The national leader., 1889-03-02
Home Education.

The education of children begins at
home. II is there where they receive
their first impressions and thei FIRST in
structio.>. Their parents are their first
teachers. If then the foundation o.
the eaucat on of children is laid at
home by their parents, how important
it is that parents should be careful OF
their examples, their rrecepts, and their
requirements in al their dealings with
their children, While it is delight
full task to rear the tender thought,
and teach the young idea how to shoot"
it 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 to 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 to
school.
BY a sound education we do not
mean merely the acquisition of knowl-
edge. We mean that and great deal
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 should
prepare themselves by self-instruction
and providing themselves with the
proper books, maps, charts, globes and
other helps.
Children should be instructed i'll the
principles of morality from the very
start in their life. 1t is 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 go to school, should learn at least
TO 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 day fol
| one and two years to learn. as q hard
task, what they could learn as pleas
ant pastime in one half the time, under
proper parental instruction at home.
Very young children require more
personal instruction and attention than
can Ue given vnen in school, where in
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 express
sion to thought. This ability can be
acquired only by long study and prac.
tice. Young children learn language
chiefly by imitation and practice, and
it is of the utmost Importance that
parents should present them good
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 and correct
| language at all times and on all SUBJ
jects. 1t is in this way that children
learn most speedily to use their mother
tongue correctly.