THE DEEPENING.
It is wise in most cases to question on the main points of the narration. This fixes them in the children’s minds so that reproduction of the story will more readily follow. The amount of such questioning must be determined by the needs of the class. Only the main points should be dwelt upon. With young children details should be avoided.
THE NATURE-MATERIAL.
The best way to widen the experience of children is to bring them into actual contact with things. But, as organized and carried on at present, the school can do very little of this first-hand teaching. However, at school age, such is the activity of childhood, most children have a considerable body of nature experience which can be used as interpretative concepts for new and similar material. Careful teaching will always aim to discover what experience the individual members of a class have had in order that inadequate ideas may be strengthened and given greater detail. This may be done by some child’s telling his experience, by the teacher giving the information—using descriptions, pictures or drawings,—or finally by proper questioning.
Starting from what is already known, a skillful teacher can build up an idea, though of course more or less indefinite, of the object or process that is comparatively unknown. Questioning can never do more than bring into explicitness what is really in the mind in a vague way. Yet, when we consider that the possibilities of all science and, in fact, of all knowledge, are implicit in the experiences of the normal child of school age, it is seen that the use of questions as an educative means is practically unlimited and that it should not be neglected even in the primary grades.
There is in the stories an abundance of nature-material and of material bearing on industrial occupations and processes that may serve, when properly used, as an excellent basis for mental growth in these directions. In making sure that ideas along these lines are clear, a foundation is being laid for a more vital grasping of geographical instruction later on.
The old object-lesson was an effort in this direction, but its formality and isolation killed it. It is not the purpose to recommend formal object lessons. The main purpose should be to see that the allusions to natural objects and to industrial occupations and processes are understood. And if they are not, to bring them into adequate clearness by proper instruction.
THE ETHICAL MATERIAL.
There is a wide difference, so far as method is concerned, between setting forth the moral to a tale in an explicit way and allowing children to express their judgments upon concrete facts of conduct. The latter is all that should be attempted. In the reaction from formal moral instruction there is danger of going to the other extreme and neglecting it entirely.