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Show 348 REPORT OF BUPERINTWDENT OP INDIAN 5CIiOOtR. In many instances, however, teaobers wedded to text.book habits use the regular series of readers wholly as exercise books for tech~~iereela d-ing, ant1 a number of them are at a loss as to what to do wit11 supple-mental readers unless tbey can place a copy in t.he hands of each child and be themselves supplied with a copy,iu order to enable them to see that every word is called right. By thus directing practically exclusive attention to the mechanical side of the work they keep the ebildren from becoming interested in the wntents and from gaining tlie informa. tion which the readiug matter is intended to convey. Children must be taught to listen to reading on the part of otlrers with a view to gain-ing information or enjoying the thoughts or fancies of the composition, ancl, on the other baud, they must be tanght to read to others and to report the substance of what they have read in boolrs to which these others have had no access. 111 short, in themeasure in wliicli the pupils haveovercome the technical difficulties of reading tbey should be tanght and encouraged to use their art for its legitimate purposes of extending their knowledge and deepening their sympathies. A number of teachers report to me that much gain in time for impor-taut subjectsof iustruction and for drawing hascome to tl~emb y doing away with copy books in lessons of penmanship, and at the same time children progress just as well and with more lively interest on their part in tlie art of writing. On the other hand, it is quite desirable to find collections of arith-metical problems of a truly practical character and adapted to the need8 of our schools. Such collections in the hands of pupils would savc ~nnclvl aluable time now use4 by the teacher in finding or invent. ing suitable problems. KINDERGAFGTENS. - Wherever kindergartens have been introduced in boarding schools tbey exercise a most salstary and helpful influence upon the entire work of the school. The Indian ehildreu enter into the worlr and games with gratifying zest and intelligence. Their absorbing iuterest in tbese games and in the work causes them to losesight of themselre~ and of each other, as it \+.ere, and consequently the time-honored shy-ness and reticence of the Indian have no opportunity to manifest them-selves. Having no ridicule and 110 st,rained criticism to fear, they express their ideas freely and acquire the English idiom wit11 astonish-ing rapidity and correctness. At the same t.i~neth ese kindergartells have aided me materially in my efforts to base tlie entire work of thc schools upon the l~racticacl ommon-sense principles of the kindergarten methods of procedure. Thus the schoolis learning to add to its instruc-lion the :lrtVf (~xercising,d eveloping, and tmiuiiig power; to supple. lient tits teaching with actual work in which the teaching finds practical - application. A nurnber of letters have come to me from agents, superintendents, and othel s expressing the opinion thatthe kiudergarten is doing a great good, and that its methods should be used in every primary elass, and kindergartens established in every boarding school. DRAWING AND XUSIO. Increased attention is being paid to drawing and music, with encoiir. aging results. In the di8trihution of teachers I am gaining ground in my effort to keep each school fiupplied with at least one teacher who iu prel~aredt o conduct the singing exercises and to accompany the songs on the piano or organ. |