Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1867-12-27
OLD SERIES.

ton 80 strongly manifested by all children.
Oar primary instruction should not be con-
fined 10 one or two books. but should
take range vide as the free Inquiry Of
the childish mini. IL should embrace he
endless PhenOness Of nature. Of them
selves. children viii ask almost innumerabIe
f questions. permitted to do 50. They
should be Instructed 20 proceed according
- a regular system. 60 tLere may be a con-
slant revie- Of the tories considered. The
teacher should note down the questions.
Primary education should be mainly oral
and oeular--the whole school being tsochs
al once. instead % single scboiar. In
iLis way each voah receivs three or four
hours OF daily instrnctioa directly from the
;escher. IL does not nov amount 20 mere
than twenty minutes. Il would also con-
dace 10 healtb. as there would be less need
ofso much close confinement. Such change
frp-' the present arbifary method Of IN
struction IN primary schools. 10 the natural
method. 70 the oral and ocsllr. would save
st least three Years Of precious time be;Eeen
four and ten. which are nov worse than
lost ior the want Of studies adapted % the
childish mind and taught according 20 nat
ural method Here ne should secure more
time for ne~ studies Time enough.
Common Schools cannot properly unsier-
take % give exhaustive instruction in any
department Of learning; though 30 far as
their instruction goes it sbould be thoroach.
IL - for common schools to show the great
boiy OF citizens the way and teach them
the hrst And AL important stsps. Afterward
they can 20 further II they choose. There
must b. material abn5gnient Of present
sisdies-aa Abridgment which can happily
be made without material loss.
At least one-half Of the time now devoted
% arithmetic may be wisely saved. This
time j. quite enough for all needfal instrue-
ton % geometry and Algebra. from which
al mere Puzzies sbouh also be excladed.
Tough problems are not 50 good for the
illustration Of rules and principles a. plain,
practical business examples.
Writing should always be preceded by
dra~ing. even though IL be Of the crude
kind- A dozen special lessons IN writing
all iLen be enough. wiih tie simple direc-
tion that the pupil hold IA. pen % Il uiI
make no noise and write quick and plain
A. possible.
FOR the study Of grammar. IN the ordi-
nary aocepiaiion Of the term. there shoulI
be only Ooe smAllteK book. and this .houId
not be uscd more thaa SIX months. Iis
the universal confession Of teachers thai
iLe sialy Of grammar in our common schools.
Is almost failure. Then tLere should be
very iew set lessons IN spelling Anl def
ning.-the fewer the better - TIE general
rule; bat there shoaid be concrese instruc.
tioa in Tie fora oi composition. ComuIcac-
inE 20 caily as six Or eight years Of ace.
there shoull le. a. hrs;. daily oompositioas
Of ten or tseEty words. gradually crossing
~ length. and alter a season. diuninisi.ss.. in
frcqzsney. That - tbe ~ay--is The ooaorrte
-Eaich shows the use Of ubaf is learned
an so makes The iearning mach easirr-
tlat q the va 90 learn g, zriie ard spelL
90 learn sraumar-aa that is neodisl-and
The ciearest signifcation Of words. Bv
concrete in these staaies. e. vast deal ftin,e
mas be saved --wbiie that wbioh b. learned
NJ beprel'csly learnsi and 30 made doubly
valuable.
TEo saia'i Textbooks for geography are
gaife safEcieni. The first sloull b. devoted
% descriptive reading exercise. such as
wi.i give the child VIVID and picturesque
inprcssion of che world beyond The
reach oi Us vision. lie wil tbcn surely
take delight 10 che dry facts o. tie second
look. Avoid minutia with uh.cL q d. worse
tLsn useiess o. buIdca the memory. One
bali % ihe time nov devoted 10 geoerapLv
.nay iLas &c proGiaJiy .ase1.
T. thc common schools history shoaid b.
stuiici not as Ia mere exercise Of d. mem.
ory. wh.ch is 90 aPt % disgust ibe young.
bai rather ior ihe purpose Of sreaiirga a
iavc ior historic rrai'rr o. pc graiidcd IN
aitcr l'c. ID should be uaiicd ~ topics.
only :he ma'a ficts beng msmoriscd; anI
BE- sLoail Pei male the frequent salject u
comr1sfiou.
Ecaiin- sboaI receive qui,s ss much
attention a. nov.-perbaps more. Bui The
exercises shoaii not b. vhouy coufned 10
GO textbook works oi inaginstioa. travel.
biography ani hisiory ,hoaid b. read daily
from thc infant schools % ihe close of iis
rrE=mar c0urse. Ia this usy ouig ean tis
srhoia- te prepared for roaIinr uhuever
nay iail iaio b. hand vith ease snI unier.
sia-d.ng for IN ftis say oaiy can he &C.
guire great verraiiiisy Of oEs-uton. an
ample vocahuiarv. varied sfock Of iieas