The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-05-02

they are wanted for use they are al
most Invariably known without the
least direct attempt TO teach them.
i The knowledge comes ia incidental
ways, without conscious effort or even
i thought.
i AT still farther advance, instead of
I claiming the scholars down TO the pre-
Iscribed series of reading books and
limiting their acquisitions to that mar
ROW field, every moment not otherwise
! employed is occupied with interesting
reading matter. "a full and correct y0-
i cabulary cen be collected only By in
i tercOHrse with books; aud TO MEAD
MUCH, not merely in task work, to at
i tain the power of good expression, but
i for the simple sake of reading and the
good that comes OF it, OF which good
there is no alternative means of attain.
ment-is one Of the most important APP
plications of school time-ONE OF THE
/ FOUNDATION PRINCIPLES OF THE BEST
/ QUALITY OF SCHOOL WORK.
NUMBERS The same law Of nature
which is followed in the processes Of
instruction in reading is adhered to in
this connection, always the concrete
first, the abstract afterWard. Every
step is thoroughly symbolized and il
Illustrated. Sums, differences, multi
! pies, and quotients are proved to be
what they claim to be, by positive dem
Onstratlon. Here, too, fruitful work is
made to seem like play.
THE NEW EXERCISES. What has
been introduced to occupy the intervals
which were formerly passed in idle
ness? Instead Of the old fashioned
bench OF arm chair with nothing before
lit, eVeay urchin has his well-shaped
seat and desk, and q right busy use he
makes Of that desk. On his slate
| which rests upon it, he early begins to
copy words from the chart or black
board, or to perform simple operations
in numbers. He practices making the
elementary ge0metric forms-Iines,
parallels, angles. BY and by, he copies
sentences; he writes spelling lessons,
and he draws more composite geomet-
Irlc forms. a farther stage, and we
| find him indicting original compost
| ti0ns or describing pictures, with pen
and paper as we'll as the slate, and sue
cesstuLly undertaking TO draw quite
elaborate figures combining the geo
metrlcal clements on which he has pre-
ylOusly been engaged.
tie has regular lessons III the science
as well as the expression OF music, &C.
nially adapted to his daWning capaci-
ty. He has exercises on th0nomencla-
ture and simple definitions Of elemon-
tary geometry, the forms Of which he
has practiced on his slate, and which
has been abundantly proved to be more
easy and pleasant to little children than
arithmetic. He has exercises, too, on
the names and distinctions Of color,
with which he will have so much to do
Ill after life, whatever may be his Oc-
cupation. He has lessons in natural
history, familiar and anecdotical-and
all 6heSe exercises are pr0fuSaIy illus
trated by OBJECTS. The senses are ma
as nature makes them, the avenues 30
the mind.
There are still other devices, to en-
ploy the un0ccupied time OF primary
scholars. The intentionis, that the eye
the ear, and the hand Shall be Syste-
maJ1caIly taughG-U the ear to discrimin-
ate with precision between different
sounds the eye between different
forms, sizes, coIors, and appearances
the hand between those differing quail
ties Of material things which come
within the scope of the sense of touch; i
for these are foundation stones Of al
true education. LE
And now ask-in conclusion of this
branch OF my theme-What is the men
tai condition Of the scholar of The pres
ent day when he has passed through
the primary grades, as compared with
what it was under the old methods, at
the same nominal stage Of progress =?
How cans be otherwise than greatly
superior? Nothing has been sacrificed
for the exercises which have been add
ed to the former list. On the contrary,
the reading, spelling, and arithmetic OF
the old-time schools are carried as far
and farther than before, and by morel
genial and intelligent methods; while
the new occupation simply utilizes the
time that had been spent in idleness.
In addition, the primarian can write al
good fair hana-a thing never attempt
ed before in primary schools. He can
frame and execute properly a simple
composition, such as letter to a friend,
or description OF a picture, Of an OBJ
ject lesson or of personal experience,
with the sentences properly divided,
punctuated, and capitalized; which is
Tar beyond What had been attempted
before. He can draw quite creditably
in forms combining straight and curg-
ed lines. He knows something Of mu-
sic, he is provided with a fund Of sug-
gestiVe IDEAS and facts, and his senses
have been trained in the direction Of
prompt and accurate capacity. And
last, but not least OF all, his school has
been rendered attractive rather than
irksome, his childhood has been bright
ened with sunshine, and his mind stor
ed with happy memories.
frhnCn GRO Tnf idoo1 clotabac I'M, ax-