The Plymouth Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1878-1901, 1879-04-03
Educational Column.
J. F. LANGENBAUGH.
TEACHING GRAMMAR.

duces feelings akin to disgust, not
only among the pupils, but also, we
are sorry to say among the patrons
and parents. Nearly all the children
In our schools are said to be learning
grammar. and yet how few even OF
those who have gone regularly
through all The definitions. rules and
exceptions, can be said to have a real
or practical knowledge OF tho cub
ject. Now DO one CON claim that
this arises from the difficulty OF
grammar, but from the Inverted, I'M
natural and cumbersome methods so
generally employed in teaching it,.
We might quote page after page OF
authority to show how wide spread
and growing is the conviction. that
the present system in the study OF
our language is altogether inverted.
1t Is said, that. "Our grammars are
burdened with useless and unneccs-
sary rules, remarks, distinction', d.
visions and distractions" and for
this reason grammar become uninter-
ssting and tasteless to students. The
arrangement Of most Of our Rrammars
is the worst possible for the purpose
OF teaching beginners. A majority
OF teachers to-day blindly follow the
order OF text BOOKS; and though
every recitation should furnish evil
dence that this is an error, fail TO ap-
preciate it. Grammar, as generally
taught, consists Of memorizing def
nitions, destinations, rules and con-
jugations, and in applying them to
parsing, and in corrections OF exam
pies Of false syntax. Pursued In this
manner it is an artificial and arbitra-
ry system built up apart from the
ground upon which as science it
must rest. Composition or the appli
cation Of the principles OF grammar
should go hand in hand with the pre-
sentation Of the science. No pupil
can properly learn grammar, except
through composition. There Is no
other door to the temple. 1t should
be taught in oil our schools as one OF
the most important daily exercises.
Grammar. or that which underiies it,
should be the first thing taught In
the primary departments. Let the
child be taught to print, also to write
the names OF the objects around him.
In a very gradual manner let him be
led to express his thoughts on slate
or paper. Let 1t be daily exercise.
1t Is astonishing to one not familiar
with the results OF this system, how
much can be accomplished with small
pupils, and how early they will learn
to.express their thoughts on paper.
As they advance in judgment some
ofthe simple principles OF the science
may be taught them, and the skillful
teacher pursuing this course will take
great care to present only a single
principle at a time, and dwell upon il.
Rules of syntax and the arbitrary
marks Of grammarians SIN uld be the
very last thing taught.
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS.
Parrhassius was a Greek painter,
born in Ephesus, fiourished about
400 B. G. The story told by Seneca,
that Parrhassius. when painting a
"Prometheus Chained" put an 0lyn-
THAN captive to the torture, In order
to obtain from him the proper expires
sion OF bodily suffering. has been
proven to be utterly unfounded.
Olympus Mount is lofty group of
mountains in Greece, lying partly In
Macedonia. and partly in Thessaly, of
which latter country it forms the n.
E. boundary line. 1t terminates on
the s. al the mouth OF the river Pen
Gus. on the shore OF the Thermaic
gulf. Its highest peak has an eleva-
tion OF 9.754 feet. Its modern name
Is Elymbo. In Greek mythology.
Mount Olympus was the residence OF
Jupiter and the chief celestial deities,
and the clouds which visited the sum
mt were supposed to conceal the en-
trance to the vault OF heaven.
The Island OF Patmos, or as 1t is
now called Patmo, Is one OF the group
called the Sporades 10 the Grtcian
Archipelago. twenty inilhs south OF the
west extremity OF Samos. and about
the same distance west Of the coast oil
Asia Minor II consists OF an irregu-
lar mass OF barren rock, two miles In
circumference. In the time OF the Ro.
man Emperors it was led as pl C.
ESTABLISHMENT. 1t was TO this island
that st. John. the apostle, was exilec
by the emperor Domitian. A ID. %
and here he wrote the Apocalypse
and perhaps his gospel also.
The Orangemen are secret poliri
eal society OF the British Empire
whose official designation in its OWL
record is @The Royal Orange Institu'
fion." 1t is composed exclusively o
Protestants, and its professed objects
are to support and defend the reign
ing King or Queen OF Great Britain
and Ireland, and the succession
to the throne in the present roya
family so long as 1t remains protest
ant.
Priam was the last king OF Troy
and according to the legend. 9Th il
descent from Jupiter. He was tn,