General Directions. important errors should be corrected; and pupils presenting papers carelessly written, should be required to rewrite them. § 10. Number of Classes in a Division.-As a general rule, the pupils assigned to each teacher in the Grammar Department, should be divided into two classes; in the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, into three classes; and in the 9th and 10th grades, into four. The number of pupils in a division, or other circumstances, may make it desirable, in certain cases, to depart from this arrangement. It is desirable that each class in the Grammar Department should not number more than 20 or 25 pupils, and each class in the lower grades not more than 10 or 15 pupils; but this arrangement is impracticable where a division numbers more than 40 or 50 pupils.* § 11. Number of Branches to be pursued at a time. -It requires the constant watchfulness of teachers to prevent pupils from undertaking too many branches of study at a time. Pupils should rarely be allowed to study more than three branches at once, besides reading, spelling, and writing; and it is generally better to have some of the lessons come only on alternate days than to have even the six exercises in one day. * "In a large class, each of whom seldom, and at best only for a short time, receives individually any attention from the teacher, the progress is slow, the faculties little developed, and the education altogether very imperfect."-Reid's Principles of Education. Order of Exercises, etc. § 12. Order of Exercises and Length of Recitations. Every teacher should have posted up in the room an established order of exercises for each day in the week, assigning a definite time for the beginning and ending of every exercise, and of every interval between the exercises. It is impracticable to establish a uniform rule respecting the frequency and length of recitations. The following scale will serve as a general guide to teachers in this matter: Recitations in the Grammar Department from twenty-five to forty minutes in length, except exercises in spelling, which may usually be completed in fifteen to twenty-five minutes; in the 5th, 6th, and 7th grades, from twenty to twenty-five minutes; in the 8th and 9th grades, from fifteen to twenty minutes; and in the 10th grade, from ten to fifteen minutes.* "From four to five lessons a day for a Primary school, is better than six, even for mental proficiency. A Primary school that has even five hours of session per day should have an hour or more of interval at midday. Besides, there should be one or two recesses during each session. The exercises of the school should be so arranged as to give a change of position and subject as often as every fifteen or twenty minutes. No child will give sufficient attention to derive much benefit from a lesson that continues more than twenty minutes. Five and ten minute lessons, on some subjects, are better than longer ones. Lessons occupying different senses. should follow each other, as the change affords relief to the mind." -N. A. Calkins. The following is the programme of exercises for two days of the week, in one of the Primary schools of Oswego, N. Y. It includes only the pupils of a single teacher, in the upper Primary grades, General Directions. § 13. Frequency of Recitations.-The following arrangement will serve as a general guide, but cases may sometimes arise in which it will be necessary to depart from it: Classes in the 1st grade, two or three times a week; in the 2d and 3d grades, three or four and is introduced here to show the minuteness of detail, the range of topics, and the arrangement and distribution of time and subjects, that have been adopted in a city that is distinguished for the excellence of its school system: 9.20 to 9.35-Lessons on Number, B, subd. 2. 9.35 to 9.45-Recess. 9.45 to 10.00-Lesson on Place, A class. 10.00 to 10.25-Reading, B, subd. 2. 10.25 to 10.30-Gymnastics. 10.30 to 10.50-Lesson on Number, B, subd. 1. 10.50 to 11.00-Recess. 11.00 to 11.20-Reading, A class. 11.20 to 11.40-Writing on slates, B, subd. 1. 11.40 to 12.00-Lesson on Number, A class. 2.35 to 2.55-Reading, B, subd. 2. 2.55 to 3.10-Lesson on Number, B, subd. 1. 3.10 to 3.15-Calling Roll. 3.15 to 3.30-Recess. 3.30 to 3.45-Spelling, A class. 3.45 to 4.10-Reading, B, subd. 1. 4.10 to 4.30-Reading, A class. Frequency of Recitations. times; 4th grade, four or five times; 5th and 6th grades, five to eight times; 7th and 8th grades, eight to ten times. Slate arithmetic, three or four times a week; mental arithmetic, in 4th and 5th grades, four or five times a week; in 3d grade, three or four times; in 2d grade, two or three times. Numbers, in five lowest grades, five times a week. TUESDAY. 8.30 to 8.45-Opening Exercises. 8.45 to 9.00-Lesson on Form, B, subd. 2. 9.20 to 9.35-Spelling, A class. 9.35 to 9.45-Recess. 9.45 to 10.10-Reading, B, subd. 2. 10.10 to 10.20-Drawing, B, subd. 1. 10.20 to 10.25-Gymnastics. 10.25 to 10.50-Lesson on Number, B, subd. 1. 10.50 to 11.00-Recess. 11.00 to 11.15--Lesson on Objects, A class. 11.15 to 11.35-Reading, B, subd. 1. 11.35 to 12.00-Lesson on Number, A class. General Directions. Geography, from three to five times a week. Grammar from three to five times a week. Spelling, in 1st grade, two or three times a week; 2d and 3d grades, three or four times; 4th grade, four or five times; all grades below the 4th, eight to ten times. Writing, in the Grammar divisions, two or three times a week; in the 5th and 6th grades, four or five times. See § 14. § 14. Division of Time and Labor.-In deciding what proportion of time should be given to spelling by letters, what to spelling by sounds, to reading, to numbers, to geography, etc., the rule should be this: whenever a class is less advanced in one branch assigned to the division than in other branches, let that particular branch receive special attention till it is as familiar as the others. It is very common to find a class more advanced in reading than in numbers, and still devoting less attention to arithmetic than to reading; the observance of this rule will correct all such errors. § 15. Rhetorical Exercises.-The first five grades should devote about one hour every Friday afternoon, to exercises in composition, declamation and recitation, and reading select pieces. The same course may be adopted in the other divisions, when the convenience of rooms and other circumstances permit. In the 1st and 2d grades, every pupil should be required to take a part in both the elocutionary and |