New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-30
DEFECTIVE METHODS OF TEACHING.
EXPERIENCE.
TOM Edttor or The Trib


Sir: The question Of methods Of teaching I'm tho
pubic school, seems TO be a prominent one at The
present time and J. the mother Of twelve children, who
have been ard are the victims of the various methods
think nv experience has been broad enough to war
rant an expression Of opinion on the subject
agree with the writer of a recent article that the
result u the teaching Of reading our public schools
is deplorac The trouble Is that the children have
reader containing Interesting. childish stories which
after one reading BE- rccited from memory by the
pupils They get the story, but do not become
familiar with tie words. If they word
which may have been repeated many time In one Of
ln the reading book, they arr entirely az
loss to know what the wOr Is They not conscious
Of ever having II before. When children arrive
al ten or twelve why not put one of our fstcaSs
daily papers in their hands and teach them 10 read
that and at the time get them Interested IN the
leading questions OF the day. Is It not reasonable to
supioe ,hat reading Of this kind would do more to
make intelligent citizens Of our boys and girls than
all the stories In the reading books about Jane and
sarah out to take walk by the scashorcl
Next take the spelling lessons number Of words
the scholars 10 learn TO spell They are perhaps
written on the blackboard, and the class Is told TO
say them over together each word three times. The
children begin their song for such It always proves
10 be- and each wor is repeated three times. but It
Is more than likely that If the teacher should stop
the class when they had just finished the third cpcti-
ton Of word and ASK almost any OF the scholars
TO spell 1t he would fail They have been recing,
but their thoughts have been on their play some
| thing outside of the lesson They not taught
in concentration Of attention. which would be Of more
value to children than everything else taught tho
schools In fact. 1t Is the basis principle Of good
| education.
Some OF my daughters have gone through the Normal
College, and they say that they never understood
| some Of the simple rules In arithmetic until they
learned them there. They had always done their eX-
amplcs according to certain rules laid dowl; had
| they forgotten the rules they would have been a,
| a loss how TO proceed. II does me that
the Normal College is the place to give the rudiments
an education. l had idea i designed to
| not well laid / suppose IT must be patched up
| before the finishing touches can be given. But why
| should We be called to pay for patching up poor
work done hy Others! Why cannot have good
work In the beginning!
The first twelve years Of a childs school lifo are
the most important, and the finest teachers should
| he employed for that period, and paid we'll for their
| services II requires one hundred per cent more
skin 10 teach class ranging from five 10 than
IL does to teach class ranging from fifteen 10
| teen This idea T. not understood and appreciates
Lv the majority 81 people. and as soon teacher
Is found Ia possc>, special ability In her line she Is
| rIomncI 10 = higher grade, ana she H. glad To "a
bccausc her salary IS Increased IfOp"rtlohairY This
shout not be the case. The primary teachers should
get just much salary the teachers In the grammar
| department. .
Ip = letter to The Tribune from a Teacher II