The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-03-13
INFLUENCE OF
THE ACADEMIES
Broadened the Curricu-
lum Of Secondary
Education.
We're Pioneers in the Move
ment Toward Education
Of Women.
T. L. Heaton Urges the Need OF More
Attention to Oral Composition
in the Schools.

In an address yesterday at the Univer-
sity of California on Secondary Educa-
ton in America Professor Elmer E.
Brown made an interesting comparison
between the social position of teachers at
present and that of teachers in the prIm-
airy schools of the early part of this
century. He declared that the teachers
now enjoy advantages that make them
kings and queens compared with their
pedagogue predecessors.
Professor Brown dwelt upon the effect
of the earlier academies in broadening
the curriculum of instruction. He said
in part:
With the establishment of the earlier acad-
emies there came broader curriculum OF Sec
ondary education, curriculum which compre-
hended science, literature and political mathe-
MATES such were not taught in the colleges
This broadening OF the currlcula OF the acad-
emies affected considerably the subsequent de-
Velopment OF the colleges. The academies
taught Latin and Greek and to some extent
religion. They added the STUDY of English. and
this addition is due poth TO the teaching or
eIocution and of English grammar. The
study OF elocution was held greatly IN esteem,
and Brown University received its name from
the 1ounder of chair OF elocution in that col
lege. Noah WebsteTs reading books and the
national readers die much to create interest
in the study of English literary masterpieces.
Natural science. and especially astronomy,
was the first branch or science studied in the
academies. Geometry was the first branch of
mathematics introduced. algebra not being
studied until later The curricula of some OF
the academies embraced almost the whole
field of knowledge. And although the in
structors in these branches not what
would be called specialists, there is no
doubt that many of them of Won
derfully wide and wonderfully accurate knowl-
edge.
The position of the teachers Of primary
schools in these times was worse than we
easily imagine. Complaint is often made that
teachers at present do not enjoy such a social
position they should Compared with the
teachers of the earlier years of the academy
period, however, our teachers nowadays are
kings and queens.
The movement toward education began in the
academies. Mount Holyoke Seminary, estab-
llshed in the early thirties by Mary Abbot. the
pioneer champion for the education of women,
was one Of the earliest institutions founded for
the education of girls. This movement toward
the co-education of women sprang up in Amer
lea without any influence from England 1t is
of the interesting developments of English
institutions in America.
7. L. Heaton offered a number of in
tereSting criticisms practical methods
of teaching. He said in part:
Many teachers, young teachers especially
make the mistake of introducing critical analy-
sis into the study of literature. In teaching
them the beauty of a certain work. There is
a tendency in the present method of teaching
artistic beauty of it. Literature should be
soul culture. The pupil should be made to feel
the beauty of literature. Unless the teacher
appreciates this beauty. however. the study
of literature soon degenerates into mere dis
section.
Mr.. Heaton repeated his former declar-
English usage should not always be fol-
lowed. Authorities on spelling should
not be disregarded,'' he SAID, but in
doubtful cases an American authority
should be consulted. In such cases the
Century Dictionary is the preferable au-
thority."
The speaker declared that in teaching
spelling the teacher should give words
which the children use, not words from
the spelling book. He commended the
o1d-fashioned spelling match, and stated
that too little attention is at present paid
to oral spelling. He urged strongly the
necessity of cultivating among children
the habit of frequently consulting die
tionary.
Mr.. Heaton discussed methods of teach
ing composition. In his criticism he said:
We disposed in these days to teach writ
ten rather than oral composition. The latter
is fully as important the former Every
recitation should be an exercise in oral
position. For written composition work paper
should be used. would do away entirely with
states in the schoolroom. The very first work
consist in the framing OF simple sentences.
More complex subjects can be successfully
studied. The habit of outlining however
should be taught early as the third or
fourth grades, and then when the children
come TO the eighth or ninth grades the habit
is already formed. Nature study forms good
subject for composition in the lower grades
something about. SO natural objects make
much better composition subjects than such
topics as Truth - Virtue" or George Wash
ington-" Another thing of Importance is to
have the compositions read before the class
The child will take much greater pains to