Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-08-08
Provo SUMNER SCHOOL.


On Friday afternoon Colonel Parker,
rosuming his rerics Of addresses nj
Provo, said he wished % continue the
subj ect OF reading, 70 illustrate the
prin ,ipies Of Learning TO teach read
Ing. Teachers have always believed,
said he, that there was something bet.
Ter ahead, and have Rlwpys been
searching after methods, The Ger
mans loft the o, b, method 300 ycara
ago, and wen. to the phouic; aud II 10
goo1 Tor thom, because they have n
phonetic language, and we have not
The French discovered the word
method somewhat Inter; hcso.cAlled
word building method followcdi
the sentence method had its day;
aud All these were tho work VI
teachers who were Ia search OF
something better than they had.
But method Is not all;thetc ~ danger In
methods used In n mechanical way, "a
an end Instead OF ne mesni. Me hod
Is not finality, It is only device. 1
protest aga inbt system of petty de-
tails which are not the outgtow h Of
principle In the soul Of tho teacher.
Blind following Of some one elst's
methods makes him an artisan instead
OF an aftlsi, and true teacher mus, be
an artist. When ono ptesumcs 10 be-
| liovo he has u perfect method, ho cOm-
mits u sin. Lot every superintendent
/ teach hi. teachers % be free TO invests
/ cato divine truth for themselves. /
| plead for the intepencs =" Of the
teacher. II all DO Just ahKc, no one
could help another; therefore their
prculiaritirs are vAlu,hls. "lsach for
all nuJ all for each" IL the true rule.
IL IL difference which gives oppOrtuul.
ty 10 improve. TOO many teachers are
| working out the details OF methods
anu losing sight Of principles; that IA
the trouble.
TAXING word letter by letter In not
right. IL has been believed right, and
today In Massachusetts nlnc.tenths OF
nil the children learn TO read 10y the
ALPHABET method. Give n whole won,
for that l. the symbol OF an idea, while
u letter IL not. What In Interest and
what arouses IL In n child? Interest IL
a Questioning attitude OF mind, and the
eRgerness OF the questioning measures
the depth Of the interest.
There is good In phonics, hut II does
not belong TO primary classes. They
care nothing about II. We must
arouse Ia them feeling AMI emotion Il
wa would open the UNDERSTANDING
God has NO ordered II that the chiil
must have the best and uues, ma,eti'
al, OF thought. which is' better,
mechanical reading Of nigh grade OF
an active power Of thought
Both are desirable, but place powpl
Of thought first, last ami all the time
Teach morals every inOmenL We lay
the foundation OF immortality when W,
fail to teach In all available ways tina,
oil aud every part Of our being should
be used Tor It's best aud highest pur
poses. ] would not have u book OF
morals nor preach long sermons.
Is 1t possible TO apply n method with
out understanding Its underlying prin
clple? No. II IL hardly possible e
apply n method nj all, or to have one.
II Is almost sacrllege 10 say al hav,
"a method;" tut rather say, al M
searching after Infinite TRUTH" How
ever, every Que must have some me
thod, but what ! condemn Is siavisl
adherence TO perfuuctory form. Prin
ciple Is where lay stress. A tpache
II empirical who binds himself ever
10 his own methods. DO not teacl
arithmetic TO the child, but train tn,
child In the direction OF number
Unity Ia life, but uniformity Ia death
Mechanical work will he the result
Just as long as we pursue method In
stead OF principle.