Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-10-17

lCSellIdIlOuS OF uelluSdLiOuS vi uulIHdISi
plants, and implements, such as the horse,
dog, bird, fish, rose, oak, Ratchet, knife,
saw, &C., and then for writing letters,
words, and sentences.
Every child over two years old ought
to be furnished with these useful instru-
ments, whether at school or at home.
By far the most important point to be
kept in view, in these or any other exer-
cises for the early education of children,
is the cultivation of their moral faculties.
This natural mode OF instruction, or these
instructions in natural objects, are, on ma
ny accounts, admirably fitted to secure
this paramount object of all education,
the training up Of elevated moral beings,
-enlightemed and deooted christians.
Avoiding an immense destruction Of
school books, SO loudly and justly COM
planned Of by parents, is another, though
inferior point gained, by substituting nat
uraI for unnatural modes of teaching. If
the time and money, devoured by spell
ing books and grammars, were devoted to
acquiring and expressing ideas, every
child in our republic might become IA
niliar with plants, minerals, shells, birds,
quadrupeds, fishes, insects, chemistry, and
astronomy, and acquire much informa-
ton on history, biography, political econ
omy, agriculture, the mechanic arts, and
above all, the Bible; and at the same
thine become an entire master of the arts
of spelling and constructing sentences,
neither of which is ever acquired by
spelling books and grammar.
Some will probably say, that however
we'll this may look intheory, it Can never
be put in practice. For an answer to
such persons, will beg leave to refer
them to any school for deaf mutes, or tor
the blind in this country, or to the schools
in Prussia or some other German State
where the spirit, if no: the form Of these
modes Of teaching, is adopted with entire
and triumphant success.
Speaking moderately the pupils of our
! deaf and dumb schools learn thousand
times as much about language, as those
of any other class of schools in our coun
try, not excepting colleges; and the chill
dren in the Prussian schools, after their
course of instruction, preliminary to books
usually learn to read plain sentences ir
one week, with the sciences and arts IL
quick succession.
But respecting the deaf and dumb, it is
sometimes said, that their being deprived
of the power of speech and hearing gives
them an advantage over those possessing
all the faculties; so it would seem, judg-
ing from their success in learning, not
withstanding the general opinion thai
they are an unfortunate class But tEeil
teachers state, that this class of pupils labor
under immense disadvantages from theil
misfortunes, and that pupils with all theil
faculties pursuing the same modes of in
struction, would make far more rapid pro
gress, relieving teachers at the same Time
Of a great portion of their labor.
To go into details upon subject so va
rious and so vast as that of a system O
education. would furnish materials for vol
umes, rather than newspaper essay, AM
as have already extended this communi
cation beyond the limits [ intended. { will
onl Y add an earnest hope, that this sub
Ject may receive the careful and candi
attention of a portion of our citizens, pro
Tossing 10 be Republicans and Christians
i, am truly yours, in high esteem,
..- J. HoLBRooK.