Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1868-12-17
Written for the Herald
FIRESIDE PAPERS. NO. 1,
ON CHILDREN AND SCHOOLS.

dren to artlculate plalnl and distinctly,
especially those words which are difficult,
and such as are generally improperly pro-
nounced in the community in which you
live. BE careful to use correct language
yourselves in the presence of your chill
dren. 1t is as easy to the child to speak
correctly from the start as it is to speak
incorrectly, if it is taught to do so. Don't
forget that children are initiative beings,
and everything that their parents and
teachers say is rightto-them. Encourage
and cultivate fondhess for pictures in
your children. This tends to excite an
interest in the history Of what they see.
They will want you to explain all about
them. If you crafty them, as you Ger
tainly should, they will soon want to know
how they may make themselves acquainted
with these things without your aid Thus
desire to read is often formed. 1t is a
good rule to always answer the qucs-
tons Of child, satisfactorily, if possible.
If you have not the time to do SO, do not
Eepulse it with cross word.
Converse with your children on subjects
suited to their age, intelligence and child
ish tastes. Let them be taught at home
orally, to commit to memory some little,
simple rhyme, even before they can read
Don't be afraid Of their getting too smart,
but don't spoil them for their smartness.
Send them to school as soon as their minds
are sufficiently matured to receive end re-
tain instruction. Nog comes the most
important matter to parent and child, viz ::
the selection Of proper teacher We
have able Professors in Colleges, Semina-
ries and Academies, but how few able
teachers in the A, B, c department of our
schools 1t is a great mistake, and one
which nearly every body makes, that ony-
body will do to teach the \, B, G., and
the primary branches. Those who do not
make this mistake, make another, which
is often more fatal to the child. I mean
a notion which some people have, that, be-
cause man can read Hebrew, write Greek,
and solve most difficult problems in Euclid,
he is the very man to send our children to
for instruction in everything. These are
great mistakes.
LIST, If your teacher is inefficient, is not
pains taking, not competent, is careless, Or
not perfectly adapted to the work, the child
will be spoiled, or so nearly so that, it will
be impossible to implant good education
upon the imperfect foundation that will be
laid in nine cases out of ten
End, Should you select your teacher on
account of his higher qualifications, bis
tastes will lead him to bestow his time and
care upon scholars that are pursuing the
higher studies; the little ones are neglect
ed, are often handed over to larger schol-
ar or an inefficient assistant, where it will
be gotten rid of as speedily as possible.
The first teacher child has must be one
that can attach the child to him will be
pains-taking; will, in no case, neglect
recitation will watch for every little i'm
perfection and correct it. The greatest
care should be taken with child in the
if you would educate it well,
and at as little cost as possible. Parents
can form no idea of the amount of money
they throw away. and invaluable time lost
by carelessness in this matter It is cheap
err to pay good teacher thribble price,
and have your children properly started on
the road to knowledge, than to letthem be
spoiled by careless neglect for nothing. =
Experience proves every word Of this true,
and right here lies the great mountain Of
difficulty which must be surmounted by
the efficient teacher in works Of hard and
and almost Intellectual labor. Notvithstand-
ing these truths are known, yet parents
would rather let their children 60 where
they will be badly taught, than to pay
good price to one who will do them JUS
ticc. It costs more to unIearn what has
been badly learned than to teach properly
at first 1t is much easier to make good
Job out of new material than to make one
out of spoiled material. Just to think Of
trying to make reader out of boy who
rushes on, stumbling over colors, periods
and exclamation points. without pause
skipping one word, half pronouncing an.
other, and miscalling a third, at break
neck speed, and all in one tone. This is
what bad teaching leads to- 1t is the re-
suit of carolessness way back in the BIS
abs. Send your children where they will
be properly taught. When you start your
children to school keep them at it. Make
a business of it; let everything else be Sc
condary. School first and everything else
second not everything else first and school
afterwards. You throw away money and
time by any other course. Better hire
half a day to go to mill, than
keep your boy out of school to do it. Many
parents think there is nothing lost by oc-
keeping their children at home.
One days holiday is three days lost to
the child, and costs the teacher an extra
expenditure of patience (they have none
to waste) and labor, and is the most yexa-
tious thing in the world to him. It de-
ranges his classes and recitaiinns and nuts