In Groups Children Learn To Work Cooperatively By providing wise and appropriately guided experiences, the teacher helps boys and girls learn to direct their own activities. Her methods and progress depend upon what the parents as well as the children expect of her. In a school that has been controlled by the authority of the teacher with rules laid down by her and with physical or psychological punishments for breaking rules, a teacher has to establish a new order a little at a time.

A teacher's first step may be to study the attitudes of the community and get acquainted with the parents. The understanding she gains thus will help her know what improvements to initiate and how fast to go. Her next step may be to help the pupils as a group to take full responsibility for just a few activities. Some teachers take this step by helping the children learn to plan their lessons or some of their study activities independently, to discuss their problems and difficulties, to evaluate their success together, and to decide upon the kind of order and ways of working that will bring still greater success. Others give children responsibility for some of the mechanical order of the classroom, such as leaving one's seat to get a drink, sharpening a pencil, getting an encyclopedia, or asking a classmate for help without first getting permission from the teacher.

To give even small amounts of freedom to a group of pupils not used to it is not an easy step. It is much easier to go along in an atmosphere of expecting pupils to accept direction, to wait to be told, and to carry out instructions than it is to help them learn to use freedom and direct their own activities wisely; but the way that is easier for the teacher may handicap the children in developing originality and creativeness.

When freedom is first given to children who are used to following directions, they do not know how to use it. Even though they are made responsible only a little at a time for their own direction, they feel a loss at first. They often confuse freedom with license; they make mistakes in directing their behavior. The more freedom given, the greater the possibilities of making mistakes.

Experienced teachers expect pupils to make mistakes and to learn from their mistakes. There will be some disturbances when children not used to controlling themselves are suddenly faced with the responsibility. When there are disturbances that really interfere with study or other work, the experienced teacher helps the pupils as a group to analyze the causes and decide how such disturbances can be prevented. Boys and girls who cause problems often change their ways when they see that the other children. expect cooperation.

Boys and girls, if guided intelligently, gradually learn to take more responsibility for their behavior. They learn to ask permission less fre

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quently, not to abuse freedom. They learn to work with the group to plan systematic procedures for getting materials and for cleaning up the room after certain kinds of work have been in progress. They develop good judgment in asking one another for assistance, in moving about the room, in consulting or planning with classmates in such a way as not to disturb others who are studying, in deciding how much time to take for personal needs when faced with a task to be completed and reported to the group. Children's success at working independently of the teacher nearly always depends on their having something worth while and interesting on hand to

do when other work has been completed-interesting individual or smallgroup projects which can be taken up or laid aside at any time.

In one school, for example, Hilda, a little girl of 10, had a diary that she had kept for 2 years. Nearly every day she used her spare moments to write in it, some days more than others. John had a collection of rocks and minerals and spent much of his free time reading about them and classifying and labeling his specimens. Marie and Doris worked happily with a collection of dolls, making dresses and other clothes for them out of scraps of cloth, paper, and feedbags; and learning to be creative and cooperative.

In some schools, clay to make what they please is interesting to young children. Boxes, blocks, wooden animals, and other playthings brought from home are good materials for imaginative play. Checkers, dominoes, figures and words on cards, matching games, and other games are made educative as well as interesting. In connection with their reading, older

boys and girls often become interested in educative projects, such as making clothing, gardening, feeding animals, making toys and objects for home or school, school newspapers, bird study, conservation activity including nature trails if the schoolground is near woods, stamp collections, sewing, woodwork, leatherwork, weaving, rug-making, basketry, and making electrical questioners, an anemometer, and a Who's Who for the school. Children need freedom to use initiative in selecting and planning their actvities. Helpful examples of cooperative learning activities in a rural school and community are shown in the film entitled School in Centreville. In this film the pupils make a list of problems related to the improvement of their own living. In solving these problems they read and study. They take trips. They interview specialists and officials in the community. Most of the ideas in School in Centreville are suitable for one- or two-teacher schools. The film can be purchased from the Rural Department of the National Education Association, Washington, D. C. It can be borrowed or rented from many local film libraries. Other examples of cooperative activities in oneand two-teacher schools are discussed in educational literature on rural schools. Many such references are listed in Teaching in One- and Two-Room Schools, described on the inside back cover of this bulletin.

THE EFFECTIVE CURRICULUM for one- and two-teacher schools con

sists of guided experiences in rural living, cooperatively selected and planned. Fannie W. Dunn describes the kind of guidance needed thus:

Democratic guidance *

* means taking the child where and as he is and giving such direction to his experiences as will preserve and enhance his powers of independent self-activity, and will aid him to select those lines of action which are for him the best to follow.1

How can a teacher guide children effectively in rural living? Rural teachers study their children as individuals in a rural environment. They try to observe children's behavior from day to day. They consider each pupil's personal problems and his problems of living in his home and community. They consider his cultural background.2

Teachers supplement their study of children with interviews. They keep records of each child's development and of his progress in overcoming his difficulties and solving his problems. They analyze their findings. They try to discover what is significant for his personal, physical, and social development. They try to help children bring about curricular situations in which they can solve their problems, at least to their own satisfaction at the time.

1 Guidance in Rural Schools. Fannie W. Dunn, ed. Washington, D. C., National Education Association, 1942. p. 15. (Yearbook 1942, The Department of Rural Education, National Education Association.) 2 See also, The Child in the Rural Environment, Yearbook 1951, Rural Department of the National Education Association, Washington, D. C. 253 p.

Curricular Activities Are Selected To Meet

Growth Needs of Boys and Girls in the Country

The modern rural curriculum provides guided experiences in several areas of growth, including health and physical development, social growth, and the development of self-realization and self-esteem.

Health and physical development

To keep healthy and achieve all-round and well-coordinated development, a child requires a healthful environment in school and home; healthful school living, including a wholesome daily balance of play, relaxation, sleep, work, study; opportunity to learn the facts and skills required for healthful living; guidance in evaluating his progress toward a goal for health that means the best possible life for him. Modern rural schools cooperate with parents in helping each pupil in his job of keeping healthy. The aim is to provide opportunity for a series of properly balanced experiences from year to year. Only in this way can proper provisions be made for necessary nutrition, health examinations and tests, protection from communicable diseases, and all the other requirements for good health. Sanitation and cleanliness in school and home and a balanced program of work and play are brought about cooperatively. Freedom from fear is assured and undue excitement or emotional stress are avoided.3

In the one- or two-room school, teachers and pupils have certain responsibilities for healthful living that are different from those of the larger school. When examinations and other physical tests are not provided in school, the assistance of parents is needed in getting children to doctors. Younger children require more frequent periods of rest and play than older pupils. The latter help keep games safe for the little ones.

Social needs

As soon as a child is old enough to respond to other people, he begins to show personality. He displays feelings of fear, uneasiness, confidence, or pleasure. Desire for affection persists through life. A child's happiness is a partial indication that he is loved and secure in his relations with people. Other evidences of satisfactory personality growth are a child's cooperativeness with other children or adults; his reactions to criticisms; his creativeness, imagination, and originality; his ideals; his ability to impress his companions favorably; his adjustment to the culture in which he lives.

In order that a child's social needs may be met, his teacher observes his behavior in relation to other children and adults. Through things he does

3 Health, Physical Education and Recreation in Small Schools, and Physical Education in Small Schools. (Elsa Schneider, ed.) Washington, D. C., National Education Association.

Playground Equipment That Helps Children Grow. Washington, D. C. Federal Security Agency. (Federal Security Agency, Office of Education Brief No. 16).