American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-07-13
educational department.
A Plea for the Little Ones.


Go to the schooiroom on hot summer
day, when all the merchants and laborers
are dressed in their coolest linen, and
lolling about in idleness, because it is so
hot, and ask if it is just or right, that
those little children, sitting there on the
hard benches, with their lessons before
them-should be tied down to three hours
confinement, less fifteen minutes recess,
forenoon and afternoon There they sit,
too dull to study, and ready for any kind
Of mischief to while away the hours
They do not know what study means
''Going to school" is for them a long, tc-
dious affair, the use of which they cannot
see. They go to school-soy. a lesson
twice, perhaps, four times day-and the
rest of the time tumble impatiently from
one end of their seat to the other, or re-
signedly sleep away the rest oftheir hours
of imprisonment. We all know how it
is, and if we will think, we will know it
is not right-this way of spending the
most time with pupils old enough to learn
without teacher and allowing the little
ones to NOPE on for weeks over their al
phabet, when they ought to be receiving
information on a variety Of subjects
This letting the time run to waste with
little ones, will do if they can have the
privilege of attending school when their
intellects shall have matured sufficiently
to give them an insight into the import
ancc Of acquiring knowledge on all sub
iects. But in our common schools, where
so many little children gather round the
teacher for a few years, and then so out
to help earn their living, leaving intclcc-
tual attainmonts out Of the question; it
seems Just that as soon as the infant mind
is capable of retaining the common facts
and useful observations of life-they ought
so be given it. Crowding child forward
may be worse than keeping it entirely in
the rear; hut there is little danger of in
iuring in that direction in a common
school, and the teacher, who, from his own
mental treasury, is continually bringing
forth facts and faucics from the history
and chemistry and philosophy of the
world, at large, is fulfilling one of the
most important Of his duties. II our lit
tie ones, instead of sitting day after day,
slecpily pondering over the shape of A,
and i, &c, were to have, twice each scs-
sion, a lively recitation of five minutes,
when, after having the lesson repeated,
they are asked questions about familiar
some thinGs-their machinery set towork,
and then the long hours varied by short
rccesses, study being insisted upon at prop
cr times, they will learn more and faster
in month than under the old method in
year. If these exercises consist in moth
ing more than teaching them the name of
the States, the Presidents, names of riv-
ors, ctc.,-it will be better far than allow
ing them to fall into that torpid dullncss
of mind, which so many seem never to
outgrow, Properly, thsy will be taught Il
thousand nameless things, full of practic-
al utility and interest; their ideas viii be
brought out--their power of thought de-
veloped, by questions concerning the things
around them, and little children will love
the school-room for something beside the
opportunity of social play, the fun at re-
cess; and when they leave the school
room, instead of having to learn by expe-
rience how to learn by observation, they
will already have become apt pupils, and
have acquired fund of information that
will be to them principal paying them
good rate of interest. Is not the sug-
gestion worthy the attention of not only
teachers but parents ?-I'hre county Re
publican.
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