Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1866-05-09
NEW METHOD or TEACHING LATIN


Mr.. R. l.. Perkins, now in Boston but
formerly of Stowe, has originated new
system for teaching Latin which is con-
sidered very excellent one and which
receives high enconiums from the best
latin scholars. Rev. E. n. Kirk. D. d.
thus speaks of it in q Communication to
the Boston Recorder.
"Messrs. Editors If any thing may be
regarded as unpbilosophical and cruel, it
is the rdinary method of teaching the
Latin language; making it an exercise of
mere memory.
do our teachers comprehend the del
icate, complex machinery Of = youthful
mind ? Do thoy not know that kind
Creator hath provided many alleviations
to the burdens We are doomed to bear.
"Our complaint is not that the gram
mer is thoroughly taught; but that it is
not Thoroughly taught by cutting it up in
to doses to be administered daily. until
the whole is swallowed. We complain Of
the waste of time, the painful processes
the revolving associations, the unsatisfac-
tory results of the prevalent method.
ITO state the case distinctly, we would
describe the method as consisting in d.
vision ofthe grammar into certain num-
Der of sections for daily study, until the
whole grammar has been thus committed
to memory.
What remedy is then proposed 1t is
one which secures in the end more COM
plete comprehension Of the grammar, and
remembrance of its rules. 1t enlsts the
higher Intellectual faculties, from the
very first lesson 1t awakens a zeal for
discovery; it gives consciousness of in.
telligent progress; it forms habit of
thoroughness and accuracy; it makes
the pupil master of the grammatical struc.
ture of the classic writings.
"The discovery of this method is main
ly due to Mr.. R. L. Perkins of Vermont
who acknowledges his indebtedness to
Richards Latin Lessons, and Crosby's
Greek Lessons for the first impulse in this
direction.
tits now successfully employed by Mr..
Perkins in the Pemberton Square, and
other schools and classes in Boston,
The method is substantially this;
The pupil begins with spelling one word.
say a.u.la. And as there are rules in
the grammer for the division into sylla.
bles, for the accentuation, for the sounds
Of the letters, and for the rhythmic value
Of each vowel. the pupil is directed to the
rule determining each point respectively
and, by an appropriate formula, he is
taught to find and apply the rule for him.
self. Could you see the classes at work.
you would witness the enthusiasm Of a
band of discoveries and explorers.
This is not theory for we have witnes.
sed it in individual learners and in elias.
ses. The rule thus learned is no dry,
dead, unmeaning statement. 1t is friend
found in a moment of need, helping him
out of a difficulty. The process of scar.
ching is full Of interest The discovery
brings the satisfactory conviction Of hav-
ing made one solid step in advance
after few repetitions Of any rule in
application to specific case. it becomes
fixed in the memory, a possession for life.
This we regard as genuine mastery of
the grammar.
"Now, it was with surprise and salts.
faction. on opening a strange book. few
days ago, we found that while Mr.. Per-
kins is real discoverer, one had preceded
him in this. three centuries ago. And
this was no lees parsonage than Roger
Ascham. Preceptor to Queen Elizabeth.
"ln 1868. Sir. E. Sackvilc invited him
to write Treatise on Education. In this
he says: when the master shall com.
pare Tully's book with the scholars trans.
lation, let the master at the first, lead
and teach his scholar to Join the rules Of
his grammar book with the examples Of
his present lesson, until the scholar by
himself be able to fetch out of his gram.
mar every rule for every example. This
isa lively and perfect way of teaching Il
rules; where the common way used in
common schools. to read the gramma,