactorily completed in the grades.

4. (a) The pupil must show conclusively that at least one of the pupils' reading circle books has been read.

(In addition to the written review required by the questions, Superintendents may make such local rules as they desire to insure that the provisions of this rule are met.)

(b) For August examination the reading of one of the books adopted for the preceding year, will be sufficient. For the January and May examinations, selections must be from the list adopted for that school year.

(c) For the school year 1905-1906 the following list was adopted in June, 1905, by the State Board of Education:

David Copperfield (any edition).

"The Western United States" (Fairbanks), D. C. Heath & Co. "Story of Japan" (Van Bergen), American Book Co.

"Agriculture for Beginners" (re-adopted), Ginn & Co.

5. All examinations will be for a period of two days (Thursday and Friday). County Superintendents should make programme conform as nearly as possible to that for teachers' examinations. Places and conductors will be definitely arranged for, and conductors should not be teachers of the eighth grade if it can be avoided.

[NOTE. It is believed by this office that if the above rules are enforced by the County Superintendents, practically all the wellfounded objections to past regulations will have been met. It is not intended to make the examinations easier, but it is intended to make them more fair. Under the above rules subjects completed in the seventh grade may be taken at the following August examination. Rules 2 and 3, if carried into intelligent effect, should result in giving the actual school work and recommendation of teachers their proper place in the system. It is confidently expected that if the above provisions are faithfully followed, with proper grading by examining boards, the results will be much stronger grammar school work, and consequently a greater educational value for the eighth grade diploma.]

The law provides that the County Superintendent of Schools, or assistants duly appointed by him, shall conduct the examinations; that the manuscripts shall be graded by a county board of examiners, consisting of four persons holding valid certificates; that the names of successful applicants and their grades shall be reported to the Superintendent of Public Instruction within ten days after any meeting of the board of examiners.

No argument is needed to convince teachers and school authorities that the system of grammar school examinations and graduation is of direct benefit to the individual pupil, as it is also to the school and the state system. It therefore should be unnecessary to urge upon teachers the importance of encouraging pupils to complete the grades and take the eighth grade diploma. The fact that this diploma insures entrance to any High School of the State is an inducement to be mentioned; but the greater good to the pupil of having completed a definite work and the consequent influence upon his character should be emphasized. The department of Public Instruction expects the co-operation of all County Superintendents, of all graded school principals, and of all teachers, to the end that the system of grammar school examinations may be made thoroughly satisfactory and effective.

COURSE OF STUDY.

Extracts from the Code of Public Instruction:

"SEC. 27. The State Board of Education shall have power, and it shall be its duty:

"First. To prepare and outline course or courses of study for the primary, grammar and high school departments of the common schools.

"SEC. 309. It shall be the duty of the principal of each school in all districts of the first class to prepare and issue, under the direction of the city board of education, or board of school directiors of the district, a course of study for his schools, which course of study must, before going into effect, be approved by the State Superintend ent of Public Instruction. Such course of study shall conform to the manual, or general outline, prescribed by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction,and all examinations and promotions under the same shall be based upon the minimum credits in each study, as prescribed by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction in his general manual or outline course of study."

In accordance with the above provisions of the Code, Courses of Study for the common schools and high schools of the State were adopted on April 13, 1905. See following pages.