The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-02-05
BY SOLOMON SIAS.

SIN spite of all that has beer said
we have to-day in our country large
number of so-called teachers whost
sum total of school room instruction
consists in having the pupils memorizt
page after page of the textbooks used
Notwithstanding it is fact that mem.
ory knowledge is utterly useless,
a waste of time and an abuse of ment.
al power, they require the pupils to re-
peat word for word, paragraphs and
pages of the Biographies aud histories
used some even require it IN gram
mar and not few in arithmetic.
Go into these schools and see the
poor little suffering children reading
over the definitions and rules in their
arthmetics-see their lips move as
they ale repeating the words over to
themselves again glancing do Sn to the
book when they cannot think of the
exact word, and then beginning back
to repeat it all over until they are sure
they can say it exactly as it is N the
book.
Are they to be made repeating ma
chimes A kind of mental hand-or-
gan to bring out disjointed words
whenever the crank is turned 4? Who
ever learned to extract the cube root
OF number by memorizing the uncom-
pretended rule ? And whoever knew
child to comprehend it from the ex-
planation appended to it in the book I?
And how long will he remember it
after the recitation is done Not
three weeks ago, conversing with a gen
tleman, he said, ''Prof. - made US
learn the whole of Browns grammar,
notes and all, and believe | can re-
peat big part of the book now, if
you'll start me off right" did he
make you correct the false syntax ?
asked. "Yes," he replied, ''and give
the rule for it," Poor fellow he is
the living example OF the utter useless
ness OF such folly, such mere memory
knowledge. He uses participles for
past lenses past lenses for participles,
adjectives for adverbs, and adverbs
for adjectives. He memorizcd the
book that was all, he never understood
1t. What correct usages he has ac-
quired by reading since his school days
ended is all that is of any value to him.
His memory knowledge is of no use to
him unless he is wound up and started
off like music box or an alarm clock
"Polly wants cracker"
But the advocates of memorizing
claim ''lt strengthens the mental pow
ers." Bosh l would suppose it would
strengthen the digestive organs if we
eat peck or two of chaff daily, for
there might be some wheat in it, but
do not propose doing it. Do you
There is sense in having the pupils
learn memory gems little extracts
from the statesman, philosophers, and
poets of earth, for the sentiments will
come up again and again, long after
the mere words are forgotten, and will
have an influence in moulding their
characters and directing their lines OF
action and influence although they can
not quote the words. 1t is the sentl-
ment,not the words, the idea not the
dressing. Not so with these defni
tions, rules, paragraphs, they are words
or nothing. They are the mirage Of
thought
The simple fact is--These teachers who
insist upon having the pupils memoir
ize the text book are either, ~ too ig
norant to develop in the child's mine
a correct knowledge of the principles
rules, and definitions, or, (2) they an
too lazy 20 do it.--NeV York. Schoo
JOurUQt