The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-09-22

with the kind of word you ask for.
The above sentence, as completed by
a child, may read thus: 1.-The poor
toy never had ball." or as was actu.
ally given 10y a child: 'This poor
kitty never had any claws" Ofcourse,
if each child depends upon bis own re-
sources no two sentences will be alike.
these sentences may be made long or
short according to the capacity OF the
class; and short stories may be taken
in the same way, but unless the class
is well advanced it is best not to require
pupils 10 insert more than one kind of
word at time, never more than two,
in that case making tie combinations
as simple as possible. More than two
consecutive blanks confuse them.
This kind of work mny be made a
practical review of other studies, espe-
cially those in which certain statements
are memorized.
Write the statements omitting GER
tain words; let the pupils supply all
omissions. requiring them at the same
time to tell the kind of words supplied,
as well as the proper term to be used
in that place
This will be found all excellent exer-
a., -, l,,u,o,a ,,C yualI ne a prnfifa hle
way of reviewing other lessons. Geog-
raphy and physics may be reviewed in
this way with marked advantage.
For more direct composition exer-
cises, written accounts of what has
been accomplished during the day or
week, are interesting to the pupils and
useful to the teacher, by showing her
what facts are grasped most readily by
her school as a whole and individually.
Mental peculiarities of children are
readily grasped by the teacher, if she
desires to study each childish trait, for
that childs advantage.
Oral lessons are invaluable to chill
dren, giving them power of correct ex-
preston, and ready command of Ian
guage 1t is well to begin by teaching
them to form sentences containing only
a noun and a verb; then a noun, ad
jective and verb; next, a noun, verb
and adverb; and so on, varying the
number and kinds of words, and their
as the children are able
to compose more accurately and rap
idly.
Then have sentences composed rela-
ting to one subject only; require but
one sentence from each child at first,
and gradually increase the number,
leading them thus, by carefully con
Quoted oral lessons, to the naria alton of
short stories which they have read or
heard, provided these stories are of |
length and interest. Stories, |
calculated to call up vivid pictures are
the best for this purpose, as the pic
lures formed by the child's imagina
ton, will the more readily enable him
to recall the incidents. No one will |
deny that what the mind sees most
clearly, it can most easily express in
language.
The work suggested above, may be
followed by both oral and written de
but will be found unsatis
factory, unless the first attempts are
upon we'll known objects and such as
come under the observa. lion of the pu
pill at the time of composition.
Ii is better to have many compost
tions written than to have a few writ
ten, corrected thoroughly, and re writ
ten. N3arly all composition work
,honld be class work; this insnres
lair amount of work from every child,
and removes the temptation to seek
aid at home. Correct the graver mis-
takes, the others will disappear gradu-
ally as the critical faculties and COIL.
mand of words develop. FOO many
confuse the mind.
4 few words more. Fables are excel
ent things for some of these exercises.
Short, funny stories, witficisms, puns,
anything that will enliven the wit or
quicken the imaginations of the chill
1ren, should not be neglected by the
teacher. Some ludicrous advertise
nents, sentences in which phrases are
10 placed as TO alter the meaning =
ended to be conyeyed-the InCre ap
parent the better, pretty little poems
lse anything, everything that will X, ep
1p the interest OF the class, and with
Ill the charm of novelty will still in-
I.ruct the children and make them ,
their language lessons with ,
pleasure. !,
MARGARET w. NORRIS.