Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-04-26
THE NEW METHOD OF TEACHING

reading and language. As he has sucl
wonderful powers of imitation, he earl,
learns 10 write and to draw, and we hav,
additional modes Of expression. Thus W,
use reading, drawing and language (botl
oral and written) in connection with every
subject. In the advanced grammar grade,
the pupil reaches the period when the re-
Elective faculties begin to mature. Here he
can study to advantage technical grammar
for which 50 broad Il foundation has been
laid in the practical study Of language
The geography Of observation, which i,
the knowledge Of our surroundings, is prop
erly taken in the first years Of school life
and later the geography Of Imagination, OF
that of distant places since it is the office
of Imagination 10 reproduce and modify the
pictures Of perception Mathematical and
| physical geography, except the elements,
are postponed until the mind is able to grasI
their difficulties. Following the order of
mental growth, number is taught objective
| ly, and simple operations in arithmetic are
taken in the concrete, the reasoning process
IS being left until the reflective facultie,
are called into play. History is begun at
an early stage, when the Imagination is az.
| tive, 10y the usc Of stories, and continued by
connected study Of interesting events until
the pupil is able, in higher grades, to trace
the relation of cause and effect.
At the time when the mind most easily
retains words, selections from the best writ
ers are memorized. In succeeding grade,
/ classical stories are read and the birthdays
of authors celebrated by short ife.sketches
and recitation Of passages from their writ
/ ings. In this way we form a taste for the
literature which in coming years will de
mand such critical analysis The practical
working Of town and state affairs. under
stood in lower grades, leads to more appre
ciative study Of civil government in the
advanced course The elements Of the nat
ural sciences, even those Of chemistry and
physics taught by objects and experiment.
in earlier years, lay the foundation for fu.
ture discoveries. Music, drawing and phv-
sical training (which includes a knowledge
of the human frame and Of the dangers "a
every kind all have their beginning with
the child, and accompany his later steps.
Thus one department prepares for anoth-
er, and the line of separation between the
High school and the preparatory grades is
| progression in the same subjects rather
than the pursuit of different studies. The
| principle that the objects or subjects of
knowledge must be brought before the
mind applies TO the highest departments.
Instead of learning mere words, the stu.
dent analyses plants, dissects specimens and
works in laboratories. finding the secrets OF
nature for himself Here, where the re.
Elective faculties are more fully developed
aud the subjects taught demand the exer.
else of taste, judgment and reason, the
parts or qualities of mental things are pre-
sented in their logical order, as the parts of
natural things are taught in their natural
order Here in greatest force We see the
truth Of Pestalolzi-" Education is the gen
Grafton of power the original work in
mathematics, in the ready comprehension
Of diiiault classics and in the vigorous
thought of essays and debates.
The advantages of the natural or normal
method sometimes called the oral objective
method, the Quincy system or the New Ed
ucaton-are readily seen Subjects are
| presented SO that ideas are received before
words are used, and the pupil, under the
direction of the teacher, discovers truth
for himself The text book is shown to he
"A book Of reference-a record of what has
been taught. In the words of another, "lt
is 10 be consulted, not committed to he a
companion, not "A task master" This meth
nd promotes the harmonious growth Of the
mental faculties and uniiies the whole svs
tenn Of instruction. BY exciting curiosity,
awakening interest, aud affording the 10y
of discovery, it creates love for study.
By properly training the powers of ohser
walton and memory, it fits the pupil 10 be a
life long student. There is very little dan.
ger of iniuring the mind or body when the
faculties are developed in their natural or
der; but when they are unnaturally forced
the growth is stunted and sckly, aud the
physical system may suffer in sympathy
Nor is moral training neglected By
maxims and poems committed to memory
10y instancing heroic deeds and rare virtues
hy constant reference to the distinctions be
tween right and wrong action, and more bN
the unconscious influence of the teacher, W,
seek to realize the definition of Fr0ebel
Education is the harmonious growth o.
the whole being"
1t should not be inferred that the old sys
tenn is wholly wrong Its good points-anC
they are many-should lie kept intact; tn,
self-dependence, and the steady drill de
manding such stout resolve and perseverin,
effort
In regard to country schools, the idei
generally prevails that the same work can
not be accomplished as in those of large
towns The secretary of the Massachusett
state board of education, in his last annua
report, expressly states "Just as goo,
teaching can be done in an ungraded schoo
as in one that is graded and in the sam
time and in the same way A promnen
superintendent says that he obtains as goo
results from mixed schools as from thos
that have but one class in a room. Thre
things seem IN be requisite for this end
the provision of inexpensive material bet
ter economy of time, and the employment
of trained teachers. You cannot max
bricks without straw. The teachers in
genuity can supply much that is necessary
hut there must be some expenditure of pull
lie money. Quoting from the same secrt
tary' Time can be economical by unitin
classes as far as practicable in each subject
This can be done by the topical method b
frequent and regular substitution of write
for oral recitations by supplemental
reading, and by alternating the recitation
of the older pupils in certain studies
Time can also be gained by careful prepl
ration of busy work in the line of the le
sons by general exercises in different sui
iects aud by omitting needless details
geography, unimportant dates of historl
and useless parts of arithmetic, all
which, according 10 one writer, might
labelled things worth forgetting"
Teachers must he trained The bett,
the method, the more skilful the teachin
required, 4 good method in the hands {
a bungler is worse than poor one. II
old time teacher knows nothing of mentl
laws, and violates all the principles base
upon them. He does not understand the
the mind should be led in every subject