ENLARGING A PART OF A STORY 53 Call the children's attention to the fact that the one paragraph of the original fable has been enlarged to three, through the process of substituting direct quotations for simple statements. Tell and show them that in quoting exactly what people say, when talking together, a new paragraph is begun whenever the quotation changes from one speaker to another, even though this may give but a single sentence to a paragraph. Now have children tell the substance of the enlarged paragraph, but without using direct quotations. Let them note that the mental pictures they get are clearer and more vivid the actors are more real and alive when direct quotations are used; in other words, direct quotations make the story more interesting. Let the enlarged paragraph, as written out on the board, remain until the next exercise. It should be good enough to serve the pupils as a type. VII (57). Enlarging a Part of a Story Make sure that every child understands the requirements of this exercise. It may be well, before they begin to write, to have given orally enlarged versions of one of the stories from which they are to choose. Also direct their attention to the form left on the board from the last exercise. As the children write, go about among them to see that they are succeeding. Help them to avoid errors VIII (58). Rewriting a Fable This exercise is similar to a preceding one (VI). See that the pupils go about it in an orderly way suggested by these questions: 1. Who speaks first? What does he say? IX (59). Writing a Fable Before beginning this exercise it will be well to recall to the pupils' minds the exercise in the last chapter (pp. 44-47) in which they turned a dialogue into narrative form. Here they have to do the same thing, being careful to observe in their narrative the characteristics of a fable. Give each pupil such individual help as he may need; do not help those who are capable of working independently. Unnecessary help weakens and makes dependent; necessary help strengthens and leads to independence. CHAPTER SEVEN PICTURE STORIES To stimulate and at the same time to direct the constructive imagination, to loose the individual powers of invention, to encourage real and orderly thought in every young pupil, nothing surpasses a suitable picture rightly used. Pictures tell stories; hence, they are to be read, interpreted, not described. The reading of pictures is an art that must be taught and learned, just as truly as is the reading of the printed page. Real reading of the printed page requires active thought, originality, on the part of the reader; even more does the interpretation of a picture require active, original thought, on the part of the interpreter. No two readers read a printed page in exactly the same way-no two think the same thoughts, form the same mental pictures, experience the same feelings, in their interpretations of the same printed words. Even greater variety of interpretation arises in the reading of pictures; indeed, variety of interpretation here is one of the most reliable indications of the mental activity of picture readers. Moreover, stimulus of individual imagination, leading to originality of conception and expression, is the chief function that pictures should serve in language instruction. The process of making any picture story may be analyzed into three steps. Although these steps are not wholly distinct, their recognition will assist in the interpretation of a picture and in the orderly construction of the story. 1. Studying the picture to find out what it tells interpreting it, reading it. A suitable story picture always has these two characteristics: it expresses a significant, often a culminating, event in a series of events; it contains a center of interest, which is the heart of the significant event. Let us illustrate with the upper picture on page 61 of the pupils' book. Here, the center of interest is obviously in the child and the mouse, as they face each other; their relation to each other is also a significant event. What are the antecedents of this event? And what is to follow? These questions suggest the next two steps in the construction of the story. 2. Working up the events that lead to the significant event. represented in the picture. 3. Constructing the events, if any, that follow the significant event expressed in the picture. I (60). Making Picture Stories The above discussion, which applies to all picture story work, should help you to stimulate and direct PICTURE STORIES 57 in an orderly way, but not to repress or confine even to the numerous and varied suggestions given in their book, the constructive imagination of your pupils as they seek to interpret, each in his own way, the two pictures representing the significant events of a story, and to construct the events leading to that of the upper picture, and from that to the event of the lower picture, and finally those that followed, concluding the story. Do not let the crudity of the children's work, particularly in form and orderly arrangement, discourage you. Is each one thinking actively, with some independence and originality? Is each one feeling free to express his thoughts? If so, you may well be encouraged; for the orderly arrangement and effective expression of thought will be learned, not all at once, but gradually. To this end, you should help the children to work out typical, consistent stories, from their own suggestions. As a class exercise, the children should be helped to work out several stories, each as different as possible from the others. They should work from different viewpoints that of the child or of one of the mice. This will not only furnish excellent training in arrangement and expression of thought, but it will impress the children with the variety of possible stories to be read from the same picture or series of pictures, and so give each one confidence in his own interpretations. |