Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-05-14

OF THE
LH.NC.4STRLG.W SYSTEM
And 10 what placid face is that,
O'ershadow'd by broad brmned hat,
That looks and smiles benign?
lis hls-that honest aspect kind,
True index of his manly mind;
Friend Lancaster, tits thine.
Where'er thy grain of seed is sown,
In torrid or in frigid zone,
Luxuriant thou will shoot,
And, thriving mid the wreck of time,
Yield to the child of every cline
t.- Thy own immortal fruit.
The same things usually taught in common
schools are introduced in the new, but the
manner in applying such things is known only
to those who have witnessed It's important ope
rations.
Scripture instruction by question and an
swcr, written by j. Freame on plan that some
hundreds of children may learn to read from
one book, and that at the same time. Its prin-
cipal advantage is its comprising i'll scripture
language the institutes of christianity II is a
rule that every child who attends school capa-
bic of understanding it should devote porti-
ON oftimc to that purpose.
DIVISIoN OF LABOR.
"The man who first made practical divi-
sion OF labor, gave new power to the appli-
cation ofcorporal strength and simpiified and
facilitated the most irl1some and laborious ope.
rations. To him we are indebted for the great
est improvement i'll the productive powers of
labor, and for the greater part of the skill,
dexterity and judgment with which it is any
where directed or applied"
But that man, whatever was his merit, did
not more essential service to mechanical than
Mr.. Lancaster hos dcne to intellectual OPERATE
ons 1t is the division of labor iii his schools,
that leaves the master the easy task Of direct.
ing the movements Of the whole machine IN
stead OF toiling Intellectually at single part
The principle i'll manufactures and in schools
is the same. The practical application i'll each
instance has required the same acuteness and
perseverance of mind, 10 correct the wander
ings OF theory and conjecture, by repeated tri-
al and continued attention
LESSONS.
This naturally introduces to The readers no.
ticc some brief account of the invention of a
method whereby one book will serve for a
whole school and avoid the annual expence of
five hundred or one shousand Books It will
be remembered, that the usual mode of teach
ing requires every boy TO have book, vet each
boy can only read or spell one lesson at n
time in that book. Now all the other parts of
the book are in wear, and liable to be thuDtbed
TO pieces.
" "S SHs', u spcliiiS DOCK containing tWen-
ty or thirty different lessons, and it were posi-.
bic for thirty scholars to read the thirty lessons
in that book at the same time, it would be equi-
valent to thirty books for its utility To effect
this, it is desirable tic whole of the book
should be printed three times larger than the
common size type, which would make it equal
IN size and cost TO three common books. A.
gain, II shOiild be printed with only one page
10 leafwiich would again double tile price &
male 1t equivalent in bulk and cost TO FIVE or
SIX common books ; its different parts are then
pasted ON deal boards ofpasteboard cut on pur-
pose and suspended by string 60 a nail in the
wall or other convenient place; one should
contain the alphabet; others words and sylla-
bies OF from two to six letters. The reading
lessons gradually rising from words Of one syi,
liable in the same manner, till they come to
words OF two TO five six syllablcs, Which is
preparatory to more absttusc and difficult ex-
erciscs. When the cards are provided from
SIX to ten boys may stand in a sem-circlc
round each card, at distance to distinguish
clearly the print, TO read or spell, as well or
better than if they had common spelling book
III each Of their hands