The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1873-03-27

that the fit time for beginning thes
- studies is unwlssly anticipated
~ WEAKNESS and disgust are the to
10 frequent results of the effort to tore
,r the infant mind. Unabls to xras
the subjects presented, getting bu
: empty words in place Of ideas. fail
ing to get through the husk to th
kernel, it conceives an indifference
or An aversion to the uncomprshsn
Cd science that seldom, often neys,
wears wholly away.
OF But what does the ordinary grad
0 uats OF the pubic school-say a
Q fifteen ysars-know ct the world i,
. which he finds himself? How un
skilled he is in the "three Rs" ever,
0 body can testify. He finds hi,nsei
0 surrounded with countless objects O
sight and touch, with most of which
lfe has but the slsnderest acsuaint
anes, The curiosity that was sc
quick and restless at the age of five
} ls now lanyuid, listless, all but dead
repressed by the artificial drill OF thu
school.room. Before the school
selzed upon him was ever on the
alert; all eye, all ear; experimenting
with touch and taste; by actual trial
sowing his own questions SO far as
no was able and puzzliay his elders
by his incessarlt What and How.
He was working ont his own edu
cation hour by hour, getting wider
knowledge OF things. and by contact
with things constantly developing
and strengthening his powers. What
knowledge he gained was first.hand !;
1t was his own. 1t was real know
ledge; that is, knowledge of realities
and no more sayso OF book or tea
cher. lls understood as far as he
went, and went just as fast Is he un
derstood. HIS parents may have
thought he was wasting his time; but
he was learning faster and more
thoroughly-ws are sure of it--than
after he came under tho hand of the
professor OF A b G. Under the gui.
dance Of his five senses, hs learned
facts; or It he did not, he was in the
way OF correcting all his errors
AT school he got signs and aymbols,
whose use and meaning were bat
dimly perceived. Hs ceased gradu.
ally to learn from things, and came
more and more to trust to books
The sun rose in the east, for " the
book sa,d So In an arithmstical
computation he multiplied or divia
cd, because tho rule said So II he
wished to know how many bones
itgs n ny naa, ne looEsu III sooK
to SEQ. lie had become tho slave
OF the book. He had ceased, in a
great measure. to uso his own eyes
and his own judgment, and had como
TO mistake words tor things, and sen
teaces for traths. In the ashooI-
room his self reliance, his mental in.
dependence, dwlndled away +; and
his knowiedgs-and SO his power
was conditioned on what he could 70.
member Of his lessons and rules.
This representation may seem un-
fair and ons-siisd. We could wish
there were no grounds for it. We
know there is a general movement IN
the educational world toward better
methods, methods in conformity with
the nature both OF the child and OF
things--methods that arc designated
to stimulate aud guide the native cur
iosity Of the live, irreprsssibls, often
puzzlng and unansw srable, little III.
terrogatiOn point. But We know,
too, that this change is working but
slowly in the schools Of many sec
tiens of the country,-that the old
ruts are deep and hard to leave; that
the old traditions have firm and ten
ao'ous grip on all, or nearly all. our
primary school teachers. They may
not bs satisfied with the ways they
follow, but they know, aad 30 can
employ, ne other. Should they
leave the beaten path, they would be
utterly at sea. Besides, new ways
would require thought and study
Better methods might nccessitate
some work on their part. This con-
sidsration, however, will stumble
only those who ought never to have
thought OF school work-nrt the
true teacher, her who is i" called" to
this high office. To such one We
have a suggestion to make.
BY the time your school opens,
spring will have come in good earn.
est. The earth will be covered with
plants and flowers; the air bs full OF
birds and insects. Why not take up
some department. of Natural His
tory ? You may not be versed in
amy branch OF it, and 40 hesitate to
make the attempt. Never mind; can
you not learn? Do you not know At
least ~ much about it as the ten.
year olds, and can you not learn az
tast as thsy? Suppose yoa choose
Botany,-on the whole, perhaps, the
best branch tor the experiment you
would make. No matter If you can
not tel! = stamen from IN axil. an ane
mono from = pitcher plant. We may
learn by teaching, you know. Get =
copy OF Miss Youmans' First Book on
Botany Id. Appleton d Co., N. VI
. systsm Of object lessons, the most
suggestive aud helpful book for be-
ginnsr (say pupils from SIX to ten
years old) that we have yet seen.--
Read her very sensible preface and
suggestions to teachers;> examine the
numerous illustrations and accom-
pany ing schedules note how gradu.
ally anJ with what orderly sequence
sho devslopes the 81 msnts Of the
science, without confusion, or mixing
OF vetstable physiology; see how in