The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-06-05
OUR SCHOOLS.
A Philadelphia Paper Speaks of Them
Glowing Terms.

Glowing Terms.
The following article taken from the Phil
adelphia Educational NcloS is calculated to
make the Shenandoahite who takes pride in
the school system of the town rejoice:
That it pays to employ competent teachers
and wide.awake superintendents is generally
acknowledged to be correct in theory, but tn
practice seldom harmonizes with it. Shenan
doah, in Schuylkill county, forms, however,
striking exception. Here competent
teachers, nearly all normal graduates are
Employed and the superintendent, also a
graduate of a normal school, is a man who
keeps himself abreast of the latest and best
in education. With such favorable cond-
tions work of unusual excellence can be ex-
pected, and this expectation is realized to
greater degree in these schools than prob
ably in any others in the state except in some
of those in Pittsburg.
At Shenandoah the best educational
theory, but put into practice. Here the neiO
education has acquired a thorough foothold,
and the excellent condition of the schools, as
evidenced in the superior work Of the chill
dren, freely and gladly done, proves con-
clusively the correctness of the theory.
The children in all the grades, from the
primaries up read with ease and intelligence.
A notable circumstance of most of the read.
ing is that it is not done simply for the sake
of reading, but for information. Supt.
Freeman holds, and rightly, that children
should as early as possible read TO increase
their stock of knowledge, and in accordance
with this idea much of the reading is from
geographical, historical, natural history, and
elementary science books.
After the pupils have read paragraph or a
page, they are expected to be able to give the
substance of it in their own words, and the
ease and correctness with which they do it
are remarkable Mr.. Freeman believes that
pupils should be trained to read thoughtfully,
so that they may remember what they read
and the results his teachers attain show that
it can be done.
The material for language work is taken
from everything that is read or done in the
schools-frOm descriptions of objects, from
problems and their solutions, geography
history, science, etc. Concentration of effort
is the idea at the foundation of the work
and the advantage of it to the pupils is toe
evident to need proof.
In almost all other schools children detest
language work, consider it bore; not so al
Shenandoah; here they enjoy it and are eager
for it.
Instead of coming to class with grammar
and arithmetics, as the children do in the
schools that follow the regular fashion,
these come with their work prepared thai
they can show that they understand wha
they do.
In arithemetic they can not only explain
their work, but can give an ocular demon
stration or illustration of its correctness
Perhaps what must seem most remarkable {,
all who are unacquainted with the most ad
vanced teaching, is, that the primarians, frs
year pupils, solve problems within theil
range of knowledge, not only with whole
numbers, but with fractions; do it we'll, too
aud seem to enjoy it. In fact, the pupils o
all the grades appear to enjoy their work.
/ Singing by notes and words is taught to al
the grades, the tonic-sol.fa system beinj
used, and if music is taught anywhere els
with equal success, the readers of the Ne,0
should be informed of it,
Where the most earnest work is made
pleasure, as is done in these schools, govern
ment takes care of ITSELF and the teachers
no matter how hard they work. enjoy them
selves.
Too much credit cannot be given supt. 1
A. Freeman for the excellent condition {
S which these schools have been brought.
Teachers and directors who desire to Sc
. good schools, should visit Shenandoah.