Primary devices

Introduction

LOS ANGELES CITY SCHOOLS OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

Testimonials.

Miss King's little book will be an aid to anyone who will read it thoughtfully. She is a wise teacher who has meditated on what it means to teach, and has arrived at understanding. I know that what she has written here, will be of use to others. It is particularly important, because it deals with the littlest children and what affects them is the chief concern of all.

E. C. Moore,

Dated at Los Angeles, Cal., August 7, 1918.

To Teachers:

Miss Myra King is bringing out another little book for teachers of primary grades, that will be especially helpful as it brings out in a helpful way, some of the most important habits that should be taught to the children, such as the ideas of self-government, respect for law and order and for the rights of others, respect for authority, etc., as also the ways and means of securing better results in the teaching of writing, spelling and allied subjects.

These ideas have been developed thru actual experience in the school room and are full of life and interest.

I know you will like it.

J. B. Monlux Acting Supt. L. A. City Schools.

As in former publications, Miss King has again in this book, shown herself a real teacher by keeping within the current of nature and therefore in the current of child nature. It is an effort to help teachers, especially young teachers, to get away from the notion of imposing knowledge and information upon children by a power from without them, and to get into the current of child mind development

In doing this, she aims to get and keep ''the whole child in school," — his emotional life as well as his mental and physical. Truly, one of our gravest errors has been the idea that the schools were concerned only with the mental, or at best, with the mental and physical. The emotional life is the life of the child which makes or mars, and it should have its full share of attention in the rchools as well as elsewhere.

This book attempts to do that, and it should be of great assistance to teachers, especially beginners.

M. C. Bettinger, Assistant Superintendent of School, Los Angeles California.

Contents

Habit ....

The Question of Flowers

Spelling ....

Preface

A primary teacher, more perhaps, than any other person has to be on the alert every moment, always equal to an emergency of any kind, from a torn apron to a broken heart, and from the application of the multiplication table to an explanation of the causes back of the sunrise.

For these reasons, an unlimited supply of helpful suggestions are a necessary requisite to successful and timely encounter with these problems.

This Httle book is intended to furnish a variety of such j

helpful hints, which have proved their value in actual j

service, along the different lines of primary work. ]

MYRA KING I

HABIT

The children will love to do things correctly when they have formed the habit of so doing. So the essential thing is to find all the little means and methods that can be used in estabhshing correct habits along all hnes of speech, thought and action.

These Httle devices are nothing in themselves — only a means to an end and as soon as they have served their purpose they should be dropped.

The child is continually forming new habits, either good or bad, habits of industry, habits of independence, of success, of application, etc., or their opposites, habits of idleness, dependence, failure, etc., and it is the teacher's business to see that the habits formed are correct ones, for valuable as the subjects taught him are to be to him in the future, the habits formed in his school days are even more valuable, for after all the whole process of education is merely a habitforming process.

LAW

The place to establish right habits of thought and right modes of action is with the very little people. Their willingness to be guided and their eagerness to learn the right way make it a delight to guide the little feet to higher planes. We do not have to wait till they are in the upper grades before they can study "Civil Government.^' They can and should begin in the 1st grade to learn about 'law/' and this will not be a hardship or an added burden either to the teacher or to the children but a joy and a lightening of burdens as their highest sense of law is made practical by applying it to their school problems in all their details.

The first requisite is to make them understand that law is for the good of all — to enlarge the liberties of all^— and to limit nothing but wrong. In other words they should be taught to love law. Then the next step — the keeping of the law — will become not merely a duty but a pleasure. This is the time to teach them to respect law. This is the time to teach them that they can neither break or evade a right law without injuring themselves as well as others. This is also the time to teach them their individual responsibility in helping to make good laws.

This work may be begun by showing them that the universe is governed by law, that without law chaos and confusion would reign. And this need take very little time — only four or five minutes in the morning and as much again in the evening.

To illustrate, the following sample lessons are submitted.

After the children are seated and the attendance noted on Monday morning, say to the class: ^'How many saw the sun rise this morning?^' Immediately many little hands will be raised. Then ask: ^'How many saw it rise yesterday?'^ Again there will be a display of hands.

Then say: ^'Did you ever think how regularly the sun gets up every morning? It never forgets — it is never too late and never too early — always just on time. Suppose it should forget sometimes and so be a few hours early or a few hours late?^^

Instantly a number of little hands will signify a desire to talk on the question. Allow a minute or two for the children to express their views and then say: ^'The sun gets up just at the right time every morning because it is obeying certain laws which goven it. Now we have laws to govern our school which we must obey if we would have everything pleasant and everybody happy. Who can think of one of these laws-" A number of uplifted hands will evidence a recognition of your meaning.

Perhaps some child will say: ^'Miss Smith (the principal) told the boys the other day that we must not get a drink after the bell rings. Isn't that a law?" If this seems the best law to choose from among those given, explain to the children why ''Miss Smith" made it. Show them that the boys and girls are apt to get so interested in their play that they forget all about a drink till the bell rings. Then all rush to the water, so causing confusion and consequently delay in getting at their work. Show them that this ''law" is for the good of all and they will be eager to keep it.

Then say: ''Now I am going to see how many keep this "law" today. I am going to write ''Monday" here on the front board and this evening just before we go home, I am going to ask how many have kept the law.

Nothing more need be said on the subject till the close of the day. When the children are all ready to go home, go to the board where the word "Monday" is written and say to the class: "How many kept the law today?" Count the number of uplifted hands and write the number after the word "Monday." Then show an enthusiastic appreciation of their effort by some such commendatory remark as, ' 'Oh, I'm so glad there were so many who remembered. They 11 be the men and women who know how to keep the taw when they are big." Don't say anything about those who didn't keep it.

On Tuesday morning write the word "Tuesday'^ under ^'Monday" — this may be done with colored chalk — and say to the class: ^*I^m going to ask to-night how many have kept the 'law' today/' When evening comes write after ^'Tuesday'' the number of those who kept the ^law'' that day. Make some appropriate, appreciative remarks as before — much depends on this.

Repeat this every day during the week and by Friday almost every child will be ^'keeping the law.''

The next Monday take up some new ^'law" — being sure to let the children have their part in selecting it — and follow the same method as in the previous week. Say to them, ''We are not going to forget to keep this old law ' while we're keeping the new one so I'm going to ask how many have kept the old 'law * each day although I'm not going to put the number on the board."

At the end of two or three weeks the ^'old law" will have become so well established — so habitually kept that it may be spoken of only occasionally, but it should not be forgotten or neglected. As often as possible the teacher should speak of it. This may be done by some such remarks as these: ''Oh, you don^t know how happy it made me to see how many of my boys kept the law about getting a drink this noon.^' or "I have been noticing for some time how carefully John is keeping that law about getting a drink after the bell rings. '^ This will be especially effective if John is one of the boys who was slow to keep the "law'^ in the beginning.

Some of the "laws'^ of which the children will readily think may be: "We must not throw paper in the yard/^ or "We must not go off the grounds without permission/^ and they may be established in the same way.

After the class has worked in this way for some weeks and they begin to understand the meaning of law they may profitably commence making laws for themselves.

Before this is attempted the teacher should explain in a few words what it means to vote and then ask the class to name some laws which they think it would be well to keep. Usually a number will be given as: ^'We must not whisper/' ^'We must not waste any time'' or ^*We must not say any cross words.''

After the teacher has selected one of these the children vote on it by raising their hands. If it becomes a law it is kept before their thought as were the others. In the evening find how many have kept the ^ law" and commend them heartily, with some such words as: ^'What a glad or busy day this has been — the quiet pleasant room has made it so easy to get our work done, etc., etc." Perhaps some one will say: ^'But, Miss Blank, Jimmie had his hand up and he didn't keep the law." The most effective way to deal with this will be to say something of this kind: ''Didn't he? Well that's too bad. I didn't think Jimmie would do that way. He can't be very happy." Then drop it — say no more about it and ' 'Jimmie" will be pretty sure to "keep the law" the next day.

One of the most important things in this work is to be sure that the teacher does not condemn or in any way discriminate against those who do not ^'keep the law" but that she gets her results by commending those who do. In this way the public spirit of the school will soon be a power for good which those who may not be inclined at first to ^'keep the law'' will not care to disregard.

It is generally admitted that early impressions are the most lasting and if the children get this right concept of law before they hear wrong and prejudiced concepts from their elders much will have been done for them.

If this method is adhered to throughout the lower grades much of what we call discipline in the upper grades will have become unnecessary.

It is absolutely necessary, however, in order to make a success of this work that the teacher be alert, loving and tactful.

'THE QUESTION OF FLOWERS"

The question of flowers is often a puzzling one to the primary teacher whose artistic sense is daily offended by the conglomerate mass of shortstemmed blossoms, held tightly in hot little hands, which find their way to her desk every morning.

But it need not trouble her for there is an easy, beautiful and satisfactory solution to this as to all other problems when we look for it earnestly. This is offered as one way — doubtless there are many others which each teacher will discover for herself — it is to have a ' 'flower committee '^ appointed at the end of the week to serve for the following week. This committee should consist of four or five members and should include boys as well as girls.

When this method is first adopted the teacher will have to be wise in her appointments as some of the children, especially the boys, may be timid about bringing out their ideas, but if she begins by selecting those who seem to have a natural aptitude for bringing out harmonious conditions along this line, soon every child in the room will be available for the work and in due course each one should have his part in it.

It shall be the duty of the members of the committee to be on the school-grounds as early in the morning as the rules of the school will permit. Each child who brings flowers must find some member of the committee on the grounds and deliver to that member his donation. The members of the committee must have the privilege of coming into the room as the flowers begin to arrive and there will soon be an abundant supply. When ^'school begins '^ part of the time allowed for opening exercises should be given to an appreciative consideration of the results of the work of the committee. The primary teacher here, as elsewhere, must be an enthusiast. She should look for and commend all the little individual touches and original effects calling the attention of the class to the harmonious results attained.

One morning, perhaps, she will find that a single beautiful rose has been placed by itself in a tall slender vase. This will give an opportunity to show the children that the beauty of the rose is dependent on its form as well as on its color, also on its freedom to display not only its form and color but the grace of its motion as well. To illustrate — the teacher says with genuine pleasure which at once communicates itself to the class, ^*0h, see the beautiful red rose in this tall vase — see its nice long stem. And aren't we glad that we had this tall vase to hold it! Now,'' giving the vase a gentle shake, ^ 'watch it nod its head. It think it is saying 'Good morning' to us. It couldn't do that if it were crowded in with a lot of other flowers. It's just like boys and girls — they couldn't do their work properly if they were crowded so close together that they couldn't move. I'm so glad out committee arranged this rose just this way, for I think it's just beautiful, etc., etc."

Another morning she may find a long branch set with flowers trained up the wall, over the blackboard or across the window. This will be another opportunity to show the advantage of picking the flowers with long stems.

Still another time there will be a great bunch of poppies or other flowers all of one kind. This will afford an occasion to teach the children how much more pleasure they will get from their flowers if they do not have too many kinds together.

Sometimes they may have a ^'rose day*^ or a * Violet'^ or ''wild flower day'^ confining their decorations to the one kind of flowers.

Of course the committee must understand that they are responsible for the appearance of the room — floor, tables, etc., before their work is finished and that all old flowers, litter and other waste matter must be properly disposed of as a part of their work.

Very soon the school-room will begin to be a bower of flowers — will begin to ' *bud and blossom as the rose.'' The children will get an unlimited amount of pleasure and profit from the work, the teacher will be relieved of caring for the flowers, and not only this but the influence of their awakened thought will be felt in the homes t and the lessons in bringing out harmony, so learned i

will be invaluable to them throughout the years.

And last, but not least, there will be a marked j

effect on the discipline in the room. ■

SPELLING

Most of us as primary teachers have had long and protracted struggles with the spelling problem in the lower grades, and, as long as we must teach children to spell by the old hard method, are always grateful for any suggestions that will make the work less laborious for teacher and pupil and will at the same time bring about right results.

The important thing in this work is to find a way to keep every child eagerly, honestly and persistently at work till the lesson is learned, which will not take long if they are working in the right way and in the right spirit.

The following method has been found very successful.

Arrange to have ten or fifteen minutes, more if possible, to devote to the study of the day's spelling. Then say to the class: ^'Now, I am going to give you three, four or five minutes, '^ as you can afford, ' 'to study, while I sit here and watch to see who are the good workers.''

Every child in the room will instantly go to

work with a will.

When the given time has expired, the teacher, who is watching the clock as well as the children says: ^ 'Who is ready to spell for me?^' Then she selects from those who think they are ready, one whom she ^'saw working hard'^ saying something to this effect, ^ 'I think I'll try John — I saw him doing some good work/'

John comes forward to the teacher's desk and spells the entire lesson for her at the same time watching to see who among his classmates is giving his whole attention to his study.

If John succeeds in spelling all the words he then becomes a teacher and asks who is ready to spell for him. He chooses from among those who raise their hands, as the teacher did, one whom he saw at work, as Ben. He and Ben stand a little distance from the teacher's desk and Ben spells all the words for John, both boys keeping a close watch to see who among those at their seats are doing good work.

When Ben has finished he and John are both teachers and ask those of the class who are ready to spell to raise their hands. Then each teacher selects one whom he saw working hard as 'Tom** and ^Tred.** These boys come forward and spell while those at their seats continue their study.

When Tom and Fred have finished spelling, they select four more good workers who spell for them and so the work goes on. In a short time every child in the room has spelled all the lesson and has done some good study in order to be able to do it.

The teacher will have general supervision and if one of the ' 'teachers'' chooses a child who has not been working she will have to say: 'T didn't see Dick working hard enough. You'll have to choose someone else."

This spelling is done aloud and after several are on the floor spelling, there will be a general hum of voices, but the children soon get used to that and those at their seats will go on with their study ,paying no attention to those who are spelling.

After they have become accustomed to spelling in this way, it will be helpful to let them — those who wish to do so — commit to memory the whole lesson and spell it without having the words pronounced. Then they may be allowed to commit the list backwords and in other ways of which they will often think themselves. This will give variety and interest to the work.

This ten or fifteen minutes will be a time when the teacher will have to speak loud to make herself heard, but it will be a busy time when every child will be giving his every thought to his work and the result will be that almost every child will have a perfect spelling lesson in the written work which follows.

If, during^ this busy time, the teacher wishes to be heard, she taps the bell and instantly every child is quiet till they have her permission to go on with their work.

It is well to have this study period immediately precede the written spelling.

Just before the children are dismissed in the evening the teacher reads the names of those who had perfect lessons and returns to them, their papers marked ^'100'^ in red ink. Before long, almost every child in the room will have a paper with ^'100'' on it to take home, and they will treasure these papers very carefully.

Those who have made mistakes do not have their papers returned but the teacher keeps a list of all misspelled words and repeats them in the next lesson till they are learned also. If the class is spelling from a book, the assigned lesson should be shortened to allow room for these misspelled words which are placed on the board.

This will soon do away with the need of keeping children after school to learn misspelled words.

With the aid of some little paper fasteners and their colored crayons the children will enjoy making little decorated book covers the size and shape of their spelling papers in which to put their perfect papers so making a book of their ' *100^s."

During many years of work in the primary grades, I have never found a method so successful in getting right results in everything that has to do with spelling as the one here outlined. The children not only learn the spelling, but they learn how to study, how to apply themselves to their work, even when surrounded by the hum of voices and they learn that they can have perfect lessons and learn to expect that of themselves habitually. Then there is no opportunity here for dishonesty — each must depend on his own effort and he learns to do it.

APPRECIATION OF THE BEAUTIFUL

Many of the little people are able to appreciate — in some measure, the natural beauty around them when they first come to school, but more of them, coming from homes where only the so-called practical is counted of importance, will never be even conscious of the beautiful in nature which greets them at every turn unless they are definitely taught to look for it and this also must be the work of the school.

Much may be accomplished along this line with very little time and almost no preparation. The teacher, however, will have to be an enthusiast here as elsewhere.

Many little opportunities will offer every day for directing the children's thought to some phase of beauty in their surroundings. A few suggestions are here offered.

Say to the class some morning when the dawn has been especially beautiful: 'T wonder how many of my boys and girls saw the sun get up this morning" or "I wonder how many were ahead of the sun this morning and were up before he had dried up all the dew/' or some other similar thing.

Perhaps John will raise his hand enthusiastically eager to tell you that he got up when Father did this morning, before daylight and that ^'everything was so still — you couldn't hear a sound till the sun came up, when suddenly all the birds began singing at once as if they were telling the sun 'Good Morning'/'

Or perhaps Mary will tell you that the sky in the east this morning was ^'just the color of the big lilac bush in our back yard when it is in full bloom."

All these little evidences of the recognition of beauty should meet with the teacher's sympathetic appreciation.

The same plan may be followed in awakening them to observe the sunset.

Say to them some morning, ^'How many saw the beautiful sunset last night?" Perhaps several will have noticed it and will be eager to tell you that it looked ^'just like a great pile of roses" or ^'a great sheet of gold," etc. Let them talk just a minute and then go on with the other work. The chances are that the next time you talk about sunsets, which should be within a few days, you will find a larger number prepared to talk on the subject.

These little talks need occupy only two or three minutes but will be far reaching in their results.

Perhaps Tom will come in some morning, just at the last minute, his face beaming with smiles, and his hat full of big red apples ^ 'for the teacher" or he may come bearing triumphantly the ''biggest bunch of grapes in the vineyard." Tom has favored the teacher with these, his best, because ''they are good to eat," but the wide awake teacher will see herein an opportunity to direct thought to the beautiful and while she shows her appreciation of Tom's thoughtfulness by some fitting reamrk as, "Won't they be fine with my lunch, etc.", she may hold them up before the class calling attention to their beauty — beauty of color, form, arrangement, etc., so that Tom may learn that his gift is valued not only because it is ^'good to eat/' but because it ministers to a higher sense — the love of the beautiful — as well.

Again some glorious spring morning, when the air is odorous with the breath of spring flowers, and every little head is bent intently over its daily work, suddenly the school-room may be flooded with melody — the overflowing joyousness of the little feathered songster swinging on the branch just outside the window.

This will be another opportunity. Very quietly the children's attention may be directed to the little musician and they may be invited to put aside their work for a few minutes and enjoy this ^'free concert." If this kind of thing is done frequently and in the right spirit by the teacher, there need be no fear that the children will take advantage or be disorderly — on the contrary, they will grow more reverent toward the good and the beautiful in everything and will respond to the trust placed in them in a most satisfactory way.

There will be no days that do not afford some opportunity for recognizing beauty of some kind On a cloudy day attention may be called to the great piles of white clouds that look like snowcovered peaks, or like ocean billows, or to the long rows of black ones that look like distant mountain ranges, etc.; on a rainy day to the soft patter of the rain drops as they quietly do their work of cleansing and refreshing; on a cold day to the clearness of the atmosphere; on a hot day to the gentle little breezes that mitigate the heat, etc., thus teaching the children to look for and to find some redeeming feature in every situation.

They may get much pleasure from watching the growth and development of their house plants or in daily noting the unfolding of a rose. One rose bud may be kept by itself in a vase, appropriate in size and shape, and its daily unfoldment will be a dehght to the children. If picked early and with proper care it will last two weeks and unfold gradually and naturally.

These are just a few of the many little opportunities that will come into every teacher's experience — others will abound as both teacher and children begin to look for them.

RUNNING RACES WITH THEMSELVES.

One of the most necessary things and sometimes one of the most difficult things to secure with young children, is application. They mean to do — and they mean to do their best, and they mean to do it now — their intentions are always above reproach, but things around are so interesting, so insistent in claiming and holding their attention, though they intend ^'to look only for a minute" that before they realize it, the time is all gone and the spelling isn't learned, the examples aren't worked, etc.

For this reason, a variety of little devices for teaching application will be welcomed by the primary teacher.

One thing that may be done frequently and in a variety of ways is to let them run races with thems9lves.