Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1840-02-26
Education.
From the New-YOrk Weekly Messenger.
.YAcrs FoR.T EAcHERs.

FAcTs FORT HERS.
Every child since Adam, with the com.
mon organs OF speech, and common tai
& enis, no matter when be lived or where
be lived, or what language he heard
spoken al the age Of three or four years,
has learned TO speak language Just as
well and just as bad as he heard others
speak it. Many thousands of children
now in this country, not over four wears
old, speak fuently and as correctly as
they hear them spoken, two languages.
VIZ: the English and German.
Uncer the process called education
more properly perhaps "6Ook crammiag,"
children sometimes attend school one or
two years, without learning the twenty.
SIX letters Of the alphabet; the average
time probably about six months. Thou
sands and hundreds of thousands of Young
men and women are now in our country.
who have studied grammar, falsely called
1.-THE ART OF SPEAKING AND WRITING
acoRREcTLY," for two or three years, who
can not write correctly a single para.
graph, and who speak Just as bad and
just The same as those around them, who
never looked into a grammar.
Amoag the thousands who have grad
rated from American Colleges within
twenty years past, and have devoted five,
SIX, eight or ten years TO the study of the
Latin and Greek lang scarcely one
eau probably speak correctly either of
those languages. Of all who have at
stended lectures or studied books on min.
eralogy and botany, scarcely one can tell
one plant or mineral from another, exceDt
those who have formed herbariums or
Gmlnerai cabinets for themselves. MANY
thousand children, not over twelve wears
old. are now in our country, who after
taking two or three excursions AMONG
rocks for collecting minerals, have become
as familiar with all the elementary speci-
mems Of geology and with most Of the
useful minerals, as they are with the
common articles of table furniture.
e When children have both the spoken
and written words in connection with the
things they represent, under the encour-
agement and aid Of their parents, or teach.
. ers, they seldom if ever fail, literally to
fearsf themselves TO read, and TINT not as
q task but pleasure; not as parrots. bat
as thinking and rejecting beings.
When children are encouraged in firm.
ing FAMILY CABINETS, or collections of
minerals, plants, shells, drawings, &c. &c,
they Ind IN them amusemenls which thew
prefer 10 any of their common sports.
however exciting, expensive or democrat
izing they may be.
Many Of the most intelligent and skill
tul teachers in our country have removed
from the hands Of their pupils. both spell.
ing BOOKS and grammars, and no consid-
GRAFTON would induce them again to brine
these books into use.
Lord kaimes, author of "ELrMpNrs
OF CRITICISM" remarked that he was
prosecuted two or three of the hes, ve,r
orhis life. in repeating the definitions and
rules OF grammar, and that he did not
tnInk children guilty of crimes DESERVING
such course of punishment Thomas
LICK: q Scotland, remarked that the
practiceot repeating the rules and Ge6n.
AoeS OF grammar as commonly nursnad
IN SCHOOLS, was In the highest decree
preposterous. DIR. Dewey, of New. Wi.
remarked IN lecture given befora 49, ~ ~
three societies, that language was the ~ :,
and grammar the theory merely of enc, snoan
ing and writing correctly, and thai tha
idea of children learning the theorv 'n ~
philosophy of language was absurd2,b.,
drawing, geometry, geology, chemistru
astronomy, &c. &c. were much more )
Propriale for children, as they were much
4 better calculated to teach them lancnags
than grammar.
Mr.. Buckingham, who has travelled
over great paN Of the world. and mad
education particular subject of enonirv
gave list of sixteen subjects which I,
thought every child should be- fam;,;a ac
$ WIN, but designedly, as he said om;,,aI
grammar, as Correct language mns G, ,,,s
sarily be understood by learning u 'hass
la the Prussian Schools orar
not made subject Of instruction aaa Is
Tor those who pursue an extensive con p'
OF studies, when philology. o. the nb bI,se
OPhy Of language is embraced.
J, HoLBRooK