HISTORY IN PRIMARY GRADES 2/7 



about one related thought is put by itself in a paragraph. 

 They see that Washington could not be made the subject of 

 a paragraph, for it is the subject of the whole paper, and 

 there are several thoughts, or paragraphs, about Washing- 

 ton ; but they also see that Washington is not used as one of 

 the headings in the outline, consequently the relation of the 

 headings to the subject thoughts of paragraphs is not inter- 

 fered with. It would be unreasonable to say that there is 

 no difficulty in this training. It is exceedingly difficult, for 

 it is analysis ; but it is presented in so elementary a way that 

 the children take the first steps with comparative ease, thus 

 beginning to understand and to practice dividing a dis- 

 course into its parts, analyzing a subject into its thoughts. 

 Pupils like to think; they enjoy the conscious training of 

 the power to think logically; but such an exercise should 

 always be short in order not to tire the minds. Of course, 

 the thoughts as suggested by the children are never in their 

 right order ; subordinate thoughts are always appearing in 

 coordinate rank with leading headings ; but all are taken, 

 written upon the blackboard, and considered by the children. 

 Then comes the fun and the work of arranging everything 

 in proper succession and subordination. In this third grade 

 outlining very few subordinate thoughts are written down ; 

 only the principal thoughts, those that are to be the subjects 

 of paragraphs, are written, the subordinate thoughts being 

 talked over merely to show the pupils to which principal 

 heading they belong. The outline as thus left on the board 

 J9 a succession of headings that are really paragraph 

 thoughts. In oral work the next day, every pupil may tell 

 one paragraph, or, perhaps, all the story. 



