The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-05-04
Tor tbs Anderson MtelHgsacer.
Practical Education.

Practical Education.
Though most parents desire that their chill
dren should have practical education, yet but
few, comparatively, take steps in the right d.
rection to secure it to them.
A child is not educated so much at school as
at home. 1t is not at school child is educa-
ted-there he is only prepared to educate him.
self With parents more than teachers rests
the great responsibility of educating the young.
1t is at homo that learning is best exemplifed.
At school children geta theoretical knowledge
at home practical knowledge of things 1t
is.from parents themselves that children learn
the most important lessons. Onelesson taught
by the parent is worth three taught by the
teacher. A child that has been taught at home
makes rapid proficiency at school,. A child
that has been neglected at home doe, not often
learn fast at school. Let the teacher try to
illustrate anything, and:to such q one it will
seem obscure, and it is next to impossible to
make an impression. =
Then let parents awake from their indifer-
ence in regard to the education of their chil-
dren. But some are ready to say that their
pressing business will not admit of taking the
subject into their; hands personally. So, they
entrust the tuition of their children entirely in
other hands. Such persons ought to reflect.
ALI of their toll is for their families; but how
will the property which they have accumulated
benefit their children if they, have not prac-
teal education? To accomplish much, parents
should commence instructing their children
| while they are quite young. Let the mother
teach her child to spell while at home, and not
send it to school to be pent up great part of
the day, as soon as it can lisp few words By
sending child to school while it is too young
may cause it to have repugnanoe to learning
ever aftelward. Nothing is more important
for child while it is spelling, than to learn
the Key to the Pronunciation. Teachers often
do not take the pains to teach it to their pu-
pills. When this is the case, let parents under
take to teach it to their children themselves
Soon after they commence spelling, most
children begin to read; but not half of them
make good readers. To learn to read we'll re-
duires much patience and labor, and often in
this particular the teacher fails to do his duty.
Children arc not apt to be interested enough in
4
something purely adapted to their tastes
something that expresses 'Child's Ideas in
Childs Words"
| AS soon as they can read well enough en-
courage them to read newspapers, periodicals,
histories, Biographies, &c. Give them a chaste
literature-a literature which tends 10 make
good impressions on the heart, as well as to
entertain and instruct the mind. Get Pri-
mary Dictionary purposeiy for them; help
them to find words when they are at a loss as
to the definitions; have regular hours for them
to study; make it an entertainment more than
task to study. When these hours come, for
get your arduous toll and business transactions
for few moments, throw your whole soul into
these juvenile exercises, and be child for a
short time.
As soon as they grow large enough to have
some idea of business, give them little practi-
cal sums to work out As soon as they learn
to write, give them your business notes to read {;
let them practice on these until they can read
without your aid. In a short time, by these
means, they will be able to read any piece of
writing with facility.
Before they commence the study of English
Grammar, have them to study Analysis, which
will give them pretty good knowledge Of
words. If these preliminary steps have been
taken, they will make great proficiency in the
study of Grammar and i'll short time will
have pretty good idea Of the rules of compo-
sition.
As to the study of Geography, it will be q
delight to them, provided their stock of intor-
nation should prove to be pretty good before
they commence the study Of it.
When they have gone through with these
studies aud understand them, they arequaifed
for common, practical business, but it is desi-
rable that they should make further advances
when means will admit.
BsAon, S. c.