COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS AND CONVERSATION LESSONS. 



INCH Nature Study Pub- 

 lishing Company, in Jan- 

 uary, 1897, put before the 

 teaching world the first 

 accurately beautiful rep- 

 resentations, not only of the forms of 

 nature but of the tints and colors also, 

 the brightest minds have been active 

 in noting the effectiveness of the color 

 photograph in school. Thousands of 

 teachers have vied with each other in 

 applying them in nature study with 

 most gratifying results. 



An important discovery has been 

 made almost at the same time by 

 many of them. The lively interest 

 aroused by the bird presented, the 

 agreeable sensations the child experi- 

 ences in relating incidents and hear- 

 ing from his mates and teacher about 

 its habits, and the reminiscences of 

 delightful outdoor experiences, all 

 tend to warm the child to enthusiasm. 

 This point of warmth is the supreme 

 opportunity of the teacher. Instruc- 

 tion given under such a glow is in- 

 tensely educative. A few minutes of 

 such work is worth hours of effort 

 where the child is but indifferently 

 aroused. 



Many of the best first primary teach- 

 ers do not begin to teach reading dur- 

 ing the first few weeks of the child in 

 school. They aim, first, to establish 

 a bond of sympathy between them- 

 selves and their pupils, to extend their 

 range of ideas, and to expand their 

 powers of expression. Expression is 

 induced and encouraged along all lines, 

 by words, music, drawing, color work, 

 and physical motions. 



The common things of life are dis- 

 cussed, experiences related, and the 

 imagination brought strongly into 

 play. Songs and recitations are given 



with the actions of birds, animals, per- 

 sons, or machines, imitated joyously 

 by groups of children. Games calcu- 

 lated to train the senses and the 

 memory are indulged in. The whole 

 nature of the child is called into play, 

 and perfect freedom of expression is 

 sought. 



Experience shows that intelligent 

 training along these lines is profitable. 

 The time of learning reading and 

 spelling is somewhat deferred, and 

 number work is delayed, but the chil- 

 dren who are skilfully trained in this 

 way outstrip the others rapidly when 

 they bring their trained powers to bear 

 upon the things that are popularly 

 supposed to be the business of a school. 

 Superintendent Speer has shown that 

 pupils whose technical instruction has 

 •been deferred for several months in 

 this way are found at the end of the 

 second year far superior to others of 

 equal promise, who have been put at 

 reading, spelling, and number work 

 directly. 



To conduct a conversation lesson 

 requires some tact. Not tact in ask- 

 ing questions, nor in "talking down" 

 to the level of the children. Direct 

 questions are of doubtful value in the 

 first grade. In fact, the value of the 

 lesson may sometimes be judged by 

 the absence of such questions put by 

 the teacher. The question mark and 

 the pump handle resemble each other, 

 and often force up perfunctory contri- 

 butions, and sometimes they merely 

 produce a dry sound. Children do 

 not care to be pumped. 



Here are a few questions that give 

 the children little pleasure and less 

 opportunity for expression: Isn't this 

 a very pretty bird? Do you see 

 what a bright eye it has ? How many 



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