Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-11-24

or misChlcvlous brains, and used for
the purpose of frightening children
and the unthinking into an adoption
of certain tenets held as religious.
--. O .--------
CONCERNING SCHOOLS.
BY HATTIE TYING GRIswoLD.
"And the second is like unto the
first.n
l wish to take up the miser-
able methods of teaching, of which
[ spoke in my first article, little
more in detail. And / wish to
premise by saying, that in all the
criticism ] make, I understand per-
fectly that there are many and noble
exceptions to all the general state
ments made. Individual teachers,
and whole schools to whom my fault
finding will not apply in the least,
but | speak solely Of the average
school. Beginning in the primary
room and extending all the way
through, could it be possible by any
process of human invention to turn
out worse set. of readers, than are
turned out yearly by our schools
think not, and when [ hear a class
of assembled teachers themselves
undertake to read, LIDO not wonder
at the results of their teachings.
Not one in ten can read decently;
not one in twenty well enough to
teach class of infants, and few or
none read as they should. Now
with a proper knowledge of the art
Of reading, for good reading rises
to the dignity Of an art, there are
few things easier than to have a
whole school vitality interested in
learning to read, and to make good
readers of large proportion of the
pupils. On this one point I speak
advisedly. have tried it and /
know it can be done. The first
thing to be done to accomplish this,
is that the present class of teachers,
or their successors if they refuse to
improve, should themselves be thor
oughly taught. This might be done
partially at least, in teachers Insti-
tutes, by Professor of Elocution,
employed purposely for that, who
would be thorough in his drill, and
merciless in his criticism of the pres
ent standing of the teachers in this
respect.
Then the spelling, to sum Marie
briefly. Alas! there are no Profess
ors of spelling unless we call Josh
Billings and Nasty such. But that
q
some improvement ought to be made
in this regard, will be admitted by
all [ think, who know what
wretched failures, the majority of
common school students make of
this branch. Far more time should,
think, be given to reading, spelling
and writing in the lower grades of
the schools, as so many scholars
never attend school after the age of
II or II years. All who leave
school even at this age, ought to be
respectfully proficient in these
branches, while. the fact is, not half
of them, can either read, write or
spell, with even tolerable grace.
Upon the best methods of bringing
about this desired result, | would
again beg for help from practical
teachers.
Drawing should be taught in all
the primary rooms [ think, even be-
fore writing is begun, if nothing fur
Their of the Kindergarten method is
brought into use at first. Children
will learn to write far more easily
for a few lessons in drawing, while
the general importance Of educating
the eye and the hand, can scarcely
be overstated.
Aslsoon as a child begins study
IN any Of the usual text books, be it
Geography, History or what not,the
miserable practice of examining the
memory with lessons learned by rote,
begins, in nearly all schools. Per
haps the majority of the present set