Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-04-19
THE TEACHERS.
The Third Day of the
County Institute.
SUBJECTS UNDER DISCUSSION.
Primary and Grammar Sessions
in the M0rning-JOint After
noon Meeting.

to be interesting beyond the ordinary
probably on account of the excellent
manner in which the programme was
arranged and the intelligence of the
speakers and listeners which is so ap
parent that it has been the occasion
for remark. Generally, Institutes are
dreaded by the teachers but this one
is SO excellently managed as to cause
a different opinion to prevail:
Yesterday mornings session of the
Primary section was called to order
in Armory Hall by Prof. Keran after
which Miss Emily A. Rice of Monro-
via was called on to give an address
on Grammar and Composition meth
DDS, but her exercise was substituted
by instructions as to the work to be
done in Second Year, by Superin-
tendent Meredith, of Ventura County.
Miss Anna G. Murphy, of Santa
Ana, gave very interesting paper on
"Color, how to teach and what"
Miss Laura Duncan, of Pasadena,
followed with an article on number
lessons, and stated that the pupil
should first be taught to count by
ones, forward and backward, to 10,
and then by los in the same manner
to 100. The pupil should next count
by 2's and afterward by 3's, forward
and backward, to 20, 40, so or 100,
bearing in mind to commence with l,
2 and 3 at different times in the opera
l.. 10 IL
thoroughly familiar. Miss Duncan
circulated a number of num-
ber lessons among the teach
ers, similar to those used in
the Pasadena schools and proceeded
to explain the order pursued in
teaching. At the close of intermis-
sion Mrs. Averill announced that the
ladies of the Flower Festival would
serve lunch for all the teachers at 25
cents and invited all of the teachers
to patronize them, as it would be as
sisting the charitable institutions.
Miss Minnie A. Perley, of this city,
gave an address on Geography, and
followed with work in first lessons
with the moulding board. She first
heaped the soil on the board in the
shape of mountain, showing the
summit and base, then divided it in
to several sections making chain OF
mountains, and then subdivided it
into parallel ranges. She stated that
she talked with her pupils about
mountains. for inetance, the snow
capped Alps and the famous st. Ber-
nard dogs used there. She also de-
veloped the idea of a water shed,
showing how streams multiply with
their tributaries and form rivers.
Here is a good time to develop the
uses of rivers, the power derived at
waterfalls, navigable rivers, etc. The
next illustration would be the plains
and the different kinds, and why cam
els are used instead of horses in cross
ing them. Islands and isthmuses
may be taught in connection with
stories of pic-nics or parties. She con-
fined the work at first as much as pos
sible to this country, touching upon
the change of climate and the prin-
ciples governing climate.
Prof. Keran occupied the balance
of the time in the forenoon by an ex-
ercise on numbers, and followed the
principles taught by Colonel Parker,
which is to have all problems with
children as formal as possible.
THE GRAMMAR DIVISION.
The Grammar Division of the
Teachers Institute met yesterday at
8 A. M. at the Normal School building,
Prof. A. w. Plummer in the chair.
After the Institute was called to
order, Mrs. Emily A. Rice was asked
to read paper on Reading Methods
for. Seventh, Eighth and Ninth
Years. Mrs. Rice recommended
the use of standard works OF descrip-
tive travel and fiction from which to
select reading exercises By this
method she had found that the ideas
expressed in the compositions were
more forcibly impressed on the mind
and clearly applied to the understand
ing.
Miss Hawks called attention to a
method she had pursued Of conduct
ing rapid reading class, also drill,
by which the PERCEPTION and under
standing of thoughts expressed in
composition were educated. The lady
considered this one of the important
points in reading, as quick precep-
ton of what was read was of manifest
necessity.
The subject matter Of the compost
ton to be placed III the hands of pupils
was discussed. The.ex preston, artic-
ulstion, ETC., Of child on the play
ground was almost perfect, for the
simple reason that he fully compre-
hended the subject matter OF his con-
versation. If pupils were assisted to
fully grasp the meaning of subject
submitted to them, they could easily
be taught to read we'll.
The subject of United States history
was next taken up by Professor E. P.
Rowell. Before taking up the subject
assigned him, he referred to
the subject under discussion on Tues
day relative to memorizing. He had
found as rule all rules for memoriz-
ing in disrepute among the teachers
of the present day. With the object
of gaining some information as to the
asserted results of these methods
Professor Rowell had interviewed the
Superintendent of the Stockton Insane
Asylum. He had learned from him
that a great many boys and girls were
there confined, among which not one
case could be traced to overtaxed
memories.
Miss Lille A. Brown gave some ex-
cellent thoughts and theories on the
subject under discussion.
Alter brief recess, the exercises
we're continued by paper on Book
keeping, by F. E. Little, of the public
schools of Pomona. Mr.. Little con-
sidered bookkeeping one of the most
important studies in the curriculum.
1t was of all the common school
branches possibly one of the most
practical. A blackboard exercise IL
Illustrating a simple system OF single
entry was exhibited, also a list OF