Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-05-09
DIR. Kirk's letter Is IS follows :

MEssRs EDITORS If anything may be re-
garded as unphiiusophic.l adm cruel, it is the
Ordinary method of teaching the Latin Ian
guage making II exercise OF mere memo
ry
Do our laacher comprehend The delicate,
complex achinery of youthful mind ? Do
Jhsy not know that kind Creator hath pro-
vided MANY leyiatious TO the burdens we are
doomed 10 bear
Our complaint is not that tie grammar is
not thoroughly taught; bat that 1t Is not thor
ougly taught by cutting 1t up into doses to be
administered daily, until ne whole is swal-
lowed. We complain OF the waste of time,
the painful processes. the revolving as, ocations,
the unsatisfactory results of the prevalent
method.
To state the case distinctly, we would de-
scribe the method as consisting in division of
tue grammar into Certain number Of sections
Tor daily study, until the whole grammar has
bsen thus committed To memory.
What remedy Is then proposed 1t is one
which secures IN the end a more complete
comprehension of the granmr and remembranc,
OF its rules. Ii eulists the higher intellectual!
faculties, from the very Il st lesson. Ii awakens
4 zeai for discovery It gives consciousness
of intelligent progress 1t forms a habit OF
thoroughnesS and accuracy; it makes the pu-
phi master OF the sramma lea structure of the
classic writings.
The discovery of this method Is mainly due
Mr.. l.. Perkins of Vermont, who acknowl. d dgss
his indebtedness to Richards Latin Lessons,
and Crosby's Greek Lessons, for the first i'm
pulse in this direction.
1t is now successfully employed by Mr.. Per-
kus in the PemberI n Square, and other
schools and asses in Boston.
Inc method is substantially this The pupil
}
And there rules in the grammar or the
division into syilablts, for the accentu 4tion, for
tie sounds OF tn leIters,and for the rhythmic
value OF each vo"ei, the pupil Is directed to
the rule determining each point resp ctiye ly |;
and, by an appropriate formula. he is taugh, to
lind and apply tne rule Tor himself. Could
YOU tie classes at work. you would witness
the enthusiasm OF band Il discoverers and ex-
plorers.
This is not theory for we have witnessed it
IN individual learners and n classes. The rule
thus learned is 20 dry, dead, unmeaning state
ment. 1t is friend found IN moment Of
need, helping him out of difficulty. The
process of searching is full of Interest. The
discovery brings rhe satisfactory ction of
having made solid step n advance.
After lew repetitions of any ruls in applica-
ton to a specific CASE, II becomes fixed Ia the
memory, possession for lie. This regard
as a genuine mastery of the grammar.
Now, 1t was with surprise and satisfaction,
on opening strange book, few days ago,
We found that while MIR. Perkins Is real dis
coverer, ore had preceded him in this, three
Centuries ago. AMI this Was no less parsonage
than Roger Ascham, Preceptor to Queen Elx-
abeth.
la 1868, Sir E. Sackville invited him to write
Treatise on Education. la this he says !:
&" When the master snail compare Tully's book
with the scholars translation, let the master at
The first, lead and teach his scholar to join the
rules OF gram book with the examples of
his present lesson, until the scholir by himself
Oe able 10 fetch out OF his grammar every rule
for every example.
This is lively and perfect way of teaching of
rules /; where lne common way used in COM
mon schools, to read :he grammar alone by
Itself, is tedious tor the MASTER, nard for the
scholar, cold and uncomfortable for them
both 10 striking description of much melan-
choly experience in modern schools
EDWARD N. KIRK.
Boston, May lst, 1866.
-AschAm's Schole master, .