Note 56 (page 116). Pupils should arrive on their bicycles in animated talk, should dismount and lean the bicycles very carefully against the tree. Then they should step cautiously into the boat. When the boat leaves shore, the boy in the stern is sitting half twisted around and talking to his dog, while the other boy is seated squarely, well braced, so that he may row with steady strokes. Two girls may play the story as if it were about two girls.

Note 57 (page 116). Repetition in these dramatizations must always have a clear and justifiable purpose that pupils understand. For instance, having a new audience (the pupils from another room or a visitor) would usually constitute a good reason for a second performance. Then, repetition before the same audience might be justified by the endeavor to improve the playing by introducing more action or more speech and thus achieving a better representation, which the class recognizes as desirable. But every wise teacher knows that the play must stop before it has lost its savor. See Note 5.

Note 58 (page 118). If this exercise is to reach the maximum of profit for the class, it will include constructive work in word study, variety in expression, expansion by happy additions of words and sentences, contraction, rearrangement, combination of sentences, shortening of sentences, the striking out of needless and's, as well as attention to mistakes in grammar. Only one critical question should be considered at each reading.

Note 59 (page 120). Nine pupils may work at the board at the same time, each writing one of the nine sentences.

Note 60 (page 123). Teachers will arrange matters tactfully, that every pupil may receive a letter from one of his classmates. Pupils may write more than one letter if they wish, but the postmaster should accept no slovenly mail.

Note 61 (page 124). It is recommended that this correspondence be permitted to continue as long as pupils take pleasure in it. There should be allowed great freedom of content. Let pupils tease each other, poke fun at each other, even ask silly questions. See Note 2.

Note 62 (page 125). Pronounced se̅´re̅z, pro̅-sûr´pĭ-nȧ, ȧ-pŏl´o̅, plo̅o˝´to̅.

Note 63 (page 131). Since the next dozen lessons or more assume the spring-time as their background, it is strongly recommended that the room be fittingly decorated. If a class excursion could be made into the woods or to a river or park, it should be done. Some time during this group of lessons dramatization may take the form of playing that the schoolroom is a meadow or a wood in which pupils wander about picking flowers, seeing birds and animals. These they describe to the class.

Note 64 (page 133). By seeing written products grow in clearness, force, interest, beauty, and language effectiveness as the class faces the problem of improving them, by seeing the better word displace the good and the phrase of color the colorless one, by watching the vague thought give way to the vivid thought, pupils will be impressed as in no other way with the fact that the first draft of any written expression, brief or long, is merely the first draft, merely a basis, a beginning, a preliminary sketch, for the finished written composition. See Notes 7 and 20.

Note 65 (page 141). By having another pupil stand before the class and speak for the pupil who is a bird, flower, or animal (replying, for instance, "No, he is not a dandelion" or "Yes, he is a sparrow") the game I am not is easily transformed into the game He is not. Similarly, the games He has not and He does not may easily be devised.