Helpful Suggestions by Grover R. Fattic

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 5, 1907

Helpful Suggestions

By Grover R. Fattic

TEACHERS can make use of practical suggestions. In complying with the request to write on some practical subject for the REVIEW, I am reminded of some of the things that would have helped me to make the first year I spent as a teacher much easier, and more profitable to my students, if I had had them at my command.

The first thing a teacher finds out when he begins his work at the first of the school term, and then day after day, until his little people are ready for books, is that he must keep them employed with useful work.

The following suggestive program for the day may be helpful to some beginner in starting his children who have come to school for the first time:—

First Class

Bible story telling — creation to ——. Take a systematic course of stories; always leave off in the class at the most interesting point, and send the children to their seats to engage in one or more of the following pursuits:—

1. Sew a perforated picture, made by the teacher, of something suggestive of the story told; for example, a tent, with some tree outlines, and a road leading off in the distance, illustrates the home of Abraham; the ark, animals, etc., serve to illustrate the flood. This is also a good means for teaching writing to the little ones. Following the sewing of perforated letters (which will be used in the future book work) by work at the board just before dismissal, impresses the letter or word indelibly on the child's mind.

2. Pictures of the different things talked about may be cut up and put together.

3. Paper cutting after a model which would remind the child of the lesson.

Second Class

(The combined word and sentence method would come in preference to the following, which is designed for teachers unacquainted with that method.)

Board reading, illustrated at first by objects, actions, etc., beginning with the idiom “I see,” followed by the picture, and later the word; or perhaps, “I have,” with something the child may hold in his hand, as a flower, top, ball, apple, pear, box, book, etc.

As the child reads, have him answer, when? who? what? and where? etc. After “I see” and “I have” are mastered, and the words going with them can be selected from any place on the board, and from a collection of cards, then, “we,” “you,” “they,” and one by one the children's names may be introduced with the same verbs and their objects. Then “like,” “want,” etc., may be substituted for “see” and “have.”

From the reading class the child may go to his seat; the teacher puts the words with crayon on his desk, and he traces them with corn, lentils, pegs, pebbles, etc., which he has procured for himself. Be sure he traces from first to last. He can then pass quietly to the board, and make his best word on the board, and from there to his slate.

Third Class

Teach numbers, counting, use of the ruler, relation of numbers to concrete things, measuring, etc.

For the first seat work the children may make squares, triangles, circles, equal simple flowers, leaves, etc., and arrange them with their accompanying figures.

Fourth Class

The time for this class may be profitably spent in phonics drill. Taking the different families, as the “at” family and its members, including “cat,” “mat,” “rat,” “sat,” “pat,” “fat,” etc.; and next the “ate” family and its members. The families might suggest themselves as follows: All, an, am, ing, it, op, el, ite, at, in, ig, est, en, ap, old, ay, ash, ink, air, ace, ide, ail, aim, ick, ank, alk, other, ought, age, ake, ill. For the seat work the child can print, with the letter cards, the members of the above families as they are on the board. Later have him print as many names of a given family as he remembers. Next change the printing to written work, and then the written work to printing.

Suggestive Hints

Secure a copy of No. 1, “Ways and Means Series,” entitled “One Hundred Devices for Busy Work,” of A. Flanagan, Chicago, Ill.; price, 10 cents; or “Suggestions for Seat Work,” the same firm; price, 15 cents.

Make up a mission geography, from clippings from the REVIEW, Signs, Instructor, Life and Health, or Watchman. Copies of the old Missionary Magazine furnish material that tells of the founding of our different missions.

Get a stereoscope and some views to illustrate your geography work.

Visit points of interest near your school.

Make a natural history collection.

Set apart one-half day each week to either distribute literature or to write missionary letters.

GROVER R. FATTIC.