3. Beautiful thoughts.

4. Correct use of technical points, as a contraction, a hyphen, etc.

5. Expressions that show pictures, if the form is description.

6. Expressions that tell stories, if the form is

narration.

7. The general appearance of the product, as to neatness, straight writing, etc.

From three to five sentences may be expected at first, and by the end of the year a page of note paper should be written on one subject. At no time, however, should the child be asked to write a definite amount. Two periods each week should be devoted

to the writing of regular compositions, while some written work should be done every day. The following division of the written work is for the convenience of the teacher; the terms narration,' description,' and 'exposition' should never be used in directing the work in the classroom.

1. Letter-Writing. The letter appeals to children because it furnishes an audience. For this reason at least half the little narrations, descriptions, and expositions written by third- and fourth-grade pupils should appear in this form. Frequently the written observation reports may also be put in letter form to add interest to the work. The first letters this year should be written in the form suggested in the preceding grade. By degrees the date and place of writing should be added, and some direction in the matter of addressing envelopes should be given. Toward the close of the year each pupil should write and send through the mail at least one letter to some relative or friend. These letters should be submitted to the teacher for correction before they are mailed. The following letter form should be mastered by the close of the year.

Louisville, Ky.

Dear Henry,

May 16, 1915

Your friend,

Howard Smith

2. Observation Lessons and Reports. The reports on observation and investigation assigned to the class may frequently be put into written form. This, of course, will always follow the oral work. These reports will contain elements of description,

following outline shows the different kinds of subject matter that should be given a place in the written work of this grade:

a. Narration. After the children have been led to tell experiences that they have had or have heard others relate, they may be asked to put some of the short ones into writing. Stories of fancy, learned in the story-telling work, may also be used in this way.

Attempts at composing short original stories should be encouraged.

b. Description. The oral description done in this grade should lead to written work of the same kind. This will perhaps demand a greater degree of accuracy in observation and in recording details. Pictures are especially useful in this exercise. The observation work mentioned above will call attention to the fact that nature furnishes an abundance of subject matter for description.

c. Exposition. The oral work in the simple kind of exposition that is attempted in the lower grades — that which relates interesting facts about familiar objects - -should be followed occasionally by written work. This form of exposition is not difficult and develops much interest in many common things.

IMITATIVE EXPRESSION

1. Copying Work. The work outlined in the preceding grade should be continued throughout this year. Poems, memory gems, and selections from the reading lessons may be copied at the desk as a part of the assignment in writing. Passages that contain words and expressions which the children have a tendency to use incorrectly should be chosen for this work.

2. Dictation Exercises. This exercise is more effective and more necessary here than in the first two grades. The discussion in the preceding grade gives sufficient directions as to the method of conducting

the work. In this and in higher grades more of the sentences may be written on paper at the desks though the board should be used most of the time. As in the other grades, the teacher should make notes of the common errors in the speech of the children, and let the correct usage appear in the sentences dictated. As shown below under Technical Matters, these exercises may be used to teach correct usage in all matters mentioned under that heading from grade to grade. These exercises may be used to fill in odd moments.

III. GENERAL WORK

VOCABULARY WORK

Some such plan as the one outlined in the second grade may be adopted for this grade. The ingenious teacher will develop some good method of carrying on this very important work.

TECHNICAL MATTERS

In addition to the attention paid in the composition work, and in reading recitations, to the points outlined under this heading from grade to grade, some more specific work may be done to make pupils more familiar with them. Briefly stated, this work may consist of (a) observation of the points outlined in the various textbooks used, (b) board work with both teacher and class dictating, and (c) seat work. For example, suppose that the new point to be taught is the possessive singular. Let the class find many