The northern tribune. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1847-1855, 1847-11-13
Correspondence of The Northern Tribune.
HALLowELL, Nov. 8, lS47

MEssRs EDIToRs According to promise,
l now resume the pen to give you some fur
Their insight into the proceedings of the Inst.
tute Tuesday,-Opened with prayer by the
Rev. Mr.. Fields. Mr. Fowle then told US he
had found by experience that the best method
of pursuing the morning Biblical Exercise, in
school, was, for the teacher to read verse or
part of a verse, having the school repeat it, in
unison, after him. This, he thought, would
secure their attention, give correct pronun-
citation, with proper infections, and a greater
share of reading to each individual We, ac-
cordingly, have an exercise of this kind every
morning, and think the tone of the reading
rapidly improves. Then followed an exercise
in Arithmetic by Mr.. Seavey. commencing
with the Fundamental Rules and he pre-
sented several ingenious methods of exciting
emulation and creating an interest among
scholars in these Elements. In the afternoon
Mr. Fowle gave us lesson upon teaching the
Alphabet, the essence of which was, to have
the children form the letters upon the black
verting as possible. From the letters he would
proceed to writing words of one syllable,
teaching the little ones the elementary sounds !;
thus nstructing them through the medium of
the eye as we'll as ear, and early accustoming
! them to the use of chalk and pencil. He de-
cried the prevalent humdrum, mechanical
practices, in this respect, and insisted strongly
upon immediate reform. Another exercise in
| Arithmetic closed the afternoon. Our Prin-
| cipal gave us lecture in the evening, on the
| origin, progress, effects and deficiencies of our
| Common Schools-abounding in practical in
| formation, co nmon sense and caustic criticism.
l will try, soon, to give you an abstract OF
this.
Wednesday morn,-three long columns of
figures were given us to add. Those Who had
the correct answer were called upon to RISE
| Upon the first trial 81 only, out of the whole,
| QS7) were right-39 ladies and 20 gentlemen.
| Upon the second, 81, and at the last, 54.-
Here, you see, was text to preach upon, viz
the Importance of practice. in this respect
Monitors were then appointed, strips of paper
distributed, and ten sentences written. illus
trating the various forms of the possessive
case. Some of them were returned pretty
well Scared up, on account, perchance, of un-
dotted is, or uncrossed is, or misspelt words,
or incorrect possessives; or yet again, mis-
shapen letters. Some of the spelling was
amusing enough-for instance-ch,mbley, for
chimney, four, for fore, and poeoAice, for poul-
tice. Here, then, their defects were shown
up, each was set to thinking, and probably
many resolved not to be caught again. In
the afternoon Mr.. Fowle gave his views upon
reading. He thought the matter ought to be
such as the child can comprehend, enter into
purpose he would recommend as many dia-
logues as possible. Rules and marks, he
thought, produced mere mechanical readers
intent rather on the upward and downward
slide, than upon the sense. He said an excel
lent rule and better than any and all given in
books, was to be found in Nehemiah, S.
$50 they read in the book in the law of God
distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them
to understand the reading
Thursday-took up the exercises in addition
again. AS each got the result they rose, and
at the expiration of three minutes, those who
were incorrect seated themselves, and the re-
mainder were counted. First trial, "a, second
so, third, lOl. This time the males were
ahead of the females, throughout. We were
then shown various ways of employing the
younger classes, under monitors. A lecture
on Physiology, by DR.. Rawson, occupied the
remainder of the forenoon, and many of us