The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-03-12
LET THIN READ.

Many children are fond Of reading
They thirst for something to read. They
read whatever literature they can get,
being unable to discriminate between tie
good and the bad, the suitable aud the
unsuitable. The thoughtful, wa.chful
teacher can do much ia the way of
directing Lis inquisitive pupil, but he
can not wholly take the place Of the
parent whose duty it is to supply the
child with such reading matter rs will
develop his faculties .ynmetiicaily, and
withhold or take from him such rs xiI
have pernicious inflnence on his mind
and morals. The parent supplies food
forthe body let him supply fopd for the
mind, or, in the case Of q blasted life,
take upon himself the blame. Many
parents are not competent to judge of the
merits or demeiits Of Literature for their
children: let the teacher (teachsrs ough,
to be competent) help the parents in this
matter. Many bright, promising minds
have been dwarfed by the lack Of some
thing wholesome to feed upon; and
many have been ruined, eternally ruined
by the appropriation of damaging litera-
ture. A few dollars judiciously expended
fox good books and papers would save
many tears and signs, aud bless the world
with many useful lives. Nowadays,
books are cheap. Any bright boy can,
beginning at the age Of ten, by saving
what he wastes incidentally, accumulate
o neat, little, handsome, valuable library
before he is twenty one. Do our teachers
ever think to make such suggestions to
their pupils? Have the patrons of the
public schools ever thought abput I'll,
Importance Of accumu!ating library
for their children while they are growing
up7 We speak Of the children of the
public schools because with those cl H.
dren we have to do. In their welfare ".
are most particularly interested. A few
months in the year they are in school
during the other months they must br
directed aud encouraged aud taught b.
their parents, or be left to pine and dwar.
for the want of something 10 feed upon.
More on this subject hereafter.
In response to our call, Mr. Watkins
writes SHOULD teachers have exercise,
simply for cultivating the memory OF
their pupils, or do the usual branches oi
study sufficiently develop this faculty
If the Training is such Us it should be, i
seems that there can hardiy be necessil.
for anything out of the usual course OF
study being introduced. At the yer.
beginning there are twenty six different
shapes aud names to be learned, then the
sounds Of each of these shapes, and
afterwards the combination OF sounds;
then the arrangement of lelters In spell.
ing words, in all of which, memory il
almost the only agent. Reading ma,
serve to strengthen or weaken til,
memory, this depending on tho manner
In which it is taught. Pupils reading
without understanding, going over a pag'
without knowing what it means, ge,tlnl
idsas thrown together in confused ma.-,
without having tho thought !,ruugh.
clearly before their minds, not only hav
their memories weakened, but form the
habit of thinking impe.fecsly, aud tn.
very foundation Of their mental training
becomes defective. Teachers should
require their pupils to get such clea,
conception of what they read that ther.
shall be no clouded views, but that til,
thoughts of the author may stand on,
clear and distinct, for ideas fully under.
stood are easily retained In the mind OF
may. be readily recalled, while the mind
turns away with something of aversiuu
from things we have read and failed t..
understand. A good plan is to requir.
pupils, after they have read paragraph,
q page or lesson, to give the leading
thoughts In their own language. Re.
quire them to talk inteiligently on th.
topics discussed in history; let geography
be 60 studied that each map may rise
before their minds as the places are
named. Under this system 1t will br
found that the memory will be developed,
and the mind trained TO accurate auu
syatematio thinking at the same time"