The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1884-08-07
THE SUMNER NORMAL.
rs. monrGomsaYs ESSAY
Os IteaainE-Th. closinE psy Of Mast
Successful Term ~ the summer
Normal Institute - Iiscits-
tlons - Mln0r Notes.

mornlng exercises the class tO he exam
ined for the state Normal repaired "a
an adjoining room, The blackboard
illustrations ~ words and their mean
ing, by Mr., Grove, now recoiNeu att.h'
tion. AFTER this, reading by Mis-
Montgomery ALPHABETICALLY n.y. the
teacher preiaced her remarks by calling
attention TO the fact that Tor the pas,
three weeks u portion OF each uhy nai
been devoted TO pressing upon ne
minds Of the assembled educators lhe
Importance of adopting the new
y word method for training little children
To sight reading Including in this "A
lesson on the alphabet and ON spelling
thus. in the most pleasing and impress
sAye manner, conveying instruction Ia
the child-mind concerning three les
sons, occupying for all the time usually
given 10 one.
By way of proving tho benefits of this
mode, the lady said: "Mr. Preston, one
of the teachers of McDonogh school, No.
Z, New Orleans, recently stated that hc
had taught little child who didn't
know its letters To read in fifteen mlnu-
! ties, at the end of which time II read
three pages of the word method aS
much M child usually learns IN IN On
tire school year"
When so prominent AN cduca-
tor IA Mr.. Preston admits a
method has been found by which
80 much time can be saved, and that
without increased effort either iur
teacher or pupil, II would seem that par,
en.s ought To bo sufficiently Interested
TO desire TO fully understand The new
way, and on finding the teachers state
ment correct, unite in demanding its
immediate adoption by our schools.
The school days of our children are all
too few in number to permit needless
waste of any of them, and If time and
l,l. IA. 10
farm, the factory, the house and the
Office, why may not time-savinS methods
be as desirable for the school room?
From the hour the little one begins "to
take notice." the mother is constantly
watching and aiding that mysterious
unfolding of the mind; 1t be-
gins to distinguish one person from
another; to lisp their names. Then it
gradually learns the names of the do
nestle aniuals-the dog, the cat;
bird in the cage or the fowls
about the yard. Nospecial care is taken
to instruct it, but little by little, all I'M
information.-in fact, being, educated.
All this knowledge comes through the
senses. The eyes behold the
object, the ear hears its
name, and the brain takes the
impression which remains forever. The
germ is already alive, needing only
proper guidance, to develope the mental
faculties to their fullest power.
This method come, to us from Prof.
Webb, and here is the secret of his sue
cess. He follows closely the order of
nature, building carefully upon the
foundation already laid by the mother,
going slowly hut so surely there can be
no weakness in the structures; training
the child to do its own thinking from
the very start. The child is taught to
road precisely as it learned TO talk, and
the names OF the letters are learned in
the same manner. For instance, a child
knows cat by sight and by name, it
knows its legs from its eyes, its claws
from its ears; it knows the different
colors. A picture representing children
at play with black cat is shown it, and
it readily points out the black cat; on
the opposite page the words black cat
are shown it, and it is taught to rccog
nize by the form that these words mean
black cat. They convey an idea
to the child's mind they are some,
thing familiar; it has little story to tell
about the cat aU home. With enthusiasm
kindled, interest aroused, it is ready to
! amuse itself and cultivate memory by
AVpting for IL cat all through the book,
or better still, through the box OF cards
which accompany the book. 1t has not
simply caught sound, 1t mas Srasped
noes and they should be taught in the
Q me way. II ,hey comprehend what
they say they invariably give the nat
ural right emphasis ana infection. One
great aim of Prof. Webb's method is to
to carefully nurtuY this natural tend
ency and avoid the monuio ous sing
song drawl, winch Is the inevitable re-
suit of the old-scnool system. a full
comprehension OF the meaning of every
word taught is insisted upon. No par
rot-iike habits are formed, no
confusion of ideas permitted,
nor is there any "examining.,"
The, brain is simply guided, and II
aroused, curiosity excited, a desire for
infoim nation is stimulated, and the
child, w ich n Ter the o Il regime would
worry q tea.Aor'S life Out with its mis-
chiuvous pr inks, finds more congeniai
employment, ~ by It's rapid progress
wins enough praize to prevent any
diminuton of its zeal. Now that an
easier and better road has been opened
for the little ones to commence their
Journey up the i'll of learning, have we
a right TO compel them to follow
the old laDyrinthine route?
Mothers are almost prayerfully
earnest that their children should wear
the latest style OF dress. Why not nlan-
ifest as eager an interest that they should
profit by the latest and best mode of in
StructiOn?
now desire to call your attention to
to the art OF reading AS it exists among
grown up people: Prof. Romanes, in
his new and wonderful book about mem
tai evolution in animals, tells us of
curious series of experiments which he
made in order to test the comparative
rapidity OF perception among expert
enced readers. Selecting number OF
highly educated persons, accustomed to
omnivorous reading, he placed before
each in turn paragraph containing ten
lines of clear type, i'll which simple facts
were simply stated, and allowing twen-
ty seconds as the maximum time for
perusal, he measured the time of each
with u chronograph. At once, after peru
sal, each reader wrote down as much OF
the paragraph, or the substance thereof,
as he could remember. The result sur
prise he Professor not little. Although
all his subjects were experienced read
\ ers, and unconmonly well educated,
their reasoning powers were not ut all
the same. Some persons read with no
les, than four times the rapidity OF
offers; and the quickest readers also
remembered what they read best,
These things are well known TO ex-
perienced journalists in this country;
Indeed, there is no profession which ex-
erts the powers of swift reader to so
sreat an extent. Great practice is GER
l.lenly requisite to produce phenomenal
rapidity in reading; but practice alone
will not insure to certain readers the
capacities apparent in others.
Some persons can take fresh news
paper, dash the eye obliquely across
each page i'm succession, and tell you
i'm less than minute every
thing contained in the sheet worth
notice. Others, who read cautiously,
deliberately, precisely, cannot III
quarter hour obtain same results, al