The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-06

psychology. while the right class of facts
tered in the wrong order. Primers are
thrust into the childrens hands far too
soon, to their great injury! Not perceiv-
ing that a child's restless observation,
instead of being ignored or checked,
should be diligently administered to, and
made as accurate and complete as posi-
BILE they insist in occupying its eyes and
thoughts with things that are, for the
time being, incomprehensible and repug-
nant, Possessed by superstition which
worshipS the symbols of knowledge, in
stead of the knowledge itself they do not
see that only when his acquaintance with
the objects and processes of the house
hold, the streets and the fields is becom-
ing tolerably exhaustive only then should
a child be introduced to the new sources
of information which books supply, be-
cause the words contained in books can
be rightly interpreted into ideas only in
proportion to the antecedent experience
of things
Reading is getting thought and a child
will learn to read very much better when
there is thought in it, and when he has
learned to read he should make use of
his ability in getting thought, instead of
dwelling so much upon many of the dry
fragmentary lessons in the reader.
Butler says: If a child. on mastering
the first twenty pages of the second read
err is able with a little help to read intel
the fourth reader-and not a few children
are able to do this-it is both wastefui
and a form of fetch worship to keep him
dragging through the intervening pages.
Nowadays, the less that children see of
third and fourth readers the better.
In the higher grades too much time is
spent upon short selections. Better re-
suits will come from reading the whole
works from which the selections come.
l will mention one instance in my own
experience. In a seventh grade class we
- a which a
selection from The Lady of the Lake
AS We began on il, it was rather dry and
embarrassing, but after reading and dis
cussing for a few days. it became quite
fascinating and l felt that the class was
getting much benefit from 1t. when we
came to the end of the fragment and up
against a selection from some other au-
thor. Therefore l say if more time was
spent on such works as "Evangeline,
"Hiawatha." Irving's Sketch Book" and
less time upon fragments, it would edu-
cate the children in the use of a higher
and better style.
Let US correiate history with reading;
there is no lack of material for this pur-
pose. We should use stories from our
country, of the men and women who
made IL great stories of travel, of eX
ploration. of colonies states, etc, supple
menting it with pictures and maps. and
We get not only the best kind of history.
but also the most valuable reading les
sons.
Much of spelling and writing should be
taught in connection with other studies.
Writing like reading, is begun too soon.
Better wait until the pupil has more to
write and then perhaps. have him put
much of his first efforts on the black
board. Too much dry. meaningless drill
has been done in writing. | would have
minimum of copy-book work and more
writing learned in connection with other
studies Pupils should be trained TO OBJ
serve proper position. movement ETC..
during every written lesson.
As to arithmetic / feel that it is not
necessary to say anything. as the subject
is TO receive special treatment at this
session.
Much of geography may be taught in
connection with reading and language. 1t
is a good sign to see a pupil with a geog-
raphy text open before him while study
ing his reading lesson. I think we some
times make a mistake in teaching too
much book and not enough geography;
also in teaching too much of the tech
meal. Unimportant details. such as nam
ing and locating unimportant cities. riv-
ers etc should not take so much of the.
pupils time. 1t IS a case of letting that
which is less important take the place of
that which is of more importance. Had
we the time to spare, it would be differ
emit Let me quote from the old song:
Gould man be secure
That his days would endure
AS of old for a thousand years,
What things might he know,
What deeds might he do
And all without hurry or care