Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1842-05-26
Fsr aks Ssss.i0. sSsslsssl.
'PRiMARY SCHOOLS.

: Mr.. Having been engaged foe several
years = - INSTRUCTOR Of youth. must theFstore
through The. iisdiG,n Of yoiir journal, these few
hasty and des6Itory remarks on the subject Of
Elementary Instruction and Elementary School
Books, hoping that they may not be viewed as
being presumpst6is OF gratutous on the part otthe
writer. but processing from sincere and an ar
dent desire Of seeing an improvement effected in
The mode or conducting Primary Schools which
u At the present time pursued IN many parts Of
my nss..e St..se. II must be admitted that Vir-
ginis 10 somewhat In the rear of several of her
ssssss states with regard to these hrss steps In the
happiness Of the rising generation 90 much de-
pands, well the preservation and purity ofour
evil and religious institutions.
There il an opinion prevailing with many per-
aons who have not had the benefit of liberal ed
,ucaton, that teacher who can SPELL read, and cy
pher ~ far as the Rule Of Three, or Practice, is
: qualified to teach children the rudinlents of an
Engiish education It not being requisite in their
judgment that he should have knowledge of
the English Grammar, as they do not believe
~ 70 be immediately connected with the two
nrss named branches. This opinion is absurd in
the extreme. as shall endeavor to show in this
place.
!. The grammar Of our language 10 divided into
Tour parts, which are photography, Etymology,
Synsax and Prosody. photography or Spelling,
- tho frst TO be acquired by children. This part
Of Grammar teaches the trne forms. sounds
and proper combinations Of letters, 40 as
70 form syilablss, and syllables variously comb-
ned, constitute words. photography likcwise ex-
plains the bsture of vowels and consonan,s. a
knowledkU, which is in my opinion. indispensa
be 10 fletcher of photography.
Etymoiogy TREATS of the different sorts of words
o. which The English language is composed, their
various notifications and their derivation. and
likewise their classification, according to their
manner Of meaning; bat Etymolopy, in its more
extended Specification, explains the way in which
ne words OF the English Language are derived
iron osher languages, or il is the tracing OF the
wofde OF our language ID their orisin or ROOT In
the different languages from which the isno;sh
e dsnved both ancient and modern This mart of
.symoiogy IL, however, more the business of the
isxscogfsPher than Of the practical erauhmarfan.
Syntsx % that part Of grammar which treats of
.sn sentence, il lays down ceitaih roles for The
nght placing Of words in sentences. These niles
sn derived from principles founded in Etymolopy
rsosody isa division Of the grammar which is
vesy necessary TO be understood by those who
TO teach the art of reading, and more espe
Nc'ai those parts Of il which relate to punctuation
ana tho laws Of vers6cation. Punctuation is the
snot dividing piece Of composition into senten-
ces " parts OF sentences by means Of points or
s.ops .or the purpose Of making the different pau
see which the sense and an accurate pronunci-
saon require, and also to enable a person when
reading audibly 70 retain his BREATH Versification
relates 70 the different kinds of measure and pau
:es made use OF by poets. and facilitates the read
ing OF verse In order TO discover the beauties or
excellence OF an author, should he possess any
Of those qualities. From ignorance or the want
o. a!tenton on the part Of some school teachers
70 these principles of grammar, MANY persons
whist at school have contracted habits of reading
IN sucn manner as not only to destroy the sense
or meaning OF great part of what they attempt
vofead, put also to shock the ears of an intelia
gent auditor when they read aloud. These i'm.
!pedimcnts to reading in youth are considerable
obstacles 70 the acquisition of knowledge in more
advanced years. The reason why MANY persons
arc not fond Of reading is because they find il an
suuous and disagreeable task. Notwithstand-
ing these facts, the vulgar opinion is enteftaiued
mat almost any teacher teach children to spefi
and read. ~
Among the numerous Spelling Books and bic.
sionaries now in print, know Of no work which
think so well adapted to Juvenile classes in Or
typography as book published by E. Hazen CAL
ted the SPeller and Befner or Glass Book, No.
designed TO answer the purposes of Spelling
DOCK, ana supersede the necessity of Dictionary
as class book. This work supplies the place
OF spelling book from having its words arran-
geo according to the number of syllabes Of which
l.ney are composed, beginning with monoeylla-
cIes. mas also the accented sylabIes and
voweis distinctly marked. 1t answers the purpose
OF dictionary from having its words divided ac-
corning to their genealogical classification, be-
ginning with the noun and verb, and the other
parts oil speech, following in regular success.
zion: 1t has likewise short definition to each
WORD; tor 1t is to little purpose that children are
!aught TO spell and pronounce words without be
ing told their meaning. i would recommend
Towns Spelling Book as being deserving
OF q place in Primary Schools. In this work
cniioren are taught the formation, spelling and
meaning OF words at the same time. Wehave in
our SCHOOLS at this time great variety of reading
BOOKS, many Them possessing much merit but
Know OF none which think SO well suited to
the capacities of children as series of works
published under the signature of Peter Parey.-
1hese DOCKS are written in simple and familiar
fsyie' and besides rendering the task of learning
Io read both easy and agreeable to children, thew
'S.so CONAN vast amount of geographical and
historical information.
Inc author of the SpelIer and Defner has writ.
ven another book which think an acquisition TO
me catalogue of school books now in print. The
Tiie OF this work is the Panorama of Professions
ana Trades, giving short but comprehensive de-
SAIL OF the modus operandi of the various trades
'1nd professions of men in civilized life. youth
'!fom naving'read this book with attention would
% aoie to form tolerably correct judgment in re-
gaid 70 Inc trade profession which he would like
20 pursue alter completing his scholastic course
Inc branch alluded to in these remarks bv the
aamaiiar aPpellation of CIPHER, though the first
20 % acquired IN scourse Of Mathematics, is new
pa.Mciess very necessary to be understood to some
"a soIs % most classes of the community. From
sIts TACT, no teacher is thought qualified to take
Sharge OF school unless he profess to have some
Anowiedge OF Arithmetic; and NAV farther re-
,a,.' .hat IN my humble opinion, no branch is