New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-14
STUDIES And THE CHILD.
A Se0ere Criticism Of the Old Spell
ing Book Plan of Teaching.

lecture OF his series at the Brooklyn Institute on
Thursday. After throwing the larger part Of
grammar and arithmetic bodily out of the grades
MS previous lecture and committing other acts Of
Iese majesty against things held additionally sa
r-ed n the schoolroon, Professor McMurry now
Boldly challenged the whole plan Of scientific cIas-
s.acauon as applied TO The grade curriculum.
The scientific motto IS Truth for truths sake
said be To add 10 the sum Of human knowledge
I. the ain OF the scientist The craysh is just
important as The 10 him; tiny insect found
only one particular peak OF the Smoky Range is
5ust interesting as the mosquito or the grass
hooper which interest millions OF people very seri-
oasly The scientist counts the cats teeth just for
che pleasure OF knowing how many she has and
adding that thrilling fact the of human
knowledge But what difference does it make 70
him how many teeth cat has? The scientist
cssshes certain insects by the way their necks
soantei 70 their bodies Eut what difference does
It make how their necks are jonred on TO their
bodies?
In short this way Of looking at the mass Of
human knowledge throws hack on the elG spell
ing book plan. The child IS supposed TO learn 10
spell all the words there are. far his time
permits II IS Just important 70 kaow how 10
spell cat as dog receive as relieve There is
no difference in the quality OF the knowledge ac-
CURED in spelling It is purely question OF guam
tity.
SO Il Is IN reading. The child Is supposed 10
learn by sight ana meaning al the words in his
reading books. There is 10 comparison of values.
One word IS just important as another.
80 IN the earlier stages Of arithmetic. The whole
multiplication table IS 10 be learned TWO times two
IS just as important as twelve times twelve. One
table IS just important another. Subtraction
is just as important as addition.
Nov. this is the scientific way of looking at
fhlngs-that fact IS just important
other. And we carry this spelling book plan into
al the other branches Of knowledge Just as far as
We can
81, brings rs Ia ok II the old question How out
O, the whole sum Of human knowledge, shall we
choose what shall be taught 70 children between
the ages Of six and fourteen? What shall we
eliminate in order 10 relieve the unoearabIe over
crowdIng Of the grade curriculum?
Now, the spelling book plan may be necessary
81 tie early stages Of the three Rs. Not because
q IS the scientific method. but because in this case
II Is the practical one. All the words that the
child uses writing Of equal Importance He
should know how spell them all. All the words
which he encounters in reading suited to his intel
ngence are Of equal Importance He should know
them al By sight He viii addition, subtraction.
multiplication and division constantly throughout
nfe. 10 matter what his occupation or position.
He should know them all equally well.
But the trouble IS carry this spelling book
plan on into other branches where Il is not neces-
Eary a. al. For instance. went into the Horace
Mann School the other day and found q class OF
little folk studying dead red leaf. They were
trying to sec how many things they could observe
and tel about it, and il remarkable how many
tnings some OF them could For that kind Of
lesson il was very well done. But I wouldn't have
that kind Of lesson IN school at all Who cares
about dead red Leaf? How does It touch & chiIds
life?
Now, IN the first year nature studies IN the
New-YoTk curriculum I find sixty or seventy diff
ferent plants and animals set down as proper sub
:eCts Of study. The teacher needn't teach them
ali she may choose from them But what basis
shall she choose? Among the Towering plants the
narcissus geraniuIn. dogwood and q number of
ka-. r4a ---l- -s---
with The animals. which the cat IS Included
y had class Of seventy-Ave Brooklyn teachers
paoe, Il which the subject teaching tho cat came
Up ! asked them what they would teach about
the eat They enumerated among them twenty-five
things they would teach about the cat, ranging all
the way from the length OF its tail and the number
Of rs teeth ana toes 10 the Society for the Pre-
Fe1ron Of Cruelty TO Animals. Il simply an
aggregation Of topics on the old spelling book plan
absolutely lacking in arrangement, with thread
O SSnJy 70 hold them together
now. !et Us take as our basis for teaching any
,e--h- UDyect me Qegfee IN WLlcn that OBJECT
,S-0ats ne cI1los ne Does the cat enter into
ny! As pei. Let Us, therefore, teach The Care
q a., NE Sst as tet' THIS brings IN Immediately
cnld ought TO DO for it-that IS. the bits ana
OF the cat as ? mouser why farmers want cats.
why they board ships. What shall
Of he cats teeth the family Of c5TnivoTa, if You
- me ca WIG cousins IN me Wooqs In
scots that prey upon II, heas- That's all natural
, -9-e4- 9-~-+ a 4esSCAi IOa4N
toT7ics aT,6 eTfIce' II is s1b3scT On 1ebfcb cEii
dren are Qualined both 10 observe and 10 speak
win authority. Il IS part OF their lives, and be
cause Of this they vii remember everything you
tel them about il There il cultivated area in
Vow. could You reach the crayfish in the same
way? Remember, the scientist thinks the cray
important TO the child? Does It touch the chd's
Gte-come within the area Of his thoughts? Then
worm! am prepared to say that the angleworm
as an integral part Of our lives has been over
Would you say the same Of the grasshopper?
who have studied geography and know something
about the Western States could appreciate ne
fact that the grasshopper al times destroys mil
ions Of dollars worth Of property, ruins harvesLs
reduces whole sections TO distress ana raises ne
cren. therefore Master Grasshopper IN the schoo!-
room would he an object Of curiosity and inteiii
but with first grade children, why not group up
cat the doe- The horse and the bird and very
grsa. deal Of natural bst6rT could be taught under
and their own homes would furnish them with
nsater.aL
geranium 10 the uarcssus, and from the narclss9s
= The dqgwood, why not take House Plants?
eeco-s+to- ..e-IetiS ~ IL - H. 80 +5rne
there And iet III rhd see tbose vegetables grow
ag Il possible. There gardens al no very
go distance which children could be taken TO
utIou can carry this kind Of classification into
.ltlei-Fe. On Wnat OASIS are We 10 select from
.ls Vast mass Of classic literature thai which
,.heuid be given TO children for The cultivation of
i1sE tastes? There Is IN this city q very great
.kek Of home life. i IS known and depIored by all
s4oughtful people Now, suppose instead Of Civ
Ee children literature which calls their attention
" war and adventures, we pick iout that which
-ssAzes and endures home life? We can begin
VII LongfeIlOws .Childrens Hour. We can 20
s 81 WE Snow bound and similar poems. We can
Ssnct1de IN the upper grades with .Silas Manner
tE-laps, and the Prodlgai Son. And in schoo!
S3rarles lei there be q shelf labelled Home Life
'NSl as there is one Labelled History.
--------------