RELATION TO READING AND LITERATURE. 2G5 



CHAPTER XII. 



RELATION OF NATURE STUDY TO BEADING AND 

 LITERATURE. 



THREE main objects of expression have been named : 

 to make the ideas of pupils clear and orderly, to convey 

 their ideas to others, and to enable them to gain ideas 

 from others. In the preceding chapter we have con- 

 sidered the expressive work of the school mainly with 

 reference to the first two objects. We have to discuss 

 in the present chapter those phases of expressive work 

 the special object of which is to enable us to use ideas 

 gained from others. This is the main purpose of work 

 in reading and literature. 



In the primary grades the reading-lesson, related to 

 nature study, is much like the individual language ex- 

 pression already considered, but is, in general, a class 

 reproduction. What the children see they tell about, 

 and their statements are written on the blackboard by 

 the teacher for a reading-lesson. Frequently copies 

 are made, by some duplicating process, for the use of 

 each pupil. 



Such reading-lessons serve a threefold purpose : they 

 help to fix the important ideas gained by observation ; 

 they give the pupils practice in expressing ideas and in 



