The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-04-11

pdpO ZUO. HcTC are u nulluTeu IUicS
or more Here are few of the ia
vorite words Heterography, Hypoth-
etical, Ablative, Frequentation, Redu
plication, Adative, Genus, Genera,
Homogeneous, heterogeneous Just
think what mess there is here.
Would you like to learn by heart all
these rules and defnitions7 If you
have child, would you be willing to
have 1t become a sacrifice Is not
this worse book than the Opnsmag-
mum The pupil is TO fill his mind
with q great lot of indigestible matter,
and to remain, forever Ignorant of the
beautifrh and useful subject of gram
mar. / have here another grammar
known as being one of the simplest.
1t begins with: "Grammar is the
science which teaches how to speak
and write correctly" The definition
is false to begin with; and | never
knew a boy or girl beginning the
study of grammar to whom it meant
more than would "Manin aeide Thea
Palaradeo Achilaos." l have known
men, who, after learning definitions
for years, could not tell you what
grammar is, unless in the language
found at the beginning of the book,
and when asked to explain it could
not. This grammar so all the rest, is
filed with definitions and rules to be
learned by heart. Why will we pes
ter children with things which teach
them nothing, with things they can
not understand and which dwarf their
minds. All the teachers who do not
require their pupils to memorize rules
and definitions will please hold up
their hands. All / have said of gram
mar is true of geography. Why do
pupils dread the descriptive and his
torical-the most interesting part of
geography-and like the dry and al
most uninstructiye map questions ?
Simply because they understand the
latter, while theydo not the former,
and must commit the former to mem
ory in order to make a recitation.
know of number of instances where
pupils were "kept in because they
could not say their geography. lesson
but upon being questioned afterwards
they knew nothing about that for
which they were "kept in A feast
of brickbats you say When pu-
pill repeats GEOGRAPHY is descrip-
ton of the earth's surface teachers
generally take it that he understands
it, while in most cases it is not more
for him than meaningless jingle of
words, would like to give few ex-
amples here. Every boy and girl in
the county who have studied arithme-
tic will say upon being asked, that
"arithmetic is the science of numbers
and the art of computation. If you
think this is for them more than jingle
of words, ask them to explain it for
you. 1t does not add bit to their
knowledge of the subject, and why
should they have been required to
waste time in learning it? A knowl
edge of arithmetic based on definitions
and rules memorized is soon forgotten.
Ws.are getting nearer right on this
matter of arithmetic than on any other |
branch. Why do our boys and girls |
know SO little of history2 This, to
them, is the dryest study. Here there
is no let up. They do not understand
it, and in order to make good recita-
ton and get good mark they must
learn it by heart. 1t has been often
shown that they know no more of the
subject than an automaton. Boys and
girls are fond of stories, and remember
them. History should be very in
teresting story to them. To ask pu-
pill to memorize definitions, you ask
him to do what the author has not
done. If the pupil does not know the
definitions you call him ignorant of
the subject What would you call the
To ask a pupil to learn def
nitions is just as foolish as it was for
Optimus to ask his boys to learn those
horrid definitions in the Opusmagnum.
No matter how simple definition is,
it teaches nothing unless the pupil
knows from experience or from pre-
vious instruction all there is in it. A
definition then, you see, is the last
thing arrived at in the investigation of
any subject. But we teachers and the
expect the pupil to begin
where wise men have finished. How
absurd! If i want to teach a boy
what an AK is | show him one. i'll
want him to become skillful in hand
ing it | have him use it. All the def
nitions you could frame would not
give him an adequate idea of an ak.
All the rules you could formulate
would not make him skillful axman,
If l want to teach boy additi1 I
show him. All the definitions can't
leach it to him. If | want him to be-
come an expert adder put him to
adding. All the directions you could
give would only confuse him. II
would teach all things in this way and
The pupil, venture to say, who learns
a subject thus, will give you rules and
definitions of his own, equal to any
you can, find in books. How many
are there who return from school to
their fathers house and when asked
what they can do, reply 'repeat def
aitions. What do you know in
grammar 81 can repeat all the def
nitions and rules" What in geogra-
ply? definitions" What in arith-
metic? "Rules and definitions"
What in history ? " know nothing
about it. ltisa a hard study. As
soon as | learned one lesson | was
sure to forget the preceding one"
How many are there who, when asked
what these things mean, reply with
The boy in the story, 'Lord, / know
not. How many are there who have
been out of school years and have
forgotten the definitions they spent ~
in learning! Their name is legion.