The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-10-10

In accordance with previous no.
tice, Teachers Institute, composed
of teachers in public schools of Clarke
county, and others interested in edu-
cation, was held in the Vancouver
school-house, Sept. 27, 1873. The
Territorial Superintendent not being
present, the meeting was called to
order and Judge Steward was elected
chairman, and Rev. NJ. Judy, sec'y.
Prof. Robb was designated to con-
duct exercises in reading, and to lead
in a discussion upon the best method
Of teaching the art of reading in the
schools. The Prof. began by saying
that he found it difficult to teach the
art. From some reason or other,
many children had contracted sing
song method of reading, which he
found it difficult to overcome. An
other difficulty was that many chill
dren were under the impression that
reading consisted chiefly in the pro-
nunciation of words and "minding
the pauscs." Some author had said
that punctuation marks often did
more harm than good. The mind of
the pupil is thus occupied in looking
out for the pauses and the pronunci-
alton of the difficult words, thereby
losing sight of the real object of read
ing,-that of giving due expression
to the thoughts of the author. Still
another fault was that pupils were
too far advanced for their knowledge.
Teachers and parents were both to
blame for this; the teachers in their
desire to make the greatest show of
advancement, and the parents for
urging teachers to put their children
forward. Many pupils We're in the
fourth reader who ought to be in the
second; and when they had been
thus advanced beyond what they
ought to be, it gave dissatisfaction to
put them back--it discouraged the
pupils and offended parents and
friends. Prof. Delany thought the
class ought to understand what they
would read about, then they would
give the proper infections. He
thought the teacher ought to explain
the words and give the proper under
standing of the sense and meaning of
the lesson.
Prof Glendyc said the lessons given
to students should be of an interest
ING character. The trouble with
many of the school books was that
they were dry and insipid-eyen
dull. They had been gotten up by
old fogies. Some live man-some
one to make a book upon subjects of
modern intercst-was needed. For
advanced classes he had often Sc
lected from magazines,-from Har-
per's or some other interesting mag
azines containing articles on inter
csting subjects.
Rev. Mr.. Nicholson had thought
much upon that subject. He had
been Superintendent of schools, and
seen much want of Improvement.
One teacher who was a very good
reader himself, had the poorest read
ers in his school. and inquired why it
was. The reason he thought was
that pupils were pushed forward too
fast; ought to be kept along with
their knowledge; ought not to be
put forward faster than they could
read the lessons smoothly. Teachers
ought to read first as an example,
and then have the pupils initiate.
Prof. Glendyc thought the best plan
of breaking pupils of the sing song
unnatural method of reading, was to
initiate thcm-could break them of
it better by ridicule. Prof. Delany
thought ridicule unjust-not good;
that it did more harm than good.
Prof. Glendi thought to ridicule in a
kindly way. Writers such as Charles
Reade and others, had corrected
many faults of society by ridicule,
and he did not see why it was not
good in school. He found it to work
we'll when done in a right spirit.
Miss Rounds regarded the primary
schools the proper place to start
right. Children always used the
most proper infections. To converse
with the pupils upon the subject and
give them an idea of the lesson, then
they would naturally fall into a right
way. Ought always to give spirited
exercises; get the best readers to
give examples in illustrating, the 9TH
ers would try to initiate them.