The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-03-20

=
learn to recognize it wherever they see
it. Then while the impression is still
fresh they are sent to their seats 10 see
how good a man they can make on their
states for themselves. This is the first
writing lesson. and though naturally The
first attempts are not very successful, it
is surprising how quickly children learn
70 initiate any word thay see written,
and with what nevcr-tailing interest and
enjoyment they will copy words and sen
fences upon their states. Every word
they read they also write, and of course
SPELL for children would no more spell
the word IMAM wrong when they wrote
it. after having learned to draw it i'll this
way. than they would draw the man him
SELF without his head Indeed. the method
of teaching spelling j. the great feature
OF the SYSTEM. If any thing has been
demonstrated by repeated failure. it is
that teaching TO spell English by ear is
impossible. Nine out of ten of the pco-
pie who speak the English language to-
day. il they are in doubt how to spell Il
word. write it down to see how it looks;
that is. they spell hy eye. although the
eye has never been trained to retain the
shape Of words. The object system
spends its whole power on this training
of the eye. From his first lesson. before
he knows letter, the child is taught to
initiate the written shapes: he is taught
to rely entirely upon the eye. and after
he has learned his letters, and can spell
orally. instead Of drawing what were to
him at first arbitrary signs. the same sys-
TEN is continued. spelling is taught BY
dictation and by exercises in writing
original composition. until at length the
eye retains naturally and without effort
the form Of every ward that has been
seen.
Meanwhile, photography is learned.
| Having always seen sentences written
! beginning with capital it seems to the
chilrcn a law of nature that all SELL
| fences should SO begin. and accordingly
they never think Of writing otherwise.
They learn in the same way what ques-
| ton mark is. and what it means. and
where ii should he put. and 50 on through
| out. Strangely enough, also. although
the child has never been taught his let
| tcrS. and only knows written words as
| signs representing objects. he finds no
difficulty i'll recognizing the printed words
when he sees them in book.
| Thus children WHO have learned to read
| from script upon the black board. when
| they arc put into primers go on with So
| little difficulty that the delay in the
school work may be neglected. Every
one knows. however. that the converse
| does not hold true. and that children who
have first learned to read print do not
read handwriting naturally. AS time
goes on another strange phenomenon
| takes place. Children begin to read new
words ut sight, without knowing their
letters, or ut least the names of the let
tiers. They appear to have come to asSo-
| ciate certain written signs with certain
sounds, and to generalizc just as they do
when they learn to talk. No child. for
instance. ever heard the word "gooder.'
yet the chances are lc will say ''goodcr,'
and not better, because he has learned
by observation the rule for forming the
comparative, but not the exception to
the rule. Soin learning to read he seems
to recognize the force of the letters long
| before he knows their names.
When this stage is reached the battle
is Won. After that children soon learn
the names of letters for themselves; at
most the teacher has only to spell the
words aloud for Il few days as she writes
them on the board. The difficulty then
is; to supply the books. There is 10 dan
ger that children thus taught will not
love 10 read. Learning has been one
long pleasure to them. because it gave
Il vent for their energy in work they
thoroughly understood. which occupied
at once their brains and their hands,
They read childish books with the same
case and the same delight that they talk
childish talk and the chief care of the
instructor now should he to see to it that
plenty Of the right kind OF reading is
supplied: reading to stimulate the inter
est. to rouse the imagination, and to fix
the attention: reading at the same time
healthy and sound. and which shall lead
to better things in the future. 1t is par
TALLY to supply this want that DIR. Eliot
and Mr.. Lodge have edited these books
1t may be thought that it required no |
gift of prophecy to foresee that stories
that had delighted children for a thous-
and years would delight them still. vet
these stories have never been put in
schools before. Nor is the mere story
the chief end III view, They have been
edited with the object of making them
perfect as a school book The oldest and
purest texts have been chosen. and it is |
safe to say that there are no reading
books i'll existence of equal literary
merit. The sane is true Of the poetry:
the selection has been made with the OBJ |
ject of educating the taste. and prepar-
Ing the scholars to enjoy the best forms
oi literature as they grow older.
The amount OF reading which can lie
disposed of during year in a good pri- |
mary school is amazing. Such books as |
these are simply devoured by children
who have hitherto been starved SO far rs J,
their fancy and their imagination are
concerned. If any cares to test prac-
ticailS how strong the interest OF chill |
dren who are thus taught really is. he |
has only to bny dozen picture books. |
OF indeed story books Of amy kind, 60 to |
some primary school where this system is |
in successful operation, and tell the chill |
dren that he has brought them some
thing new to read. He will probably be
satisfied that there is no lack Of eager |
ness about him, and that the little people |
know quite well What they want.
Exactly the same thing holds true Of |
writing. No human being San ra utter |
csted IN making pot hooks, OF IN filling |
dreary COPY book with copies but al
most any one can he interested in putting |
his thoughts into words if he is rightly |
taught. AS a matter of fact, nothing |
seems to entertain children more. after |