St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-08
ELEMENTARY EDUCATION.
Essentials Pointed Out by a
Learned Professor.

Essentials Pointed Out by
Learned Professor.
The National Council of Education
was prompt in getting down to busi-
ness yesterday morning. The session
was held in the hall of the house of rep
resentatives at the state capitol. There
was a good attendance. At the outset
considerable time was consumed in
reading the record of Saturdays pro-
ceedings. First one and then another
member bobbed up and explained that
he did not exactly say what he
was quoted as saying in the record.
DR.. Harris, for instance, was referred
to as speaking of French pruriency."
The learned doctor did not relish this
phrase, so he had it altered to refer
ence to the pruriency of certain French
novels. Perhaps the objection was a
necessary one, having in view the fact
that DR.. Harris is the United States
commissioner of education, and as the
record will be published for PUBLIC dis
tribltion. it would hardly be polite to
pass over anything which may be con-
strhed as insulting to the French ma
ton. The various corrections having
been made amid some mirth, n. A.
Calkins, of New York, chairman of the
committee on elementary education,
was called upon to read the report of
that committee, Essentials in Ele
mentary Education" A synopsis reads:
The chief purpose of elementary school
training should be the development of the
several powers of mind and body IN har-
monious strength and activity.
The skillful teacher will proceed first to
ascertain whether or not the senses of sight
ard Of hearing are Ill normal condition.
and whether the mind acts readily through
sight, hearing and speech in forming and
expressing correct conception. In arrang-
ing suitable exercises for mental, physical
and moral training with a view to securing
the best results in development, distinc-
ton must be maze between that which is al
ready known and that which is unknown to
the pupil. and care must be taken that the
known and the related unknown shall be
closely joined in the progress OF instruction:
The following are some OF the lines OF
tranining which are essential during the
period of elementary education:
Physical training demands the first consld-
Grafton. The fact that many children do not
bring to the school healthy bodies makes it
more important that in the school all the
conditions of health should be scrupulously
observed. The school house should supply
the conditions for. health; the teacher
must guard their use through proper supply
of light and air and through correct posi-
tions of the pupils in standing and in sitting
and by suitable exercises. There should be
given such instruction as the pu-
pils can understand and appreci-
ate' relative to all the hygienic
matters that will aid them in sending out
from our schools boys and girls with physical
development equal to the demands of life.
Intimately connected with physical training
is such attention to ear and voice training as
viii lead to distinetness of enunciation, to
correction of faults of utterance, to training
pupils how to breathe with ease while speak
ing and singing, and also how to speak with
appropriate tones of voice in reading as well
as in conversation.
Training i'll language should be given in
and through lessons In reading, leading
pupils to examine their reading lessons not
only to find the individual thoughts repre-
sentei, but the group of words used to repre-
senteach thought will cause them to discover
the meaning of that which they read.