The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-03-26
For the Middlebury Register
Mandeville's Readers.

Mr.. EDITOR =
Since your notice of these Readers, a
friend has placed a sci of them in my hands.
| have given them very thorough exami-
naion-no having omitted a singe pare or
paragraph; and now, with your permission,
| wish to present your readers with the de-
lioerate convictions Of my judgment in re-
lalon to them, as books for the use of our
schools. will do this in as concise way
as am able, lest trespass too much on your
space and the time Of your readers.
On opening these books, the first thing
hat claims our attention, Is the method OF
teaching reading, and especially the first
lessons in reading, which they develope. In
the first book or Primer, the child is requr-
ed, after learning the alphabet, to be drilled
in reading fragments Of words, followed bv
f0gmens of sentences. These cover sever
al pages, adorned with pictures to illustrate
these Fragments, arranged in grammatical
classes, beginning with mndyying words ard
phrases, and connecfires, and continuing on
through all the grammatical classes of words,
which the little child is required to read and
spell until he is able to distinguish the class
to which each belongs wherever found
This is what is demanded of little children
from four to six years of age OF the prac-
Iicabiliiy Of such demand, need not speak
to AIRY competent and experienced teacher.
1t is requiring OF such children. what is ac-
quired with considerable difficult, by per-
sons three times iheiragc.
In the second book, tl.is grammatical op-
GRAFTON is continued and carried sill farther,
and the learner is required to comprehend
not only all the grammatical classes Of words,
but their grammatical relation and conner
ions to considerable extent. even to the con.
Heciires of our own languagc-confessedl
the most puzzling things to "children Of
larger growth and to read with constant
reference to all this grammatical matter-a
thing done by no one but proiessed elocL-
fionists, and | very much doubt whether
they do it, or can do it. This is demanded
II children from six to eight years Of age
Hercules, with Mount Atlas on his hack had
1 light load compared to this Need waste
me, ink and paper 10 expose this utter i'm
of sneh system Of teaching
',r small children, 10 say nothing of larger
mes? There is too much good common
cnsc among the people of Vermont to need
my exposure of such n system. beyond its
imple description, to make them see its Ut
er impractcability.
The same objection lies against the two
emaining books as against these described.
They require children to master what the
iost mature and cultivated minds alone can
omprehend ; and demand so many things
} c in the scholars minds at the same mo-
'ent, that they cannot fail of being utterly
verwheImed and confounded and of course,
securing any practical benefit.
The truth is, as view the matter. that
! this elocutionary machinery, beyond tho
ementary sounds of our language, as rep
scented by our alphabet, in our primary
hool books, is entirely useless, and has new
yet secured any practical advantage to
ar schools. They have had no other effect
an to confuse and bewilder the scholars,
I'd make reading a mere mechanical exer-
Sc. 1t is by imitation, in reading what
ey can understand, that children learn to
al WE'LL and the reasons why they read diff
rent kinds of composition as they do, eau
understood and practically applied only
ter good degree Of maturity ard mental
sciplne has been attained This is tho
perence OF all effective learhe6s