The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1892-03-31

AS most of the books that treat of
teaching are written by these who are en-
gagged in teaching graded schools, their
methods are better adapted to city schools
than to country schools, where the teach
Ell is obliged to teach everything from the
alphabet to the several branches of higher
English. Again, teachers are apt to study
public sentiment and practice the art ac-
cordinSly. But would it not be a nobler
plan to act according to the dictates of
reason and experience and strive to make
public sentiment conform thereto. The
conditions in the school room are SO vari-
Gus that each teacher should be an invent
or ana when we think we have made a
valuable discovery we are often surprised
to lind that some one has made the same
discovery hundreds of years before. The
fact that | learned every definition and
rule in grammar before | got any idea of
the real science nf language is no reason
why my pupils ,hould suffer a like waste
OF time. Some people seem to think that
there is an invariable order in which
knowledge Should be gained, without re-
gard IL circumstances. | have sometimes
been amused to have parents find fault be
cause their children did not spell. when
had no trouble in convincing them that the
children We're learning much faster than
they possibly could if much time was de-
voted to spelling. l al 20 had little boy
find fault one night because he had received
no help that day when at work all day in
a more advanced class.
There are many pages that it will do to
skip over for the sake of getting a scholar
into a class for which he is better adapted,
while there are many other pages that it
will not do to skip. When subject is
mastered it will do to pass on and not UNI
til then. The most satisfactory method
of learning the nature of any subject does
not consist in learning definition but in
getting practical knowledge of the sub
ject. When a child has learned to add he
knows what addition is better than he
would by learning definition. Thus the
time required to learn the definition may
be saved Again the child can learn to
spell the word 'arithmetic' much quick
er after he has studied the book and be-
comes interested in it, Thus another por-
ton of valuable time is saved. Though
we might consider these little portions OF
time rs very small, Vet we must remem-
Der that Little drops of water. little
grains Of sand, make the mighty ocean and
the pleasant land" Principles are often
so oI,scured by ShrouG OF words which
are meaningless to tle pupil that he be
comes discouraged at the outset.
Language is the first essential. and we
should iirst consider its real nature.
Words expressing numbers may he regard
ed us one OF the most Important classes of
words. The little child sees a stone every
day aiid hears the word spoken every day.
As soon as the consciousness is enough de
veloped he learns to associate the object
with the spoken word long before the vo-
cal organs are capable of giving expression
to the sound. In the same manner the
child touches a hot stove and get sensa-
ton of heat and learns to associate this
sensation with the spoken word The
child gets an idea of number in the same
way. He sees one object and hears it
spoken OF as one; he sees two objects and
hears them spoken of as two. and SO on
with all numbers. But for convenience
We Use figures OF characters to represent
numbers. When the child enters the
him familiar with the printed words which
he uses every day in his play. and the
words expressing numbers from one to
ten are prominent among these words.
The best way of making him familiar with
these words depends upon circumstances.
In Il large country school where it is neces-
saIy for the teacher to economic time if
is Wei to NAVE the child learn to spell
every word in the reading lesson. while if
the teacher has plenty OF time the child
will learn faster to assign as long lesson
as he can prepare so as to recognize the
WORDS readily at sight In either case
care should be taken to awake an interest
IN the ideas conveyed by the words AL
ways study ideas or thoughts instead of
words.
The best method OF teaching numbers
depends largely upon circumstances, but
at all events the child should learn to
count among the earliest words he learns,
and the multiplication table should be
learned thoroughly before completing the
Second Reader. | presume most teach
ers at the present time claim that the
multiplication table should not be mem
orized, but the memory of the child
needs cultivation and we can find no more
useful piece OF knowledge upon which to
practice the memory. The practice of
holding three sticks in one hand and three
in the other and asking the child how
many two times three are is well enough
if the teacher has the time to spare but
if some larger pupil is thereby compelled
to enter upon the duties OF life without the