Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-09-28

The morning session was taken up by
Prof Priest of Barre on " Teaching Arith- /
metio," and in discussion OF the subject
Lateness of the train prevented your
reporter from being present at The morn
ing session.
Mr.. Dart, the superintendent OF educa-
ton, was present, several superntendents
and fair attendance Of teachers for trst
meeting. but not half what should have
been there, or that might have been with
benefit to themselves.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The meeting was called to order at 2
o'clock, and music by the choir was the
first exercise, after which Mr.. E lson.
principal of the R ,ndolph normal school,
spoke IF reading. He thought reading
more neglected than other branches. 1t is
sal that reading is the art Of arts. but in
The school room it is made subordinate to
other studies. 1t comes generally the first
thing in the morning or afternoon, and is
usually gone through without preparation.
One cause of poor reading is lack OF
confidence in the pupil. and he would
commend that each pupil face his class in
reading. as calculated TO inspire confidence
and beget interest. He strongly commend
ed the word method in teaching reading
instead Of the old alphabet method.
He spoke of faults in reading, of hest
fancy. faulty enunciation and school tone
obi rcted to concert reading to any con-
siderable extent, and commended reading
from miscellaneous publications withou,
previous preparation, especially from
more advanced pupils. Mr.. Priest was
called on and took grounds on one point
reading in concert, which he consider Ell
of great use often in creating an interest
in the exercise and the subject.
Superintendent Dart would rather
have child of his 60 out from school a
good reader. able to read and write well
than with all they learn now. Pupil.
should be taught habits of attention, o.
observation. to wri lite sentences read OIL
repeated by the teacher.
Mr.. Tinkham was called on, and made
some remarks, in which he supported Mr.
E lson's view of concert reading thinking
it positive injury, as tending TO me
chancal reading BY the pupil, He though
pupils were often crowded or allowed to
take up books too far advanced for them
pieces which they could not understand
and they could not give expression to wha
they could not mprehend.
Mr. Bracket of Montpelier spoke of the
various methods Of teaching prim AIRY
reading, the alphabetic. phonetic ant
word methods. While the teacher will
10 Ike use of all, he favors the word
method. The alphabet does not carr,
the idea of the sound of the letter, or an,
idea of itself; OF the phonetic, it is faul J
ts our language is not spelled Theoretically
He prefers the word method. and endorse
The supplementary or miscellaneous read
| u, auu spohe III idNot vi OouCeIl IeaulnS
He would have pupils read Shakespeare a
Twelve years of age. Qlestions-to Mr.
Edison: Would you not have pupils correc
rrors at any lime during reading? H,
would have cor rections made at the end o
he stanzts only. Is it necessary that thu
eacher should face the class? Answer
not necessarily. Would have the pupil
fee the class while reading.
The committee on nominations present
d the following list of officers for tn,
'nsuing year, which WAS adopted: Presi
lent. Henry Priest. B IRE; vice presidents
t D. Hobert, Berlin, Ivers Bltchelder
Worcester. Jennie Thomson, Flyst on
cretary and treasurer, +. E Donahue
Ioretown; executive committee. J. H
Seuer, Warren, J. Raymond Brac kett
Montpelier, j. c Wright, Waterbury.
EVENING SESSION
vas opened with music by the choir, afte
which Mr. Tlnkham read selection.
| The regular course WAS taken up an
The Town System" was discussed by d.
Tones of Waits6eld. He said he coul,
Iot tell his audience of any system whc
# itself would furnish invariably teacher
Vho would always work with energy
T industry and fidelity, or secure the co op
ration OF school officers who should d.
heir work faithfully and heartily, or an
Ivstem which will secure the h earty CT o.
ration and interest Of the parents; but b
believed they could show simpler an
let more efficient system than that i
general use-the district system. DR.
Jones then explained the provisions ant
workings of. the law and drew com pari
'ons with the district system. His peopl
.re satisfied with the system. Anothe
advantage is that they can secure m )r
weeks school than under the distric
,ystem. Then twenty -four weeks was tn
almost unvarying rule. Soon after tn
own system was organized the time wa
heightened to twenty eight weeks for eac
\ school district in town. Soon another
! week was added, and not long after tn
board desiring to still further increase tn
the term, an article was inserted in tn
warning of the town meeting to see if til
town would instruct the directors to still
further lengthen the term. Without
: dissenting voice it was voted to do so, an
now all the schslars have thirty weeks c
school. He thinks there is more peaceful
, administration of school afftirs, and fewe
= troubles which seriously interfere with tn
Efficiency of the schools. The board {
directors have more influence for harmon
, nan a single prudential committee. II
loes not wish to say that schools can b
, Imported with less money than under til
Old system, but thinks the money NOR
economically expended, Last spring th
question was again tested. and the tow
voted about three to one that the tow
bald 10 T.. n