834 Rural School Leaflet. 



for directing the observations of the children. In the Leaflet for Boys 

 and Girls, we are going to discuss some of the other sparrows so that 

 the children may begin to watch other species as they go to and 

 from school. In the children's Leaflet this month, Mr. Allen has 

 given a lesson on the Vesper Sparrow. The children may not see this 

 bird before summer but there are places in New York State in which 

 it winters and if they begin to think about it they will be more likely 

 to recognize it in the spring. 



The Hen. — A great deal of subject matter is given in this Leaflet on 

 the hen. Teachers are not expected to teach all the facts given. The 

 observations of the children should be directed. " Tellino is not teach- 



ing. 



Planting Grain. — It will not take a great deal of time for the rural 

 school teacher to give the boys and girls the valuable lesson on planting 

 grain. Try to have the actual material in the classroom or take the 



Fig. 4. — Fail vegetables furnish material /or language and drawing lessons 



pupils afield. One real live lesson of this kind in elementary agriculture 

 is more valuable than many pages learned from a text book. 



Home Economics. — The pupils in the school should be encouraged 

 to take an interest in home affairs. On pages 32-33 Miss Rose has given 

 recipes for pumpkin pies and mince pies. Encourage the girls to copy 

 these recipes and take them home for trial. It will be a beginning, per- 

 haps, in leading parents to feel that it would be an advantage to children 

 to have household matters discussed and studied in the schoolroom. 



Fireside Talks. — We have learned from many of our teachers that 

 the only reading matter some of the children in the rural schools have 

 is the little Leaflet that comes from the College each month. For this 

 reason we want to make as many suggestions as possible for the growth 

 of the children. While we do not think it is always wise to have chil- 



