II (64). Making More Picture Stories

After the children have studied with you the lesson in their book, give them a few moments in which each one may decide upon the character in the picture which he will represent in telling the story. Encourage variety, even total unlikeness, in the stories, by making each pupil tell his story as though it were the only one to be told from the picture. Do not let a pupil feel that he must make his story in any way consistent with any other story that may have been told, even by one representing the same character.

In illustration of the total unlikeness of the stories to which this picture may give rise, compare Mrs. Noah's Story, as suggested in the pupils' book, with a story that the dog of the ark might tell, as indicated in the following suggestive outline:

The ark-dog recognizes the puppy as of kin but oh, how different! What did he think of the puppy? Did he try to make friends with him? How did the puppy respond? Did the arkdog try to follow the puppy, to bark as the puppy did, to run, wag his tail, and gambol? If the ark-dog succeeded in any of these efforts, what excitement he would cause in the ark!

III (64). Still More Picture Stories

The significant event in this picture is so vividly expressed that the child of even the most sluggish imagination should have no difficulty in making a satisfactory interpretation. At the same time, there

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is abundant opportunity for variety in details, particularly in the events leading up to the situation expressed in the picture and in the subsequent happenings. The quality of the story that any child may tell from this picture will depend more upon orderly arrangement and dramatic presentation of events than upon the originality of conception; hence it is in these respects that you can render most aid. Here are a few suggestions:

To end the story with the dog dragging the child to safety from the track, though a suitable climax, is not quite satisfactory; we want the train to stop, and the trainmen and passengers to praise the noble dog, and to care for the boy. It might be still better to have one of the boy's parents among the passengers. In any event he must be restored in safety to his home.

Supplementary

1. Let the story be told as the engineer, or a passenger, or the child himself, may have told it.

2. Let the story be told by a witness not shown in the picture, by one, possibly a parent of the child, who struggles desperately to reach the boy, but realizes that he is too late. The contrast between the efforts, despair, and anguish of the struggling one, and the sudden relief and gratitude when the child is rescued, may be brought out with telling effect.

IV (68). Writing a Picture Story

The preceding lessons of this chapter, all oral, should have prepared every child to write at least

one story with some confidence. This written exercise should result in a large variety of stories, almost as many distinctly different stories as there are children. Should you find many, even nearly all, writing substantially the same story, and that one that you have worked out with them, you may safely conclude that the previous exercises have failed of their purpose, that instead of stimulating individual constructive powers, they have merely encouraged the memorizing of the thought, even the expressions, of others.

As directed in previous written exercises, be constantly alert to help each pupil to help himself to do his best, to avoid errors, to detect and to correct as quickly as possible errors that have been made. Make sure that every pupil is writing a real story, not merely describing a picture.

V (68). Reading Picture Stories

Read to the children several of their own stories, selecting typical ones, some of the best and some of the poorest. Help them to apply to each the test of these three questions:

I. Is it clear? 2. Is it complete?

3. Is it interesting?

Of course they must give reasons justifying their answers in every case. Work out some of the poorest stories with the children, showing how each may be made clear, complete, and interesting.

PICTURE STORIES

VI (68). Correcting and Copying Picture Stories

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Help each pupil individually to correct and to improve his story, in respect both to content and to form. Though this may require time equal to several lesson periods, its importance justifies it. For this individual attention pupils may come to your desk in turn while other pupils are writing or studying.

Supplementary

1. Let children write from a second or even a third choice of picture. Perhaps some of the more versatile will like to write two or more distinctly different stories from the same picture. The most capable children may well write two or three stories while the slower ones are writing, correcting, and rewriting a single one. Here is ample opportunity to adjust work to varying individual talents in a way to insure the continuous and profitable employment of every one.

2. Let pupils make lists of story-titles suggested by each picture.

CHAPTER EIGHT

RHYMES; WRITTEN REPRODUCTIONS; QUOTATIONS AND CAPITALS

I (70). Studying a Fable in Rhyme

In

READ the rhyme, The Ant and the Cricket, to the children; then have them read it. Be careful of the expression and phrasing, which is a bit difficult for children, particularly in the second stanza. reading rhymes, children's attention is wont to be so absorbed, or dulled, with the rhythm and jingle that they fail to get the idea.

The habits of ants and crickets should be discussed with the children, and direct observations made, if there is opportunity. Study with the children the questions in their book, making sure that they understand the meaning of all words. They must not fail to understand moral, as used in the last stanza.

There are three matters of form which should be brought out clearly in the study of this rhyme, or poem: (1) The division of the poem into stanzas and lines; (2) the use of a capital to begin each line; and (3) the use of one or two commas, as may be necessary, to separate the name of the person addressed from the rest of the sentence.