National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-06-14
Rapid Transit in the school Room.

Many OF our readers, no doubt, will rccollect
an article which appeared in the columns Of
this paper a few months since, entitled THE
Science of Education" giving review Of the
new method of which Mr.. L. ID. Kellogg, of
New York city, is the originator His school
in that city has now been in operation two
years, and, by their practical application in
the school-room, the improvements Of which
he is the inventor have Seen thoroughly
tested, and their value fully established. The
course of instruction in this institution covers
all the branches customary in our best schools,
from the first rudments Of education up to,
and including preparation for admission to
advanced classes in college and the advan-
tages of this method are held out alike to both
sexes. We observe as one of the new features
of the school for the coming year, the addition
of boarding school in connection with the
day school.
From the new catalogue for the year 1S79-'s0,
at hand, We are glad to note Mr.. Kelloggs sue.
cess and the evidence of his prosperity. The
service which he is rendering society certainly
merits the warmest and most generous public
recognition. We quote from an article under
the sheadng, Rapid Transit in the School
Room," from the National journal of Education,
of Boston, the following: In or
dinary schools, under the old regime, it requires
from two to three years to teach children to
read books adapted to their mental capacity.
In Il school we visited in Sixth avenue the
principal, by his skill and improved methods,
takes the child of seven years, with no knowl.
edge of letters, no practice in the art of read.
ing, and accOmpishes the same result in from
twelve to fifteen weeks. This result is not OBJ.
tained by any process Of cram ming, like the
overloaded horse-cars before the construc.
tion of rapid-transit railroads; he accomplishes
1t by measuring the child's mental develop
ment aud then leading him to think out
everything foi himself"
ut was found that rapid transit in the city
thoroughfares could not be secured by cram
ming the horse'cars and stages, much less can
| rapid transit in the school-rOom be secured by
cramming the child's memory. How then is
it secured? The observation is aroused the
perceptive faculties are stimulated, the in
terest aud enthusiasm are awakened, and the
child is led to seize the idea and digest it, un-
| til it becomes part and parcel of his mental
existence. The principal presents but one step
at a time, and makes that step the easiest pos
sible. Mental evolutiOns and curves are as
quietly and smoothly made as the curves on
the wcll-managed Metropolitan Railroad.
Great care is exercised not to make it necessary
to reverse the intellectual sengine. His track
is skillfully laid its bed firmly constructed, so
that the mental car moves with the least pos
sihle friction, and is in no danger Of being
| thrown from the track.
| 1--WE have seldom seen pupils so completely
under the control of q teacher, and have sell
dom witnessed such enthusiasm, such search
| ing after hidden truth, as we witnessed in this
school, To reach u clear comprehension of the
methods aud improved system, one must visit
the school and witness the teachers power in
| developing the faculties of the Child's mind.
| We had heard of IL, but had not seen it, We
believed that much which had been told us
was merely apochryphal, AT the earnest sug-
gestiOu of gentleman largely interested in
| education in New York, we were induced 10
| visit this school, and found the statements Oi
others had fallen short Of the reality. The
| first class we visited was one Of boys and girls
whose ages, we afterward learned, were from
seven to eight years. They were engaged in
| learning how to find words in the dictionary
| We have often seen pupils in advanced classes
waist an unnecessary length Of time in search.
ing for a word in the dictionary. These little
children, who had only been in school about
| five months, were so thoroughly and skillfully
| taught that they would iiud any word men
! toned as quickly as their teacher or any Other
person. This exercise was followed by one on
the building up Of words, which WAS man
aged with such tact aud discrimination that
the pupils were able to construct
different classes Of words as they reached them
step by step, with wonderful facility and aC'
cording to photographic principles, aud not by
mechanical memorizing Of each individual
word " Pupils eight years of age VIII,
began their instruction last year, and whit
knew nothing Of arithmetic when they entered
his school, are now studying the application 0
percentage. They are classed with pupils VIII
entered this year from other schools of twelv
to fifteen years of age. We were informed tina
the class would complete elementary arithme
tic, except permutations aud PROFESSIONS dur
ing the present year. y We deem ii bu
justice to state that this readiness Of insight
this habit Of going to the inner thought 0
things and searching for great Fundamental