tive to regular attendance. When parents know that prolonged absence will certainly be followed by demotion, frivolous pretexts will not so often be held as sufficient reasons for absence.

4. This system is an economy of the teacher's time, and just so far as it is so, it is a clear gain to the pupils, inasmuch as it gives to each of them more of the teacher's attention.

5. The spirit of orderliness, and of system which pervades a well ordered graded school, soon manifests itself in the life and habits of the individual pupiis; they learn the value of time, their sense of responsibility is increased, and better discipline is the result. In such a school the pupil is taught, by insensible degrees, that lesson so hard to learn, so difficult to apply, and, in its essence, so mysterious to the child's mind, viz : the necessity which lies in the nature of man for the subordination of individual interests to the common good.

6. The existence, throughout the State, of a uniform system of grading with the same course of study prescribed, would, in some measure, prevent the evils now attendant upon the frequent changes of teachers as well as the changes of pupils from one school to another.

The objections to grading a country school may be briefly stated:1. The opposition of parents. That this is a serious difficulty must be admitted, but the same trouble arises in carrying out a good scheme of classification. If the teacher is intelligent, wise, and faithful the parents may in most cases be easily won over. If this cannot be done, a good degree of firmness and insensibility to adverse criticism, coupled with ability to do well what is undertaken, will generally silence all clamor.

2. The irregular attendance necessitated on the part of the girls and smaller children by the inclemency of the weather, and on the part of the larger boys by the requirements of farm work. A little reflection is sufficient to convince a teacher that these things, though much to be lamented, are no more disastrous to grades than to classes. A graded school, properly managed, would tend to lessen the evil.

3. Grading suppresses individuality. In a city school, where forty or more children belong to the same grade, nothing is truer than this objection and few necessary evils are more to be deplored, but nothing of the kind is possible in an ordinary country school. The grades are not large enough.

In the outline submitted, drawing and vocal music have been included because of my belief that they are just as properly subjects for the primary and grammar schools as writing and reading. Drawing is a simpler form of art than writing, and, in its most elementary stage should precede writing.

If the objection be made that there is not sufficient time for it in the common schools, it may be answered that drawing has been found to facilitate writing so much that it has been deemed advisable by educators,

for the sake of the writing, to alternate the two. If the same objection be urged with regard to vocal music, I answer that a skilful teacher may make the music recreation and not labor.

This is not the place for the discussion of the educational value of drawing and vocal music. Their introduction into all the best schools throughout the country shows the estimate placed upon them by educational thinkers, and hence they have been incorporated here. If any teacher, however, should find it impracticable to teach them, their omission will in no wise impair the harmony and adaptability of the remaining portions.

A certain indefiniteness in the assignment of subjects to the several grades is acknowledged and, for some reasons, regretted. It will readily be seen, however, that while an outline for one school with a special environment should be exact in the highest degree, yet no such exactness is possible in an outline intended to help the teachers of many schools in each of which the course of study must be modified by widely varying conditions. The purpose of the indefiniteness, so far as it exists in the outline below, has been to give it flexibility, to make it capable of a good degree of adaptation, and to allow a larger freedom to the individual.

teacher.

Outline Course of Study for a Graded School of One Teacher.

FIFTH GRADE.

Time occupied-nine or ten months.

Pupils. Small children in school for the first time.

First Half.

Reading. From blackboard, chart and primer.

Methods used

Word and sentence methods, accompanied by phonic analysis.

Spelling.-A few of the simple words which the children are able to recognize at sight. The phonic analysis of every word should precede the spelling of that word by letters.

Numbers. -Teach numbers from 1 to 9, associating figures, and at the same time teach thoroughly all the additions, subtractions, multiplications and divisions possible to these numbers, taking care that no result is greater than the numbers so far taught. Let the written work go hand in hand with the oral. Give practical problems, and have the children give some, counting by 2's and 3's. Roman numerals through X.

Language. The teacher should correct the language of the children, giving as a reason: "That is not the way to say that"; or, "Good speakers do not say that." Have children copy sentences from board as soon as possible, taking care that they copy the capital letters and the "full stops."

Writing.-Copying simple words and sentences from board or chart. Object Lessons.-Conversational lessons on common things. Observation lessons; lessons in form :

Color.-Matching, naming and distinguishing colors, shade, hue and

tint.

Drawing.-Oral work and the first six cards of Krusi's Easy Drawing Lessons, or the equivalent of that work in some other good drawing

course.

Vocal Music.-A few little rote songs, taught for the purpose of accustoming the children to musical tones, and giving them a sense of rhythm. Calisthenics. Two or three times a day.

FIFTH GRADE-Second Half.

Reading.-First Reader begun and completed. If necessary, the reader may be supplemented by leaflets.

Spelling.-A few of the words, that occur in the reading lessons, also easy names of familiar objects. In every case, phonic analysis should precede spelling by letters. The children should be able to recognize many more words than they can spell. The names of letters need comparatively little attention.

Numbers.-Develop the idea of 1 ten and teach tens and units through 99. Give combinations such as: add 1 to 1, 11, 21, 31, &c.; add 1 to 2, 12, 22, 32, 42, &c.; add 1 to 3, 13, 23, 33, 43, 53, &c., through 8, 18, 28, 38, etc. In the same way, add 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, &c., taking care that the sum of the units is not greater than 9. Then begin to add 1 to 9, 19, 29, &c. Subtract with same numbers, at first keeping each term of the minuend greater than the corresponding term of the subtrahend. Drill in adding numbers expressed in columns. Counting by 5's and 10's. Simple practical problems. When pupils have learned thoroughly the above, develop the idea of one hundred, and teach hundreds, tens and units to 999, keeping up combinations of same nature as those outlined above. Quick mental work in addition and substraction. Counting by 4's and 6's. Lead children to build multiplication table as far as 5-5's. Roman numerals through C.

Language. Corrections as in first half continued. Begin to encourage children to correct each other. Have one paragraph copied from First Reader every day. Show that every sentence begins with a capital letter. Show also the use of the "full stop" and the “ question point" at the end of a sentence. Oral lessons on pictures should be begun at this stage.

Writing.-Copying simple words and sentences from board. No. 1,

of a good tracing book.

Object Lessons.-Naming parts of common objects. Uses of parts. Lessons in form:

Color.-Primary, secondary and tertiary. Simple lessons in harmony

of color.

Drawing.-Oral lessons and the first six cards of Series II of Krusi's Easy Drawing Lessons, or the equivalent of that work in some other good drawing course.

Vocal Music.-Rote songs continued, with same purpose as in first half. Teach by some simple device-e. g., the ladder device, the tones of the scale, and the names of those tones.

Calisthenics.-Two or three times a day.

FOURTH GRADE.

Time occupied-nine or ten months.

First Half.

Reading. Through first half of Second Reader. Supplement by leaflets or by first half of Second Reader a little more difficult than the first used.

Spelling.-An average of four advance words a day. The words taught should be those which the children use every day.

Phonics.-Continue analysis of simple words.

Numbers.-Develop the idea of one thousand and teach to read and write numbers through one million.

Additions.-Continue the exercises indicated in last half of fifth grade. Use longer single columns. Examples containing five or six columns. Subtractions.-1 from 10, 20, 30, 40, etc.; 2 from 10, 20, 30, 40, etc.; 2 from 11, 21, 31, 41, etc.; 3 from 12, 22, 32, 42, etc., etc., with 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. Counting by 7's, 8's and 9's.

Multiplication.-Table as far as 10-10's. Begin such multiplications as 13X2=26,23X2=46, etc., gradually extending work to include 15X2=30, 25X2=50, etc.

Divisions.-Those which are the reverse of multiplications in table taught. Begin such divisions as 5÷2=2−1.

Practical questions and problems to illustrate every exercise. Quick

mental work in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Roman numerals through D.

Language Lessons.- Have children copy one paragraph from Second Reader each day. Teach in a simple way the use of the period, the interrogation point and the exclamation point. Correction of errors in language continued. An oral lesson on a picture at least once a week for the purpose of stimulating thought and developing the power of expression. Each object lesson should be made a language lesson.

Writing. The copying of words and sentences continued. No. 2 of a good tracing book.

Object Lessons.—Simple lessons on the plants, animals and minerals which the children see every day. Pictures and descriptions of a few unfamiliar plants and animals. Conversation and observation lessons

Drawing.-Book No. I, Krusi's Synthetic Series and Card 7, Series I, Krusi's Easy Drawing Lessons, or the equivalent of this work. Vocal Music.-Represent scale, and drill children in pitch and position. Drill in skips. Rote songs continued.

Calisthenic Exercises.-Two or three times a day.

FOURTH GRADE-Second Half.

Reading.-Last half of Second Reader. Supplementary reading from leaflets, or froin last half of a more difficult Second Reader.

Spelling. An average of five advance words a day. These should be names of common objects and simple words in common use.

Phonics.-Analysis of words continued. Drill in vowel sounds. Numbers-Exercises in reading and writing numbers through 1,000,000. Additions.-Longer columns. Review exercises in preceding steps and drill in rapid addition.

Subtractions.-Same as in preceding half, using gradually more terms in both minuend and subtrahend.

Multiplications.-Extend table to 12-12's. In written work gradually increase number of terms in both multiplicand and multiplier. Extend multiplications so as to include any example in which the multiplier is not greater than 25 and the product is not greater than 1,000,000. Rapid mental work increasing gradually in difficulty.