North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-11-05
IFrom the Wilmington Journai'1
EnITH 6.

M. En,ros. I have said that the possession OF
oood teachers was essentially necessary 10 the ec
Sncv of Common School instructions no less imPor-
-! NV oninon is the selection and use OF prop
~ hobs II is one of the detects IN our common
school laws, that anifOrm course OF stuoies naS
been prescribed-no set OF iextoooks adHp'eu' Eve
rvtbinu is left to the choice and caprice OF teacneIs
and in this age, when cheap publications. are nulu-
piled almost indefinitely, and one textbook IS n'aSe
TO suppant another W th the rapldlty almost !.Ac e
moon 6tis her horns, much injury must result from
such changes, and affect materially Inc cause Vi
cation. The same false opinion seems 10 PLeSoh'
that as anv man is competent to teach small choren
an anv one can write books for their study and many
authors conclude, in writing childrens DOCKS 'n@
thew cannot make them too childish, and hence I'LL
their pages with unmeaning Prattle and nonsense
When we reflect upon the various effects ana lnnu-
ences produced upon minds by the first books we
studied the different feelings passions, or Pre!udces
therein appealed to-what reasoning was USED whaI
truths inculcated land can probably trace our pres
ent belief in of material interest to germs OF
thou CHIT acquired from our rstread authors me value
of a proper selection seems apparent to all no
books unless they nculcate Invaluable trutns WIN
the elements of science should be read or adopted
as textbook in schools. DIR. Franklin thouShI
his whole career had been shaped and influenced by
his persual of Deoes Essays on Projects during MS
bovhood, So have many other distinguished men at
trbuted their peculiar Of life and bent OF char
acter to the influence exered upon their minds by The
perusal of particular books in early youth l nave
shown that proper conversation with maternal lnstruc
>
old; beyond this age discipline Is required
Then commences the philosophy OF education.
Books for children very readily arrange themselves
under Two nesoS ISL Of the former it is not my
purpose to speak, nor shall methodize any plan or
recommend any list for schools The Legislature
before last enjOned it duty upon the Literary board
to publish and circulate such instructions as tney
thought necessary the efficiency of the system.
This Board conented itself with merely compiling
the laws on the subject, without one word OF com
ment or recommendation. Now, as the members OF
this Board are the only persons connected WIN 'he
system who obtain anything like just pay tor their
services hold it be their duty to moer first In the
matter.
And may I not hope, inasmuch as the Literary
Fund is now under the management OF new board
one of whose members Ia prominent man and excel
LENT write.) " graduated at oldheld school,, that
some interest will be manifested on the subject
By the way, will take the liberty of saying that
many such graduates would do more honor and SER
vice to their alma Mailer than all the laws the Leg
isature could enact. | will merely say of school
books in general, that knowledge of e elementary
branches, in my opinion, can best be obtained by
return to the slow and good old fashioned methods
and that prefer those good old authors, viz Dill
worth or Webster's, speng-book, Murray's gram
mar, and Pixies arithmetic. By some authors adj
init tn csc works have been improved upon; but in
nine out Of recent progress i'll the way
of book-makng has tended rather g enfeeble, 10
stutfy and almost debase, the intellect and sentl-
ment of the contemporary generation OF children.
1t was said that the Legislature had actually
legisated the people out of knowledge OF the laws
just so in book-making. they have been simpAfed
beyond the comprehension of the simple. The Inlnd
should not be crowded with multiplicity of studies.
They should be free and comprehensive. The idea
that The mind of child grasp so much at once,
and become proficient in ALL (as is sometimes report
ed from higher school examnations,) is simply
ridiculous. Teachers sometimes boast OF the proh-
cheney of their scholars in grammer, arithmetic ge-
ography, botany, chemistry, and astronomy, and
sometimes Latin and Greek, to the great delight of
parents, when thorough examination of the STU
dents capabilities would satisfy any discerning
mind that he had better yet be turning over the
leaves of some good old spelling book. 1t ia not the
amount of learning acquired, but rather the MANNER
bywhchit is obtained, that gives evidences Of tho
rough mental discipline. The progress Of the child
should be slow, patient, and thorough. One lesson
thoroughly understood is worth dozen ndifferenty
learned.
I'd. Books of amusement general reading.
Many of the books used in schools reading
books are unsulted to the mental appetite of children
-unadapted to the cravings of the warm and fresh
heart of childhood. The mind of youth soon tires on
the dull recital of the facts and characters of pact
cal life 1t requires something ethereal in its
ture-a sort of mental balloon, to enable it to soar
above the realities of sublunary beings and identify
itself with others of fairy land. child can only
become interested and love to read as it realize
the and love the characters portrayed, and as
these only be correctly pictured in the magina-
ton, those works which appeal more directly to the
heart and Imagination of children, most likely TO
arrest their attention and engage their sympaihIes.
Fairy tales, such as our counrymen, NATHANIEL
HAWTHORNE, put up, best suit this purpose. The
child likes something starting, wonderful, marvellous |;
such eral exploits hairbreadth escapes, &C.,
which, under the recital of authors can be so
arranged that, while they attract the attention and in
terest the feelings, will at the time instruct the
mind and heart. An able author, writing of this class
OF books says that they cannot avoid direct teach
ing, but it should not make its advances pable
frghten the child into the belief Of its learning
task, instead Of unconsciously imbbing pure truth
in fairy fiction dressed" The end is obtained, while
the purpose is concealed from the child. OF this
class would mention Goldsmith +" Vicar of w AXE
ield,' Gullive.'s Travels, and Robinson Crusoe.
Miss Sedgewick, Mrs. Child, and Miss Edgeworh.
have written deservedly popular tales for chill
dren. But am very far from believing that books
of this character the only ones that should be
placed in the hands OF children. Their continued
would lead to the sickly sentimentAlity OF
novel reading-a taste for which fear too many
grOscn up children of this day indulge. After
for reading shall be acquired and the habit of itself
formed, then more substantial material be sup
piled.
Auegory is delightful species of composition for
children, and none nowhere better found than in the
Holy Scriptures. Also, fables, old Esop's, if you
please, which a recent author pronounces " as fur
nishing the greatest amount of wisdom and fancy in
the smallest compass" Then should come history.
Extensive works of history should be reserved for the
study OF maturer years. but the lighter parts,
nance of history, peculiarly adapted to interest
and instruct the minds of children. Those which
mostly pertain to State or country should
be mostly sought after and read. And for this pur-
pose cannot too highly Recommend "The North
Carolina READER, by G.. II. Wiley. of our own State.
From my knowledge of that gentlemans qualiica-
tions, am led believe that the Reader will be
just what il ought to bean abridged history of
State, adapted 10 the use of our Common Schools