Directions.—
Take the red ring, Jennie.
Take the blue ring, Eva.
Take the yellow ring, Wallace.
Take the green ring, Chauncey.
Take the black ring, Gregory.
Take the white ring, Lloyd.
When the children are ready to hide the rings this direction is given to the remainder of the class:—
Close your eyes.
This to the pupils who hold the rings:—
Hide the rings.
When the children have all the rings hid they announce it by lightly clapping their hands, upon which the children open their eyes. Directions are then given to those who did not hide rings, for finding the rings, e.g.:—
Find the red ring.
Find the blue ring, etc.
No notice is taken of any ring but the one called for. A limited time is given for the finding of each. At the close of that time, if the ring is not discovered, the one who hid it gets it. When the written directions are first used the whole sentence need not be put upon the board, e.g., the teacher need write only—the red ring. She says to the child, "find this"—pointing to the board; or red, alone, may be written, in which case the teacher points to the word, saying, "You may find this ring." There is considerable rivalry to see who will find the most rings.
When the children seem to know the written directions perfectly, a test is made of their ability, actually, to read them; thus, instead of writing, "Take the red ring," the teacher writes, "Find the red ring." She writes "Hide the rings," before she writes, "Close your eyes." If the children recognize what is written they will set the teacher right.