Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-05-01
The Doctors Interesting Description
Of the Work in the Chicago Schools.
PROGRESSIVE, MODERN METHODS.
Public Schools the One Great Means Of
Americauizing the Incoming Tide
Of Foreign Pupils

intendeni occupied the time by On
account of the observations made by
hin 4 the occasion OF his recent trip
10 Chicago and other eastern cities.
DR.. Mil;spaugh stated that most OF
his time was spent In Chicago In the
the schools OF that city which ia now
attracting much attention throughout
The educstionsl world.
Before entering upon his descrip ton
of the schools visited by him, lie took
occasion to cay that while he had seen
much that was suggestive aud insplr-
ing, even in meth ODDS OF work and
application Of podagogic principles, he
returned to tue schools Of this CITY
proud In tho thought that he hal seen
c0rls OF teachers than cur own; no.
where evidences OF more wholesome
growth AMI genuine progress.
Continuing, Superintendent Mills.
psugh esiu in part: "With the
exception OF one day spent In the city
normal school, formerly the Cook
county normal, anu q halt day at
Mil4sukot, my entire time In Chicago
was occupied In visiting the elemen.
tary SCHOOLS. | observed iU detail, ne
well as my time would perm I, the
work In the Washington, La Fayttte,
Mac PheIson, TALBOT anu Forestville
| schools. by good fortune 1 was able
u accompany Assistant Superinten.
dent Speer for two days in mia rounus
| OF supervision. Mr.. Speer represents,
in possibly larger degree tnRn any
other assistant superintendent In the
| city, the spirit anu methods OF what is
| termed the new education. The most
noticeable feature Of every school
which l visited was the evident
Interest and happiness OF the child rem
In their school work. Every child
seemed to be- completely absorbed In
bis work, and In the school rooms the
discipline was Ierlect. Neither
teacher nor pupils seemed u
give thought tO tue matter OF
department, and yet fasleh to see
single case u whispering or disorderly
| conuuct. The explanation OF this vas
not far to teek-.Le children were
working under the IN tiuoncs OF normal,
wholesome Interest,
"In the SCHOOL, 1 visited the funda-
sense. nchvily. 1t Ia very properly
held that ali the higher activities Of
the mind are modified by the degree
oisdevtlopment of these instruments
| OF apprehension. Much Of tho work OF
| the primary schools therefore Is direct.
| ed to This eno--tbe training OF the
| senses. Exercises, which in tho eyes
Of the children are plays or games, are
given to strengthen the power o,
prompt and accurate vision aud at the
same time the retention II visual I'M
pressioDs. Sheets OF cardboard, upon
which figures OF various objects, cut
from coiored paper have beeen lasted,
are exposed for brief time and then
removed; child stands up anu
NAMES the objects which he saw In
he exact order OF their occurrence
on the sheet. 1t Is truly marvelou.
what power the children acquire In
exercises of this kind. Similarly
efforts are directed 10 The training OF
hearing. Wbile iho other children sit
| with closed eyes one OF their number
runs lightly across the room tapping
as he goes various objects; the rest arc
expected TO tell from the SOUND alone
| what objects were touched.
"Itlis also sought by appropriate ex-
ercltes to Increase the chill's conscious
control over his motor activities. AT
first thought II might seem incongru.
Gus for children as u formal senOvl
exercise TO play "Simon says thumbs
up" and the "Flying game;" but
when one sees what a remarkable de.
gree OF motor control these children
have acquired, he must aunt the ex.
ercise lie both rational ana timely.
| FA w ri nd
spelling by what 10 known as tho pre-.
cess OF visuaiizstion. The pupils
watch the teacher as she places GU the
black beard figures OF various shapei !;
then when these have been erased,
they are quickly reproduced by
the class from memory. Graz.
ually this work Is extenued
| 10 include words and sentences. Thus
orrtctness OF form Is secured without
| the evils that attend slavIsh copying
OF work by the pupil.
81 saw nothing that Interested me
more than the study OF literature as
conducted at the Forrestviile school.
From the very first nearly all the
| reading matter placed before the
| children Is drawn from classic sourcss.
Intense love for the very best ia
| literature ID thus early aroused, and 1t
really seems that these children's uai.
| ly intercourse with great men anr
| women, Though the best things thau
they have written, enlarges THEFT
| powers Of thought and feeling In q
way that the commonplace is power.
LEES 10 do. / founl children of thc
second graIe, averaging eight years OF
| age, reading Longlellow's Hiawaths
as their regular reading text, aud ex.
! hibiting an appreciation OF the In ught
| aud sentiment quie us marked as OIL.
dinarily seen in ufils OF tho grammar
| grades.
SIN this school also, in the sixth
graue, had the pleasure OF listening
to one VI the most inspiring exercises
| that / ever heard on Shakespeare's
/ Julius Cm iar. The clapB had Just I'm
lshed Ieauiug the play aud were reclt.
ing irem memory, with all the
enthusiasm OF long devotion to the
great dIamatisi, passages whose beauty
or sentiment had especially attracted
them. Tne teacher assured me that
no study OF the entire curriculum was
enjoyed more than TINS or was more
lfuiiiul Of good results.
"Nery satisfactory work in compost.
ton was observed IN several placer,
but in general The method was very
similar TO that pursued in our uwl
schools and yielded similar results. III
In the lcnOols Of Chicago one secs
| children whose faces ow that their
parents hal! from all parts OF the gioue