The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-04-09
For the Mddlebury Register.
Mandeyille's Readers, No. 2.

alphabet, he Is 10 be drilled III reading frdq-
ments Of rords y then in fragments Of SEN
fences. This is a mutation OF Mandcville's
system, originating either in ignorance, or
wilfulness His system is, after the child has
learned the alphabet,-the simplest elements |
Of the language direct his mind to some
simple combinations Of these elements The |
first combinations instead of being frau
mcntS" Of words, as he asserts, are entire |
irords. They are, to be suie, the simplest
words in our language the class grammatic-
ally called articles. The first reading lesson,
accompanied as he says with picture, is.
an ant" The second the art" Then
follows the man !" man = with a cor>
responding picture. have not found the
fragments of words of which he speaks and
| wish to call the public attention directly to
the first lesson in the Primary Reader, .hich
will show for itself. that he has built his first
" structure " on another foundation than that
which Mandeville has LAID, If it uere true
that Mandeyilc had given exercises in the
simple combinations Of elementary sounds,
without reference to English words; this
would be no kind Of objection to his book
for other approved authors before him have
done ii for long time 1 he assertion that
he has done it, is untrue. | will not under
take to say that this omission by Vaudeville
will not in the end be set down as a defect
That children need, while young, much drill
ing in articulatng the different combinations
of the elementary sounds of our language
in order TO make them fluent and intelligent
readers in after life, is a truth which has
already so permanent a hold upon the minds
of intelligent educators, that it cannot be ar
gued dorn certainly, by arguments founded
| frIca B tc n r
with our older children at the present time,
they do not articulate distinctly And it
is painful TO listen 10 the reading of school
children just on this account. There is too
much good common sense among the people
OF Vermont to admit that it is detrimental TO
children to exercise their organs OF articula.
ton, i'll articulatihg the elementary sounds
separately, or in different and difficult com
bnations. They certainly will not have the
use and control NJ these organs, until they
are developed by practical exercises. 1t is
known 10 every one who has reflected upon
this subject. how much drilling in artcua-
tion, an individual from the common school
needs, before he can appear with acceptance
as reader or speaker before an audience.
The organs of articulation arc headstrong
stubborn things in after life, if they have
been under no restraint while the person was
young. Though naturally adapted to the
purpose for which they were designed vet
il reelected, Ike other things, they are liable
to become res,ive and vicious. 1t is genor.
ally admitted that children enjoying the same
opportunities as adults, will catch and utter
sounds sooner than they ; which fact shows
also some capacity of intellect not attributed
to children, by Parent" 1t is known also
that they will with the same opportunities
learn 20 speak foreign language more read
lily than their parents This is natures G.
conomy,--a the true object of all instruc-
ton is TO aid nature in its development. En-.
ough however for my present purpose, has
been said upon this point, as q Fragments oil
words" have no part or lot in Vaudeville.
system. The page opposite his first lesson
which is 10 be found in every spelling book
and which be says the teacher may omit, nc
one Of course thinks OF calling pecularit,
of Vaudeville.
That the work contains "fragments oil
sentences" or words classifed is cheer.
fully admitted. And that words are classi.
fed without any reference to full and
complete sentences. whatever, is also true
But this can he no objection whatever, il
the intellect of child is that W'e' thing
know how many words it takes to make an
mJroken sentence, or is it to him Of an,
importance, until he has an idea of the ec
mcnts Of sentence. The elements OF ,
sentence are very simple, they are very few
in number, and they are just as much withr
the reach Of the child of a." smaller growth
as the child of larger growth" Take one
at six and another at eighteen, their age,
l,t, al, ha., Int.
powers being developed in accordance will
their ages and lie. the subject Of grammar
in general terms be brought before them fol
the first time, and you will see that the
youngest intellect is best adapted to the work
of classifying The uords of the English Ian
guagc, that It is quicker Of apprehension
upon this point there is an acutenes'
about it, which cannot be recognised in the
other. The same is true with reference tC
modifers" and connectires' 1t is ad
mitted cheerfully, that there is considers
BILE difficulty in these things when person
eighteen years Of age is called TO give HI:
attention TO them for the first time in his life
far more difficulty" even. than he would
have experienced at the age of six. Gram
mar is language. and hence he is under the
necessity Of learning the language anew
!
ledge of language, he will not probably, be
very scientifically predisposed. There are
certain faculties of the mind, which If not
properly exercised, become blunted by age
When person has foi many years usec
language without any idea of its structure
or the relations which the different parts OF
a sentence have to each other, TO them Ian
guage in a great measure loses its force
And when at the same time il is poorly ar
ticulated, it is very" difficult" to associate
full idea with it. Now here in a great meas
: ure lies The true difficulty" with which
those meet whose age is three times six.
These are not the vague ideas of single
individual, they have been gathered from
the experience of experienced teachers.
person has never had any experience il
teaching children to classify words, to poin
T, out The mOdiferS. and the cOnnectires, and II
not ready in this business himself; he may bt
sceptical in regard to the truth OF the matter
There are teachers who have demonstrated
the fact to their own satisfaction, and whC
hold themselves in readiness 10 do it again
to others, by testing two classes side by side
the one at the age of sly, the other at the
age OF eighteen. The points in grammar
referred TO are within the reach Of the in
tellectual powers Of children, especially tina
, to which our author so pointedly objects
I that of telling to what class every word IL
these 4" fragments Of sentanceS" belongs |
he will exercise his own children six year
OF age. or from five to seven, if he has an,
of that age, he will become convinced tina
f his argument is
'-- pointless, save the exclamation point
M d!