of character. They acknowledged their inconsistency and withdrew their assent to the superintendent's remark. Again soon afterward they were tested on the same point, as follows: "A mother often says to her little child, 'Did you have your reading lesson to-day?' And if she is convinced that he did have it, she feels quite satisfied as to the success of the school so far as her child is concerned. Is she quite right?" The reply came that she was, in spite of previous conclusions to the contrary.1 These are merely examples showing how, after a question had been settled not only once but even several times, a query somewhat different from those already presented will prove that it is not yet by any means really settled or brought into relation to other kinds of experience. It is largely because matters have been reviewed in only one way, from one point of view, that strangers, who have different ways of looking at things from the teacher, receive no replies, or 1 The author was recently discussing the relative value of studies with a class of twenty-five persons who averaged about ten years of experience in teaching. Nearly one entire recitation period was devoted to that topic. It was the custom of the class to receive a few questions, at the beginning of each hour, that bore upon any of the preceding work of the year. Accordingly the next day after the recitation mentioned the question put was, Have we at any time during this year discussed the problem, What knowledge is of most worth? The unanimous reply was that we had never considered it. In like manner children often "haven't yet had" a topic which has already been "had" and finished by them. Amount of time for review. very ridiculous ones, when examining school children. If there were usually an element of newness in the reviews, so that they might be distinguished from mere drills and repetitions by taxing the thinking power, they would prove more interesting and thereby make a deeper impression upon the memory; they would also lead to greater thoroughness of knowledge and thus largely eliminate such discouraging answers as the above. There is no desire expressed here to diminish the amount of time devoted to reviews. The great danger is that they will receive altogether too little rather than too much attention. On the average probably from one-third to one-half of the time in school should be spent in considering topics that have already been studied. It occupies much time to recall the old related experiences in approaching a new topic and in following the developing method; it consumes much more, as will appear later, to compare facts already studied, with the object of finding similarities and differences and essentials; it takes more still to review old knowledge by applying it, until it becomes one's own; when all this is done and when, in addition to it, time has been taken for proper repetition, and for review by numerous questions put from new points of view, one will find that easily one-half of the teaching time has been consumed. But the time for review should not come mainly toward the close of the term-it should be distributed throughout the term, every recitation con taining some of it. Only in that way can a student become so familiar with thoughts that he has his bearings in regard to them, no matter from what side he may be approached. of lesson. One of the important parts of any recitation con- Assignment sists in the assignment of the lesson for the next day, In case the developing method is employed, the aim of the next period should be clearly stated in the latter part of the recitation, and when the next period arrives, that aim should be recalled. In the meantime the pupils can be held for careful reflection on what was last accomplished, so as to reproduce it correctly and with ease. In case a text-book is used, sufficient time should be taken toward the close of each recitation to state the aim for the next period, and to allow at least the preparatory step, so that the class may approach the text at home in an apperceiving mood. It is important that this preparation be completed before the text itself be discussed. But whatever method be employed, all that has been heretofore said about the importance of fixing a definite aim applies to the assignment of the next lesson. If a clearly defined object is a necessary condition of valuable study in the presence of the teacher and with his help, it is all the more evident that when left to study at home by themselves children will waste much of their time unless guided by a clearly defined purpose in each lesson. Amount of time necessary for the The time necessary for the second step varies indefinitely. Sometimes it may not occupy more than second stage. fifteen minutes. But when it is remembered that it Requirements from the teacher. deals with individual notions and must furnish as many of them as are necessary, as data, for reaching a generalization, often a broad one too, it is evident that it may occupy many recitation periods. Eight or ten recitations are usually required to teach the story of the Discontented Pine Tree. One period is necessary for the first step, then five or six for the narrative itself or the second step, and the other three for the general truth and its application. It would take fully as much time for the Golden Touch in the third or fourth grade. Several individual trade centres should be studied somewhat in detail before the generalization, trade centre, could be reached. Minneapolis as the first example, and a type, might require two weeks, although the others could be taught in much less time. In order to realize that all sections of our country must be firmly united under one central government, very many data are necessary. A careful treatment of those given in Chapter II could easily occupy two months in the sixth grade. The successful treatment of these concrete data makes a great demand upon the teacher. In order to excite deep interest among her children in her subjectmatter, she herself must be deeply interested in it. As she approaches the class she must feel that she has something valuable to give them, something that they will value highly as well as she. How little this is the case with many common topics, as person, voice, and case in grammar; the location of cities in geography; the cases in percentage, etc.! teacher is, then, that she oughly and feel its richness. teaching of the several she must have prepared each lesson with much care before she can hope to provoke free, pointed discussion, of such quality that good summaries will be given in the natural language of the child. This is the ideal, which can never be fully attained. But it can at least be approached; and there is the consolation, too, in case of failures, that constant, earnest practice will rapidly render a near approach to it more and more easy. In the last two chapters a large number of factors Summary. have been considered that are important in the preparation for, and presentation of, individual notions. The first great question was, How should individual notions be approached? The answer, was that the past experiences, related closely to a given topic, should be called to mind in abundance; the method of doing that received much attention. The second great question, How should individual notions be presented? has now been discussed at length. This completes our consideration of individual notions. It is evident that there are two steps |
