Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1897-02-04

are disposed, Dr. Rice thinks, to make too
much of such topics, and this disposition on
the pai. Of teachers is encouraged for obvious
reasons by publishers. When it is added
that school trustees and school commission
err, who control the teachers, are very often,
consciously or unconsciously, under the con-
troll of publishers interested in selling big
books rather than little ones, it becomes tol-
erably clear that potent causes often cooper
ate to force children to spend more time than
they should over elementary subjects. DR..
Rice holds, first, that mere children should
not be made to learn more on a given subject
than the average we'll informed adult is ex.
pected to know, and, secondly, that the ele-
mentary school course should not be encum3
bered with matters designed solely for mental
gymnastics.
Reading, writing and arithmetic are usu-
ally, in bis opinion, carried too far. When
the pupil can read an ordinary book or news.
paper article fairly well, it is time to drop
reading rs distinct recitation. To practice
the child in reading for oratorical effect-to
enter upon the refinements and elegancies OF
reading as fine arts supcrffHous at this
stage of the chiId's education. So of spell.
ing. When the child is able to spell correctly
the words in common use he may with profit
give the time of the spelling lesson to some
thing else. Much energy is wasted on pen
manship, which beyond a certain point has
no educational value. A good, legible hand
is worth working for, but surertne penman.
ship, with nicetics of shading and tlourishes,
is not worth the time given to it in many
schools If the pupil must for any reason
cultivate ornamental penmanship, he can do
it with greater success in later life when the
occasion arises for its practical use. In arith-
metic there is commonly large waste of
time in teaching subjects which do not prop.
ery belong 10 arithmetic and subjects which
are of use only to specialists or persons en-
gagged in certain lines of business. At least
two.thirds of what every child is compelled
to learn under the head Of arithmetic is later
in life forgotten without practical inconven.
leICc. NlOSJ VI IulItCSA yCNio hho"
vast deal more of the subject than their
parents, even though thelatter possess COL
legate education.
Technical grammar, with pa'sing and anal
ysis. ought, in DR.. Ricc's opinion, to be
pretty well removed from the elementary
curriculum 1t is an abstract and difficult
subject, for which only the adult intellect is
competent. Correctness of speech is the
main thing and this may be helped by learn
ing something about the forms of words aud
the elements of syntax, but nothing beyond
that should be attempted. AS in arithmetic,
so in grammar, the disposition of the teacher
to make the most of his subject and of the
publisher to have big book TO sell, operate
conformity to waste time required for more
useful things Geography is an interesting
subject which is made offensive blythe method
in which it is taught and by the lengths to
which certain features of it are extended.
Dr. Rice is emphatic in his condemnation of
the practice of making children memorize
long lists of names of unimpor,ant towns
and rivers in unimportant parts ofthc world
To require Of them the lengths of rivers, the
heights of mountains and lists of obscure
ports, he thinks, is absurd. Four fif,hs of
the time given to geography is wasted
Much the same is to be said of history, when
stress is laid upon tho memorizing of local
legends oftriflng Importance lists Of battles,
with the killed and wounded, names of
kings, etc, while losing sight of the msin
facts. Upon the whole, fully half the time
given to elementary studies Is, it is csiimat
ed, simply wasted If the pruning knife
we're properly applied, time and money
would BE saved and there would be scope
for subjects now crowded out,