The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-12-12

Grade P.TR. RTS.
FIRST .............. go 81. D
Second ............ G2.5 81 8
Third ............... GS.7 81. .
Fourth ............. 60.O Avn
Fifth ............... 5S3 Al.
Sixth conference.-the. GO $3.50
Seventh . 71.3 1871
Eighth ... 1910 go
High School -. 60. O-S6.O 1904. 0
On general, we find it necessary.
IN upper grades that the children be
allowed about as much time for prep
aTation of assigned work as is spent
in recitation, otherwise there is not
sufficient material prepared for dis.
cussion in class. In the grades be-
low the fourth, recitations should &C.
Cupy most of the time; if classes
were small enough to permit more
the teachers all study should be
done in recitation, the teacher work
ing with the pupils. This explains
the greater amount Of class work in
these grades. Under ideal conditions
this might exist in upper grades.
Second. Reports of the teachers
OF the several grades in regard to
this matter may be summarized as
follows:
No Home Study.
First, Second and Third Grades
No home study. Occasionally child
is allowed at request of parents, to
take home reader or a spelling
lesson or possibly selection to be
memorized.
Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Grades
No home study regularly scheduled.
An average child who attends strictly.
to business in school hours should
pass in his work without difficulty
Some of the more cons cientiouss
children make a practiee of taking
certain books home and probably
some of the slower ones find it neces-
sary to do so at certain times.
Seventh and Eighth Grades-The
program requirements listed above
make it almost necessary that about
one lesson be prepared outside of
school hours. AS in the case of the
intermediate grades, this means
that the slower or more conscien.
tious pupils may do more than that.
These reports show conformity to
general instructions.
Third. AS to effect or the health
and well being of the children. While
We have no formal data at present
On the matters, the teachers agree
in saying that for the. great. share OF
the children the demands are not
excessive. An informal inquiry at
various times shows that parents are
divided on tbs matter of home
study, some preferring that the chill
dren be required to do some home
study, others opposing it, others in
different In very few cases has
there been any complaint that the
children were being over worked.
Elimination Not Desirable.
Fourth. AS to possibility Of entire
elimination of home study in the
grades. We are not certain that
such would be desirable. 1t certain,
ly would not be advisable to attempt
to forbid such cooperation where
parents are so much interested in the
welfare of the children; We only
wish there were more of that in
terest We have, however, made the
general requirement that all work for
which credit is to be allowed toward
passing mark be done in class
and have restricted the permissible
home work to- such subjects as viii
be least affected by the varying
methods of outside assistance.
Entire elimination of home study
would involve either the. cutting
down of requirements in some of
the subjects or dispensing entirely
with certain studies. There, is a
possibility of cutting down the re-
quirements in geography and in
grammar and we are working on the
outlines in those subjects with that
in view. in all the other subjects
we are reluctant to trim any fur
about the least that can be, done
If the subjects are to have any
value So far as elimination of sub.
jects is concerned, we would name
the list of those now required and
request the members of the board
10 suggest which they would drop.
The subjects are reading, writing,
arithmetic, geography. history al
ternating with hygiene. language
work lin intermediate grades)r and
English grammar Tin upper grades.
The music, drawing. physical sex-
ercises, and general lessons take a
minimum of school time and are
well worth that time. or the others.
| think none of us you'd be will.