VI (150). Reproducing a Story from Different Standpoints This exercise consists in telling the story of the mouse and the clock-the subject of the last exercise from the standpoint of several different observers or participants, as the little mouse, the big mouse, the clock, or any article of furniture in the hall that may be supposed to have witnessed the events of the story. The exercise thus goes a step beyond mere reproduction; it calls for imagination and some originality of conception on the part of the pupil. This exercise will reveal the pupil's customary thought processes in reproducing a story. The pupil whose chief reliance is on memory of words will find this exercise very difficult, if he does not make complete failure of it. The pupil, on the other hand, who is in the habit of grasping and vividly imagining for himself the scenes and events of the story, and of relating these in words of his own, will find this exercise easy and highly interesting. For pupils of both types the exercise, rightly used, will prove most effective in giving a ready and easy command of thoughts and mental imagery, in accustoming pupils to feel and to see their own thoughts and mental pictures clearly, to hold these before their minds at will, to turn thoughts and images around, to vary their com binations, to look at them from different standpoints, and to describe them as they see them. REPRODUCING A STORY ― 167 The successful conduct of this exercise will depend, first of all, upon the teacher's ability and facility in doing what the exercise demands. You, the teacher, must have before your mind a vivid, clear-cut mental picture of a hall a particular hall that you know or that you have seen in a picture - with all its necessary and customary furnishings and adornments. In that hall you must be able to see transpire all the events of the story. You must be able at will to put yourself in the place of any of the actors in the little drama or of any of the pieces of onlooking furniture, to see, to feel, and to describe everything from your assumed standpoint. Only with this ability can you hope to go quickly from one child to another, each one trying to tell the story from the standpoint of and through a different character, immediately to take your place beside each child, to lead each one to the right point of view, to help each one to see clearly what he alone would perhaps see but dimly, in short, by your example to demonstrate concretely to each child what it is to see and to tell a story from different standpoints. Abstract directions, words alone, will not do this; if you rely on words, you need expect to get nothing better than words in return. The best preparation you can make for this exercise, and you should not hesitate to make it, is to practice seeing and describing from many standpoints and in the rôle of different actors and ob servers the hall and the events of the story. This practice will make you realize what you are calling upon the pupils to do, will enable you to assist them sympathetically. Just as you have done, each child must get and hold before his mind a clear-cut picture of a concrete hall. Has he one at home; has he seen such a hall in some house where he has visited; will the school corridor do? Lest some child may be lacking the necessary experience, try to have at hand a good picture of a hall with clock and other appropriate furnishings. After a little preliminary talk with the pupils not too much, but just enough to give each one the idea of what is required and to arouse interest — let the written exercise begin. Remember, in passing from child to child, the most delicate, yet the most important thing for you to observe and to direct is not correctness in the spelling of words and the use of marks of punctuation-of course these are not to be neglected—but each child's assumed point of view, his mental picture, and his efforts and success in seeing and describing the picture and events in his own mind. The same thought should guide you in directing the correction of the pupils' stories. The exercise is not designed to teach anything new in form; it is the material, the handling of the material, that is different from anything previously taught. On this phase of the exercise attention should be chiefly con centrated, without, of course, overlooking mistakes in form. As in all other correcting exercises, the pupil must be helped to make his own corrections. For instance, if he has undertaken to tell the story from the standpoint of the big mouse, and has told it really from the standpoint of the moon-as in the original - he has evidently failed really to assume the part of the big mouse, to enter into it sympathetically. He must be helped to do this; merely indicating the verbal changes that should be made in his story will do no good—that does not touch the real difficulty. When the child gets into the right attitude, he will see for himself what changes his story requires. Probably a full period - the one following that of the writing exercise will be required to complete the correcting of the stories. The exercise is worth the double period; the correcting must not be slighted. Supplementary Work Exercises 6, 7, and 8, Chapter Twelve, furnish material for several stories. For further suggestions regarding such use of this material, see pp. 264–266 VII (151). Possessives Study this lesson with the pupils. Have them explain all the possessives in the story, Tom's Escape, accounting for the apostrophe and s as directed in their book. If thought advisable, they may also account for capitals and punctuation used in the story. The written part of the exercise should be examined as written, and necessary corrections made at once. Supplementary Work Have the story, Tom's Escape, written from dictation. In having this exercise carefully corrected, as it must be to be of value, require pupils invariably to give reasons for corrections and then to make them. (See pp. 48, 116, 117.) To illustrate, suppose a pupil has written Toms in the first sentence. Direct the pupil's attention to this word. If he does not see his mistake at once, ask, "What belongs to Tom?" (Pupil's answer; "heart.") "Then if Tom owns or possesses something, how should Tom's be written?" (Pupil's answer: (Pupil's answer: "There should be an apostrophe before s, because Tom's is a possessive.") VIII (153). Unstudied Dictation Dictate the following exercise. It will test the pupils' power to write the possessive form correctly. It will also review the writing of the days of the week. Have pupils correct their work immedi ately, giving reasons for each correction. Monday's child is fair of face. Tuesday's child is full of grace. Thursday's child has far to go. |