4. Correct Usage throughout the book. Frequent drills in correct usage are given These drills emphasize the correct forms of expressions that children most often use incorrectly. In Part One the drills are given in the form of interesting games. 5. Dictionary Study Graded lessons in the use of the dictionary are begun in the first part of the book and are continued throughout. 6. Letter Writing - Letters growing out of the activities of the school and other phases of language work form an important part of the written composition. 7. Content and Mechanics Since children learn to speak and to write primarily because they have something to express, the mechanics of composition in this book are limited to the actual needs of the pupils. 8. Treatment of Literature The poems and stories included in this book were chosen (1) for their interest to children, and (2) for their power to inculcate valuable ideals. 9. Picture Study Pictures are used as a means of stimulating imagination and directing it into worthy channels. The questions that accompany each picture bring out the child's own feeling about the picture, and suggest to him something to tell either as a story or as an impression. 10. Civic Ideals - The book strongly emphasizes those ideals of patriotic service, thrift, health, and character that are inseparably connected with language. To the many teachers in various parts of the United States whose classrooms she has been privileged to visit, to her coworkers in the Committee on Economy of Time, and to the teachers and principals of the schools of Charleston, West Virginia, the author wishes to express her appreciation and gratitude. MARY FONTAINE LAIDLEY |