The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-04-30

Mandeville's Readers. No. 3.

Mandeville's Readers. No. 3.
Mr.. EDIToR:-
The objection which Parent"
urges against the second book in this series,
is the same as that urged against The first,
with the addition d introducing more fully
the relations" and = connexions" of words
Here he makes the admission that the work
is rs it should be, progressive. And as he
has given the work a" very critical" exam
nation, il is presumed that by connexions"
he means connections. II " connexions" of
course he must have reference 10 arranging
words into families, which some teachers
well understand from their own experience
is a very pleasing exercise 10 children. For
instance. take the parent or root " Just" and
trace the different words formed from il, as
unjust, ddju us, justify, &c. The probability
however, is, that this is not his idea, though
his language j%usiifes the inference. This
is no par: of Mandeville's system, as shown
in the -four books with which he is so familiar.
II he actually refers 10 the connections of
words and sentences, in the use of that class
Of words grammatical.y called connectives,
or conjunciions he is to Il " considerable or.
tent" mistaken if he thinks that children
tlpuN 1tdIS VI NRt CNu tldht DO DTOnTGSS i'll
this exercise. BY way of experiment. the
following sentence, taken from his %"stric-
lures" was given TO two children TO point
OFT the relations and connections, and by that
me ans determine its sense: "1heu require
children TO master what the most mature and
cultivated minds alone can comprehend and
demand so many things 10 be in the. scholars
minds at the same moment, that they cdnnot
fail Of being utterly oueruhehned and con-
founded; and Of course, Of securing any
practical benefit" The result 10 which they
Individually came was, that from the rela-
tions and connections Of the words in this
sentence. the idea which the author probably
intended 10 convey is not conveyed by it.,
and if it has an idea in it, it must be the re-
verse of what was intended Permit me
therefore, to put this question directly 10
" Parent" Have you. sir, ever tried the
experiment with your own children, or the
children of others, sufficiently to be n COM
petent judge in this matter? The expert
enco Of both parents and teachers who have
fairly tested the matter, is certainly against
you.
In the objection here urged, it appears
that a person may be a parent, and yet not
be a competent teacher of children and al
so that it is erroneous TO judge Of the mental
capacity of children, solely by comparing it
with their physical bowers. Every true teach
CIR of children knows that it is neither
strength Of mind or body. which enables a
child to perceive the relations and connec-
tons of words in sentences, but quickneSs Of
perception that for which children arc nat
urally noted. The perceptive powers Of
children are not very apt 10 sleep without OPT
ates of some kind. One Of the surest opiaies
that can be administered is, to tell a child he
can comprehend nothing,-that he can I'M
dcrstand nothing until he arrives to man.
hood, and follow him up with this idea until
he is finally brought to believe it. And per-
nit me to ask, does not the writer of these
" structures strongly suggest this very meth
cd of dealing with children. Mind thus
tempered with may become scared" as
well as conscience. and here is the very
reason why relatives and connectivcs are
such " puzzling things" TO his children OF
larger growth, and himself even, as seen in
the sentence quo1ed. Here lies the very
difficulty which Mandeville's system is de-
signed to obviate, and if properly used will
obviate. Our schools are sufficiently filled
with children great and small whose 20 wers
Aof mind have been blun'ed and scared by
the very process which he would have con
tinucd.
In this second book, in the series (thongl
il seems he had almost forgotten to mention
it,) he has discovered what he donominates
" nearly 1--WE columns of nicknames." These
are abbreviated Christian LANES as he ough,
10 have known. Or. if he is resolved in hi,
own mind that they shall be called nick,
names " at all hazards, let him also state thai
all abbreviated names are such, even Mr.
and Mrs. My son's name is d" Francis" b,
way of endearmenI | frequently call hin
&" Frank" or little Frank the same thing
more or less, is practiced in all families with.
in my knowledge. Now does he mean &c
say that ! nickname my son? A nickname
is a name Of contempt, These, are name,
originating in endearment or affection. ] will
not discuss this point further, but ask him tc
look at them ouce more, and apply himself
closely to the study of WeLsier.-This is The
scholars first introduction TO abbreviated
names, and Vaudeville has manifested a SUI
perior knowledge of the juvenile MUD b.,
taking the child rpon his own ground,-ap
preaching HIM st home. Abbreviated name
are the hrst abbreviated words with which
the child meets at his entrance upon the
stage Of practical life.
The philosophy of juvenile instruction
which appears occasionally here and Their,
above the surface Of his " strictures,"is no
the philosophy in vogue in the town from
which he kdiis. And it is believed that tn,
children there. are dealt with at school. ant
at home, in a manner very different from
the course which he lays down. And i
may appear in the end that the writer o
structures OIL Vaudeville is not a resident o
that place, bnt some transient person witt
dated his communication there.
There are other points which l wish It
examine in their order.
A READER.
April 18th, 1850.