Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-12-12

ali private where manual training ~
taught outside OF New York, but a. the
benefits derived are felt il will undoubt-
eddy come into the common possession OF
all the Institutions Of learning One
great feaI entertained has been that 10
establishing it, time would have TO be
taken from Other studies Anything so
unsatisfactory has not been the result
Instead OF impeding progress IN other
studies, II helps them by changing the
order OF training foi the better IN every
department Drawing is the funda-
mental study IN industrial training II is
the corner stone OF the entire structure
of manual work ~ taught in the common
schools II enters largely INTO the boys
department OF carpentry and the girls
classes Of sewing and cooking
The girls. II they do not know how to
draw straight lines. will hardly be able
to sew straight seams, OF make proper
hens, and in cooking will nol he able To
know the value OF measurement Draw
ing has already been taught for some
years. go the three new features added
in the schools are the workshop fot boys
and sewing and cooking departments for
girls and there is promotion IN these
just as in all the other studies
Naturally great variety OF tools and
materials are needed and even now the
supplies are not all furnished The list
for The cooking class Is az complete as for
family setting up housekeeping The
great difficulty is in finding the proper
teachers fof this sort OF training OF
course ii is easy enough to procure a
good carpenter OF 81 good cook, OF good
seamstress 10 show how 10 work IN these
departments but the thing Is to find
some one who can teach these different
branches carpenter for instance, who
not only knows how to saw a board but
can explain the reason fot saving IT, tell
what kind OF wood he Is using and
where il comes from besides many other
practical points connected with IT,
And SO IN each Of the other depart
ments i'ut means will undoubtedly he
found To meet each want as ume goes on
The children take great interest in
manual training and this is great in
centive TO teachers The girls are allowed
to have small repast made Of the things
that they have cooked OF helped to cook,
and this increases their interest III the
performance to a vast degree Then
too, they are inspired to try experiments
at home, which Is, of course exactly
what Is desired by the founders OF the
work
Tie principal Of one of the best public
schools for girl. has made reading aloud
a feature OF her school not elocutlou
but reading in simple and intelligent
manner She herself as a reward of
merit reads to the girls once week on
l Friday afternoons not Sunday school
STORIES or sci pieces from school books.
but standard works In that way she
hopes to interest The scholars in literature
a study to which little time Is given in
the public schools
II has been telt for some time that the
teachers where this new manual has been
adopted ought to have some training
too They were assembled 10y the board
of education m the hall Of the building
belonging 10 this body To hear lecture
on the subject SECOND meeting was
presided over by bI PAM Hoffman. the
assistant superintendent who has the
manual training m charge That gentle.
man has been a physician an Arctic ex-
plorer and is pronounced a man OF
genius the right man IN the right place
lie gained the confidence OF the teachers
at once 10y ms earuestlIess III stating that
he knew something more about the sub
ject than they did, but not much lie
was thoroughly Interested IN it, and
would work day aud night if need he, II
order 10 gain knowledge on the subject
On them as well as himself depended
the success OF the work lie thought the
way 10 teach manual training was to be
gin IN the most primitive manner and
demonstrate everything IN the most
practical way He wished ch1d to
know thai a csbe was a cube. not be
lirve' that II was because ne was told so
la teaching the sense OF feeling could be
called largely into play and The child
must be taught how to see, not what tc
see. lie must feel OF cube, its edge,
and its points, and find OUT why IL was !
cube
children. he said, are great imi-
tators and believe what you tell them II
you take ii hlork of wood IN your hand
and say DO Won SEQ tins lump of lronT
EACH child VIII answer Yes when II is
as PLAIN rs possible that the lump OF iron
Is block of wood.
We would have the children taught tc
draw with "a Tree band not painfully and
carefully 10y measurement The method
of teaching writing and shading the let
tiers las caused the children to use the
middle finger IA such strained way
that 40 many instances It has been found
to be longer tlan the middle finger on
the letl h.lb ihe eyes of school ChII