Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-07-30

nature study has had one exercise
daily. The first fifteen minutes of this
exercise has been occupied with
teaching reading to class of children
who have never attended school, In
this work an attempt has been made
to Illustrate to the teachers the SEN
tence and word methods OF teaching
reading, using familiar objects to help
the child to get the thought before he
sees the written forms. The phrases
II hdUeo and II 8ee'' and the words
doll, horse, coaO, cat, top, fan, big, little
have been taught
Several devices have been used.
putting the words in boxes and rings
drawn with colored chalk,
writing the words on the stones OF
wall, Or putting them in we'll as they
are learned.
Two lessons in reading have been
given with q more advanced class of
children; the first to illustrate the
transition from script to print, the
| second the way in which children may
be taught to read with fuency and ex-
preston. in the former the phrases
and words to be found on the printed
page were written on the board and
read until the pupils were perfectly
familiar with the scrip forms, after
this the change to print was very easy.
The lesson on expression showed that
children can be taught to read nat
urally as they speak if they can for
get that they are reading and think
that they are telling thought which
they have gained from printed SEN
tence.
Three lessons on Nature Study have
been given as examples of the work
which can be done in the second and
third grades with plants. An outline
of a series Of lessons on given sub
ject was placed on TIE board and a
part of which could be taught in 20
minutes was selected and presented.
In this way the parts Of the plant and
their uses, and a maple leaf, its
structure and parts were studied.
Few technical terms are taught to
children, but they readily learn the
names, petals and sepdIs for the color
ed and green parts of the flower, and
Stanaens and pistiIs are as easily learn
ed.
The lesson on the orange illustrated
what children in the first grade can
learn about the familiar fruits, and |
they knew and were willing to show
the use to which these fruits may be |
put.
This week the lesson in Nature
Study will be finished and five ex-
ercises in number will be given. The
class OF beginners in reading will be
continued during the session, and it is
hoped that the pupils will make rapid |
progress.
Grammar. The Logic OF Speech
was given by B. @. Day:
The work in English begins with
language a0ork. The need of language
arises when thinking beings associate.
Thinking depends upou the facul
ties of observation, memory, imagin
alton, reason, etc. Language has a
reflex effect upon the thinking facul-
ties. Thus the ends in language work
shouldbe, to cultivate
1. The pot0er to understand
2. The polUer to e1press.
3. The taste for good literature
To this end, are employed language
lessons, involving simple sentences,
short descriptions, development les
sons, memory gems, reproductions,
long descriptions, essays.
The best language lessons are those
which call upon the pupil to think
and express. Hence much should be
made of language work in nature
study, geography, history, and arith
metic.
The work in English Of most con-
language aUorh;.
The ends TO be attained in the study
and teaching Of grammar are
L. A knowledge of the theory of
language. Such knowledge is schol
arly attainment.
2. Cultivation Of the judgment and s
faculties. This is some +
times overlooked by language enthus I
lasts. I
The work in grammar may be divid- 3
ed as follows: +
1. The sentence involving the sub +
ect and predicate.
2. The four leading parts Of speech 7
noun, adjective, verb, adverb. r
8. Modification and ampIi1fcation of
5he sentence. =
4. analysts and parsirag. r
The work should be inductive. Pu- +
j j