Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1881-02-12
TEACHERS INSTITUTE.
TINE FOE OBJECT AHD LAN.
0UA0E Lessons.

rInE FOE oBJKCr AND LAA.
0UAoE LEssONs.
The Prominsnes which sheuld ~.
ssch % sach Exsrsisss-visvs 81
ssms Of she Tssehsrs OF storey
County en- she Subject.
The Tsaohsrs' Institute Of Storey
county met at the Fourth Ward School
House. Virginia, at 10 A. N. today su'
p~erintsndsnt Boohsr In the chair.
After . little music the bsdnsss OF the
meeting was taken up: Language Les
sons and Object Lessons. and how much
time should be devoted to them?
Prof. Baker WAS called hrst to the
door. The importance Of language and
object lessons 10 understood new; and 10
the subject VA how best to give these
lessons, more interest would attach to Il.
To tell what time should be devoted to
these subjects was . good deal like ask
ing how long . barrel Of -four would last
. family. The answer would depend .
good deal on the size Of the family and
the appeutes of the children. It wa 20
with these language and object lessons
In school. The time to be devoted 70
them depended on the school. it, powers
of assimilation OF that kind OF mental
pabulum and its appetite for that kind
Of food.
he thought an hour aad Q half . week
in the Second Primary Departments
and two hours q week In the First
Primary Departments nome too much.
Yet be was free to soy that II was more
than was generally devoted to those
things. II any thing was to be skipped
by the teachers, these lessons were gen.
orally the ones ; and yet they were more
important than any or oil other excer-
| cisss In the school. Language lessons
began In the first CLASSES. and should 60
through all grades. and branch out into
exercises In grammar. and bear fruit 10
compositions and the general study OF
literature.
Professor Young introduced Professor
8. d. Coserove OF Cleveland.
Professor Cosgrovs said the subject
was one difficult to talk upon and not
oyerreash ones self. The thoughts
and objects and customs Of people v
thousand miles away might be more or
less radical than those here. His views
might be considered radical or the re-
verse.
Languae :. lessons began at home. with
the frst attempt Of the child TO speak
or manifest an idea 10 any manner An
infants smile was In consequences OF
some thought playing through the brain
and was itself an endeavor to give ex.
preston to that thought. As the child
grew older the struggle to express thought
was continued aud intensified. Lam
guaee lessons not only stimulated the
thought itself but clothed II and made 1t
attractive to others. All bad thoughts
which appropriately clothed would DO
welcomed BY all. Language lessons
could best provide such clothing. More
time would be needed In the beginning
than further on, yet language lessons
| should be continued through every
grade. Take time enough TO make the
lesson interesting and for the pupils to
understand 1t whatever that might be.
| No one could tell Just how long that
would be. but till every scholar should
| fully understand the language thrown
around the thought.
Prof. Cosgrovs illustrated his position
in various ways and answered several
questions. He closed by exhorting teach.
era I o work for the greatest amount OF
good for the children. that they might
20 through life as oonqusrors TO whom
all fhe realms OF literature and thought
aud reason would be opened.
Misses Sullivan and Everitt and Beck
and Habicht all fought shy Of the sub
ject, the more shame TO them sinses SOM
/ Of them are really capable Of discussing
the subject Interestingly.
Prof. Young, OF Gold Hill. said there
was 90 much that was useful and inter-
estiug In language and object lessons
| that be did not spPrebend that the teach.
ing OF them was likely 10 be overdone.
| He thought that the lessons OF the school
| room should have time and attention
enough to break up the habits OF speak.
ing improperly, which children acquire
outside the sohool.room. Whenever q
child uses an upgrammatical expression
it should be corrected. II not on the
spot, ct the first opportunity, until the
habit OF speaking correctly became so
.trono an In control the use OF language
without Interfering with the dow OF
thought. II mistakes occur In written
exercises, correct those. Answers to
questions should be perfect sentences.
Thus langusge-lessons would DO insepa-
rabls from teaching. though no specially
should be made Of them.
Prfessor Willis discussed the question
Of time. He thought there should be Q
certain time allotted TO the giving Of Ian.
Ruage aud object lessons. The need OF
It was unquestioned. He suggested
fifteen minutes per day In Fourth
Primary classes, and about the same
for Third Primaries; ten minutes . day
in second and First Primaries: Second
Grammar classes needed much time, ~
the text book could be used and reasons
given with language lessons; First
Grammar classes could take them 40.
oordinR to opportunities. but should
have thirty minutes q week at least for
these exercises. and the High School
should devote all the time which can be
spared to them.
Miss Ida Lynch wanted . sample Of
Mr.. Willis fftAen-minute language les
sons for Fourth Primary classes. but did
not get II.
Professor Flint thought the best LAM
guase lesson weuld be to give q boy .
pencil and let him have year a. local
reporter on . live newspaper.
Professor Gray took up The discussion.
Il had been found by advocates OF the
three Rs that the old way OF educating
from text books did not prepare children
for life experiences. Boys who could
cipher through the book frequently
failed on q little example In marketing.
The same was true in . parallel test Of
Grammar. Hence language and object