Suggestions on Primary History.
1. Have the purpose and outline of the story well in hand before presenting it, and let your presentation be independent of the book. The outline of your story should be very carefully prepared.
2. Avoid complex details. Tell story vividly. “The educational value of these stories does not depend upon literal accuracy.”
3. The sequence of events and their relations are more important than dates. “A long time ago” means more to a child than 1492.
4. Lay special stress on ethical teaching; cut down wars and military campaigns as much as possible.
5. Go slowly. Haste is a poor policy. A teacher may sometimes devote weeks to a single character to advantage. Do not cram facts indiscriminately into children’s minds.
6. Do not repeat stories to the same children from year to year.
7. For directions “How to Select Stories,” see McMurry’s “Special Method in History,” pp. 34-40.
8. For directions “How to Tell Stories,” see Ibid, pp. 54-56.
9. For directions “How to Have Stories Reproduced,” see Ibid, pp. 57-58.
10. For a discussion of the difficulties of oral instruction, see Ibid, pp. 59-66.