3IO METHODS IN TEACHING 



used in the preparation, says in regard to any point in the 

 lesson. Sometimes a reproduction of the whole lesson, 

 topic by topic, should be called for. Two ends are gained 

 by this kind of a recitation, formal as it may seem at first 

 glance. The pupils are led to notice more carefully what 

 they are reading, and, gradually, to form the habit of pictur- 

 ing mentally the thoughts of an author, a most important 

 power; secondly, the memory is steadily developed, and this 

 is a servant too useful to be left untrained. Every recitation 

 can be made to vary in some respect from those immediately 

 preceding, so that monotony of presentation, that deadly 

 enemy of enjoyable class work, does not lay hold of the 

 pupils. 



Another feature of the instruction that is beginning to 

 take shape is the presentation by the teacher of definite sup- 

 plementary knowledge. While this is never 

 Talks bv 



*v T t, so formal as to deserve the name of a 



the Teacher 



" lecture," it partakes of that nature. From 

 books that are inaccessible to the children or that are too 

 difficult for them to assimilate in undiluted form, the teacher 

 collects points of interest and importance. When these are 

 given in sufficient abundance to warrant note taking, the 

 pupils should be asked to keep track of what has been told 

 them, incorporating it in some shape in their notebooks. 

 Like outlining, this method is easily abused, for children 

 never like taking many notes; but if the insistence of the 

 teacher on taking the notes is in a spirit of helpfulness, and 

 if the children are led to use the material in some way, and 

 to appreciate the assistance furnished by their notes in 

 writing or reciting, the majority of the pupils respond 



