The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1916-10-27
STUDY OF CHILD
IDEA PRACT|SED
jefferson School Principal Fol-
lows Long Advocated Theory
HALLIDAY SESSIONS HELD
Condition at School CongeSt-
ed Work Condensed,
BY ALETHA BARR TAFT.


J B Mitchell principal Of the Ici
icr,on school. i, striving to put into
use m In, work the long advocated
theory of Sultlng the study 10 the
child rather than the generally prac.
uscd one, that OF suitng the child
10 the study This opportunity has been
forced upon the teaching body OF the
school by the congeSted condition ,h re
halliday Sessions Held.
In the lower grade, the teacher,
are compelled to hold half day session,
10 accommodate the pupil, At that
there are forty children and more each
IN the morning and afternoon claSsc,
In the upper grades the pupils aver
age iorty-iiye TO the room This is.
twenty more than can be handled well
By one teacher. according 10 the view,
oi many modern and eminent authori-
ties on pedagogy A number OF the chill
dfcn have 10 sit on the front seats
without desks
This crowded condition has necessi-
tated Condcnsing ~ work. In the half.
day rooms, as much work must be
covered in a morning as heretofore was
covered in whole day In the upper
grade rooms naturally there is less
personal attention
Details Eliminated.
The children are not suffering FSm
the condition, according to Mr. Mitch
ell Each study has been carefully
worked over, the essential, condensed
into concrete form, the many minor
| details which so often take up uuncce,
! Sary time eliminated and the lesson
presented to the child in 4 manner a,
/ far removed from the abstract as pos
I 'ihle In this manner he learns through
the eye. part Of the work, which he ha,
been in the habit OF acquiring or
trying to acquire. by study And the
normal mind i, more retentive in the
case Of things seen than in the cabc
OF things heard
In arithmetic, instead OF learning
the eternal multiplication table b'
sheer rotc, he is given concrete OBJ
| Iects-block,, apples. groceries at SO
many cents per article and 50 forth
to work out his calculations
Is Practical Work
This brings 1t to the every day world
10 which he is accustomed There are
few children who are not sent to the
store daily There are few children
who do not know instlnctlvely how to
make change But it is found that the
same child who knows what seven
loaveS OF bread cost at five cents a loaf
will become lost il he is suddenly
asked, What is seven times five =
Taken away from its hereditary neigh
Dor six times five and eight times five
II loses its identity in the mind of the
average child. except after months and
months OF constant repetition. Hence the
value OF concrete objects to visualize
the transaction Naturally Mr. Mitchell
insists upon concentration in the lower
grades as the only safe remedy for the
difficulties OF the upper classes.
Results in Reading
In reading, instead OF starting the
class off Immediately at the beginning
OF a new term with entirely new work
Mr. Mitchell corrclateS the old and new
lessons This has brought pleasing re
suits Instead OF fifteen or twenty new
words as previously given in spelling
from two to five are given in the lower
grades, and from eight to ten in the
upper But these. in all OF the rooms
must have definitions and use perfected
Geography is handled also in the con.
crete form as far as possible For in,
stance map OF Texas is drawn Grad
ually with the lessons, the Typographical
features, rivers, mountains, cities are
added Then the products In this man.
ncr, through his own endeavor, eacl
child has built mind picture OF thu
various things required OF him to know
Mr.. Mitchell firmly believes that th'
mind can he developed as well by tn,
things which will prove OF Use in prac
tical life, as by the time honored anC
traditional studies, that have no liv,
value for actual use after they are ono,
accomplished
Course Flexible.
The present course OF study is flexi
bic enough to permit OF these libertie
as taken by Mr., Mitchell He hope
also in time to succeed in elimina,in,
many of the unessential things that ar,
habit, and on this same theory of CORE
lation and condensing, to work out
course OF study that will give the chill,
more absolute knowledge in a shorte
time.
Aside from their school work, tn
pupils of the Jefferson school presen, a,
interesting example of thrift to the cit.
at large |, is a fac, tina, prac,icall
one half of the eighth grade pupils hav
savings accounts This is the case OF
and on, down through the grades Il
all, one-tcn,h OF the pupils in the schoo
u 40. n.t,nNg ,k pAp,n enN,nus h.nL