APRIL 16. THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1087

STANDARD V.

The work of previous classes, button-holes; plain darning on stocking material; patching (including patching of holes); cutting out in paper or material a simple garment suitable for making up in Standard III.

STANDARD VI.

Work of previous classes; darning and patching generally; cutting out and fixing one plain garment.

The cutting out should be done on some principle of proportion, and girls in upper classes should be able to cut out in paper or material simple garments as required in the lower standards.

Materials and stitches should not be so fine as to strain the children’s eyesight. Children of weak eyesight should not be given any exercise that will be injurious to their eyes, and in serious cases they should not be expected to do sewing at all.

In cutting out, it is not necessary to devote time to making elaborate patterns. What is required is a method which imparts correct proportion, and which tends therefore to be practical.

Fancy-work of various kinds is not required.

SINGING.

52. The following is recommended as a programme of singing. (This programme may be modified to suit the conditions of various schools; for instance, where there are only one or two teachers, the course may be arranged accordingly.)

CLASS P AND STANDARD I.

A sufficient number of easy and suitable songs in correct time and tune, and at proper pitch. Action-songs suited to this stage: these should be chosen as far as possible both for the words and for the music.

The teacher should aim at getting sweet singing, and all tendency to harshness or strain should be checked at once. To this end, songs must not exceed the range of the children’s voices.

STANDARD II.

Songs as before; the places of the notes on the stave, or the symbol used for each note in the notation adopted; the major diatonic scale, and the successive notes of the common chord in all keys. Breathing exercises should be practised, and some attention may be given to ear-training, exercises in imitation being taken.

STANDARD III.

Exercises on the common chord, and the interval of a second in common time and in 3–4 time not involving the use of dotted notes. Breathing exercises and ear-tests as before; the most advanced children may be asked to name three consecutive notes, sung or played, the chord or scale first being given. Songs as before; easy rounds may also be studied.

STANDARD IV.

Easy exercises in the chord of the dominant and sub-dominant, and in the intervals prescribed for Standard III. Exercises in 3–4 time; use of dotted notes; ear-tests as before; melodies, rounds, and part-songs.

STANDARDS V. AND VI.

More difficult exercises in time and tune, including some practice in simple passages containing accidentals; expression-marks; national and patriotic songs in unison or in parts; part-songs (care should be taken that the altos are not permitted to strain their voices); more difficult ear-tests, and the singing at sight of simple passages combining time and tune.

NATURE-STUDY.

53. The purpose of nature-study is to train children in the careful observation of surrounding objects and common phenomena, and to set them to ask themselves questions such as “What does this mean, and how does it act, and why?” Even should it not be possible, as in small schools under the charge of one teacher, to assign to nature-study a separate place on the time-table, and by means of lessons on objects, on natural history and in elementary science to give a definite course of instruction of

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