The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-06-13
SsBY.GLINKsGALEs & LANGsTON.

pupil in order to understand it. All sr
willing to admit that physical exercise j
necessary to a healthy growth of th'
body; why not apply the same principle
to mental exercise? The real object o
education Is mind growth-not merely
crowding tho memory with usely names
and dates-but training the pupil to us'
his mental powers, or in other words
teach him to think and reason: When
We have inducea pupil to rsdson. WI
have called into exercise the very high
est faculty of the human mind; there
fore those studies which bring into most
active exercise this. faculty. should
receive most attention in our schools.
Grammar, like Mathematics, compels
the pupil to think. In analyzing even 9
simple sentence be must, of necessity,
concentrate bis thoughts upon it, care
fully comparing its different parts aud
their relation to each other.
While speaking with an experienced
Professor of Languages last Summer,
Zone who has taught Hebrew, French
aud German, in England, Germany, and
in our own country we CHANGED Incl.
dentally to ask what country he liked
best. His answer surprised us, as it
brought up at once this very question Of
Grammar. Hesaid: II like your coun.
try, as home, far better than any in the
Old World, but I. have more difficulty in
teaching here than in others, from the
fact that you have no Grammar in your
schools, .or atleaat' chat is the case in
many of your cities. This makes it
harder for ma to teach the different Ian.
guages, for I have at the same time to
teach the principles Of Grammar" We
remarked shat We had heard lit affirmed
that the Languages could be taught
before pupil had studied English
Grammar. His reply vas, $50 have /,
and / once believed it, but was convinced
of my error when. I attempted to teach
German to class. Of iyouDg sAmericans
who knew nothing Of Grammar; could
not even distinguish between the subject
ofa-verb and its object"
Now in regard to the second division
of subject: "hos0 shall We teach Gram
msr."
On this point, of course, we can give
only such methods as have given best
results i'm our own experience. Other
teachers, no doubt, have methods which
give them better results than these of
ours. In this study there is vide scope
for the tact Of the teacher 10 display
itself. Even with the best text books,
some Outside exercises are helpful, and
these the thoughtful teacher can furnish
in great variety.
The firss question naturally is, at what
age or in what grade shall the pupil
begin this stndy7 We usually introduce
simple exercises of this kind in connec.
ton with Firat Reader. The beginning
is, of course, largely oral work. Cues
tions on the reading lesson, the play.
ground, objects seen on the way to
school, &C.; a1oays requiring the little
pupils to anssoer in complete sentences. At
this time we also teach them that every
sentence begins with capital letter,
also the use Of the period, question and
exclamation mark. Later when Second
Reader il begun, we extend these lessons
and introduce written work. In the two
series of readers, re are using at present,
(swinton's and Harpers') very useful
outlines for Language Lessons are found
at the close of each lesson. Now We
begin to teach "name Words or nouns,
equality words" or adjecti7es, faction
words" or verbs, and 80 on. Sometimes
we ask for. list Of all the nouns occur
ring in the lesson, at another time the
verbs or adjectiyes. Here theapupils
will readily notice that certain names are
written with capitals, ever when not
commencing the sentence, and 80 We give
thera another rule; every proper name
should begin with capital letter. We
may also, at this time, teach the different
kinds Of sentences declaratise, or simple
statement; interrogative, or question, &c.
When the pupil takes up Third
Reader we usually begin che regular
study Of Language. The book which we
hare found most satisfactory for thisp
pose is "Harper's New Language Les.
sons" We consider this little book q
treasure, and all our pupils are pleased
with it. Part I. is, simply word study,
and Part III. takes up tue analysis Of
sentences, or real Grammar. On com.
pletlng this the pupil has a very credita.
bic knowledge of the parts o; speech and
their relation to each other, and will
never find Grammar hard, dry study.
Much of the material for outside work
in this line, we get from that excellent
paper, 1.-THE Teachers Institute" In
each number of it we find several pic.
lures. with simple questions printed
below as guide to the pupil in writing
descriptions of them. Interesting stories
for reproduction are also given. These
we nse on Friday afternoons for special
exercises. For pupils little more
advanced, good exercise is to read to
them or let them read, some descriptive
poem, ask questions on it until each has
formed q mental picture of the scene
described, and then let them write a
description of the scene in their own
language. Transporting poetry into
prose,is an exercise in which all @our pu.