Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-01-09
Quincy ard Boston Schools.
An INTERESTING REPORT.
BrgLIxGToN, Vt. Nov. Is, 1879.

HIS ltilNS ulltAAlN ~
superfcialiiy. Smatter is the order of the
day. To enter college boy Of seventeen
needs to know a little of everything, but it
is not necessary to know anything well, not
even how to write his own language. No
matter whether it can understand it or not,
the child must be taught little of every
thing, at least enough to pass an cNamina-
ton"
This extract from an address by Mr.. Adams
shows the feeling toward the public school
system of Quincy, few years ago, which
has led TO the establishment of the pres
ent method of work. The school committee
make it as rule that ''the studies pursued in
the common school should be so pursued that
they may result in something of direct use in
the ordinary lives of New England men and
women" OF the final result Of this work
we can but imperfectly judge as the new sys-
TEN has been in operation only four years.
In the daily programme we fni place
for writing, reading language, geography,
arithmetic and miscellaneous lesson. There
is no instruction in music or drawing and
the rote singing is poor. The courscis eight
years, giving four years TO the primary and
four years to the grammar grades. There is
no daily marking, no examination. Promo
tions are made only on the teachers re-
commentator and occur whenever a child is
ready for it, The idea that vast numbers
of children can he taught as trains are run on
a railroad the timetable principle was
discarded with the old system
Quincy schools are innocent of Textbooks.
There are no Biographies, no spoilers, no
arithmetics, no grammars, no writing books.
The readers are used in one school a little
while, then sent 10 another and a new sci
introduced. Magazine and newspaper ar
ticles are furnished for reading lessons.
The a primary, ID and G grammar cores
pond with our intermediate grade. Each
teacher has one grade and an average OF fifty
pupils.
WTting-The first work in the morning
is writing Ten minutes of the tire was
given to rapid finger movement, then papers
were passed and the children directed to
take position for writing, which they did,
placing the right side to the desk, the feet
in the aisle Then with the pen inverted
traced movements in writing AS the teacher
counted. Then the pens were dipped and
lines made, the teacher counting. Thisprac-
tice lasted ten minutes, then papers were
collected and for ten minutes the children
wrote upon their states Better writing
never saw in any school. Aside from the
regular lesson, every lesson except reading
has its corresponding written reproduction in
txr1.I rh hn oh n al M
more than can be perfectly done as regards
language, spelling punctuation and capitals
so that it is safe to say that onc-half of the
time is devoted to the cultivation of written
language. The amount Of oral work is very
small in comparison.
Redding.-An hour day Is devoted to
reading and in some schools even more. This
is made an all important study, one strong
point being reading at sight" The mean
ing of new words is taught, then lesson is
read through so as to get its meaning. Small
mistakes are not noticed. The expression
and articulation are fair. The children are
not taught elOcution but to read. understand
inely to themselves, a great amount of
matter.
Speling.-There is no oral spelling.
Words from Il reading, geography, or any
miscellaneous lesson furnish the matter for Il
spelling lesson.
These words are written upon the board
and copied for twenty minutes. At the end
of that time they are erased from the board
and states Then the teacher pronounces the
words and the children compose sentences,
each of which will contain one word from
the spelling lesson. This ends the matter
until the teachers correct the work. | looked
over something like Il hundred States and in
all saw not one word incorrectly spelled.
Geography.-ln geography everything is
taught effectively. Each room has its mould
ing board four feet long and three feet wide,
upon which is pile of sand. This sand is
made TO represent high and low land, con-
tinents, islands, etc. A pile of sand, through
the centre of which pipe was run and paper
burned illustrated volcano, pretty draw
ing on the board in colorcd crayon illustrated
the vegetation on mountains. AT our re-
quest the continent of South America was
moulded in the sand. In this, the outline
was very correct, also the valley of the
Amazon and Orinoco, the Andes slope, etc.
Good maps Of North America sa TeTs hS9 Pai
being used. This last, i. {. the continent
work, was done in the A grammar class.
Language. the programme as
signs a place to language, no lessons are given
in the science of language but instruction
in its art is constant. However, child may,
in Quincy, complete the common school
course and never know noun from verb
The language lesson that | saw given was
this: The teacher held up seven books from
which sbe TOOL three hooks then succcssivalv
one. until only one remained. During this
time the children simply watched. The
children were then required to do the same
with cravons also with prouns of bovs and
Girls Then the numbers vere mt mon the
board and the subtraction was performed.
The teacher then asked ..IIow many knew
what that was ~ Hands were raised and
she said .sTake volr slo,es and write The
children wrote the definition for subtraction.
And as MIGHT he sunnosed there were yarious
answers In the same manner dcfnitions far
mnuend and subtrahend were obtained. |
asked if correct concise definitions were
ever piyen them" .Ob no. That would
snoil their oririn,I;tv | wondered if thcv
were meyer dangerously ..oririnal,"
Arithmetic in arithmetic they teach no
definitions no rules noeynIon,ti0ns and but
very simnle apalvscS How results arc oh
,o;nod 10 49, ,h., no.. me- ,1,,:,,,J 10
oyoryth;rr
In the fhrcc ve,rs which corresnond with
opr IntcrmeI;a;e ,I,ov. teach odjition snI-
trao, ;"n ,nui,;r,;ca,;nn J;,.;s;on ard frac-
lions rnder each cyceIIen, drill is oiyrn
7 found ch;IJren Who bod nod only ,d,ji,,on
orh,rac,;on muI,;ni;c.,;nr and d;yisio, ,dJ'
in,r ra,,;JI, ,nn,r calnn,nS in jolIars mi cents
In Nh. sa,,, roo.n Ills nrnIlem ,yas mon The
hoard
..If =, M, c., IL, ni.oo Of ,,o,l il, fur
,., - ISL Wv p III, :, 49,, IL
NV Nv INC liai,s ia, ~ H. u , - ",i,.
10y , w. eo ',e w II III IN" '''''
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