Mower County transcript., 1871-12-14
ED UC.ATEONAL.

necitof'o-whcncc our wori. rccit,
n'n--was used BY tho Romans to de
note reaaing OF public documents il
judicial proceedings. let Us pictur,
to- ourselves such u reading, Keeping il
mind the stern dignity of the old Ro
man. the incstiuablc wm,h us Justice
and the MA cSly Of her Crurss. 7,
such picture, we shah observe, LIST
:i'hat the rccitcr is an actor; 2i, Tha
he act, before an aulieLcc Sd, Tha
he u'ters things important 4th. Tha
it becomes him so to speak that wha
hc saye shall have its due effect; 5th
t,at he acts under restraint. being il
the presence Of the most severe Judges
who will allow no contempt Of court.
These observations in regard to rcci
ta,ion will guide us somewhat in ou
discussion of the act denoted by it.
The recitation is the means of awaken
ing the mind Of the pupil to the bes
activity, aud Of u"/i"g to storc it Will
the greatest amL unit of the best knowl
cJye. If VIC 60 about this intclliycntll
We must use the recitation, THINK, 1st
As A MEANS OF EXAMINING THE pU
Pill The examination should show
what the pupil knows. His idea:
should hc SO siftcd as to separate hi!
Knowledge from what he gutsses at. Tc
kno~, implies the ability to state accu
yatcly, and to appl.; readily. Whcthc,
the pupil can be examined in regard te
definitions, rules, principles and facts
th, questions to bc determined ire
can he, or can he not, make right and
ready application Of them, as, Of the
principles, rules, and definitions o
Grammar, to the words, phrases, and
clauses of a sentence, both in the analy
sis of what is written, and in the cx.
preston Of his own thoughts; Of the
s,rinciples of Arithmetic to the solu
ton Of problems of the facts Of Geog.
raphy, to the determination Of the
means, habits, and character Of the pco
pie who inhabit tho countries to which
the facts relate Such examination
will show much of the pupils charac
ter and habits, and will show, also
what is his diligence, and what is his
progress from duy to day.
ID, AS A MEANS OF LEADING TnI
PUPIL TO THE ACQUISITION OF KNowL
EDGE. The efficiency of a teacher ir
recitation is measured, not by the amount
'of knowledge to which he gives express
sion The pupil must be made to ap
prchenI, and then to express, and thu
facility with which lie can do this, il
the true measure Of the teachers sue
cess. The pupil should rarely, if ever
he helped through the difficult parts o
4 lesson, before he has given to it hard
and continued study, and, when help is
given, it should be rather by leading
the pupil to define the points of diff
~ulty, and by suggesting principle:
applicable, than by full explanation
t;reat care should be taken to bring
'rvcry new acquisition Of the pupil into
ital union with what he previously
knew.
1t is of little use to teach tho
world is round like ball to child
who docs not know that he ever saw the
earth. Until the teacher understands
that, in knowing which way to get
home, and whether there are houses.
or trees, or books by the way, the child
knows something Of Geography, and
until he makes this the basis Of other
knowledge fit to be joined to it, he does
not teach the science Of Geography
properly; and so of the other branches
1T is important, again, that what is
taught and learned be expressed in sim.
pie everyday language so far as prac-
.tsaLh Not that scientific statements
and formulas are to be discarded
Thcy are to be interpreted, because
only then arc they valuable. An AL
vcbrarc formula is worthless to me SC
long as it is a mere combination Of let
tcrs and signs, but when [ am able tc
translate that .Algebraic language into
che common English speech, | have
obtained a real possession. This ex
pressing of the ideas in proper language
is one of the most effective means o1
uniting them with our previous acquis
it;ons. 1t is useful 70: the teacher tc
enlivcn his recitations, by impartins
knowledge Of things other that the mat
ter of the lesson. This should be done
sparingy but Frequently. incidentally
x,thor than formally.
3D., As A MEANS D1sC1pL1NISG TIL
MEMORY, Anowlc'lye Is retained ="
the memory. The memory is strength
eneI by use. When a child il
led to recognize something which ha
been read or told to him before his mem
ory is exercised. When he is trainet
to recall what he has read, or heard, O.
seen, by means Of catch words or 4ucs
lions, or topics named, his mem"'y i
exercised, and in higher degree thar
E,eC;rc ; and when pupil is trained t
recall what hc has seen, heard, or rcao
without any aid whatever from TIT
teacher. his memory is exercised. and ii
the highest degree.
The first exercise is suited only tt
very young children seldom to such al
arc at school, The other methods