The point of view may be that of the thought side involved and the projects be so planned that they will become a part of an organized study of details of selected industries. Handwork becomes in this case of secondary importance, and the informational values predominate. The making of things is then for illustrative purposes, to make ideas more definite, to give a more adequate notion of processes of manufacture, or to teach the nature of materials thru their manipulation. This informational value should always be present in some degree, but the emphasis may not always be placed upon the ideas involved.

Planning Of Courses

The point of view may be the technical value of the skill involved in the making of the different projects. This skill may be the beginning of a general dexterity and control of the hand and eye or it may be the beginning of a special skill related to the particular type of work. This skill comes largely thru continued drill upon a few operations with a concentration of attention and effort. For a general dexterity and fundamental training of the hand as a foundation for special skill in later work, two or three repeats should generally be enough. These must require the best interest and diligence of which the pupil is capable, for real growth. For special skill in the particular operations it is necessary to repeat a process many times, or until it becomes nearly automatic, and this usually has no place in the public schools, or at least not in the lower grades. Where this special skill is desired, many of the problems suggested in this book will be found of value in repeat work. It must be recognized however that commercial processes include devices and kinks which save time and labor, and where many repeats are looked for, these should be employed. References covering this subject are indicated in the bibliography.

The point of view may be as an aid to art teaching, the providing of small objects suitable for decoration, or furnishing an outlet for the design of paper and cardboard work. Too often does the art teacher find it difficult to give adequate directions for making boxes, booklets, envelopes, and card problems, and the outlines here given will aid in such work and enable the art teacher to plan parallel courses in drawing and construction. The paper and cardboard construction in this case assumes a position supplementary to the drawing course, and may have its arrangement determined by the organization of the work in drawing.

The point of view may be that of an aid to teaching any or all of the regular elementary studies, and such problems may be selected as will meet needs of the class room as they appear from time to time. As an example, a scrap-book may be made when collections of illustrative material need a permanent mounting. It is important here to realize that only such work should be given as will meet the range of the pupil's ability. Such work in any case loses all of its definiteness and becomes unsystematic, but may be of service to other subjects so as to warrant its becoming a small part of a public school course.

The point of view may be that of method in teaching, and the planning of the primary courses in handwork may have as its first consideration the handling of the work in class, including the method of presentation, a study of the cost and care of equipment and supplies, and the apportionment of time to the different branches. Handwork may be a method only and have no special content of its own. Of the things which seem desirable to teach in the elementary school, it is found that some can best be taught in the handwork class. Of the habits which seem desirable to train, it is found that some can be well emphasized in the handwork class. Thus handwork in some places has no identity as a subject, but is a way of handling certain other school subjects.

The point of view may be the building around centers of interest. Such features of social activity as occupations, civic life, the home, and holidays may become central thoughts in a part of the elementary curriculum, and stories, number work, descriptions, drawing, and the making of things all serve to add meaning to the ideas involved. This studying of the interests of children with the endeavor to meet them has become the most significant feature in many schools, and details of the course have been modified as needed to meet these interests. In such places the suggestion of such problems as are described in this book does not need to concern itself with any logical arrangement of processes.

Whatever the point of view, the planning of a course is one of the important functions of the supervisor of primary handwork and should be given its due consideration. The determination of the purpose or point of view, the outlining of such details of the course as will carry out the purpose, and the making of sugplanning Of Courses gestions of methods for handling these details belong to the supervisor.

Arrangement Of Problems

There are different ways of grouping the problems in each grade, so as to bring in a sequence of manipulations of increasing difficulty. It is also possible to arrange several sequences, each more or less independent of the others but enabling the pupil to profit constantly from his previous efforts. Four arrangements are suggested:

A. First grade: - book problems, box problems, card problems, envelope problems. Second grade, third grade, and fourth grade: - same grouping as for first grade but with added difficulty in each grade. This grouping is the most systematic and logical.

B. Each grade: - a problem or two from each group above, and then a repeat from each group.

These changes may seem desirable for the sake of variety and interest.

C. Each grade: - a selection of problems from each group arranged in the order of difficulty for the entire scheme regardless of the classification of problems. This arrangement may seem a little disjointed in content, but furnishes a very definite line of training for the child and may prove more interesting than "A" or "B".

D. First and second grades: - arranged as in "A". "B", or "C". Third and fourth grades: - a concentration upon one or two groups of problems for most of the work of an entire year. This arrangement furnishes a training in technical skill not possible with the other arrangements.