The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-31
LAST DAY OF THE
SISTERS INSTITUTE
Successful Immaculate Heart Educa.
tionaI Convention Closes.
MRS. BURKE IS AGAINST FADlSM
She Disapproves Anything Of the
Myth Idea, and Advocates Plain
Teaching--she Gives Valuable
Hints on Elementary Arithmetic.
Miss Manahan on "Drawing" and
"story-Teliing."

At the morning session of the Sisters
institute yesterday Mrs. Burke again
called attention to the prevailing fad
for teaching the myth idea and sug-
gested that n reading book containing
Biblical stories be used as supplement-
airy work.
IN continuing the subject of reading
for primary classes, Mrs. Burke advo-
Gated reading aloud, using lists of
words, writing answers, writing COM
mands, ETC. Games in which new
words can be utilized are interesting
and instructive and might. with ad-
vantage, supersede the busy work"
now so much in vogue in the schools.
Miss Manahan then continued the
subject of drawing. The first lessons
should be movement exercises, straight
lines should not be given continually.
A concise explanation Of her views in
correlation was also given.
Mrs. Burke addressed the institute on
the subject CT teaching primary arith-
metic. Notation, numeration, addition.
combinations, multiplication tables,
signs, fractions, etc, were touched
upon. She rather startled her hearers
by the declaration that in weeks
business man has to do with fractions.
Teachers waste time and make them
selves endless trouble going over and
over this branch Of arithmetic When
children have heen two years in school
they should be able without hesitation
to write any number given them.
ELEMENTARY FIGURING.
Addition combinations should be CIV
en- in the second or third year of the
childs life in school. Men use addi-
tion more than any other branch of
arithmetic, and there is usually no
branch that is so poorly taught. Omit
ting the addition of ones there are
but thirty-six combinations in addi-
tion, and one of these con easily be
taught each week after the child is
cnce properly started. There is no
royal way to learn the multiplication
table but to learn it, she said, and when
some try to use an easy way the table
is not learned as rule.
At the afternoon session Miss Mana
han gave the most interesting address
yet offered by her on How to tell a
story" Her thoughts were original
and instructive. She illustrated her
idea of bringing a lesson with the story
by alludlng to cinderella" which is
known in some form by all nations,
and which, like many others of it's kind,
contains the thought of the reward of
| virtue and punishment of vice.
Miss Caroline V. Dorsey was then in
| troduced and gave a recitation.
Mrs. Burke continued her talk on
arithmetic. She recommended the
| teaching of fractions first and showed
| that this method could be pursued
| through the various forms in such way
that the child would learn all necessary
regarding this troublesome branch OF
arithmetic very early in his school life
Mrs. Burke in all her work seems to be
the healthy, active exponent of utiliz-
ing time and discarding useless fads.
| The institute closed with this session
Much satisfaction was expressed by
those who had been in attendance re-
garding the value of the course given