Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1870-12-02
Use of the Slate.

A question has Just been asked by an
experienced and skillful teacher, how she
shall use the slate with small children.
This is IN important question. and ! pro-
pose to answer it for the benefit Of other
teachers.
As our schools are now arranged. more
than one hall OF the children in many of
our schools, have nothing TO do n large
portion of the time; they have their little
reading book, and that is about all. They
are restless and weary, and ache for
something to do. so that much OF the labor
of the teacher consists in keeping them
skill; they sit on their seats the very
pictures of stupidity. Now children love
to do things if they only know hour This
is the business Of the teacher, to supply
them with something TO do; but she must
have the tools with which to carry on her
work carefully.
Now little slate and pencil furnishes
the teacher and pupil with materials that
in skilllul hands can be made interesting
and instructive TO the smallest children.
Suppose there be halt dozen such
children in the school. Let them take
their little slate and pencil and make
twenty straight marks and count them.
Put down on the board the letter and
let them write it twenty times and count
them. then the letter o and so on from
day TO day. A little patience which
every teacher must have. or be good for
nothing in the schoolroom. will soon
enable them to write all the letters, and
then words Small children learn PEN
manship better on slate than with n
pen. Now put down the figure on the
board and let them write that twenty
times for an exercise. and then the other
digits Give them specific work to do
and they will do it. For example, II
YOU tell children they may make figure,
on their states they soon get tired Of II,
but il yol give them certain figure and
tell them To write it inst 50 many times
they will do il and feel that they have
done something. Children n little older
can set down small numbers and add
them The universal table in Arithmetic
furnishes an incxhnustablc fund OF cxci-
ci>cs for al classes in arithmetic Draw
n circle ON the board and let them draw
il. Drrw also y triangle. parallel lines.
and square. a, they advance, write 4
simple word on the board and let them
copy il. The teacher possessed OF tact
can do these and multitude OF other
things without interfering with ot her
duties. That is q very poor teacher that
does no, know how 10 keep children en-
ploycd, and any child that is old enough
10 attend school is old enough 10 have n
slate and be able 10 use il. rccc ntly
visited II school in Lewiston where there
were forty two little children. They all
ha,l their states and were constantly en-.
ployed 10y the teacher, though they had
four recesscs day; the children were
busy and interested. and were learning
rapidly. Much oftheir time was spent
with the slate.
There will be no trouble in obtaining
the slate Parents are willing to furnish
anything they are convinced will be of
any value to their children. Children
aid each other in such exercises. fla child
sees another doing something on slate.
he wants 10 do it also. II you want to
make stupid children or stupid men, shut
the former up in a schoolroom with moth
ing TO do and the latter in Jail and you
will accomplish your object. Prisoners
in solitary confinement always beg for
something to do.
As children advance in their studies.
they will learn 10 write rapidly. and the
use of the slate can then be brought into
rcquisilion in teaching spelling. This
constant exercise OF The slate, cultivates
the powers Of brc?iation, and makes them
better readers Us well as writers. They
learn the form. of thugs. The practice
of drawing objects on their states. aids
them immensely in penmanship.
wish therefore. that every child in
this county could he provided with slate,
and every teacher learn how TO use il
skillully. know Of no one agency so
cheap, simple. and yet so powerful in
school as the constant use OF the slate
among all classes OF scholars.
n Il. +.