other about for the rest of the hour. Moreover, this enlarging of the social consciousness and supplying of the need of the child for companionship are among the most worthwhile results of the time spent together.

Greetings:

After the informal greetings which we have described and which should be a part of each period, but a longer part of these first days, the teacher may bring the children to the piano or to a circle or half circle of chairs near the piano and continue the conversation in a more general way. She may mention the names of the different children and tell something about each one's home or baby or dress or toys in order to help in this process of getting acquainted.

The child is delighted with the individual recognition and smiles shyly as his name is mentioned. Perhaps he volunteers information about himself or his possessions and the children who know each other will let that fact be known. Possibly the teacher may suggest counting to see how many are present. The children enjoy the counting and are especially interested in the size of the group, so much larger than the home circle. If the teacher wishes to use a greeting song, it may be brought in at this time. I suggest the following: "Good morning to you, children dear,

Rhythm:

Good morning, we will say,

We'll sing and play while we are here
And have a happy day,

And have a happy day!

And have a happy day!"

(Songs for the Little Child.)

The refrain of the song may be sung with the syllables la-la, and the hands may be clapped or the feet tapped to the rhythm. This will introduce the physical activity needed

by the child and will help in developing the rhythm and the melody of the song. At the conclusion of the singing the children may walk about the room several times while the piano plays a well-accented march rhythm. The windows should be opened during this activity. The children will enjoy the marching to music and they will be rested for another period of conversation and story.

Pictures and conversation:

The teacher may present one or more good pictures of the family such as are found in the picture supplement. She may show the pictures and then ask the children to tell her about them. They will immediately respond with some such expression as "I see the mother." "Look at the little baby!" "We have a baby. It can't talk." "What is the father doing?"

Through the stimulus afforded by the picture the teacher is receiving many confidences about the child's own home and family life. As he shares with these new friends the familiar experiences of his past he begins to feel decidedly closer to them. The teacher accepts every confidence, dwelling upon the ones that are of the most interest for the group, stressing now the mother's care of the baby, father's gift of a new toy, or big brother's asistance in teaching the little fellow to jump.

Song and dramatization:

Perhaps some of the children know a lullaby which mother sings to them or to the baby. "Hush-a-bye, Baby" is likely to be familiar to all. The children may sing this over several times, gently rocking to the music. If there are one or more dolls in the room, these may be held by would-be little mothers, making more realistic the dramatization. Other songs used at home may be suggested which can be sung either by individuals or by the group. No little child should be urged to sing alone on this first day, nor later, in fact, unless he does so gladly.

Prayer:

When the love of home and the dear ones there has been stirred by this recall (and the teacher should be sensitive to her atmosphere in choosing the right time), she may ask the children if they wish to thank the heavenly Father for father and mother and the baby. She may suggest that all the heads be bowed, eyes closed, and hands folded, for the outer form will conduce to the spirit of devotion. If her voice is quiet and reverent, she will secure the desired response. When all is still, she may say, very slowly, “Thank you, heavenly Father," and then wait until every child has finished, who will participate.

Handwork:

The children then go to the tables for the handwork period. They may paste on mounts of gray paper small copies of one of the pictures presented in the conversation period. If such copies are not available, any small pictures of a baby or the other members of the family may be used. It will make the handwork mean much more to the children if the teacher talks about the picture again at the table. Then she may suggest mounting it to take home. She can show how to put the paste carefully around the edge of the picture, first turning the picture face down on the table.

Paste sticks, small brushes, or toothpicks may be used for the pasting, and the child must be told often at first about the small amount of paste necessary. When the pictures have been placed on the mounts and firmly pressed down, the children may return with them to the circle about the piano, where they may look at one another's pictures and perhaps sing over again one of the songs used earlier in the period.

Dismissal:

The hour may close with a prayer, "Dear heavenly Father,

please take care of us until we come again." Then the teacher may informally dismiss the children, saying good-by, however, to each child before he leaves the room. The children should be aided by the teacher and her assistants to find all their possessions satisfactorily, as grief over a missing rubber or a lost picture may spoil the impression of the hour.

Review:

LESSON II

GETTING ACQUAINTED (CONTINUED)

In the second period together the procedure will be much the same as in the first. The greetings will continue to be emphasized, the "Good morning" and the "Hush-a-bye, Baby" will be sung with any other appropriate music that the children may suggest; the pictures may be used again and one or two new ones added; the conversation will include new incidents of home life brought in by the children and the teacher. The teacher may especially emphasize everything mentioned about the baby and ask questions concerning the care given by the children to the baby, as "Did you ever hold your baby?" "Who takes care of the baby when mother is busy?" "Does the baby like to have you play with him?"

Such simple rhythm and representative play may be used as the children suggest through their contributions and as will be necessary to give them enough motor activity. After one of these periods of activity—perhaps the holding of the baby, playing pat-a-cake, or peek-a-boo the following Bible story may be told without any preliminary introduction. If the children have been sitting in the circle or half circle, it is well to bring them into a closer group about the teacher for the story. It is important that every little child should be comfortable before the story begins; there should be no crowding and every one should be where he can see the teacher's face.

Story:

Once upon a time there was a mother and a baby,