The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-09-21
SCHOOL TEXT BOOKS.

book is used We recollect attending scuooi-
it was years ago--and in country where the
people were too poor to purchase text DOCKS
for their children. The teacher had pfinteu
manual for each Of tho elementary branches
that were taught in the school. Inc only DOCKS
in the children's hands were "readers ana ye''
however incredible such an assertion may now ap-
pear, the pupils from that school went forth with
thorough knowledge Of orthography, arithmetic
geography and grammar, with tolerable acqualn-
tance with history chronology, physics and natural
history-in fact quite as much oethese as ls1lsualy
learned in even the best Of common schools. How
was it done?
In the first place the teacher had been regular
ly trained for his profession; he was not ashameo
oft; never thought it necessary to make an apoio
gy for pursuing this ayocaton. He did n0t look
upon it as stepping-stone to something eise'
He therefore gave it his undivided attention.
Like the lawyer, the physician, the divine, OF the
engineer, he made all his studies suoserVlent 10
his profession. 2. He was secure OF his posltlon'
he held his Office "during life or good behaVlor;;"
the children, therefore, had the beneht OF MS ser
vices from the beginning to the end OF tner
scholastic career; and how great this beneht
none but thoughtful earnest teacher can fully
appreciate 8. The children were compelled by
law to attend school regularly.
| Now, as to the method Of instruction: Every
thing was taught orally. There was plenty OF time
seven years, from to Is; and every portion OF
this time fully mapped out. Each month OF each
OF the seven years had its specific work allotted to
it Months were given to the elements of gram
mar; and the tender mind was not burdened with
'srules," till the nascent intelligence had gained
sufficient insight into the subject to perceive the
necessity Of these rules. Definitions and rules
were written on the blackboard, and copied on the
slate by each OF the pupils. After the teacher had
corrected the copies, they we're transferred
to the Grammar Book" We had also ''copy
books" for every other branch taught there.
great deal Of attention vas given to writing; and
spelling was taught, not from the dictionary, but
| by ''dictation." chapter in history was read by
the teacher, and every member Of the first class
was required to write out night as much Of it
as he could recollect The task was corrected by
\ the teacher next morning, and such additions
made as we're absolutely necessary; but in the
main the pupils own language was permitted to
remain. There was thus every stimulus to excite
the thinking faculties of the child, and memorter
recitatlons were discouraged; indeed rendered
almost impossible by this method. 1t is needless
to say that whatever was learned in this slow and
painstaking manner was thoroughly mastered,
and seldom if ever forgotten.
We have heard somo objections offered to this
method; one OF them is, that it does not exercise
the memory sufficiently; that learning by rote
| is Of great service in sharpening the memory,
| and that this object can only be attained by
making the child learn and repeat "by heart"
the exact words Of the author. We are not dis
posed to discuss this nice point in pedagogfs, but
in our school this desideratum was provided For.
In the first place, we had the Catechisn, longer
and shortcr-which do not recall pleasant recol-
lections-for the 'doral Law" was not always
taught by moral suasion In the next place, We
we're well drilled in chronology, aud rules" OF
grammar and arithmetic; and lastly, we were re-
odired to memorize and recite or de'aim, before
tho school and al examinations, selections from
the best poets.
We learned drawing and singing, and had abun-
dance Of time for private lessons in foreign Ian
guages, music. &C., &C., and all this at scarcely
any outlay for text books.
This, however, was in the days of old fogyism,
and we of COURSE. shall not be understood as de-
string to set that school up model for the
more improved schools, seminaries and academies
OF the present day. We have occupied SO much
space in the introduction to our remarks on the
text books that We shall not be able to give more
than a mere catalogue. The first difficulty that
presents itself to the teacher if he be unbiased
in favor Of any particular author, is the great
multiplicity Of school books. Every publisher in
the land has his entire series Of text books and
some publishers have several series. Two
causes underie this evil. First, it is
well known fact that no teacher ever yet found a
text book which he did not think he could i'm
prove. He finds more and more defects, as
he continues TO use it, until at least
his purpose becomes fixed to write out
syllabus for the use Of his classes. This ne
does. After while, the class and partial friends
urge its publication, and the pedagogue, like
the politician is ''in the hands Of his friends"
He yields reluctantly, and with becoming
modesty, and the world is cursed with another
book. Nine out of ten, or, perhaps, nineteen ont
Of twenty, OF school-books that see the light un-
der such auspices, are 'born to blush unseen"
They are still-born, and their author doomed to
disappointment akin to the spretos injuria tor'nP.
Happily, in the twentieth case, Mercury steps up
and forms q partnership with Apollo, and the
result ia very profitable business. Some OF
these writer's OF schoo-books are in the en-
joyment Of larger incomes from their quasi lite
rary labors than authors OF any other class. This,
OF course, usually depends mora on the name and
business capacity Of the publisher, than on the
| talent of the author or the intrinsic merits
Of the book. If the HARPERs or the AP-
pLEToNs, tomorrow, were to publish man
ual of trigonometry, Of rhetoric or logic, per-
fectly devoid of originality or of adaptability, the
book would nevertheless sell, whereas a book OF
decided merit on any of these topics not issued
under such or similar auspices, would never pay
the printer
The following list of text books offered to schools
we copy from the Round Table:
First Lessons in Numbers, in the Natural Order.
| By John II. French, LII. D. Harper d Brothers.
| Manual of Arithmetic. By 8. A. Feter, a. m
| Charles Scribner & Co.
| First Lessons in Numbers. The same.
! Primary Arithmetic. The same.
The Analysis OF Written Arithmetic. The same
Practical Arithmetic The same.
| Commercial Arithmetic. The same.
Juvenile Mental Arithmeti,. BY John +. Stod-
dard, A. NJ. New York: Sheldon 90.
Rudiments OF Arithmetic. The same.
| The American Intellectual Arithmetic. Ihe
same.
New Practical Arithmetic. The same.
Primary Arithmetic. By G. " Quackenbas
A. NJ. D. Appleton 4 Col
An Elementary Arithmetic. The same.
A Practical Arithmetic
Progress in Practical Arithmetic. By Horatio
A. Robinson A. NJ. Edited by D: ". Fish. New
York: Ivison, Phinney, Brakeman Co.
Progress in Higher Arithmetic. The same.
! High Arithmetic. By Schuyler, A. NJ, Pro-
fessor of Mathematics in Baldwin University.
| Sheldon & Co.
LID. Professor of Natural Philosophy and AS
tronomy in Ysle College. New York: Harper d
Bros.