Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-04-29

gives her more; how many has she
then?
Tom has 6 cents and spends cents;
what has he left?
A man has yard with rows of trees
in it, and 2 trees in each row; now many
trees in his yard?
Kate has s cakes and divides them
among of her schoolmates; how many
will she give to each?
If they do not readily understand these
without using the objects, we allow them
to make a practicable demonstration.
Every teacher in the primary rooms
should be provided with table around
which she can gather her children for
their number work. Toward the close
of the year, we give them little problems
on the board to copy on their states, us-
ing the signs plus, minus, multiplied by,
divided by and equals.
Insist that their number work and fig
ures be as neat as they can make them.
Once or twice during the day we quit
our work for little rest. Sometimes we
occupy this time in singing little mo-
tion song, or in having gymnsstic exer-
cises, always having the fresh air enter
the room in some way.
Then for our general exercise work,
we will have little talk on the human
body, plants. animals, snow, water, col
ors, or any subject that may suit the day
or the mood of the children. And at
other times, when we have five or ten
we will tell or read them short
story. and then ask them to
tell it to us the following day as near as
they can remember. There is nothing
pleases them quite so much as a good
story, and l think we should be very
careful that the four walls of the school
room should not shut out too much of
Gods free air and sunshine from these
little ones. The teacher must have love
for children or she ought not to engage
in the work of teaching them.
For busy work have boxes dlled with
small, colored blocks, shoe pegs, and
wooden tooth picks. With these they
form many pretty pictures on their desks
from simple outline drawings made on
the board for them, such as little sail
boat, rake, house, fence and tree, and, in
learning about the different kinds of
lines, angles, triaDgles and squares. They
also use the pegs in making their num-
ber lessons. making the signs, plus, ETC.,
with the pegs. At other times 1 will
give them small boxes filled with letters
for forming words. Ali these things
serve to keep their hands as well as their
minds employed.
In providing for the intellectual wants
of the children, we must not forget their
moral training. For we have many little
ones under our care who come from
homes where the name of our Creator
is never mentioned, unless it be in an
or profane manner. What
account shall we render if we neglect
the great privilege and duty of teaching
these little trusting ones about the high
er, purer type of life?
1t has been said by some one that "The
book a child studies most thoroughly is
the open book of his teachers character.
From it he learns lessons upon which he
is not marked or examined. but which
he learns with lifelong thoroughneSs."
If this be true, how earnestly We should
endeaVor, with tie help of a higher
power thaH our own, to present to the
children true, pure character.
1 find that the FIVE or ten minutes de-
voted to opening exercises, can be very
proftsbly spent in having the children
learn little scripture texts and repeat the
Lords prayer, xiii Psalm, or some her
beautiful passage of scripture.
This may not seem to do much good at
the time, but the children enjoy it, and
the primary teachers in our Sabbath
Schools can testify that there is some
good done; and God has promised that
his word shall not return void.
The seed we have sown with an earnest
will,
Though among the thorns it fell,
A harvest may bring for the reaper's
hand,
The result, we cannot tell.
A song we have sung with happy heart,
Though unheeded at the time,
May be on some tablet of memory writ,
And its power may be sublime.
A poem, though written in weakness
here,
By the help of grace divine,
A jewel may gain for the diadem,
On the Saviour'S brow to shine.
A word we have spoken in tenderness,
Or deed performed in love,
Prolific may be in the future years,
When the author rests above.
We never may know while we labor
here,
What the fruits of toll may be
But when we shall stand on the.golden,
heights
Wen the gathered harvest see.