2/6 METHODS IN TEACHING 



children are asked to tell what are the principal events, 

 or who are the most important persons, in the story. Then 



Outlines t ^ ley are * ec * tO arran e the information 



given in some consecutive order. It is an 

 interesting study of children's minds to notice how scattered 

 the items will be when first given, and what an effort of 

 memory is required to arrange all in acceptable consecutive 

 form. This is the first step in outlining, in arranging 

 material systematically. The little outline is developed in 

 class, written upon the board item by item, as evolved by 

 the pupils, and it is. then used as a basis for written work. 

 From the first, the outline should be a help to the pupils ; it 

 is not an end to be worked for, it is an aid in the use of 

 knowledge. The only use that the pupils of this age have 

 for the outline is as an aid in writing a systematic, complete 

 paper. Put it to this use, and, if possible, lead the children 

 ,to see how much more systematic the work can be by its use. 

 When an outline is voluntarily made use of in written repro- 

 ductions an important step has been taken in developing the 

 analytical powers. 



This work is an aid in the regular composition exercises, 

 for it is very easy to lead pupils to put thoughts by them- 

 selves. That which groups itself into a thought is often a 

 natural paragraph, and it may happen that by this simple 

 training in the separation of thoughts a third grade pupil 

 will pass into an easy and comparatively accurate use of a 

 third grade conception of a paragraph. The successive 

 headings in the outline, as given by the pupils, are usually 

 the subject thoughts for the successive paragraphs. No 

 difficulties or uncertainties are presented to the young 

 minds; they simply learn that that which we have to say 





