HISTORY IN GRAMMAR GRADES 3O/ 



After a rather too brief introduction of this sort, when its 

 importance in our history is considered, the regular study of 

 American history is begun. In addition to 

 * 1 t ^ ie text P urc ^ ase( ^ by the pupil, three other 



authors are kept in sets in every seventh 

 grade room, so that every pupil has four books to which he 

 can refer in preparing his lessons. The use of the city 

 library by the pupils broadens and strengthens in every 

 grade. This is a fact of importance and magnitude. The 

 children should not be simply turned loose in a library, 

 to select anything that suits them; they are not yet old 

 enough to be discriminating, nor will they be for several 

 years to come. Neither is it ordinarily satisfactory to leave 

 them to the guidance of librarians, unless there is a juvenile 

 room in charge of a capable, sympathetic person. No one 

 can know so well as the teacher just what topics and what 

 phases of them are to be discussed and emphasized in the 

 class. That the teacher keep in close touch with the reading 

 becomes of more importance constantly as the pupils and 

 the study become more mature. This is the source of 

 supply, the subject matter, the red blood from which is to 

 come the live tissue of the body of knowledge that is to 

 be built up. If the library is large and if the teacher is very 

 busy, and what conscientious teacher is not? it may follow 

 that the library is not thoroughly canvassed for a year or 

 two; but when this has once been done and the teacher 

 knows just what books are applicable to her class work, it 

 is not difficult to keep track of the new books that are added 

 to the library. By putting the information about all these 

 books into the topically arranged card catalogue of accessi- 

 ble books for the class, which should be a part of the outfit 



