A manual in elementary English, to accompany Elementary English, book one-two

Part Three 110 Sixth Year Standards 143

THE PURPOSE OF THE MANUAL

The purpose of this Manual is to help the teacher to use Hodge and Lee's Elementary English, Book One, in the most effective way in the classroom. The Manual aims to accomplish this purpose in two ways: first, by showing the teacher how to use the material in the textbook to the best advantage; and second, by providing additional material with which the teacher may supplement a lesson in the textbook as best seems to meet the needs of her particular class.

The Manual shows the teacher how to make the best use of the material in the text in the following ways.

1. By suggesting means of development j particularly in the early lessons; that is, methods of inductive development, mentioning definite things which the teacher can do or say to bring out the topic under discussion — things which cannot very well be included in a text intended for the pupils.

2. By pointing out the purpose of the lesson. Sometimes a busy teacher misses the most important point of a lesson, and sometimes she fails to see that a lesson can be used to bring out more than one point. The Manual, therefore, presents to the teacher the aim which she is to keep constantly in mind during the lesson; or it presents various aims from which the teacher can choose the one best adapted to her class.

3. By emphasizing the points which need special drill. Some phases of a topic will always require more stress than others. The Manual indicates the points which need drill and the points with which children usually have no difficulty.

4. By giving very full general discussions of such subjects as letter writing, correct usage, and memorizing, together with model lessons, which help the teacher to prepare and present any lesson in these subjects.

5. By showing the teacher how to help the pupils to get the most out of a lesson in the book by means of questions and outlines.

The Manual suppUes additional material by the methods listed below. This supplementary work must be used with discretion, for no class will need it all. In many lessons no supplementary work will be necessary. In other cases a class will need special drill in some construction. The teacher is the best judge of the needs of her own class. The aim of the Manual is to help her to supply additional material when it is needed.

1. By providing exercises of a different type from the one given in the text. Additional methods of drill often help to fix a principle in mind. Sometimes, too, a class will respond more readily to one type of drill than to another. The Manual provides for this variation.

2. By suggesting games and exercises to be used, not necessarily by the whole class, but by pupils who need additional work in a topic. Other assignments and projects are suggested for quick pupils who do not need the ordinary drill of the class.

3. By giving follow-up work and additional assignments to be used if a class becomes especially interested in any topic discussed in the text.

4. By suggesting sources of supply from which a teacher may draw material.

5. By supplying lesson plans, assignments, and general discussions on which a teacher can base her own supple^ mentary material according to the needs of her class.

At the end of the Lesson Helps for each year is supplied a set of Standards for the work of that year. On page 37 is

THE PURPOSE OF THE MANUAL 7

given a set of standards for the Third Year. This indicates the work which will probably have been already accomplished. By reference to these standards for each year a teacher can see whether her class is measuring up to the mark set for them. The standards for the previous year offer a good basis for testing the ability and preparation of a new class and aid the teacher in planning the work of the year. The standards for oral compositions on pages 37, 79, 106, and 143 may be used by the teacher in grading oral compositions. They should never be used as models.

READING LIST

The following books will be found helpful in the teaching of composition, grammar, and corrective English.

AxTELL. The Teaching of Literature

Bancroft. The Posture of School Children

Betts. The Recitation

B OLENius. The Teaching of Oral English

BoNSER. Elementary School Curriculum

Branom. The Project Method in Education

Bryant. How to Tell Stories to Children

Cabot. Ethics for Children

Carpenter, Baker, and Scott. Teaching of English

Chubb . The Teaching of English ; Festivals and Plays

CooLEY. Language Teaching in the Grades

Deming. Language Games for All Grades

Dewey. How to Teach Manners

GoLDWASSER. Methods in English

Hinsdale. Teaching the Language Arts

Hosic. The Elementary Course in English

Kendall and Mirrick. How to Teach the Fundamental Subjects

Klapper. The Teaching of English

Leiper. Language Work in the Elementary School

Leonard. English Composition as a Social Problem

Lewis. American Speech

Lyman. Story Telling

Mahoney. Standards in English

Maxwell. The Observation of Teaching

McMuRRY. How to Study; Special Method in Language

Sandwich. How to Study and What to Study

READING LIST 9

Sheridan. Speaking and Writing English

Strayer. The Teaching Process

Strayer and Norseworthy. How to Teach

SuzzALO. The Teaching of Spelhng

Columbia) Whitney. The Sociahzed Recitation Woodbury. Dramatization in the Grammar Grades Woolley. Handbook of Composition

A MANUAL IN ELEMENTARY ENGLISH

ORAL COMPOSITION

To the child of to-day, a '^composition'' no longer means the product of wearied brain and ink-bespattered fingers presented for the teacher's criticism every Friday. It is much more likely to mean a talk on some interesting topic with the other members of the class as audience and critics. Oral composition has won the place of first importance in the English class.

This is as it should be, but the teaching of composition still presents difficulties. Too frequently the oral composition is an artificial process, stiff and formal, which tortures the self-conscious child and makes the forward child too selfassured. Oral composition should be a natural process. Talking is the most natural thing in the world for the normal child. It is only when the artificial element of '^ making a speech" is introduced that talking becomes a bugbear rather than a pleasure.

To make oral composition a natural thing, the conditions of ordinary conversation should be observed as far as possible in the classroom. There must be some one to talk to and something to talk about. The class becomes the audience. Every pupil should be made to feel that his classmates and the teacher are really interested in what he has to tell them.

No one can talk well unless he has something to say. Providing something to talk about is the most important and the most difficult part of teaching oral composition.

If the teacher is beginning work in a new school, she may find that a good way to begin oral work and to get acquainted with her class is to talk with them about the town, the school, or last yearns work. They will usually be glad to volunteer information on subjects on which they feel they are authorities. Other topics for discussion will occur to the teacher, subjects which are taken from the daily life of the pupils, subjects on which there can be a variety of opinions. Plans for school parties or exhibitions, discussions of games, vacation plans, interesting personal experiences, or current events, all these are good subjects for conversation.

Class Projects give the best of opportunities for good work in oral composition. Informal class discussion should always form a large part of the preparatory work for a project. Genuine interest in the problem at hand makes the oral work natural and spontaneous. Many projects are suggested in the text of Hodge and Lee^s Elementary English. For example:

A class composition book, page 167

The Better English Club, pages 263, 313, 339

Keeping a diary, page 218

Helping the postman, page 26

Planning a clean-up day, page 147

Publishing a school paper, page 306

A flag day program, page 343

A class picture-book, page 359

A health campaign, page 362

A thrift club, page 368

Special attention is called to the last three projects (pages 359-379). These Class Projects form an excellent method of reviewing the year's work in oral and written composition and in corrective English.

Other suitable projects will occur to the teacher. The

ORAL COMPOSITION 13

following suggestions may be helpful in planning activities that call for class discussions, reports, talks, and stories.

A class party

An exhibition of things children can make (See page 122 of

the Manual.) A story program (See page 101 of the Manual.) Making health posters A Safety First campaign Helping the Red Cross Finding out about local history Making a ''Visit our Town^' booklet Visiting a place of local interest A Better English campaign Planning a school garden Programs for special occasions A boy or girl scout program

Making collections of flowers, stamps, minerals, photographs, etc. Planning an imaginary journey Exchanging letters, postcards, and souvenirs with school children

in other towns

Preparing for written composition work gives a good opportunity for oral work. There should always be a close relationship between the two. Talking things over with other people clarifies one's thoughts on a subject. Class discussion may center in making a cooperative outline, to be placed on the board and used for written work. The discussion of a large subject may bring out different phases and different methods of approach which may be used by the class in writing. In the Hodge and Lee text almost every written composition is preceded by suggestions for oral work.

The first oral work during the year should be informal class discussion. The teacher should converse with the class at first as she would with any group of people, drawing out the more backward members and tactfully suppressing those who are inclined to be talkative. It is undoubtedly highly desirable to be able to make an impromptu address or an after-dinner speech, but it is much more valuable to be able to join in a discussion intelligently and to take one's part in conversation. It is this ability that pupils will need most.

Although the first few lessons should be informal conversations, pupils should very soon become accustomed to giving their talks from the front of the room. The ability to face one's companions and to speak easily and clearly is well worth cultivating. Speaking on one's feet develops self-confidence and poise. The normal person shrinks from it, however, unless he is used to it. A class which has not been trained in the practice should not be forced to it too suddenly.

The transition from the informal conversations to the more formal class talks may be made in several ways. Perhaps during a discussion a pupil may volunteer something which he has read or experienced. The teacher may suggest quickly, '^That sounds interesting. Won't you come down front and tell it so that we can all hear?" For the next assignment, every one may be asked to prepare something interesting enough to be told in front of the class. Thus facing the class becomes a privilege.

With an audience to whom to talk and something to say, one thing only remains — how to say it. That is the aim of the work in oral composition. Here the lessons on the outline and on how to begin and end paragraphs will be found most helpful. There should be constant emphasis on the elimination of speech defects, on clear enunciation, and on correct pronunciation. There should also be a conscious effort to increase the vocabulary and definite attempts at improving sentence structure. The cooperation of the class in giving helpful criticism will be found the best aid in bringing about good results. Corrective English is, of course, a large part of oral work. This will, however, be discussed more fully in another section of the Manual. Oral compo-

WJIITTEN COMPOSITION 15

sition must be a matter of constant practice. It is only bypatient and enthusiastic efforts that the best results can be obtained.

Dramatization is an excellent form of natural, unforced oral composition. It is especially valuable in the lower grades. It may be used in connection with the literary work of the grade, in history classes, in Safety First drills, in demonstrations of First Aid work, in imaginary conversations, in discussions of courtesy.

Many suggestions for dramatization are found in the text of Hodge and Lee, Book One, and in this Manual. Care should be taken to keep all dramatizing as simple as possible, and to give every child in the class a share in the play — in planning the play, costumes, or stage setting, or in acting or criticising. Detailed suggestions for dramatizing will be found in the Lesson Helps in this Manual.

WRITTEN COMPOSITION

With the modem emphasis on oral composition, written work has become less important, especially in the lower grades. Written compositions have, however, the advantage of teaching the pupil to express himself clearly in writing, an ability he will need throughout his school course since written examinations are given in almost every subject. Letter writing, too, is a most important form of written composition and will be discussed more fully on pages 17-23 of the Manual.

While the majority of the class will need oral work more than written, the teacher must remember that a class will usually have at least one boy or girl who has a genuine interest in writing. She will, of course, do everything she can to help this fortunate one to put his thoughts on paper. Oftentimes a child, poor in composition in the lower grades where the work is largely oral, does excellent work in the written work of the higher grades. Any facihty of expression or imaginative touch should be noted and commended.

Written compositions should be preceded by oral work in almost every case. Definite suggestions for oral preparation are given in the text of Elementary English, Book One, and in the Manual.

Neatness and legibility should be insisted upon. The teacher should provide at the beginning of the year a definite form for written work and should insist upon its observance.

The inexperienced teacher needs a word of warning about the correction of written compositions. Much of the time spent in marking or correcting errors is time lost. Pupils do not pay much attention to the errors thus corrected, and the teacher could use the time to much better advantage in the preparation of another lesson.

There are several methods of saving time and getting good results in this matter of correcting papers. The teacher may glance through a set of papers, noting the general type of error. She may then mention the error to the pupils next day or give the class a drill which emphasizes the correct form.

She may choose from the set two or three papers which are exceptionally good. These may be exhibited on the bulletin board, copied on the blackboard, or read aloud to the class. A discussion of the good points of these papers helps to establish standards by which pupils may criticize their own work. It is seldom wise to exhibit specimens of poor work.

Letting pupils correct their own papers in class under supervision is also helpful to the teacher and to the pupils. An error which a pupil finds and corrects for himself makes more impression on his mind, than a half-dozen which the teacher finds and corrects for him.

Pupils may also occasionally exchange papers for correction. Pupils who have done good work in a lesson may be allowed to correct the papers of the rest of the class.

A definite scheme of marking errors should be followed and should be carefully explained to the pupils, whether the work of correction is done by teacher or pupils.

It is a useful plan to have the class keep written compositions and dictation exercises in notebooks so that pupils may see their own progress.

The mail carrier is one of the most famihar and most interesting figures of the child's daily life. ^^ Watching for the postman '^ is a favorite occupation. An interest in the writing of . letters can be aroused by telling the children something about the postal system of our country. An account of the history of the postal service and the work of the post office department can be found in any good civics textbook and should be simplified for the use of the grade to which it is presented.

Some of the picturesque facts about the history and work of the post office can be brought out. The old post roads and the post riders are topics which always interest children, especially when a comparison is made between the old methods of delivery and those of to-day. The work of Benjamin Franklin as Postmaster General, the growth of the postal service after the steamship and railway lines had been established, the beginning of the rural free dehvery and parcel post systems, all these form interesting topics for discussion.

Boys who collect stamps will be interested in an account of the different kinds of postage stamps used in our country. Perhaps some one will lend a collection of United States stamps for the class to see.

The actual work which takes place behind the scenes in the post office is extremely interesting to children. The sorting and weighing of mail, the cancellation of stamps, and the work on the mail trains, are all fascinating topics in themselves, and in addition furnish opportunity to emphasize the need for careful addressing, and the reasons for the letter forms. Children who are told that post offices of the United States handle 20 billion pieces of mail every year will understand the need for clearly and correctly addressed envelopes. The sorting of the mail into various classes and the sorting of the letters brings out the reason for writing in full the name of the person and the name of the town and state. Children will easily see that incomplete addresses, or addresses written in some peculiar form, will delay the delivery of the letter. The work of the dead letter office in tracing letters that are incorrectly addressed may be described.

Perhaps the local postmaster can be persuaded to give the children a talk about sorting mail. Ask him to emphasize the need for such things as the correct form of the address, the correct placing of the stamp, writing the sender ^s name and address, sealing the letter, and wrapping packages securely.

Some of the following facts may be interesting in connection with a study of letter writing:

The Post Office Department spends $600,000,000 annually. In every single hour of the twenty-four, 1,400,000 letters are mailed; in every day of the 365, 33,000,000 letters are sent; during this year more than 12,000,000,000 letters will be handled. Fourteen billion postage stamps, 1,250,000,000 postal cards, and 2,750,000,000 stamped envelopes are sold every year.

More than 326,000 postal workers are daily engaged serving the 110,000,000 people, or one postal worker for every 337 persons.

The postal establishment operates its railway-mail service over rail trackage long enough to encircle the earth ten times. Fortythree thousand rural carriers go out every morning, serving six and one-half million families, and before sundown every day travel 1,170,000 miles — a total of 353,000,000 miles a year over the highways of the country.

We use 800,000 miles of twine every year tying the packages of letters, enough twine to encircle the earth thirty-two times. Every year 6,500,000 pounds of paper are used in manufacturing postal cards alone. Debts totaling $1,500,000,000 are paid through the Post Office Department annually, with 150,000,000 money orders. There are 500,000 depositors in the Postal Savings, a larger number than in any banking institution in the world.

There is twice as much business done in the post office in New York City as in the entire Dominion of Canada. An average of more than 250,000 letters every day in the New York City Post Office alone are re-addressed from city directories; 19,000,000 letters every year go to the dead letter office. Think of the cost which those services bring to the tax-payers because of the carelessness of the public in addressing.

The Parcel Post is the greatest express company in the world, and in a year handles more than 2,500,000,000 packages.

Letters are the most important form of written composition to be taught in the schools, because the average person after leaving school does little other writing. Letters are, therefore, the most real of all written assignments, and every effort should be made to avoid artifiiciality and to make letters as true to the conditions of everyday life as possible.

Remember first of all that letter writing, like all personal relationships, consists of giving and receiving. Letters that are never answered are not a natural form of expression. Writing a letter where no answer is forthcoming is like dropping a penny into a slot machine that doesn^t work. To make letters real and interesting, see that as many of the children's letters as possible receive an answer.

This may be accomplished in several ways. The class may be divided into two groups, one to write the letters, the other to answer them. If the class writes a letter to some one outside the school, the teacher may write a note to accompany it, requesting an answer addressed to the class. A mothers' meeting or a meeting of a Parent-Teachers' Association might give the teacher an opportunity to arouse the parents' interest in the children's letters.

Whenever possible, letters should be written for and about actual occasions. Letters based on imaginary situations have their place, but letters written about the real happenings of the classroom or playtime have a much more vital interest. The following suggestions are, therefore, not meant to be followed hterally, but are merely suggestive of the sort of situation that may be utilized for letter writing assignments. One situation usually calls for several letters.

1. The boys of the class are to have a baseball game on Saturday. They may write letters inviting the girls to attend. They might also ask them to make a banner or write words for a song or yell that could be used at the game. The best of the letters should be chosen to send to the girls.

The girls may answer the letter, accepting the invitation and suggesting colors and a design to be used on the banner, or words for the song.

After the game, the boys may write a letter thanking the girls for their support. The girls' answer may tell why they enjoyed the game.

2. The class has decided to have a nutting party or a picnic. They may write to the farmer whose woods they have selected, asking for permission to gather nuts or to picnic there. They may write to their mothers, telling them what they have decided to have for lunch and asking them to provide it. Perhaps another class and its teacher may receive written invitations to join the excursion. After the party, the class may write a letter to the owner of the woods, thanking him for the use of the grounds. Letters may also be written to absent members of the class, describing the party.

3. Perhaps the teacher has read aloud a certain book which the class has greatly enjoyed. They may write to the town librarian, asking for names of other books by the same author, or they may request that some of these books be purchased for the library. If the author is living, the class may write to him, telling him how much they have enjoyed the book.

4. It may be possible to arrange with a teacher of the same grade in another school for an exchange of letters between the two classes. In this case, some event may be described, new games may be explained, and programs of entertainments given by the class may be written in an attractive form and sent to the other school. Individual members of the two classes may exchange letters, or a few of the best letters may be chosen to send to the other class.

5. If the class has heard of some particularly good moving picture, such as Tom Sawyer, Anne of Green Gables, or Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, they may write a letter asking the manager of a local theatre to show the picture.

6. Courteous notes may be written by the class to request the use of photographs or special articles of interest, such as war souvenirs, which may be owned by the people of the town. Sometimes people may be asked to allow the class to see interesting collections which will be of value in connection with their work in history or geography.

7. In preparing entertainments for any special occasion, the pupils should write letters ordering any decorations that are to be used, such as crepe paper, candles, or material for programs or posters. Perhaps some one who has a large garden may be asked for flowers to decorate the schoolroom. A farmer may be asked to sell some pumpkins for jack-o'-lanterns for a Hallowe'en party. An interesting person may be asked to speak to the class. Remember also that notes of appreciation should be written to him afterwards. An entertainment offers also opportunity for notes of invitation, requests to the local newspaper to make mention of the plans, and vivid descriptions of the great occasion to absent members.

8. In connection with their work in geography, pupils may write letters to the Secretaries of the Chambers of Commerce in various cities asking for information about industries. They may also write to railroad companies for time-tables with maps, or for descriptive circulars.

The writing of business letters begins in the fifth year and continues with increasing emphasis in the sixth year.

The first business letters written by the class should be very simple. Ordering an article described in a catalogue or subscribing to a periodical gives an opportunity for a simple practical letter.

In the sixth year more difficult business letters, such as letters of application, may be taught. The amount of time to be given to this subject depends upon the locality. In some places, some of the pupils leave school and go to work at the end of the sixth grade, and many of them work summers. To such pupils it is vitally important that they be able to write a good business letter, especially a letter of application. The teacher should discuss sympathetically with the pupils not only the writing of the letter of application but the personal interview and the qualifications for which an employer is looking.

In all this work, it is the employer's point of view that should be stressed. In a simple way this important difference between the business letter and ordinary writing may be brought out. The pupils are taught the difference in form between the friendly letter and the business letter; they should also understand the difference in content. In their other writing they have expressed their own ideas and their individual points of view, but as business letter writers they must think always of the reader's point of view and of the action which they wish the reader to take.

In the general class discussion have the- pupils imagine they are employers and get them to tell the qualities they would look for in employing a boy or a girl. They will probably give a list something like this:

Neatness

Punctuality

Ability to follow instructions

Intelligence

Politeness

Honesty

Discuss how the employer can be convinced that the appHcant possesses these quahties. Of which ones may the writer speak, and which are best left to the people to whom the employer is referred? The writer should not boast. For instance, neatness may be shown by the letter itself and by personal appearance in an interview. Politeness will be shown by the manner in which the applicant talks to the emplo3^er. Honesty will be proved by the opinions of the persons who know him.

In taking up the letter of application, discuss:

1. Appearance, The letter should be written on plain white paper, in ink, and must be perfect in spelling and punctuation. The writing must be good and the letter itself well placed on the. page. A poorly written letter stands little chance of being read.

2. Opening, While originality is desirable, it is probably too much to expect from applicants so young; hence the conventional reference to the advertisement is recommended. If the applicant has been told of the position by some friend of the employer, a reference to this friend furnishes a more personal note: '^Mr. Brown has told me that you are in need of an errand boy.''

3. The Statements in the Letter, The letter should state age, education, experience, if any, and references. All statements should be specific. In class discuss carefully: the matter of references; the people whose opinion would be valuable to an employer; permission to use names as references; importance of giving addresses and telephone numbers.

Since positions are seldom filled without personal interviews, it is better to ask for an interview than for the position. It is a good thing to give a telephone number, since it should be made easy for the employer to communicate with the applicant.

CORRECT USAGE

Corrective English is in some respects the most important subject in the elementary school curriculum. It is also one of the most difficult — for the teacher, if not for the pupil. One of the chief reasons for the difficulty is that the teacher has a two-fold task. Here, as in no other subject, must she break down as well as build up. When a child first studies geography, the teacher does not have to labor very vigorously against any preconceived notions about the flatness of the earth. When he is first introduced to arithmetical processes, the teacher does not usually have to struggle against a habit of saying ^^ three and two make six.^^ But when he begins a study of English, the teacher is brought face to face with the indubitable and often unfortunate fact that he has already learned to speak. Frequently he has learned to speak incorrectly, and the teacher is forced to combat diligently and firmly the habits of a lifetime — a small lifetime, it is true, but long enough to gather many ^^ainH and he donH habits.^' Worst of all, she must not only break down these habits established in the child's most formative years, but she must also wage unceasing war against the incorrect expressions which he is hearing every day, and build up a bulwark of defense against the incorrect English of home, street, and playground.