The box, on which the wreath is laid, is in the center of a circle of children, or a double circle if necessary. The child who is to be the Hollyhock is designated before the singing begins.

All circle around to the right with a dancing step but not too fast, singing

"Ring around the posy bed so gaily glowing,
Hand in hand we lightly dance upon the green."

All stop to sing

"Hollyhock so slim and tall,

Proudly lifts her head o'er all, Hollyhock, Hollyhock,

Shall she be our queen?"

The child chosen for the hollyhock goes into the ring and the game goes on, the hollyhock choosing the pansy, the pansy the lily, and the lily the rose. The child chosen for the rose is crowned by the others in the ring, she mounts her throne, they form a little ring around her and once more "Ring around the posy-bed."

It will be wise to omit two of the lines as there is enough ringing around without them.

There are many other songs and games in Miss Smith's book as desirable as these I have selected. Many of them will appeal more strongly to certain teachers' preferences and circumstances. But if these chapters have been in any way so helpful or suggestive as to give any teacher an idea of how to go to work to adapt any song or game to existing conditions their purpose will have been accomplished. Alice's Supper

(Page 80, Part 1)

During the singing of the first verse of this song one chosen row of children, preferably an outside one, are the reapers, and to the rythm of the others' singing they make the movements of reapers swinging their scythes.

During the second verse all the children standing show how "the miller is rubbing his dusty hands," as well as "the millstones grinding away," which latter process is illustrated by a movement of the hands, one representing the upper and one the lower millstone.

During the third verse all are cooks, the desks are tables, and all sing as they busy themselves with "the soft white dough."

The children sing the last verse sitting in their seats.

S

Spelling

MARGARET GRAHAM WOOD

Director Practice Department Normal School Arizona OMEONE has asked, "How shall we teach spelling?" Before we can decide upon a method for the teaching of any subject, it is necessary to know definitely the object we have in presenting that subject. In spelling it seems to be two-fold.

First, The teaching of a set of words so that the child will know them thereafter; and

Second, Through these particular words to strengthen and increase his observation and knowledge of language. How shall this be accomplished?

Before answering, let us think of the psychology of learning a word.

Psychologists tell us repetition strengthens an impression. The recognition of this fact, coupled with the appetite for busy work, is responsible for the prevailing method of to-day; that is, the writing of the word over and over and over by the pupil, a subsequent dictation of the words by the teacher, and a re-writing of the missed words a specified number of times by the pupil.

Why is this method unsuccessful? It is certainly true that repetition strengthens an impression. Some other facts must have been overlooked. Probably it is that element of concentration. Psychology teaches that an attitude of mental unwillingness, or of mental indifference, may keep the mind from receiving a clear impression which some other part of the body is trying to convey.

It is this fact, with the readiness of the hand to act mechanically, that enables the child to write a word over and over, scarcely thinking of it at all. However, as we all know, the undirected hand is likely to be inaccurate, and we get such results as the following:

smoke

smok

snoke snok

This brings us to another fact of psychology.

The greater the number of different impressions received of an object or word, the more difficult it is to form a definite impression of it.

Hence, the careless writing of a word presenting three or four different impressions, and most of them wrong, is far worse than not writing it at all.

Another element to consider is the habit of mind formed by writing a word a number of times. A child told to write a word ten times does not attempt to learn it at one writing. He depends upon repeated impressions and is deprived of an incentive to that quick, strong, concentrated mental effort that is so productive of strength and development.

"But," I hear some one say, "My pupils do not do that. They really concentrate their attention on the word they write."

The reply is, “Then you waste the time of your pupils, for if they concentrate their entire attention, they do not need to write a word ten times, or five either, in order to learn it."

How, then, may spelling be taught? Personality or individuality has so much to do with method that one always hesitates to offer his own particular method, but after trying to show why one method is wrong, it may be only right to offer one that seems to be right. One method pursued by the writer is as follows:

A list of words having been selected, the pupils are sent to the blackboard, the teacher herself taking a place where all can see. She writes a word in a full, clear hand. The pupils are called upon to pronounce it; it is erased, and they turn to the board and write it.

This obliges the pupils to form a perfect concept of the word with once seeing. This requires concentration, and forms habits of undivided attention, quick seeing and quick thinking. The pupils are taught that they should be able to tell whether or not they have formed a correct concept, and that it is much worse to write a word incorrectly than to ask to see it again.

If a mistake be made by a pupil in writing a word, the teacher says nothing about it, believing that to call attention to it would serve to strengthen the wrong impression, but simply orders the work erased as usual, and then herself writes the word again. When the class have written t

correctly, she perhaps mentions to the child who erred in the first writing that he made a mistake. He then will make added effort to fix the correct form.

Quite often a word is discussed before the teacher erases her copy. For instance, the word caught was given after "What is the class had written fought. The teacher asked, the difference in the sound of these words?"

The class

replied that the difference in sound was in the beginning letters. The teacher then asked, "In what other way do they really differ?" The class, of course, replied that "fought had o where caught had a."

The questions might have been pressed further, as, "In what letters are they exactly alike?" "What letters are silent in both words?"

After the lesson has been developed in this way, the entire list is pronounced by the teacher and written rapidly by the pupils.

Another way, for variety, is to have the children hold their books between the thumb and finger, marking a page assigned by the teacher with the index finger. The teacher directs somewhat as follows: "First paragraph, third line, fourth word." The pupils open the book, find the word, shut the book the instant they have seen the word, and write the word on the blackboard. Errors are corrected as above.

Still another way is to have them read an entire sentence, and write it, always having them feel that it is far worse to write a word incorrectly than to refer to the book again. The words that require a second reference are usually underscored.

So much for the presenting of words, which fulfils the first part of our object in teaching spelling. How are we to achieve the second part of our object? That is, how

shall we increase the child's ability to spell words he has not studied?

It would seem that this might be accomplished by judicious selection when arranging a list. It is quite possible to take a reading lesson, select a paragraph, and from it choose ten or twelve words that will be valuable to the child. But that is not enough.

They must give him added strength, or they have not done enough.

This added strength can only be gained by having each lesson, or set of lessons, illustrate some law of our language. Words must be chosen for this purpose. The children must be taught to compare the words to find out the law or rule, and by a well arranged contrast, note the exception.

When the words fought and caught were presented, the teacher asked, "What is the sound of au? Of ou? Then when you have a word with this sound, will you feel sure how to spell it? What do you observe of gh?"

The class were sent to their seats to search specified lessons for words with ought and aught, and to look for any other word that has the same sound but is spelled differently. The result was two good lists of words-aught and ought, and the words. awful, hawk and laughter, which last was brought in because it had aught, but differed in sound. The new words offered by the children gave rise to a new discussion, and a new search for words.

Another day the following was placed on the board:

The rule for changing y to i was thought out, and then a list was changed, and other words looked for.

Before closing, it might be well to consider the question that is so often asked, "Where shall the words of special subjects be taught?" Surely with the subject in which they occur. When a new term occurs in arithmetic, the children should be taught to spell it when they are taught to understand it. And if other new words are introduced into their

vocabulary by means of this subject, why not teach their spelling at the time? It is not too much to say that in each day's lesson in each subject, a few moment's attention should be given to the important words of that subject.

This will leave the real spelling lesson of the day free for a study of the language, which is what a real spelling lesson should be. If it were this, spelling would cease to be the bugbear it is usually considered.

A Prophecy

Ther''s a small school'us' there where four roads meet, The door-steps hollered out by little feet,

And side-posts carved with names whose owners grew To gret men, some on 'em, an' decons, tu;

't ain't used no longer, coz the town has gut

A high-school, where they teach the Lord knows wut:
Three-story larnin' 's pop'lar now; I guess
We thriv' ez wal on jes' two stories less,
For it strikes me ther's sech a thing ez sinnin'
By overloadin' children's underpinnin'.

T

THE EDITOR

HE teacher (in a first primary) said something in a low, conversational tone to her school, and instantly forty children bent forward with one motion, and were at work at their desks. It was as if they had been gently swayed by a breeze. I turned to my guide with a look of inquiry. "The principal of this school believes that when children are to do anything they should all do it together at once," was her answer. I asked myself, "Why didn't Mary want a pencil? Why hadn't Johnny lost his paper? Why didn't somebody have to fix her hair or feet or something - to prevent that happy unison in movement?" I also asked myself, "Are not these children just as happy as if they were illustrating the freedom of individual rhythm, in a go-as-you-please response to that teacher's request? Is not the character of these children being molded in the right way, every time they give immediate attention and obedience to their teacher's direction? And, to myself, I answered an emphatic Yes.

Fifty right arms were moving slowly and significantly in the air and fifty pairs of eyes were dancing with enjoyment. "What are they doing?" I Writing the word kitty," was the reply.

-a

A game was in progress in a first primary room squirrel game. Two children ran, with outdoor freedom, around the room, out into the hall, and back again to their seats. I wondered at a possible result of such an unschoollike run. The teacher did not even turn her head to watch them and no disorder resulted. Why? That teacher had that school in her fingers, and she was sure of them. They could not "take advantage " under her influence.

In one room a large framed picture of The Esquimaux was hung over the blackboard in front of the children. "That picture is changed every month," said the teacher. "Next month it will be the portrait of Washington for February."

In my mind's eye I saw trees for April, birds for May, and roses for June.

In a primary room I found a pretty picture upon the blackboard in crayon and charcoal - a deer, standing alert and listening, at the foot of a waterfall in a beautiful forest. Hidden behind a tree, a man with a gun knelt, taking aim at the deer. What will be the influence of that picture upon the children, with its representation of man taking the innocent life of that graceful creature just for the sport of it?

Everywhere children are found writing on the blackboard to secure free arm movement. How much writing with the uplifted arm will those children ever be called upon to do when they are grown up?

When pictures do not hang straight, and the blackboard curtains sag in the middle, and the children's up-hill and down-hill writing remains on the blackboard - what is the matter with that teacher that she never sees it? Will not her disregard of these things show itself in her teaching?

In one primary room the teacher was remarkable for her "go." Not a second was lost. "This class may pass to the blackboard, the A second may take their spelling, and the B first may read on the thirty-second page, Mary may begin," said the teacher all in a single breath. The puppetchildren were used to it; every change was made, and Mary began on schedule time. I breathed fast sympathetically to save time, and sat very straight in a keyed-up tension. By and by some mother will say, Mary comes home from school so tired. I am afraid I shall have to take her out."

66

"Ready for physical exercises," said one primary teacher in a room heavy with bad air and uncomfortable at a temperature of 75 degrees. The children rose to 1, 2, 3, and went half-heartedly and unmethodically through the exercises. No fresh air, and not a breath of relaxation. It was half-past ten. "Will these children have a recess?" I asked. "No, we have these exercises in place of a recess. It saves time and trouble." Yes, it would save time in this world if there were no eating, no sleeping, no recreation, no laughing, no change of scene no "let-up" in any direction. It would be good work for the legislature to declare against this no-recess craze. Those children were suffering for change of air, change of scene, change of thought, and a child-like abandon to spontaneous movement. They had a right to it, and no teacher should dare interfere with this right. There are psychological and physiological reasons for the old-fashioned recess.

In another room the children walked with heavy, clattering, dragging feet. The teacher never winced and the children didn't notice it. That teacher was not troubled with nerves or burdened with any apparent sense of responsibility for the muscular control and "carriage " of her pupils. The ability to walk well may be made a means of grace to every child.

A first grade primary teacher was talking of bravery and hero-ideals to the children. She illustrated it by the Civil War! "Let's play soldier," she said, "and see who will be Lincoln's soldiers to go down South." And that! thirtyfour years after the last echo of the war-note had died away! A beautiful way to teach the next generation the lessons of forgiveness and good-will, and the glory of universal brotherhood! There is a blessed comfort in the fact that children can't remember one-half of all that is said to them.

One teacher was actually found who knew that "eyes front" was the secret of good marching. And she not only knew it, but trained her children to look steadily forward in all marching exercises. Hope dawned and flickered awhile, but no other has been discovered.

In preparing a reading lesson, one teacher questioned her class so skilfully that every phrase in the lesson was needed and used in the reply. No new words to stumble over when they began to read.

Where do orioles build their houses? Of what? What do they look like? Where do red-winged blackbirds build! Do all birds build their houses on trees? Where else do you find them? Why? etc., etc.

As we think of "the most beautiful thing nature does chis month," why not ask ourselves, "What is the most beautiful thing I can do this month?" The beauty of the world has not touched me unless it beautifies my deeds. When the sunrise is reflected in my face, when the harmonies of

room, when the grace of grass and sedge adorns the least work of my hand, then for me bas dawned the vision of the King in his beauty.

The balloon-ascension carnivals of the fairies this month may be held in remembrance with continual satisfaction, if the quaint forms and the perpetual laws are gracefully suggested by some designer of papers for book binders. If our nature reader but had such paper lining its covers!

Two little fellows in a Leominster primary school caught something of the beauty of the bluet and transferred it to useful articles, in imagination, at least; one a towel (Fig. 3), and the other a book cover (Fig. 4). These drawings were made with colored crayons upon tinted papers. Kittie Kyle of Andover, Grade I, saw how to reflect even more of the beauty of a humble little flower. (Fig. 5.) This was drawn freehand with colored crayons.

Leuminster.

Grade T.

All such pretty applications of the things discovered through nature study may be secured by an appeal to the imitative instinct in children. The boy who likes to play engineer and soldier and storekeeper, the girl who likes to play housekeeper and mother and teacher, will like to play artist and designer and manufacturer, if under the influence of a skilful child-guider. When they beg for a

歌川

Fig. 3

"true story" the next time, they shall hear how a little buttercup lived forever.

There was once a dear little plant born close beside an old gray stone. She first opened her eyes a morning in May upon a world full of sunshine and birds. How beautiful everything was! Little Buttercupthat was the plant's name- saw the white clouds sailing along like great ships in the blue sky, she heard the bobolinks singing to their mates in the meadow, and the bumblebees humming to themselves as they went about gathering the golden pollen. She saw the grasses and sedges what crowds there were! and she heard them whispering secrets to one another almost all day. Only the old stone kept still. At last she began to feel sleepy. "O, I am too happy to sleep!" she said. But the breezes kept rocking and rocking, and the grasses whispered softly and more softly, and before she knew it, Little Buttercup was fast asleep -and dreaming! She dreamed she was in a very dark place. The white clouds had gone, the birds and bees were still, the grasses and sedges were all sound asleep. Only the old stone was awake and he was talking with a star. Little Buttercup listened. Hello," shouted the

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

66

*

star way up in the sky; "I see you have a new neighbor, Uncle Stone; is she good to you?" The voice of the star came like the soft voice of a little silver bell, it came from so far away; but the old stone heard it, and answered slowly, without opening his eyes, "I don't know, little star; she'll be here so short a time I thought it wouldn't pay to be very neighborly. You and 1, now, have known each other for a million years, but this foolish little thing who has been laughing all day at her neighbors' doings, won't live but a day or two longer, you know."

Little Buttercup was so frightened she came awake, but she didn't dare to open her eyes for fear the dream might be true. How sad it would be to find it all dark and no clouds and birds and bees? Then she thought and thought and thought about what the old stone had said,

until a robin began to sing. That made her think the dream wasn't true. She peeped to see; everything was all right after all; but as she opened her eyes, two big tears rolled out of them and fell splash right in o the old stone's face.

That very morning a sad thing happened; a little girl on her way to school saw Buttercup bowing to her as she was passing, and stooped down to look into Buttercup's face. Before anybody had time to think, Buttercup found herself in Kittie Kyle's hand, and going along the road towards the school-house. Kittie was a gentle little girl, and fond of flowers. She kissed Buttercup again and again. At last Buttercup found herself on a desk near the strangest companions! There were a sheet of paper, a queer little flat box with colored things in it, and just over the aisle she saw a tin box with little cakes and a glass of water. She longed for a drink, she was so thirsty; but just then Kitty began to do something curious, and Buttercup was all attention. Taking the colored things from the box, Kittie began making Buttercup's picture on the paper. She drew the green stem, and the little leaflet, then one yellow petal, and another and another and another, until just as Buttercup felt herself falling, falling was she going to die? - she saw herself on the paper as pretty as could be. Little Buttercup on the desk died, but Little Buttercup on the paper lived. Not long afterward Kittie gave Buttercup to her drawing teacher, and her drawing teacher gave Buttercup to a man who took her on long journeys down by the sea, and up into the hills; and everywhere people said, "What a pretty Little Buttercup!" just as though it were Little Buttercup's first self.

One day Little Buttercup was taken off the paper and placed on a card, and the card was sent to a great city far away; and there she was taken off the card and put on a block of metal; then from the metal she was put upon paper again, and the paper was sent to this very town, and you can see Little Buttercup right here in this very room if you look in the right place! Then Little Buttercup will be in your own little mind and you will always remember her, always keep her there, won't you? Always? Always? Are you sure? If you do, Little Buttercup will live on and on, perhaps until the dull old stone is no more, and there is no little star to call to him with a voice like a silver bell.

Tell them how the lotus has lived, though it grows no longer in Egypt. Show them that men draw flowers to-day to ornament clothes and books and all sorts of things. Then let's play that we are building a house for our best doll, and must have wall paper and draperies; and dolly must have pretty dresses, and we will play designer and manufacturer," and everything," as the children always add, when they are excited.

Design is easy when children are interested, when it comes to them as a problem connected with the life they are living, when it is carried out on a child scale.

The first panel was of paper folding and cutting mounted on white cardboard, the upper and lower designs being in lavender. The middle one "Leaves from our windowgarden "--was of dainty nasturtium leaves, cut freehand from pale green.

A group of writing papers came next; then a design in paper folding mounted on a large square of white cardboard. Under this was pinned a spelling paper from each member of B class.

The next space was devoted to Hiawatha. The memory gems from Hiawatha's Childhood were copied, and an illustration for each gem was copied on white drawing paper. Andrew's tent illustrated

"At the door on summer eve."

Jessie's bird rested near

6.

May has three threes and that is fine; Maud has three more than nine.

They received two sticks for each word they could tell, Two sticks for each word and they worked right well. How many had each without a doubt,

If they told every word in the rhymes left out?