INTRODUCTION XXI 



possible. A little local coloring often takes the problem at 

 once out of the realm of the strange. The actual market price 

 of a commodity, with the actual amount bought or sold by an 

 actual person, may transfer a problem from text to life. 

 Language work becomes at once interesting if based upon 

 actual experience. The child cannot write on abstract 

 themes, but he can tell what he knows and he can be taught 

 to tell this well. In geography it is the things about him that 

 interest him, and through these alone he can interpret things 

 that are foreign. With the presentation of every lesson the 

 skilful teacher will seek the things at hand that may be the 

 best media of interpretation. 



Of course this calls for a complete knowledge of the 

 community. The teacher should know the district in every 

 detail — its extent in every direction; its earth facts, such as 

 streams, hills, valleys; its farms; its houses; its acreage in 

 wheat, corn, and oats; its officers, and its religious life. 

 These things he can use in his work to great advantage, 

 in concrete application of the principles he is trying to 

 teach. If he knows something of agriculture his work in a 

 rural community will be much easier. If his knowledge is 

 scientific, so much the better. Certainly he cannot hope to 

 deal in an |intelligent way with the problems of a community 

 with which he is unacquainted. 



DIGNIFY WORK AND CREATE RESPECT FOR INDUSTRY 



But aside from making the work concrete the dominant 

 community interest may be made to serve another purpose. 

 It may dignify work in general by creating respect for the in- 

 dustry in particular. Somehow the things at hand are not 



