Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1885-10-23
Educational.

The New York Teachers Reading
Club is at present making study
of tie Theory and Practice of
Teaching, by Page. This work
IS full of helpful, practical sugges-
tons. Chapter second treats of the
Responsibility of the Teacher, in
which the idea is emphasized that
the teacher is not atone responsible
for the results of education. The
parent has an overwhelming respon-
sibllry, which he can never part
with or transfer to another while he
holds the relation of parent. just
as true rs it is great thing to guide
the mind Alright; just as true as it is
a deplorable, nay, fatal thing, to
lead it astray, SO true is it that he
who attempts the work of teaching
incurs the responsibility of success
of failur The teacher is in q de
gree responsible for the bodily
health of the child. 1t is we'll es-
,ab.ished that the foundation Of
many serious diseases is laid in the
school-room. These diseases come
sometimes from a neglect of exer-
else; sometimes from too long con-
finement in one position, or upon
one study; sometimes from over-ex-
element; sometimes from breathing
bad air; sometimes from being kept
too warm or too cold. The teacher
should be an intelligent physiolo.
gist, and from a knowledge of what
the human system can bear and what
it cannot, he is bound to be ever
watchful to guard against the abuses
from which our children so often
suffer.
"The Order OF Study" is enlarged
upon. "Tnero is natural order in
the education of the child The
teacher should know this. Those
simple branches which the child can
comprehend should be first present
ed. Reading, of course. must be
one of the first; though l think the
day is not distant when an enlight-
ened community will not condemn
the teacher, if, while teaching reai-
ing, she should call the Guilds at.
tention by oral instruction to such
objects about him as he can compre-
bend, even though in doing this he
should somewhat prolong the time
of arning to read. 1t is indeed of
little consequence that the child
should read ,cOrdS simply, and that
teacher may be viewed as pursuing
the order OF nature. who so endeav-
ors to develop the powers of obser-
walton and COMPARISON, that words,
when learned, shall be the vehicles
of ideas. Every teacher should be
a good reader. Not more than one
in every hundred can now he called
good readers. To be able to read
we'll implies a quick perception of
the meaning as we'll as q proper
enunciation of the words. 1t il u
branch but poorly taught in most of
our schools. Many teachers cannot
waken an interest in the subject,
because very likely they cannot read
any better than their pupils. -
Page.
With few exceptions, where spe-
cial training has counteracted the ef-
fects OF poor teaching. the good
reader was made in the primary
room. One glazing defect in teach
ing reading in the lower depart
ments is haste on the part of parent
and teacher to crowd the beginner
from page to page and book to boob
before the little one is prepared for
advancement. This presuppOses too
long lessons without thorough drill.
For this, parents are often in fault;
they judge of the child's progress,
and the teachers proficiency, by the
number of pages gone over. Make
haste slowly, must be the rule in
teaching most children. Occasion
ally precocious youngster, an OBJ
ject of pity, is able to recognize
words without trouble, and before
teacher or parent is aware, is pour
ing over the trashy literature so Of
ten found at home and in Sunday
school libraries. l have long felt
convinced that many children in
towns and cities learn to read too
soon. inasmuch as they are not prop
erly directed in the choice of reading
matter. The flimsy nonsense, if not
immoral sentiment, feverishly i'm
bibed through the delicate brain,
may we'll be compared. in deleter-
ious results, to the heavy bread,
rich pastries, cake and sweetmeats
given to children, irritating the sep.
sitivo stomach and injuriously affect
ing the whole body.
If mole time was devoted to the
development Of a larger number of
faculties than arc usually addressed
in teaching reading, the child would
be better prepared to understand the
meaning of words and render them
in a natural tone of voice. Lessons
in form and color, picture lessons
and object lessons, objective number
SASASAcScS o'shPAO atdWluH anu WIFI
ing, all tending to cultivate close Oh
servation, and language would add
vastly to the pleasure and progress
of our primary children. The ap.
parent Toss of time, from q superb.
cial view, will be more than made
up in the increased interest in school
life, and subsequent advancement in
reading and all other branches. if q
few moments each day are devoted to
some perceptive exercises. Suppose
we wish to teach the primaries to
spell few words, the little eyes will
sparkle and a glow of animation
pervade the class if the teacher sud-
denly presents for example some
pieces of flannel or paper in bright
colors, still better if in symmetrical
forms. Upon such text compe.
tent. ingenious teacher will not find
it difficult to enlarge. Say the cards
or patterns are red, white and green.
OnQ cnr1aro ona kr,o N o,,Ior A. - II