The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-04-30
HARD TASKS FOR CHILDREN
rHH Study RE0UIRED or PUPILS
~ PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The Excessive Application Necessary In tho
Grammar and Higher Departments
ntndr aud Bodits Much ONerstrnined.

the youngest 81 the pupils are not usually under
III. pfim ry pupils are confronted with a
course Of three yei r. before they can reach a
grammar department. During the first two
FEARS no home study Ia required, aud object
teaching Ia almost the only form OF instruction
In that period. There are six grades Of study
prescribed for the prirary schools. The nrst-
gr de children learn the alphabet and Apply u
TO the formation Of simple words. Interest Is
maintained in this otherwise tedious study by
lhe pictures accom- o1nyinz the words ana ny
the custom 81 requiring the children To
use IN proper sentence the words
they had been stud,ing. Phonetic spelling IA
Also begun by these little learners. Although II
would be difficult to imagine ANYTHING more
ridiculous tnau the noise Of class OF children
learning these elementary sounds, the exercise
IL regarded IA beneficial. Foreign children get
the LANGUAGE accurately as to pronunci ation In
tnat way. and all have their hearing as well as
their speech trained. In this lowest class srith-
metic Is foreshadowed by the abacus, or frame
Of lmpaled balls, With which the ciildren arc
taught first to count, and then to add as far as
iOO. Next they Learn to read Arabic figures up
10 the same number. and to write them on tn cir
,lites as far MS 10 Their 1rst knowledge OF
forms and shapes Is also gained in the first elias
they enter. Ball.. cylinders, rings, and squares
are shown 10 them. and their interest -
awakened by the gradual application of their
knowledge to the common objt CT around them
ColOn are made familiar bv name by the fire.
quent distribution OF chrom tic csrds or faes
the pupils ncine asked to tell the coIots Of the
niSsor cards; Test exercises. in which the
children describe the c0lors Of the Things IN the
class rooms. FIX what they have learned In their
minds and amuse them.
AMUSEMENT IN EDUCATION.
The frat step IN drawing is taken In this same
,liss dots and small crosses In ROVE Ur.Inins
the eyes preparatory to making the straight
Nnel being all they learn at nrst. Last OF al Is
study ~ the human body wnicn mas uroyed can
tlNatlUg To- the little IA Viputuy
knowledge that their bodies are framewOrks Il
bones. covered with flesh aud skin, hey IRE
gradually ted along until they can name the chief
bones, muscles, vcins, organs, ana nemt egs, nd
tecite their composi,ion, use, ana manner OF
actiun. lnciden ally they come TO know how
essential To health are sleep, exercise, pure air,
clean,ines', and sobiletv. Tue slmuhcity OF the
language In which tins knowledge is SOnVey, Is
ono secret Of the success of the study, and
another reason Is that the cuiOr, n. a. they re-
cite IA unison, keep In motion, hnuing the par
VI ihelr bodies with their hai d. as they rccite
about them. heir hands and arms are keut IN
'apid aud rhvthmic motion, aud The STUDY be-
comes callsthenic exercise, as well as a lesson
In physiology.
The visitor to New York primary school Is
tstonshed by hearing tue word " amuse " con-
unualy used In exclamation OF methods Of
teaching. The children are amused" by guess
Ing the length, height, weight, shape, and color
OF things th,y see; 10y learning how many COM
binauous OF figures make certain number; by
understanding whv eats feet are soft as vel
vet, cranes legs long, or ducks toes are
weDbed. An hour Of steady routne work, on
sums or cory books would produce weariness
aud loss Of Interest. Some would fail l,ep,
others cry, and others openly rebel. Therefore,
from the moment they take t.eir seats ana sing
tue cheerful morning. song. TO the nnal duty OF
M. rking Time and keeplns step To the lively
niafvn ~ which the pianist directs their home
" ri steIs, they are attracted ana kept awake.
Inc mira year OF schooling oegins the lessons
Ter home study. winch alterw.rd grow more
ditlcult and numerous, and become a bugbear.
dozen words to be spelt, a half chapter In
geography 70 be learned, an example or Two IN
Hntnmeuc to be solved, and. perhaps, an Article
IN tne reader to tie conned over, are usually pre-.
.cnted. Daring tho rst year Of home studies
n
sliied The ex use for this Is that more lan
nal the cttd. en- who attend tue primary schools
h''-n iheir education IN them, aud go thence
h'io the struggle for ivel. God. by providing
tn.m vi wide range OF studies. II IL caimeu,
my are enabled to judge IN wuaL occu. cation
t"'n u;de snail ne spent.
rus GRAMMAR DEPARTMENT.
.he children whose parents aro able TO longer
d'l c' 80 with tier work enter the RtamIar
Toe puris then md themselves 10 long Z
aIGu'ed.' Hard $ udy becomes necessary. In
u lowest class the re. ding book Is composed
# selected articles, ana not OF childish 81, RES
Ihe children have become nine or ten eleven
Years ~ ave. iheir spelling lessons IRE gwen
out IN sentences, which they mast write cor
Iectly aa 10 punctuation, capitalization, aud
halc omphdsis, as well as spelling. AsntAl
arithmetic becomes DIM 'uit exercise, requir-
M the RAPID solution OF somewhat Intricate
propositions ahtr calculations. In w,itten arith-
mtuc ppllcations OF the rules and tables are
wurked out, tue pupils having completed long
vision IN the primary schools Geography De.
ryIn's a study by maps, the children nv
~ pTevo ely learned ony loo tiOn, direc-
non ana distance OF places In and near
Ne" York, extending their study to other
puts Of tue globe oniy az concerned peoples,
nIlmal~ ana products. Three years later, wnen,
a. ur average age OF fourteen, they prepare for
tue Normal College, or tue / ollege OF the CITY
81 New YORK taccording 10 their sex) they are
hhlllhr with the ,aiest theories explaining the
oscillation OF tie tropical ran belt, the lorna
u'n and movements Of icebergs, trade winds
de.criuo in dettil all that is worth attention IN
'nc geography OF any State or country. lhey
tIe lrcrumcd TO have Te ched cube root IN
sflffl ne IL 0ualrltlC CuuatiOua In IA
nfn'hIai oAcr' ises m geometry, anu far enough
h2ianmlrt % VII c and an, l. u imprUmptu com
polliuns. great II al Oi instIuc ion In he MIS-
%fY the United Sites mas oeen given to tins III,
Nd hes.udY Of gen, raj history, Gent al nd mod
trn' mas been begun. promlnent study by
these arger boys ana girls IL the Constitution OF
the United States, and incidentally they learn
their nv u, duties, md Obligations as citizens
aud have mastered the nabeas corpus aud ex post
Leo laws, oius o. attalnder, &c. Astronomy,
natural philosophy, chemistry, PENN usnip
music French, and German are taught To botn
toisand girls aud the boys, BESIDES, learn simple
boOAAeeplng.
EXCESSIVE STUDY.
The book strap that contained a reader and an
M'hmetc when lie owner primary
scholar Is now strained by small library Of
lsAt books The reader 10 no longer studied |
clone at nome, but tue bntbmetic, grown inis
requirements more tnan In its SIZE, l. nccompt- |
med ny az amman. histori algeurd, geometry, |
geography, and perhaps Gernan nd French text |
books N,r shall tue lessons tie such as 10 re- |
Slis Ie,iod Of STUDY each day, In the case u |
child OF ordinary CaUacIty, longer than two |
hours, says The Teachers manual, issued OF the |
Il
MADE To follow TINS rule; but although |
we trained and exceedingly retentlvs unnds |
o. the bright boys M gi.ls whole d tueir class
- uaY ~, ster their home studies IN an !
noun ana ah1ltor the mos the prescribed two |
no =, here are ~ many children ANXIOUS u |
mtlntain their standing Ia school, VINO strain |
bnd % OY, their hooks tcV carly nd too iate.
40 ittanent OF the Normal College has 50 |
m"lihed thc ""urie % that institution that tue |
~ year pupils have tut two nOurs' work at |
nome, and tn,se Of the tnird year only three |
houis yet pupils ri ndtng we'll In the college |
are tuiinng ipind ana OOdy t. keep pace with |
Wacher expectations, denying themselves oil |
society .nn personal pleasu a. and TuDoIng them
tIHes u sleep ana rect. Ine Tlncipll of an up
iowa gr Innar school says that Ills i4gateI Ia |
10 oc'u pied with ner home studies that strict |
measures are required ~ make her rest AID rec
telts
THE NORMAL SCHOOL COURSE.
The fOlONiug In the course o. study la tho
Vi 81 or mi year IN the Norm COlle.e:
Grdde Y-ThAd Fedr- FiTst Term.
! Latin Virgn, bookL
= tu.ilsh Language aud Llteratule-slmpe outlines
Wa c9iunY.i iun.
Genn.n- G.ommay completed, reader, converea.
-, or french nralnIneT cJmDbto.I reader, cOn-
Puy,ics- Electricity, lvaniSn, ana magne sn.
a. NsHYhouy -MItnehiatc ana descrlpiy3, c,a- |
sN"u, huh q M Dr' wing IOUl Ry, twO ctr Per |
- "Few ~ subie II piescr for the PRIMARY aud
ulit Ehopl Eniles, lin the metnOI OF to-chinS