The compositions this year should fill about one page of letter paper and should consist of from six to ten sentences. All kinds of composition work should frequently appear in letter form. Illustrative pictures made with colored pencils or water colors should accompany the written work whenever possible. The compositions should be written in ink, and the pupils

PREPARATION FOR THE BARBECUE OFFERS INTERESTING
SUBJECTS FOR COMPOSITIONS

should all use the same kind of paper. Some opportunity for impromptu composition should be given every day, while one regular composition is the usual requirement for each week. It may be necessary to spend portions of several periods in studying models from literature, for preliminary written work, and for oral discussions. The actual writing of the composition should be done at the desk or at home.

The following are the kinds of written composition that are suggested for this year's work. In conducting the recitation technical terms should not be used by the teacher.

1. Letter-Writing. Drill in perfecting the complete letter form, as outlined in the preceding grade, should be continued throughout the entire year. The work should be kept closely related to real life by having the children write letters of invitation and sympathy, and business letters ordering books or supplies for the school or for private use. Some correspondence with friends and relatives at a distance should be encouraged and directed to some extent, and the preparation of the coöperative letter to the sixth-grade language class of another school may be made very interesting to the children. The various kinds of composition outlined on the following pages should appear frequently in the form of letters.

2. Narration. The repeated and reconstructed stories which were outlined in detail in oral language work for this grade, and the two preceding, are most suitable for oral work, and yet when they are short enough they may occasionally be put into written form. After considerable effort has been devoted to the study of the structure of the story (the plot, time, and causal sequence, the who, the when, the where, and the what), and after some practice has been given in the telling of purely original stories, the children should be led to use constructive imagination in putting these into written form. The story may be the

product of the combined efforts of the class, the plot and characters being suggested by some member of the class or by the teacher. Good stories from literature may be studied as a preparation for the writing of original stories suggested by them. The stories should be illustrated whenever possible.

Good pictures are a valuable asset in language work

As indicated in the discussion of oral narration, the story will lead to the narration of actual experiences. These should frequently be put into writing, to develop greater exactness in language and details.

3. Description. The general directions given in the paragraph on oral description may be followed here.

When possible, written descriptions should be illustrated. This will lead the children to appreciate art

sonal descriptions. Before beginning this work the pupils should make a collection of cartoons for study. 4. Exposition. The directions in the paragraph

thorough discussion beforehand in the oral work.

5. Argument. The preparation of outlines indicating the leading points on both sides of an assigned subject may occasionally be prepared by the children.

before the oral argument. The teacher will have to assist the children considerably in this work. After the oral argument, it may be well sometimes to ask the children to write in logical order the arguments presented on one or on both sides of the question.

6. Verse-Writing. The work suggested in the two preceding grades should be continued here. The teacher should be quick to detect any special ability in verse composition and to encourage its possessor. Some simple instruction in showing the structure of several of the simplest meters found in poetry familiar to the children may be given in this grade. This will be easy to do where children have received some systematic training in vocal music.

7. Diary. The work suggested for the preceding year should be continued during this year. The ability to say much in a few words—which keeping a diary develops is a very valuable possession.

8. Preparation of Outlines. As suggested in previous discussions in this grade, time may be profitably spent in leading children to make outlines of the subjects on which they are to give talks in the oral language work. Written compositions will have more unity and coherence if outlines of the thought are made before the writing is begun. Outlines of the subject matter in the various lessons of the day should frequently be made. This work is especially useful, because it teaches the child to pick out the important ideas on a printed page. These outlines, which should be memorized, may be placed on the