Primary Reproduction Stories by Thos. W. Steen

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 7, 1907

Primary Reproduction Stories

By Thos. W. Steen

WHILE the reproduction of stories is an important factor of every school curriculum, and especially so in all primary schools, there is one class of schools where it is of necessity an indispensable part of the daily program. These schools are those in which the children are of foreign parentage, and with whom the English language is the language of school life and not of the home. It is especially for the teachers of such schools that this article is written.

When children from these homes enter school, they may not know twelve English words, or again, they may understand almost all that the teacher says to them, and be able to talk with her in a limited way; but whatever the case may be, the teacher realizes that the first and most important thing for such a child to acquire is a good working knowledge of the English language. And it is with this thought in mind that the writer has, after trying almost everything else, given to the “story-telling class” the place of pre-eminence in the teaching of young children. The reasons are obvious: it is not a knowledge of how to say the words that he needs most, but a knowledge of how to use them. And it is well known that, after having had some drill in phonics, a child may be able to read, with rapidity and ease, words that he could not use in conversation; and surely there can be no virtue in his saying words that he does not know the meaning of, for the language must become to him a tool which he may use in the expression of his thought, rather than that he should be the means of expressing audibly the words on the printed page.

But, as teachers, most of us have the theory of education, and what we demand is something practical in the way of suggestions. The following may perhaps be found helpful:—

First, what stories are to be used? Care and judgment must be exercised in the selections made. Genesis, Exodus, First and Second Kings, and various other books abound in stories well suited for this class of children, but it is not necessary to confine them to the Bible. “Primary Reproduction Stories,” by Florence Grant, has a large number, many of which may be used in our schools with profit.

Second, how is the class to be conducted? That may vary with local conditions. Our classes are generally conducted somewhat as follows:—

Suppose we are tracing early Bible history by stories, and come to the place where Jacob is obliged to flee from Esau to his uncle Laban. When the class is seated, the teacher asks, “Would you like to learn of a beautiful dream that Jacob had while going to his uncle’s home?” All respond, “Yes,” and the teacher continues: “Well, Jacob traveled all day, and at night he lay down on the ground with but a stone for a pillow. As he had walked very far, he was tired, and soon fell asleep. Then he dreamed, and in his dream he saw a great ladder. The ladder reached from the earth to heaven. At the top was Jesus, and angels were going up and coming down. Jesus told Jacob that he would go with him on his journey and bring him back to his father’s home. Jesus also told him that his children should own all that country, and they would become a great nation.”

As the story proceeds, the teacher, by objects, questions, and simple explanations, makes plain to them the meaning of the new words, which, in this case, may be, “pillow,” “dream,” “ladder,” etc. When the teacher has finished the story, she goes through it again, giving parts of sentences and letting the class supply the other part; as, “Jacob traveled all day and —” “at night he lay down,” “with but —” “stone for a pillow,” etc. Then each child is allowed to tell the story. The whole recitation, if there are eight or ten in the class, will take perhaps fifteen minutes. Only about two new stories should be learned each week. The old ones will grow dear to the children by their repeating them. For “busy work” they may do something to impress the lesson, such as making a cardboard ladder. They should also write some sentences containing some of the new words. Not only will the children have added more words to the limited number in their vocabularies than they would have done by a reading lesson, but both teacher and pupils will be deeply interested in it, and will enjoy the work. THOS. W. STEEN.