Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-03-06
Home Education

The education of children begins at
home. 1t is there where they receive
their first impressions and thei' first in
structior. Their parents are their hrSt
teachers. II then the foundation OF
the education of children Is laid at
home by their parents, how important
il Is that parents should be careful OF
their examples, their precepts, and their
requirements in all their dealings with
their children. While it is delight
full task to rear the tender thought,
and teach the young idea how to shoot"
il Is, also, a responsible one, for, ''as
the twig is bent, the trees inclined. /"
The first impressions usually last the
longest, and the principles acquired
and the habits formed in early life
usually give form to the character OF
the man or woman
1t follows, then, from what we have
said, that it is the highest duty of
parents 10 give proper instruction and
training to their children in the elemen-
tary principles of sound education,
especially during their infancy and
until they are old enough to go 10
school.
BY a sound education we do not
mean merely the acquisition of knowl-
more-the full and proper development
of the mind, heart and body, the full
and proper cultivation and discipline of
the mental, moral and physical powers.
In order that parents may discharge
this high duty efficiently, they shou d
prepare themselves by self-inStruction
and providing themselves with tie
proper books, maps, charts, globes and
| other helps
| Children should be instructed in the
principles of morality from the very
! start in their life. 1t is u simple and
easy matter TO teach them to be honest
and truthful, kind and polite in all their
dealings with their fellow beings
1t seems to us that children before
they 60 to school, should learn at least
10 read in the First Reader, and to per-
/ form simple operations in the four
ground rules of arithmetic, besides ac-
| quiring some knowledge of OrthoGra-
ply, Geography, and matters and things
in general.
| The very thought is painful to us
that children should be required To sit
! in a SchOol-room six hours "a day for
one and two years to learn. as a hard
task, what they could learn as a pleas
ant pastime in ore half the time, under
proper parental instruction at home.
Very young children require more
personal instruction and attention than
| can he given them in school, where i'll
struction is mostly, and necessarily
given to classes. and where the teacher
often loses sight of the individuality Of
pupils.
The most important subject to which
We desire to call the attention OF parents
with reference TO the intellectual train
ing of their children IS to their Ian
| guage Their is no higher attainment
than skill in the use of words, ability
to use the right word in the right place
and to give clear and forcible EXPIRES
sion to thought This ability can be
acquired only by long study and prac-
tice. Young children learn language
chiefly by imitation and practice, aud
it is of the utmost importance that
parents should present them COOL
models, and constantly guard them
against the use of slang, or other i'm
proper language, and lead them in the
habit of using polite, chaste anl correct
language at all times and on all sub
jects. 1t is in this way that children
learn most speedily to use their mother
tongue correctly.