Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-06-29

rem. They did not want to study it. Hi
way of teaching it was to commence b.
calling their attention to some object-fo
example, desk-have them spell it-asl
them what it was--tell them that it was
noun-the name of thing-after the,
understood this take up other subjects
In somewhat the same way he laugh
them adjectives, verbs, &c. OF cours
there would be different ways of dom,
this in different schools. After this b
would give them the book Another wa,
to teach grammar is always to correc
children at home in their daily use o
language.
MIR. CILLRY
OF Brandon here asked Mr.. Dana if, in hi
opinion, teachers now understand gram
mar as well as they did ten years ago.
MR.. DANA.
replied that in some things he thinks tn
teachers of the present day understan
it better, and in some things not so vel
lie does not believe in simplifying gram
mar, but in so teaching it that when tn
scholar takes the text book he can com
prehend and understand it,
A. E. LEAvENwoRTH,
OF New Haven, on being called up, said
that be had always been accused of max
ing grammar a hobby. He had Away
said that every child should be made t.
study it. He had heard teachers an,
even Presidents of colleges say that Their
was no necessity for the study of gram
mar. In some schools they let it pass
and make arithmetic the sunlaaunl 60nun
of all studies. He believed in grammar
because it was the foundation of all othe
studies. We use grammar every day il
all our language, in all our business
transactions. We cannot explain an
problem in arithmetic unless we know
the use of words and language. He
agreed fully with Mr.. Dana as to the way
of commencing to teach grammar. He
had found those most successful who hao
been properly trained at home, who had
been accustomed to hearing language
used correctly, and to be themselves cor
rected in their own use of language; he
did not mean that others could not learr
grammar, but that they could not acquire
it as readily or as successfully as those
who were corrected at home.
To be successful teacher one must al
ways keep in mind the science of Ian
guage and the definition of words Thi
will give them a facility and po wer in al
other branches. In arithmetic a chile
who understands the meaning of thu
word Division" 'Diyisor, 'etc, will under
stand the subject OF Division better thar
he would by committing to memory the
rules ana long definitions in Division, and
the same is true all through arithmetic
n all its various subjects and branches.
A child must study grammar, and
when one comes to school preiudiced
against and unwilling to study grammar,
he must be made to study it no matter
who he or who his parents are He mar
rated au amusing sneC9Sse OF the way he
studied grammar and the means he took
of finding ont whether word was noun
verb, &o) He concluded by saying that
it must be remembered that children are.
IN fact studying grammar all their lives
no matter into what business they engage
hey are constantly engaged in the
Use of language.
JUDAH DANA.
# Rntiand, then spoke of the writing OF
or compositions connected with
the study of, grammar. 4e said that al
Me- schcoAtbe rule was that all we're to
write compositions, except those who
were excused by their parents. and that
so many were excused that he gave il
up entirely. He then established an ex'
ercse from which none were excused
He would give sentence and have each
scholar write it as many ways as possible,
using the same words, and yet express
the same idea. One good sentence WAS,
.'Homeward the plowman p loas his weary
way" He gradually enlarged upon this
by having them write ont something that
had occurred, till they all found they
were writing cohpositio OF without know
ing it. This was way TO teach gram
mar.
j. S. CTLJIBY,
of Brandon, said thRt9ae agreed with both
of the previous SPEAKERS, but he also be.
ars' hands and having them learn it, and
recite it in their own language, if neces
sary, but yet he would have them thor
oughly know and understand what was
In the text book. The men who occupied
our pulpits understand the English Ian
guage and know how to use it correctly,
and do 20 use it, and we know aud they
know how they learned it. They learned
1t by thorough knowledge of the text
JOChSs lnSIS is SOLIS SoOu III INC OiI anu
some In the new way of teaching.
A j. SANBORN,
IF Middlebury, thought thatgrammar way
taught too much in our schools and lam
yuage too little. 1t was just as well to
nave scholars learn the Mohommedan Bible
BY heart and repeat it, word for, as to
earn the rules of grammar and repeat
hem accurately, unless they, at the same
time, understand and learn how to apply
hem. He believed in putting into the
q ands of a scholar text book and having
hem learn the rules, but at the same time
earn how to apply them. He would
nave children taught to read so that any
one who listened 10 them could under
stand what they were reading and the
meaning of it. In his second school he
found that his scholars read poetry in the
same way that ministers read hymns a
hundred years ago. His superintendent
4 L IL