Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1872-01-20

J Ford, George Hubbard Eddie +. Hall, Fred
hoshcr, Eddie sherman-
IL will be observed that about lbrce.fourths
Of the total number enrolled were in school
the whole term, sAd " 1hOse In sckoOl one
, month or less, nearly one-baIf entered school
} during the last mouth Tue NUMBER peTma.
nenily Withdrawn Is I less tllaa during the
! first term Of last year. and nO dOnbt 1t would
bave been fourth less, had II not been for
The alarm occasioncd by the smah pox.
These statements show that our schools are
} steadily improving in these several respects
! One Of the most encouraging features Of the
case is, that this increased pr0mpiness in at
tendance has been secuFed with much less cf
fort on The part Of The teachers than IN former
years. IL is evident, think from this, that
the pupils are more Interested, aud take great
erpleasure in ,hcir school work than formerly.
This interest has diminished largely tho cases
OF discipline for every teacher observes that
when his pupils are earnestly engaged about
their studies, they have little desire for mis-
chief fhus, by the united efforts Of the teach
ers, three points of great value have been
gained; 1st, the habit Of prompt attendance to
school duties; 2nd, increased interest in school
work 3rd, better order in the school room. |
take the greatest pleasure in commendng the
pupils Of the several schools for their indus
try, their good behaviour, and their kindn, IS
and courtesy to their teachers during the term
just closed
The classes, almost without exception, have
completed the work allotted to them, and they
have done it well. Every effor, has been
made TO prevent the mere nemori5ing af the
books, process productive only ofevil results.
The aim has been 10 make each study means
rather than branch OF etlucatiop, t9 cultivate
the intellectual powers, 90 develop the mind,
rather than cram the memnry. am more
and more satisfied, as my observation is ex
T tended, that not only the methods but the or
der in which the subjects are taken up in our
schools is wrong and contrary to nature. The
first thing given child after lie has learned 70
read II few sentences, Is lessou in numbers
This is well enough AS long as the subject can
be addressed to his senses. The simple pro-
ccsses Of addition, subtraction &c, may be
made evident by the use of objects; but many,
if not most of the processes OF arithmetic us
given in our books, require quite full devcl-
opment OF the reasoning faculties, in order to
their clear comprehension, These more diff
cult prpccssts ought therefore, to come much
later in the course of study than they usually
do. The next thing given the child is geogra-
phy. This would be well enough if at first
the physical features of the earth were taught,
with only so much of local geography as can
be brought under The child's own observation
The subject as usually treated in our books,
inplu1uc tha bnun1orirc nf CT
and location of towns, small as well rs large,
the products, exports, imports and manulac-
lures of different countries &c, &c. all OF
which requires for its full understanding, more
maturity of mind than is usually found in
children required to pursue this study year af.
ter year. A single year devoted 10 this study
when the mind is sufficiently developed and
matured, would give better results than five
years according TO the common CUSTOM. No
study contributes more to the old, ruinous
method of stuffing the memory than local and
political geography. The next thing given Is
English grammar, which with writing and
spelling, completes the "common school studs
les" So far as grammar teaches the right use
of our language it is in place and is valuable
but SO far as it teaches the science of language,
its philosophy, history and origin, it is out Of
place and useless AT The time and in the way
in which it is gent rally studied,
One Of the first things child learns is to
speak the language IF its parents and mates.
No matter what this language may be; it will
learn Latin or Hebrew just as socn and as easy
as English or Gcrman; and if child should
hear The language il is learning, a'paYs used
correctly it is not a. all likely, that that child
would ever in its lifetime, either write or
speak its native tongue, other than with the
most perfect accuracy, We hayc the evidence
of this fact illustrated in those families where
good language is constantly used, as well
as that OF the opposite fact in those fam.
lilies where inaccurate and nclcganl language
is always used II these observations are
true, it is eYident that the practical study or
rather use of our language should be begun
with the little child and continued until the
right use oft Is perfectly acquired; but tech-
nical grammar should be entirely omitted till
three or fonr years later ia The child's school
life than at present given. The remedy for
the evil just hiptpd at is evident, but the appli-
cation difficult; GG from the nature of the
case, but from our own education and pfeju-
regular and well graded series of conversation
lessons in connection with a similarly graded
series of composition lessons. In this way the
right use of both spoken and written language
would he acquired
BY SUCH change as have here outlined,
time would be given for the study of some of
the physical Sciences so we'll adapted to the
tender years and active senses of childhood,
and to the development Of those faculties of
the mind, which would then be cultivated,
but which under the present order of things
are left HnIseq til they qre so dwaFfeq and
blunted that theF full development is eyer af
ter impossible.
Botany is uqHValeq as study for cqltiyat-
ing the senses, and the habit of observation,
and generalization its facts and elementary
principles are within the comprehension of ev.
cry child in our schools. it is just as easy for
a child to learn the name Of plant or flower,
as the name of playmate. The names of the
parts are as easily learned, and their order OBJ
8 rived. The fact that The objects of which