4. Reënforce the lessons by stories.
Stories about cows, or descriptions of certain animals, perhaps the pets which we have known, will add interest to the lessons.
5. Collect pictures of cows, for comparison and description.
In almost any district the children will be able to help in making collections of pictures which illustrate the language and reading lesson. These pictures can be obtained from newspapers, magazines, advertisements, and various other sources. Every child who helps to swell the collection will feel an added interest in it. The collection will be valuable in proportion as it is carefully arranged and thoughtfully used by the teacher. If the cards are neatly mounted upon separate sheets which contain the name of the contributor, and distributed amongst the children for observation and comparison, it will prove really helpful. Through the comparison of the different pictures many facts will be developed, suggested by the children’s comments or questions. Such teaching will be sure to fit the need of the children.
These suggestions will be modified and arranged by any teacher who desires to use them. They may help to point the way for those who are not entirely familiar with this phase of their work, and so lead to better things.
II.—Lesson upon the Oak.
As in the previous lesson, the teacher’s first object should be to discover what the children already know. Nearly all children, even those living in the midst of the city, have some opportunity to see and study trees, and their attention should be carefully directed to the trees in their neighborhood.
Have you ever seen an oak tree? Where was it growing? How tall was it? (Compare with a man, with a horse, a house, with other trees.)
What do you remember about the size of its trunk? about the bark, about the leaves, about the fruit?