Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-20
OUR COURSE OF STUDY.
superintendent Powell Delivers an Interest
ing Talk Upon the Subject.

| NEW METHODS OF TEACHING IN THE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS OF THE DIsrEIcT-THr CHILD MADE TO
SEE THE RELATIONS OF THINGS IN EVERY
TRANSFERABLE OF THE PUPILS.
Mr.. W. B. Powell superintendent of the pub
lie schools. delivered an informal address last
evening at the Franklin building that would
have been Of interest to every man and woman
in the District who has . child in school. His
subject was Our Course of Study" A num-
Der of invitations had been sent out in the name
OF the board Of trustees, so that the board room
was comfortably filed with persons who are
practically interested in the subject Of educa-
ton.
Mr.. Powell began his address by saying that
one of the school trustees had found him a few
days ago in teachers meeting explaining to
them what he wished done in q certain line Of
work. That trustee had suggested that he re-
peat the talk to the board in order that they
might more fully understand Just what the
teachers are trying to do.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THEIR METHODS.
There are in this city about $1,000 school
children, more than sixth Of the entire pop
ulation, and as in the case of most of them the
public school is the most important element in
their social development, too much attention
canno: be given to the matter of public schools
and their methods. Mr.. Powell said that he
believed the school is growth and develops
along the lines desired by the community. If
the authorities do not give good enough schools
the people will demand it as their right, and if
the trustees go too high the people will pull
them down. In Washington, II there is a good
school. the people are to be credited for it, and
II the schools are not creditable it is the fault
OF the people. barring the fact that it takes
several years for a school to be made as people
would have it. Education has advanced SO
far and is universal that schools do not
measure their worth by what the pupils know,
but by the amount of power they have instilled
into the children's brain to learn and to do.
Every test given child should be as to his
power to do, and not as to the quantity of facts
he may have in his mind, and this, Mr.. Powell
said, was the principle he had been insisting
upon with his teachers during the six years
that he had been connected with the schools of
Washington.
THE PRIMARY SCHOOL.
The primary schools are working along lines
of original and primary knowledge. Children
are taught to see things properly, to speak and
to hear and to taste properly. Mistakes are
made. it is true, but it would be strange if they
were not.
By means of a blackboard and diagrams
Superintendent Powell illustrated the methods
and principles of elementary instruction in
reading. small boy knows great deal. but
1t is by sound symbols, and it is the duty of the
elementary teacher to teach him to represent
what he knows in an oral form dramatically
correct and then in written symbols. Reading
is the formulation of what the child already
knows and it is in the proper form, and the
child Is but learning the written symbols that
represent the spoken symbols Of what is already
in his mind. Soon he is led into the field Of
numbers and he learns them by handling num-
bers OF things. and all the time he is learning
to use better English He is fond of making
up simple problems himself only instead Of
being allowed to say. II had three apples and 1
gave my sister one," he is taught to say
Having given my sister an apple still had
three left" Not all the teachers use this sys-
tenn thoroughly, but the best of them do.
In the same way children are taught about
plants as much as Of numbers by having
plants placed in their hands, which they are
taught to see properly and to understand.
Children are made to describe accurately what
they see and then to write down what they
have said and they are made to read what the
best writers have said on kindred subjects
When they write about leaf they are then to
read what able men have written about leaves
Instead of being taught their letters and to
read stun they know nothing about they are
now taught the relations of things.
THE HEALTH OF PUPILS.
In closing his remarks Mr.. Powell said he
wished to speak little upon the matter of the
health Of the pupils. The school houses that
are now built are perfectly ventilated auto
matically and the child is breathing pure air.
he same cannot always be said Of the older
buildings In the new buildings. no matter
how careless or preoccupied the janitor may
be, the rooms are sure to be filled with fresh
pure air Another thing that is in favor of the
health of the pupils is the fact that the trus-
tees have decided 20 use only STRAIGHTFORWARD
chairs, SO that the pupils are not tempted to
take slcuchlng position, but may sit up
straight and yet be comfortable. Health exer-
else has also been introduced into the schools
and the children are taught suitable exercises
and also to understand why such exercise is
beneficial.
Mr.. George F. T. Cook, superintendent of
the colored public schools, was to have been
present to speak on the same line, but he was
prevented by illness