Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-08-01


the following article, to forward the writer's other
promised productions, as they soVerally appear
Novel and strnnge as some of friend ,Holbrook's
positions may appear to some people, many of them
are worthy of candid consideration. The common
msthod Of teaching is radically defective and
ought to be returned, and great part of it reform
ed out Of use. $50.
From the Journal Of Commerce.
NEW SYSTEM OF EDUCATION.
Messrs. Editors In numerous instan-
ces, [ have known children, literally, TO
learn themselves 10 read. Their learning
must of courSt have been pleasure to
them, and but little trouble TO their pa
rsnts or teachers. Il may b. so With
every child. | have also known, some
instances Of children going TO school two
years, before hey learned the a phabet.
Ia1 such instances, chldren most COM
nionlY possess superior ,taients. Their |
minis are too, acsiys anil too sensible, to
submit TO the exercise Of repeating over,
like SD many parrots the names of GER
tain characters, 10 then without meaning
and without sense. /
have also known numerous indivIdu- |
uls who become good writer's OF penmen,
without using sheet of paper for the
purpose Of learning 10 write. SO it may
BE- in any case. SOFT always is, with The
pupils Of schools for deaf mutes.
II is also we'll known, that some OF the
best writers in the English language
never learnt definition OF rule from a
GRAMMAR. The only instances in which
1 have ever found any difficulty with
children in compreheuding the offices of
words. or the parts Of speech, as they ara
called, or Ia constructing sentences cor
rectly, was with then who had spent
long time, ia several cases two or three
wears. in committing lessons tom gram
mars, in parsiug aud IN correcting false
syntax. sr ,r,s.. . >.r. s,.- -..' ..
Il have seen m1ny cases, very many, OF
children who have studied grammar for
two or three years making mistakes IN
determining the parts of speech, which
they ought not, and need not have made,
naer one, hours instruction. The fact is,
though il is painful to- state it, and still
more painful to reflect upon II, bat the
fact is, that the principal Jesuit Of the
study Of grammar in a v,ry large portion
OF the schools in our country, is to close
the minds of children agains: knowing
ANYTHING on the subject. They are scarce
ly able TO construct the most simple sen
teucs correctly, they make as many and
us bad mistakes in conversation, as chll-
drea who never heard of a grammar. and
most that they retain on the subject Is,
that grammar is something which they
hated very much ut school,, - 49,. -.
Nearly every teacher has. observed in
children, who seldom make mistake in
spelling lesson from a book, per haps in
one who was always at the head OF his
class in spelling, numerous and gross
mistakes, when they attempted to use their
smelling in writing sentences, 1t Is also
we'll known fact. that 10 many schools,
in all the schools tor deaf. muIes, where
the spelling book is,seldom. if ever used,
and spelling lesson never committed TO
memory, the pupils never make a mistake
in photography. Ii may be so with every
child; and canno; fail Of. being so, if the
same plan is adopted in spelling, as l.
pursued in every other business under
heaven, except school keeping-ledTA
tools bv heir use: learn matchmaking
81 making watches; .shee-making by
making SnOtS,T n.y. Wy EaiS"N"o $1,000
watches and shoes, =. .,-,>..-s', -. !.
The art Of sentence making, embracing
as it-does, spelling, penmanshiP, grammar
and rhetoric, in addition to good supply
and great variety Of materials or ideas
is certainly mere difficult, and must re
quirs moro experience and skill, Than the
art OF making shoes or watches. AM
yet the plan adopted, TO very great ex
tent, for acquiring this art, and for pro
Curing the materials TOO, is to read abou
constructing sentences, rather the con
stfuction OF structure Of sentences or Z
study grammar-to parse; which woul
seen, 10 imply IN the minds Of many,
knowledge OF all the arts and. sciences
Bv he way, the best definition | hav
ever heard Of parsing Is the arr Of chang
ing GOOD sentences into bad sentences.
ifthese are facts, Messrs. Editors, an
Think they willnol be denied or double
by many, the defects Of education, bot
ia the subjects and modes Of ieachin
are radical. The system is rotten at u
core. The defect is, il has no soul. an
until that Is given i, the whole can
only confused mass Of dsy bones, W.T.