New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-11
AMUSEMENT INsTRUCTORs

Or. Grace Peckham Murray inclined 70
crtticis's the pubic school system the Of
examining or undue length of hours When asked
with regard to the public utterance OF a woman
physician tina, the foundation Of the American
woman's nerves" and sem-nvalidsm was laid
N the crammlng OF the last two grades OF the
grammar scn,ol, she said II don't believe there
is much examining in the public schools. The fact
is, believe in he public school system. II is the
result OF long and careful experience When
was a child practically every one went 70 pub
lie school-thOse who happened to 60 TO private
school were looked upon necessarily weak in
MIND OF weak in body-weaklings OF some sort
The public school is democratic for where 50
many children from all classes are gathered to
IL should be-aud the children meet on a men
taI pan" regard being paid 10 the individual ahi-
lions.
4 don't believe in homo study. When the chill
TTFnfIn Put IN charge - amusement instructors
the idea my invention far x know
believe that al chAdrens play should be directed
Much that is now taught in school could be got
acquired least fundamentally being geology. bot
any. astronomy. modern languages history and
having those taught in school by a teacher. /
would have them taught out Of doors in play. with
structor. as ! cal him or her Mathematics and
such hi Is are the only studies l would have
Children have an immense number OF facts 10
learn but II makes no difference where they get
Them long as they do get them. the other
50 much the better. Tbe point is just this Life
should never be made irksome hard for the
child He should never have 70 say: oh. dear! I
have such a lot TO do" The mind unfolds just a.
naturally and BEAUTIFULLY as the muscles gro,v and
the normal child feels delight in learning things,
but when he Is wearied with bad air with books
and the naGgings Of his teacher. tho mind is stunt
ed like ill-used plant II an act IS pleasure
able, these Is tendency TO repeat II: If it is pain
ful, tho tendency Is 10 avoid repeating il Pleas
ure stimulates all the healthful activities OF the
QUESTION Of knowledge should he made just as
pleasurable possible and for that reason, facts
Gbc he iplpg i Wit tI4
ton on the part Of the child II follows that
everything the child can learn al home is much
The games and diversions of children might
where the amusement iusUuctors talents would
come in Psychologists should lay more stress on
Pestalozzi gathered his eighty mendicants about
time Go ON, Go on! That was because he had
aiscoEered IA. hasi' principle OF education-that
with regard to the btst az, for II child to begin
average child to z" to school. that IS, 10 kinder
garten. early children arc often kept out tin or
O'Clock. under the impression that they will hc
forced or nervously excited by going. The result
on. They are bored for lack of the mental food
Iarnets ocb,,o, befor "a, ~'' 10 80 80 ii
o on wooden bench bfo % the dame Vs fa he bea If
our lessons. neediework i'm hand. and when
gold thimhe. I learned to read ana write before
l was four. My father used to hire M TO learn
poetry. 1t seems 10 me now that he struck rather
hard bargains with me but at The time was glad
enough to take what he offered. He paid a
quarter for learning tie first seventy lines cf
Goldsmith's The Hermit That wasn't so bad
because The Hermit has a siugsoug metre that
makes it easy memoriziug. but h. paid me only
a quarter for Gray's 'EIegy,' which have always
Ought too little.
Il never had to study literature in school because
I had absorbed much unconSCiously. for fun
and quarters-at home That is concrete
ample Of what should be done in every home for
prescribed number OF hours. hat take no books
home. and let them learn by playing and doing
out OF school hours some of the things they
spend their time learning lahoriousy in the school