﻿HISTORY STUDY IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 



33 



only is used the amount decreases toAvard this grade. The amount 

 of such increase and decrease is shown in the table below, 247 sys- 

 tems being represented in the replies : 



Requirements 





1 



2 



3 



4 



5 



6 



7 



8 



Oral 



74 



72 



62 



36 



39 



18 



14 



13 



Written 



1 



2 



5 



10 



19 



21 



21 



21 



Both written and oral 



25 



37 



69 



107 



119 



105 



120 



117 



Number of Systems Requiring in 

 Grade — 



Forty-three systems report that they require both oral and 

 written reproduction, but fail to state in what grades this require- 

 ment holds. The above table shows the predominance of oral over 

 written reproduction, especially in the lower grades. Both methods 

 are used more frequently in the upper grades. The number of 

 systems requiring either or both is in a way an indication of the 

 efficiency of oral instruction, for it is generally conceded that 

 unless either or both methods follow such instruction much of its 

 value is lost. 



Note-Taking on Oral Teaching. On note-taking on oral teach- 

 ing opinions only Avere asked for; but these opinions no doubt 

 represent practice, coming as they do from persons actually en- 

 gaged in school work. One hundred and twenty-four of the 224 

 replies give a direct answer to the question — 101 say note-taking on 

 oral teaching is not desirable, and twenty-three that it is desirable. 

 Of the remainder, fift}"-six say ' desirable to some extent in the up- 

 per grades — possibly sixth, seventh and eighth, but never below 

 these grades'; twenty say 'a little might be done'; two feel that 

 such w^ork 'is not possible in the grades'; Iavo others say it is 'both 

 dangerous and unprofitable'; and the remaining twenty give such 

 answers as 'none except dictation'; 'desirable when can be done'; 

 'note-taking is required' ; 'only dates, names and important events' ; 

 'depends upon the grade, subject and object'. 



From the above replies one concludes that little note-taking on 

 oral teaching is done in the 224 systems represented. In fact there 

 is evidence in the answers of actual opposition to such work. If 

 attempted at all, many feel that it should be on a rather small 

 scale and confined chiefly to the upper grades. No reply favors 

 elaborate work in note-taking. 



3—30399 



