EDUCATIONAL BULLETIN

PUBLISHED MONTHLY EXCEPT JULY AND AUGUST BY

THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

CARSON CITY, NEVADA

Entered as second-class matter May 22, 1919, at the postoffice at Carson City, Nevada, under the Act of August 24, 1912. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized August 21, 1919.

Upon the teacher in the rural school there rests an unusual degree of responsibility for the spirit in which the work of the school is done throughout the entire year. The average rural school is small, and the lack of numbers tends to produce a quietness that easily degenerates into dullness. School spirit in a large school can be well fostered by the pupils themselves with some slight assistance and direction from the teachers. In the small school the teacher is the center of school spirit. The isolation and heavily loaded program tend to lower the tone of the teacher's spirit; only by a purposeful and determined effort can the rural-school teacher maintain such a bright spirit and happy enthusiasm as will make the schoolroom give to the children. something above and beyond the routine of gathering knowledge.

Two things are required of the rural-school teacher to meet the demands made upon her. She must maintain her physical reserve through the most careful sensible observance of health needs, and she must so maintain her ideals in teaching that mind and body make her the center of happy and radiant enthusiasm.

This is a heavy requirement, but the real teacher receives an abundant return for the investment she makes. In her are wrapped up the possibilities of our public-school system, and the challenge is made to the best that lies within her.

LIVING CONDITIONS FOR RURAL TEACHERS

In the preceding topic reference is made to the great importance of the teacher's maintaining an abounding and sympathetic spirit and enthusiasm. Most rural communities labor under a handicap as to accommodations for the teacher in their district. However, if patrons and trustees realized to what a degree the efficiency of the teacher depends upon pleasant and convenient housing conditions, they would leave no stone unturned to procure better provision for the teacher of their school. Not elaborate and fine conditions are required, but those simple and wholesome necessities that form the foundation of normal, happy, healthy living. The rural schools of Nevada, and, in fact, all the schools of our State, can be given a tremendous uplift by an awakening to the importance of providing a good boarding-place for the teacher.

COURSE OF STUDY AMENDMENTS

To bridge over the period before the general revision of the Course of Study, particularly to enable teachers to fit in the newly adopted text-books with the work planned for the year, the following brief amendments are sent out:

The 1916 Courses of Study for the Rural Elementary Schools and the 1917 Course for Town and City Schools, together with the 1918 amendments reducing the amount of work to be covered in the seventh grade, will be the guide in all the studies based on the old texts continued in use; follow the course outlined for each.

For the new books the following outline is given:

Reading

(Natural Method Reader, or Beacon Method Reader. See List of Text-Books.) Natural Method

Schools using the "Natural Method Readers" as the method series in Reading will find the general directions for the work given in the "Teachers' Manual" adopted for use with these texts.

The "Introductory," or "Part One," should be read carefully, as it gives the spirit and purpose of the method, as well as many special directions.

The steps given on page 3 furnish in brief a general outline of the method.

Teachers will notice that on page 4 the direction is given not to put the Primer in the hands of the children until about the first twenty pages have been covered in the way outlined. At this time the study of Phonics is to be taken up as indicated on page 7.

The Introduction does not refer to the various cards which have been adopted as part of the equipment. The Word Cards, Phonic Cards, Rhyme Cards, Sentence Cards, and Phrase Cards will save the teacher much time, and furnish abundant drill material for the children. (See Price-List of Text-Books.)

The details of the method in beginning the work are given on page of the Manual. A number of days will be required to complete the

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work of the first five pages of the Primer, together with such variation in drill as the teacher should supply in connection with that furnished in the Primer. Use of the blackboard and the cards furnished should enable the children to have a complete mastery of the words of the first rhyme before going on to the next story. Teachers should not hasten over the first lessons, but be sure the children have mastered the words and phrases as they go.

Teachers should read the "General Introduction" to reading in the present Course of Study; also, the directions under each year (except as to method, where the Natural Method Readers are being used).

To sum up these brief directions for those using the Natural Method Reader: Follow the "Teachers' Manual," making use of the various. cards listed in the Price-List of Text-Books, which has been sent to the teachers. Study the Manual carefully in making daily preparation; read it through to become familiar with the plan of the method as a whole; then work out each day's lesson to fit the children and their progress according to the general plan upon which this series of readers is based.

Teachers who have taught the Gordon Method will find that the same system of phonics, the family group as a unit, is employed in the Natural Method Readers, except that the manner of teaching the phonograms varies. While following the Natural Method, therefore, much of the Gordon system can be used to work in with this series on the side of phonetics.

But remember the reading recitation period is not the time to teach Phonics; it is the time to read, making phonics a helping tool. Teach Phonics in a separate recitation period.

Remember that "word calling" is not reading. The child must become possessor of the thought carried by the words before reading has been mastered. Master words as means to the end, which is thought-getting.

Beacon Method

Teachers using the Beacon Method will follow the 1916 Course of Study for Rural Schools, or the 1917 Course of Study for City and Towns.

Business Forms and Elementary Bookkeeping

This subject is required to be taught in the seventh and eighth grades in schools where industrial work is not offered. In the seventh grade the text should be used as a reference in the study of topics taken up in Arithmetic. In the eighth grade two 30-minute periods a week, or an equivalent, will enable teachers to cover the work.

The following correlation is suggested as an aid in making this work supplemental, and strengthens the Arithmetic work. The work will require time outside the regular study period for Arithmetic in the eighth grade as stated above, but can be fitted in with it.

ARITHMETIC (Wentworth-Smith Advanced)

pp. 135-168..............

169-178.

178-183.

184-193.

194-198.

BOOKKEEPING (Schoch & Gross)

While this text is not required in the hands of the pupils, it may be

purchased by the district for use by the pupils wherever desired. Each teacher is to have a copy.

This brief outline will take care of the work for the first half-year.

Language and Grammar

In the first and second grades no text is required. Follow the present Rural and Town Course of Study. Third grade, either Driggs's "Live Language Lessons, First Book," part one; or Jeschke's "Beginners' Book in Language," complete. Fourth grade, "Live Language Lessons, First Book," part two; or Potter, Jeschke, and Gillett's "Oral and Written English, Book One," pages 3 to 110. Fifth grade,"Live Language Lessons, Second Book," part one; or "Oral and Written English, Book One," pages 111 to 216. Sixth grade,"Live Language Lessons, Second Book," part 2; or "Oral and Written English, Book One," pages 217 to 327. Seventh grade, "Live Language Lessons, Third Book," part one to page 151, or "Oral and Written English, Book Two," pages 3 to 153. Eighth grade, "Live Language Lessons, Third Book," part one, pages 151 to 222, and part two entire; or "Oral and Written English, Book Two," pages 154 to 367.

Spelling

Follow the directions given in the text as to the work to be covered for each year. "The Essentials of Spelling" by Pearson and Suzzallo cover the work for grades 2 to 8, inclusive. "The New World Speller" series, Book One, is for grades 1, 2, and 3. Book Two is for grades 4, 5, and 6. Book Three is for grades 7 and 8. Each teacher using the New World Speller should have a copy of the Teachers' Manual for the many helpful suggestions given.

Music

Myers's "School Music Reader for Rural Schools." While the program in the rural school is generally crowded, yet there should be a few minutes each day devoted to rote-singing from Myers's Music Reader, and also to the singing of patriotic songs. For teaching notereading and scale-singing not less than twenty minutes a week should be spent.

Civics and Thrift

The teaching of Civics should be carried on in the schools of Nevada in such a way as to make large use of the current topics connected with the reconstruction problems growing out of the World War, and the enlarged conceptions of what America stands for. While most of the time for formal teaching of Civics will come in the second half-year of the eighth grade, such books as "Our Country," by Turkington, and "Elementary Civics," by McCarthy, Swan, and McMullin, should be on the desk of every teacher, to be used for reference and for short discussions before the school as a whole. The study of Thrift, as indicated elsewhere in this Bulletin, is to be a part of the work of the school, not always as a separate lesson but, for the most part, correlated with other subjects. The pamphlet, "Fifteen Lessons in Thrift," by the United States Treasury Department, is being sent from this office to every teacher in the State. Every "live" teacher will find much other material of this sort. See the present Course of Study for further suggestions, and consult the new list of Supplementary and Library Books (to be issued soon) for many other books rich in civic and patriotic instruetion.

Supplementary Material

The material recommended by the Text-Book Commission for supplementary use in Arithmetic will be found very helpful.

Cabinet No. 1 of the Courtis Standard Practice Tests in Arithmetic is designed to supply a room of forty children, while Cabinet No. 2 is for a room of twenty children.

Industrial Art Drawing

The books are to be used as text-books in the hands of the children. The plan of the series is upset at the beginning if the children do not have access to printed directions and to the illustrations. For this reason, in introducing the books into the schools of a city, village or rural community, it is positively necessary that each pupil should have his or her own book. Before purchasing books see "Gradation" as given below. The books do not expire with use; they are text-books. If the problems have not been finished in a book, it may be used by the same pupil until all the problems have been worked out.

If only the teacher has a book, using it as a manual and dictating from a given model, it is inevitable that the children will be deprived of initiative, in working out their own problems, and that there will be lack of variety in the results. The books are not drawing-books. They are text-books which govern the development of the work, save the teacher's time, prevent misunderstanding and misinterpretation of directions, and develop originality.

HOW TO GRADE THE BOOKS

Although there are eight "Parts" in the series of Industrial Art Text-Books, one "Part" being planned for ultimate use in each of the eight grades below the high school, it is obvious that the pupils in an eighth grade, for example, would at the start be unprepared for the work given in Part VIII, because they have not been led up to the understanding of problems through experience with the problems in Parts I to VII. In the first two years of use of the books, then, decided concessions and adjustments must be made. It is earnestly recommended that in the first year of use, in a graded system of schools, Parts I to IV only should be placed in the hands of the children. The gradation should be as follows:

Part I in Grades 1 and 2.
Part II in Grades 3 and 4.
Part III in Grades 5 and 6.

Part IV in Grades 7 and 8.

Though there are several or all grades in one room, the lesson should be given in the same period for the entire class, as the same topics are presented on corresponding pages throughout the series, which makes possible the use of different books in the same class.

After the first year, teachers will adjust the books to the needs of the pupil. The books to be used in the upper grades will depend upon the progress made by the pupils in the first year's use of the books."

LESSON PERIODS

The minimum of time is to be two 20-minute periods or one 40-minute period a week. For the younger children two 20-minute periods would be the better arrangement. More time is desirable where possible.

The best period for the lesson is directly after the noon hour. If