The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-10-30

reasoning faculties. But; upon reAec-
ton, it does not appear strange that
the sign for hat, which is instantly as
ISOLATED in any child's mind with the
object. hat, which he knows very well,
should be more easily remembered
than the sign h or or t, which means
nothing, unless, perchance, the last is
confused in his mind with the name of
his mothers favorite beverage, in
which case he has something to UNI
learn. In all good schools the word
method, if no better one, is now fol-
lowed; but it had to encounter very
obstinate, not to coy ooncei@od, vvIi-
servatism when it was introduced.
Another Improvement Of modern
date was the Invention of the Leigh
type, which gives each letter a peculiar
form for each sound it has. This is
serviceable in its way, but is not yet by
any means in universal use.
The latest advance in the art of
teaching children to read would seem to
be very natural one after the triumph
of the word-method, but it, neverthe-
less, encounters great, opposition.
While it is development of the word
method it is much more. 1t is an APP
plication of the principles of object
teaching, and it reverses the traditional
order BY teaching the child to read
written words, and to write them
before he reads printed words,
or even knows the alphabet.
We have no space here to 60
into an elaborate exposition Of the
method, but brief sketch will indi-
cate it. The teacher, perhaps, draws
on the blackboard a picture of a cat,
and by conversation gets the attention
of the children to the subject. Then
she writes the word ''cat,'' and tells
them what it is, talks about the word,
grasses it and writes it again, makes a
column of repetitions of the word. con-
stantly calling upon them to recognize
and pronounce it., requires them to
watch her as she writes it slowly, to
see where she begins and how she pro-
ceeds. When she has dwelt on the
word sufficiently it is left on the board,
and the children take their states and
pencils to make the word for them
selves. Their work is examined in
dividually, corrections made, and hints
given. They write it over and over
again. By such a system the pupils
acquire in few days knowledge of
several simple words, including, per-
haps, two or three verbs and adjec-
tives, and read short written sentences,
and can write the sentences themselves
with surprising faithfulness to the
teachers copy. or even from dictation
In few weeks, much sooner thar
might be expected, the pupil has &C
quired a considerable written vocabu
larry, and has an acquaintance by ey,
and the power to make with pencil al
the more common combinations O
script letters. Then the teacher ma,
begin to teach the printed words
either from the blackboard or witt
charts; but not negleeting the writing
which is continued constantly, SO tina
the pupil habitually uses the pencil
ard practices writing, not as penman
ship with careful teaching of up-strok,
and down-stroke and oval and loops
but imitativeH. In time the Letters
composing the words are taught, ant
then the pupils are exercised in spell
ing the words they write.
The system has been pursued in the
schools at Quincy for several years, anG
there is no longer there any question o.
its superior advantages. - Chicdgt
Tribune. tfsi,