74 METHODS IN TEACHING 



but short, and subjects should be so definite that pupils know 

 just what they are expected to do. 



The mechanical divisions of an article are the sentence 

 and the paragraph. A knowledge of each should be culti- 

 vated in the fourth grade. The possibility of expanding and 

 contracting sentences has already been suggested to the chil- 

 dren by third grade work on combination of several short 

 sentences into one long one. Still more can be done in the 

 fourth grade by changing adjectives and adverbs into phrases 

 and clauses, or vice versa; or by using participles, relative 

 pronouns, and subordinating conjunctions. The weak sen- 

 tence structure, so noticeable in the speaking and writing 

 by children, is more frequently ignorance of better forms 

 that might be used than carelessness or disinclination to 

 employ more elegant constructions. There should be special 

 thought given to sentence structure. The children must be 

 guided for some time along one line of progress, as the use 

 of relative pronouns ; then another must be taken up, as 

 dependent adverbial clauses ; then still another must be made 

 familiar ; and all the time that which was first learned must 

 not be neglected. While working over any special phase, 

 have the pupils correct their own papers in that one respect, 

 so that they will grow observant. 



The sense of the paragraph can be more easily developed 

 by having the pupils write two or three paragraphs on a 

 subject, than by calling for one. Selection and division of 

 material is imperative to the formation of paragraphs ; writ- 

 ing only one gives no chance for this thoughtfulness. The 

 teacher must not become discouraged in showing again and 

 again the proper use of the sentence and paragraph. Both 

 are very difficult, even for older pupils, and these younger 



