Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1883-04-13

Of knowlcdgc, as well as the medium for
conveying all knowledge, which Is out
side Of and beyond Individual obserya-
ton and experience" The use Of the
observing faculties through which we
become acquainted with the external
world, aud experimentation BY which
truth is indelibly impressed upon the
memory are most earnestly snjoiued
As this instruction is to be kept np dur
ing the whole course, general glance
at methods is taken before entering apon
the description Of the first or kindergarten
year. il ~ Troy
| IN learning language child must
begin with the single words An sdB-
iect, for example m apple, is presented
TO him. l5y sense--perception he learns
that il is red, that ii Is round and hard.
that il is sweet TO the taste and pleasant
to the smell. When he has thus OBJ
tanned clear idea Of it, he is told its
name As soon as lo becomes able to
recall tho nnme on seeing the apple, or
to form conception Of the apple, on
hearing the name, another step may be
taken by teaching him the written. sign
of the word This plan Of objcct-teach-
ing, which gives the pupil with each
word corresponding image, can not fail
to be successful in securing .clearness Of
thought. Sentences, proceeding from
the simplest to the more complex, arc
next to be employed The child Is
taught to express the queer little thoughts
of his own mind, and he also imbibcs
much useful information from conversa-
ton with others. The pretty flower,
the treasured picture, tho frisking little
dog, will furnish themes for discussion
in tender days, while the more advanced
pupil may drink deeply at the sparkling
fountain of natural science. Nor must
instruction in sentence building be oral
only. Let the teacher write upon a
blackboard the sign Of every word used
in the sentence, requiring the pupils to
pronounce them aud TO call TO mind the
objects for which they stand. Thus both
observation and experimentation are con-
hnaaHy brought into action, and tho.
way is opened up for the acquisition of
knowledge from books as well as from
the daily contact of mind with mind.
Many advocates of tho kindergarten be-
gin with the child at the age of three
years. Froebel himself held that since
VIC bear u relation both to society and to
the family, We should be accustomed 10.
mingling with our fellows as soon a.
possible. Our essayist, though probably
convinced Of the need Of still earlier cul-
ture, commences with the fifth year.
Numbers Of people living in tho city
send their children to public schools
when six years old. In point of time,
then, the change proposed will not be
great to them But the Inhabitants Of
rural districts will be opposed by many
aud perhaps insurmouEtable difficulties.
Where houses are several miles apart, IL
will be impossible for the little ones TO
attend school so early In that case
the need ought to be supplied, as well as
may be, by the parents. Few subjects
so much deserve their attention.
In the kindergarten year, children
should be made familiar with common
things, and form habits which will fol-
low them through life" Their interest
is to be aroused, and their powers Of
attention, perception and Judgment are
to be disciplined. During this year the
lauguage-training Of which we have
spoken should be commenced The
body, moreover, should be exercised by
pleasing songs and plays. Much will
depend in this first year upon the in.
genuity Of the teacher. The next year,
corresponding nearly to the first year Of
the present primary schools, is prinei-
pally occupied with language-lessons,
general observation and learning to read
The language lessons consist at first oe
very short stories, each Of which EN-.
bodies some entertaining truth. Gradu-
ally they increase. in length. After the
story has been told the children should be
required TO repeat II in the best language
they can command. with the assistance
of the teacher wben- necessary" OBJ
servation may be cultivated by tho study
Of the human body aud the ten thodaGd
beautiful and interesting things With
which the world is filed. ReadiDg is
taught by plan, too long TO dwell upon
here, one Of whose main features is its
strict adherence to the objective theory.
Simple exercises in computation also
form part of this years work. physi-
cal culture is never forgotten from The
beginning TO the end Of the course. The
third year sees the pupil fairly launched.
He is instructed in the science Of num-
bers, in history, geography, physiology.
botany aud zoology All Of this is ac-
cosnplished through that delight Of child
hood, the story. Vocal music, penman-
ship and drawing are now introduced
We can notice but briefly the two re-
naming years Of the course. During
the fourth year children arc trained 10
the studies commenced in the year pre-
ceding. "Young peoples magazines,
leaflets and the best Third or Fourth
Readers can be profitably used" says
our author, "but every reading-lesson
should have some specific purpose within
the comprehension Of the pupils, de-
signed 10 lmpnrt some uscfui kn0Wi-
edge" Ia geography map-drawing is
now taken up, and the children are also
referred to books descriptive Of the globe.
Progress in arithmetic is secured by
continual drilling in the four basal rules
The last year itly crowns the course.
Text-books on arithmetic, geography
history, physiology and hygiene, sx-
planned and illustrated by the teacher.
are carefully studied. The spirit of orig
inal investigation, during this year as ia
all the rest, is 10 be encouraged by every
incentive.
This meagre outline, so meagre oien
as to be little more than catalogue Of
studies, may still, we hope, give some
insight into the excellcncies of Prof
Richards plan II his principles b.
81 AZ .L.lI a