4. Description. General directions for description work in this grade will be found in the paragraph on oral description. In writing compositions involving description greater accuracy is to be expected, especially if the object or scene is before the eyes of the children. Descriptions from memory should not be attempted

too often in this

grade.

5. Exposition. General directions

for the exposition work of this grade have been given in the paragraph on oral exposition. Written work in exposition should often follow the oral, especially if

FOR DESCRIPTION

it involves effort in the more difficult type of the work, which demands the statement, in logical order, of the different steps in a process, as, for example, a game, the preparation of a garden plot, various processes connected with farming operations, etc.

6. Verse-Writing. Poetry is the form in which the literature of every people first appeared. It must therefore appeal to a natural feeling for rhythm in the hearts of all mankind. In view of this fact the memorizing of poems and gems of poetry during the

early years of school life will have a decided influence in leading children to form the habit of using language correctly. Children should be given frequent opportunity here and in higher grades to give expression in verse to the feeling for rhythm which has been intensified by the memorizing of poetry. This work should never be merely an effort at making rimes, but a means of free expression of feeling. Metrical perfection, of course, is not to be expected here. The results to be attained are poetic phraseology, rime, and some evidence of a feeling for rhythm. Some pupils will not be able to do a very high type of work along this line. Teachers will be surprised, however, at the results of the efforts of the children at writing verse.

The work of getting children to write verse is not difficult, especially after they have memorized quite a few poems and have had much poetry read to them by the teacher. The first step is to have the pupils beat time as the teacher reads a simple rime. Several children will then follow the teacher's example as she reads. It may be well to write several stanzas on the board and to have the children place long marks over the strong beats and short marks over the weak ones. A number of stanzas should now be examined, to note the different schemes of riming. After a suitable subject is chosen from those discussed in the conversation exercises or elsewhere, the teacher should write on the board a few words that were used in the oral work, and should have the children

pick out pairs that rime, or think of words that will rime with certain ones in the list. By combined class effort and criticism, one, two, or three stanzas are then composed and tested by being beaten off. Several children may then try to compose rimes, the teacher and class supplying a phrase now and then and assisting in the work of testing the meter. A good preparatory exercise here is to place on the board a line selected from a poem known to the children and to have them add a second line that rimes with it and corresponds in meter.

The following stanzas are the result of the efforts of children in the third grade of the Western Kentucky State Normal School Training School:

THE SNOW

The snow is coming from the sky,
I guess it always says good-by.

The snow it lights on every tree,
And sometimes lights on you and me.

The snow it lights on thistledown,
And it spreads all over the ground.

THE BIRDS

I like to hear the birds that sing;
I like the wondrous joy they bring.
The snowbirds scamper in the snow,
As they fly forth to and fro.
The birds sing in the spring.

THE ROBIN

The robin likes the snow;

"Oh! oh!" said he.

He sings when it snows
And bravely he goes

From tree to tree.

A music of glory he brings.

The following stanza was written by a thirdgrade child in another school:

DAFFODILS

Pretty yellow daffodils,

Growing thick upon the hills;
Above your heads the birds do fly,

Looking back against the sky;
And voices far and near

Birds and children sing with cheer,

For the yellow daffodils,

Growing on the green-clad hills
Mean spring, spring, spring.

IMITATIVE EXPRESSION

1. Copying Work. The work outlined in the previous grades should be continued, but the poems or passages set for copying may be somewhat longer. From the standpoint of language this work is intended to emphasize good usage. For this reason selections assigned should contain many difficult words and expressions that have given the children trouble.

2. Dictation. The discussion of this work in the two preceding grades will give the general directions

for doing it in this grade. Here it becomes even more important than in the lower grades. The children should be led to make their own corrections, whether they are writing at the board or at their desks. The work should never be allowed to drag, but should move rapidly to keep up the interest. In addition to sentences, short poems or gems that are being memorized may be used. Tests may be given occasionally, in which the children state orally the principles learned and find examples of their use in the readers or elsewhere.

III. GENERAL WORK

DICTIONARY AND VOCABULARY WORK

In this grade some preliminary work looking to the use of the dictionary may be done. The words in short paragraphs may be arranged alphabetically, first according to the first two letters, and later according to three and even four or five letters. This is to be done as desk work. Regular work in the use of the dictionary will be begun in the next year. In many schools lists of new and important words met in the reading lessons are kept and made the basis of spelling lessons and discussions, but the value of this work is seriously questioned in view of recent experiments. Some work in homonyms may also be done here. Such words as 'weak' and 'week,' 'sail' and 'sale,' 'whole' and 'hole,' 'hall' and 'haul,' may be given out orally and their meanings asked for.