The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-27
WHAT ARE EssENTIALss
Serious Discussion Yesterday In the
Elementary Section.

If the child-that's the way the Minne-
sofa educators speak of the pupil-had
wandered into the auditorium of the Cen
trail Presbyterian church yesterday after
noon and listened to the expressed ideas
Of the majority of educators there, 1t
would have felt-provided 1t were sudden
ly endowed with knowledge of technical
terms-exceedingly hopeful of its educa-
tional future. 1t was at the elementary
sections session, and apropos of a paper
read by DR.. P. M. 'Magnusson, that the
Views of the educators were aired. DR.,
Magnusson's paper was on Reforms in
Elementary Education That Should Fol-
low Child Study" He thought education
ought to include physical education, sense
and manual education, education in think
ing, aesthetic and ethical education ma
ture study, study of society and religion.
This he said differed widely from the
education in vogue today, the whole sys-
tenn being based on narrower phil
osophy. "a vast amount of time Is wasted
in the primary rooms, said the speaker
sin forcing the art Of reading and writ
Ing upon infants before they are physical
ly and mentally ready for 1t. Reading Is
an unnatural and artificial imposition on
the infant mind. I hope the time Is not
distant when a whole year Of play and
work in common will precede the attempt
to teach reading.
ture and manual training, more real
nature study, social study and more
real study of literature. Touching upon
the study of history, the speaker main
tanned that while the material ground
work of history should be taught, and
historical facts memoriZed, the child was
not capable of grasping the deep economic
and religious causes that have determined
the growth of nations, and these should
Ia oil &c lott OtNC "a o.
voked some discussion as did also
principle that the doctor laid down, The
child reasons, but does not formulate
his thoughts into rules laws and general
principles"
H. w. Shroyer, of Melrose, contended
that the child not only reasoned but in
a feeble way, did formulate his deduc-
tons.
In a general discussion Of educational
methods A. w. Rankin stated there was
too little connection between school life
and real life. There are many children
in st. Paul and Minneapolis" he stated,
''who have no idea that the Mississippi
river they read about in their geogra-
phies and the river flowing past their own
city are one and the same"
Waite A. Shoemaker, Of st. Paul, made
q plea for more simple methods of teach
ing, and claimed that teaching the capt.
tails Of states and the names Of the presi-
dents by singing was not only good peda-
gogy but likewise good sense. Supt. Ad-
ans, of Mortified, thought that when a
child was found untitled for arithmetic
or any other special branch, that study
should be dropped and the child be al
lowed to proceed without it, This OBJ
serYation was warmly applauded.
w. F. F. Selleck, of Austin, president
of the elementary section, after the edu
cational part Of the programme was con-
cluded, appointed DR.. Magnusson, of st.
Cloud, as a representative Of the section
on the general nominating committee.
The sections nominating committee Is
composed of Supt Franklin, of Faribault;
Miss Isabel Lawrence of st. Cloud, and
H. w. Shroyer, of Melrose.
The section adjourned until this after
noon at o'clock. when it will meet in
joint session with the child study sec
ton.