Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-12-24
Parents Helping Children in Stud.


Az Experienced Teacher" writes as
follows to he New York Observer:
" We teachers feel that the aid which
parents will persist IN giving to their
children at home is a great hindrance to
their improvement, and, consequently, a
great injustice done to Us The teacher,
for instance, gives a pupil a lesson con-
sisting Of questions on the map. He
wishes him to look for the answers him
self, and, by habit, to gain facility in
finding places. The Child, if he cannot
find place Immediately, asks the parent
to find it for him lie complies; when,
if he had refused, the child would have
found it by himself after time, and,
while looking for the particular place,
would have gained a general knowledge
Of the situation Of places on the map
which would have been useful at other
times He would also have been form
ing the habit of self-dependence.
Take another case A teacher, after
he has, IN the class, explained a certain
rule in arithmetic, and made the pupils
perform examples under hat rule till
the process has become familiar, gives
them some examples to be done out CT
class. A pupil carelessly makes mis-
takes in doing them. The teacher would
tell him to look till he found his mistake
and correct it. This would be good
mental discipline He takes the exam
pie to his parent, who finds the mistake
for him, and thus encourages bad
habits.
Again, in arithmetic and algebra,
problems are often given, concerning
which there are no particular directions
il the book but the benefit Of which
consists in the thought which the pupil
is obliged to exercise in regard to the
manner in which they are to be solved
In such case, if the parent tells him
how to do them, does he not injure his
child? Who then, has reason to com
plain-the parent or the teacher, whose
efforts to discipline the mind of the pupil
are rendered unavailing by the interfer
ence of the parent But the parent will
reply, II do not assist my child, lie
Will lose his marks or his standing in
the class If you have committed the
training Of your child to iudicious
teacher he viii not make him lose credit
because, after having Workeda sufficient
time over problem, he has not been
able to solve it, lie viii reward him for
the effort, whether that effort is success
tui or not. Ii the pupil has made mis-
take through careIessness, making him
lose his MARKS Will be the best way to
make him more careful another time.
In studies which are not mathemati-
cal it will often happen that in a new
lesson there is something which a child
cannot understand. In such case the
judicious teacher viii not blame the child
for not being able to recite that particu-
lar paragraph, but will explain it to him,
and the explanations thus given help to
make the recitation interesting.
Again, bow many parents help their
children in writing compositions; thus
not only preventing them from strength
ening the powers Of their own minds by
exercise, but teaching them to t2g to de
ceiye their teachers. | say try, for the
experienced teacher viii not often be
deceived. If he is Iudicious, he will
give the pupil no credit for what he has
done with the assistance Of another, but
will reward him for his own exertions,
however many faults there may be in his
style The object is, not to have a we'll
written essay copied by the pupil, but
to teach him to express his own thoughts
with facility.
But it may be said that all teachers
are not judicious in regard to this thing
Then let the parent send his child to one
who is; and, even if this is impossible,
would it not be better to let him lose his
marks or his. standing in the class than
to let him lose the benefits Of proper
mental discipline?
hope that what [ have said may
lead some thoughtful parents to a differ
ent course from that which they have
pursued, and / think they will find that
their children will have their powers Of
mind more thoroughly educated drawn
OUT than by the former method"
To the above the Observer adds the fol
lowing:
These points are we'll made, and we
have but one suggestion to add Chill
dren should not be required nor permit
ted to take any books home from school,
nor to learn any lessons nor to write com
positions out OF school Six hours day
in school is time enough for children to be
employed in study and recitations, Ap-
ply this rule, and there will be no further
discussion Of the question 50 well an
swered by An Experienced Teacher.
Important Capture