Individual Work in Primary Schools
- Author:
Fleming, M.A., Ph.D. (Lecturer on Methods
of Teaching at Jordanhill Training College, Glasgow). Harrap. 5/-.
This book will be extremely useful both to students in training and to experienced teachers, who are anxious to introduce individual methods of learning into Junior schools. It should prove particularly helpful to teachers in rural areas, who are often cut off from lecture courses and classes.
Part I of the book is devoted to a brief review of various techniques, such as the Dalton Plan, the Winnetka Method, the Project Method and a useful Bibliography that should be of great assistance to teachers who wish to read more widely on these topics. Perhaps one of the most useful chapters in this section is the one that gives really practical suggestions for the introduction of a plan of individual work in any classroom. The suggestions for the use of books and other material already in the school, and for the construction of ” home-made ” pieces of furniture for storing extra material are all excellent.
Part II deals in some detail with practical methods of individualising the study of reading, poetry, composition, grammar, spelling, arithmetic, history and geography. The suggestions are not all of equal value. The methods suggested for individual work in reading are on the whole the most valuable, although there is perhaps a tendency to stress the testing, by means of written answers, of what has been read independently. There is, of course, a place for this, but the great aim of individualised reading is surely to encourage the children to browse among interesting books, to train them to read with speed and whole-hearted abandon. This is not likely to be encouraged if a child knows that it will be expected to answer a number of rather ” niggling ” questions at the end of each page or chapter of the book. On the other hand the suggestions for the use of a newspaper for older pupils are fresh and original and will be really helpful. The chapter dealing with composition and grammar has again some excellent suggestions as to the value of spontaneous speaking and writing by children of all ages.
On the subject of definite language work, there is ground for some adverse criticism. It is true that the suggestions offered are regarded by the author merely as tentative, but there is a danger that they may be adopted whole-heartedly by some teachers and used without reflection on the child’s real attitude to such work. In th*first place the scheme is too formal, especially in its early stages?work intended for children eight or would be better done towards thf end of the Junior school course, Moreover, ofle doubts whether there would be much ” carl)’ over ” from these formal exercises to the child’ ren’s free composition, which is, one imaging the only value of this type of language work’ There is at the present time a widespread tefl’ dency to spend far too much time in the Juni?r school over these English Language Lessons, the exclusion of the much more valuable lite#’ ture lesson.
Part III deals with the study and treating of various types of problem children. Teach?1”of backward and difficult children will find the suggestions contained in these chapters most use’ ful. Particularly helpful is the analysis of several types of “backwards” reader, wi* suggestions for remedial work.
Part IV deals with the topic of collect!^ teaching, which still has its place in a scho? run largely on the lines of individual stud): There are some useful suggestions for socialise reading lessons, poetry reading for appreciate11; lecturettes and debates. All these suggestio^j should be particularly helpful to the teacher 0 the small rural school, whom the author see#15 to have particularly in mind. ..
It seems rather a pity that combined ^ these excellent suggestions, there should appe* a time-table from a rural school, which, wh1’ intended to show how the different age group are considered, is yet so old fashioned, both ” nomenclature and in the types of activity gested, that it belongs to the 19th rather th& the 20th century. A time-table such as might have been ” passed ” in the ” nineties-^ but it seems inadvisable for it to appear as model in a book which is dealing with moderj methods of teaching. It would have been more helpful to teachers in rural schools if ^ author had made tentative suggestions for time-table along the lines of the really usei15 suggestions in the earlier part of the book. g.h
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