punctual and regular in attendance, industrious and successful in his (or her) work, and courteous and well behaved in every way. He (or she) has been one of our very best pupil, and I am confident merits your most favorable consideration.

Respectfully,

Teacher.

12. Telegrams. Telegrams are used in cases of emergency, when one wishes to communicate with another in the shortest possible time. The expense of a telegram depends upon its length and the distance of the point to which it is sent. The regulation length is ten words, and an extra charge is made for each additional word. Ask the pupils in the eighth grade to write a telegram, each one stating that he is to reach Chicago at a certain hour on a given day, over a certain line of railway, and asking you to meet him. How many succeed in limiting the message to ten words and making it intelligible? This experiment will Ishow to what extent pupils need practice in writing telegrams. Occasional exercises should be given until the pupils become proficient in this work.

13. Original Composition. In the lines of work previously discussed, most of the material used had been organized before it was worked over by the pupils. In the original sketch, the pupil organizes his material from the beginning. It therefore gives him much greater latitude in the exercise of his powers of originality and in following his literary tastes. Pupils in the grammar grades should be given frequent opportunities to prepare original sketches. The theme should always be one that the pupil understands and in which he is interested. It may be real or imaginary, such as a trip which he has taken to a city, a picnic party, or some other experience. The imaginary theme may consist of supposed journeys to foreign countries, the pupil's idea of some character of literature, or an original story. The teacher needs to be in close touch with her pupils, so that she may know what themes are best suited to each, if she would obtain the best results from exercises in original composition. The same plan used with other forms of

language work in these grades should be applied to this. The only difference is that the thought and plan are drawn from the pupil's experience instead of from the experience of another.

GRAMMAR

14. The Pupils' Preparation. With scarcely an exception, the language books in current use introduce the elements of grammar in the intermediate grades. By the time the pupils reach the fifth grade they have learned that a sentence is composed of subject and predicate, and a strong class may have learned to distinguish modifiers and connectives. They should learn in the sixth and seventh grades the parts of speech, what a phrase is, what a clause is, that phrases and clauses are used as parts of speech, and that a verb should agree with its subject in person and number. If the class has received the right kind of instruction, there will have been learned the more elementary facts. of grammar in connection with the regular language work by the time the seventh grade is finished.

15. Reasons for Studying Grammar. Formal grammar has its place in a course of study, and it should always be considered a part of the plan for language work. Grammar should be studied in the eighth grade, for the following

reasons:

(a) IT FURNISHES A STANDARD FOR COMPARISON. If the pupil understands the principles and rules of grammar, he has a fixed standard with which to compare his language, and a constant comparison with this standard is a great aid in perfecting his English.

Again, during their entire school course the pupils have listened to, read, and memorized many extracts from the best literature. While they have often seen the clearness and felt the force, in these selections, they have never known why they possess these qualities. Applying the principles of grammar to such selections gives the class some insight into what is essential to effective writing. A knowl

edge of grammar furnishes the pupil with a standard of comparison, then, not only for his own language, but for that of others.

(b) IT PROVIDES PRACTICE IN REFLECTIVE THINKING. No other subject in the elementary course of study excels grammar in the opportunity it affords for reflection. It requires close and careful thinking to discern the attributes of each element of a sentence or the value and function of each word, and grammar should be so taught as to call for exact observation, comparison and judgment. The great

(c) THE INTERPRETATION OF LITERATURE. works of literature can be enjoyed only to the extent of the reader's ability to comprehend the thought of the writer, and a careful scrutiny of grammatical relationships is often necessary to the understanding of passages in them; young people should acquire this power before completing their work in the grammar grades.

(d) UNDERSTANDING OTHER LANGUAGES. When pupils enter the high school and begin the study of foreign languages, they find that a knowledge of English grammar is a great help in enabling them to understand these languages. We can also add that the pupil who enters high school without a knowledge of grammar is placed at a disadvantage in all his English work.

16. Dislike for the Subject. To many pupils, especially boys, grammar is thoroughly distasteful, and the teacher who is able to discover and remove the causes for this dislike will accomplish much for her pupils. The reasons for this attitude most frequently given are, "I can't see any use in studying grammar," and "I can't understand it." All too often the teacher attempts to frown these reasons down, but this is a serious mistake. The reasons given express the boy's honest convictions, and he is no more to be blamed for not taking an interest in a subject which he cannot understand and in which he sees no value than are his elders for their lack of interest in many of the public questions of the day.

The dislike for grammar can usually be traced to two sources its introduction before the pupils are prepared for it, making it impossible for them to understand the subject as presented, and failure to teach the subject so as to enable the pupil to see its vital connection with his common speech. Attention given to the child's sensations and experiences and to their proper expression in words will lead him to see the reasons for grammatical classification and rules, and may interest him in them. Concerning the first of these causes, it should be said that formal grammar as a distinct study has no place below the eighth grade. Some of the fundamental principles and rules can be taught in the seventh grade, but this should be done in connection with composition lessons. Formal grammar requires a maturity of judgment not attained by seventh grade pupils. Moreover two or three lessons a week for a year are all that is necessary to teach as much grammar as pupils need. The second cause may be removed by studying the actual language used by the pupils in conversation, as well as in written work, and reconstructing what is faulty.

17. Plan. Grammar can be pursued most successfully with the text-book in the hands of the pupils. If the book is at all suitable, its plan should be followed; otherwise, the pupils will become confused. There are, however, several points which the teacher should bear in mind. These are the following:

(1) Before beginning the work upon the text-book, review the principles previously studied, to ascertain what pupils know.

(2) Begin the regular lessons at the stage of this subject indicated by this review. Do not waste time on teaching again what the pupils know.

(3) Let the first study be with the parts of the sentence. To begin with the study of words is illogical and leads to a dislike for the subject.

(4) Remember that the things to study are thought relations and the consequent relations of words. Follow

this with the study of individual words considered as parts of speech.

(5) Use the inductive method so far as possible. The pupils can discover all the larger and more useful principles for themselves and will profit by doing it. Put typical examples before the class, develop the problem and guide to the solution.

(6) Lead the pupils to make practical application of each principle and rule learned. For this purpose go over compositions previously written.

(7) Do not begin too soon the more critical work of exhaustive analysis. Pupils should be thoroughly prepared for this work before it is introduced.

(8) Keep ever before you and before your pupils that the goal to be reached is the ability to make good sentences and to understand and appreciate the sentences of others.

18. Analysis of Sentences. Grammatical analysis consists in separating a sentence into its elements and showing the thought relations which these elements bear to each other. If the analysis is exhaustive, it also considers the logical value and function of each word in the sentence. Hold this idea constantly before the class and never allow the pupils to get a different idea of the function of this phase of grammar work. Analysis should never be merely formal.

(a) PLAN. As far as possible, follow the plan found in the text-book. If, however, this embraces more detail than you wish to use, the undesirable portions can be omitted. The plan should be simple, logical and easy to follow. At first guide the pupils by questions which will bring out the thought relations represented by the elements of the sentence. The following model indicates a method which soon enables the pupils to rely upon themselves: "The castled crag of Drachenfels

Frowns o'er the wide and winding Rhine.”

What is talked about? The castled crag of Drachenfels. What is said about it? It frowns o'er the wide and winding Rhine. What single word