Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-11-28
IRONTON,. MO. THURSDAY. n
Gourational Column.
Principles Of Classification.


class which a pupil should enter. II
general. scholarship ought to have
most weight in determining the classi
fcatlon, but it is often best to put ar
older pupil who is backward in schol
arship with those near his own age
even though they are in advance o
him, that he may not be discouraged
Older pupils sometimes feel keenly the
embarra ;sment of being classed with
those much younger than themselves
and whenever it is possible such classi
fication should be avoided.
2. AdUa,acenaeat.- should be
taken to adapt the classification to the
advancement of the pupil. If classed
too low, he is apt to become careless
and indolent; if too high, he may be
discouraged in finding himself unable
to keep pace with his classmates
Strong. healthy pupils may, as a gen.
eral thing, be classed higher than the
more delicate, because capable of hard
er work and greater endurance.
3. AUerage Abiltty.-Care should
be taken to classify according to the
average ability of the child. Pupils
are rarely found to be equally ad-
vanced in all branches. Some who are
we'll advanced in arithmetic are def.
cient in language, while others well
advanced in language Or geography
will be found deficient in mathematics.
The average ability in all these branch
es should be the basis of classification.
1t is always best to have pupils give
close attention to those studies in
which they are most deficient, that the
culture they receive may be as symmet'
rical as possible.
4. The Standard of Classifcatiom.-
No different rule can be given as tC
what branches should be made the
standard of classification. Reading is
an unsafe standard, for the reason tha,
those who have had the advantage ol
good libraries, children's magazines,
and newspapers at home, and who
have read much silently, will be found
much better readers than those not en-.
joying these advantages, though proba.
bly, not any farther advanced in the
usual studies than others of their own
age. Arithmetic is probably the SAT.
est branch on which to base classifca.
ton, for the reason that deficiency iu
any other branch may be remedied,
but deficiency or backwardness in ar.
ithmetic is difficult to overcome, and
it often greatly interferes with the
pupils progress in other studies.
8. The Number of Classes.-The
number of classes in graded schools will
be governed by the closeness of the
grading and the number of grades.
Usually. two classes. Or at most three,
will be found sufficient. In ungraded
schools the number of classes ought
not to exceed five, and in many schools
the number might proftably be limit
ed to four. This of course supposes
that all the members of class pursue
the various studies of that class, un-
less for some important reason they be
excused. Those in the lower classes
will have fewer studies than those
more advanced. so that there will not
be the maximum number of classes in
each branch of study.
6. The Size of the Gasses.-The size
of the classes also will be determined
somewhat by the size of the school.
Medium-sized classes in public schools
are best. Where it is possible classes
should contain from ten to twenty pu-
pills each. In primary studies small
er class is not Objectionable, as the
attention of the younger children is
more liable to wander, and with them
the larger the class the more difficult
the task of holding the attention. The
class should never be so large that but
portion car. recite each day. If pos
sible, every pupil should be reached
during every recitation.-Rau6.
Mr.. j. B. Daniel is making success
of his school at Gran;teville. He is
teaching one of the best schools the
people have ever had, and
they should be proud of their choice
of him.
Mr.. r. NJ. Hunter and Miss Mamie
Hughes are at Pilot Knob this year.
Mr.. Hunter is an old, successful teach
er He was commissioner of st. Fran
co.'s county for nine years. He super
intended for number of years at
Bonue Terre and has taught at Farm
Ington, Ironton, Annapolis, and Freder-
cktown. Miss Hughes has taught in
.he schools of Maiden, Dunklin county,
Bells, Tenn. and Arkansas.
Mr.. D. FL. Mckenzie, ex-commis-
,ioner. is teaching and giving univer-
,al satisfaction in his home school at