Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1904-03-16
PRIM WORK.
A Paper Prepared and Read by
Mrs W. S. Middleton before
the recent Teachers
Meeting.
(Continued from la t Weekly

It is quite treat to little people to
be allowe TO work at, or write on the
board, and to give those who do their
"seat work" well, that, as reward OF
merit" is stimulus to quick audi
tion. If it can be prevented L do not
permit counting on the fingers, tho in
the summer have seen pupils count
on their toes when hands were hidden:
After children have been drilled
orally in the addition to ten they
shonid be able to do it without object
counting,-in other words IN tne 40.
stract. An excellent drill is TO count
by SIS, say in all possible beginnings
up to ten; first 'one, six," then, two,
seven" etc.
In language, work short stories
read to them, form a basis for begin
nings, requiring the child to relate
what has been read, correcting mis-
takes in English and endeavorlng TO
eliminate some of the "ands" which
pnnctuate small childrens speech AS
soon as the children are far enough
advanced to write without it's being
too great muscular tax, have the
reproduction done with pencil. Ihen
the criticisms should be made lndl-
vidually, too, in order to show each
child his or Ter failures, at first giving
very little attention to the memory
part of the work, but emphasizing the
mistakes or successes in use OF IAN
guaee, punctuation ard capitalization.
Books for this purpose which have
been used successfully wefe-Enoch
Arden, Courtship of Miles Standlsh,
Ten Boys Who Lived on the Road
from Long ago to Now. SeNen Little
Sisters. Stories Mother Nature tola
her children, Dickens Christmas
Carol. and Story of Little Nell. Whlle
with advanced, even beyond this. l
sometimes suggest the reading OF a
hook after which ask to be told OF 1t.
NV fellow teachers can easily see III
ali this that the pupil gains langu-
age lessen, peep in to the beautlful
realm of literature with all its alluring
charms, and cultivation for the best
of tn hose charms, also beautiful trulh
or picture oflife, maybe ona low rune
of the social ladder, lived so nooly
that it reaches into the great beyond
aud walks into the kingdom OF God.
Almost all the parts of speech may
be taught to class,-that is, to re-
coguize them as of the same class ol
words without knowing names of the
different classes. by talks on language
in which the child is led TO do the
classifying, as, of objects; OF words
that perform acts, of descriptive words
of various degrees of comparison. oy
placing objects of the different sizes
or even their own ages may form a
basis of comparison. as" Il am old, Tom
is older, but you are the oldest. :,
Asa tnale I'D say, teach truth. both
by example aud precspt to primary
classes. Teach them cleanliness whlct
is next to Godliness, that time spent
| in brushing the clothes, hair and teeth
is no more wasted than that spent III
making good resolutions. Teach the
beauty of a life of service, the majesty
and dignity Of labor; that work is ne
disgrace. but if poorly done, the doei
is disgraced.
Teach purity of life,-that it mus
be of thought, word, and deed. anf
that the fruits of the Spirit-meeknes!
gentleness, patience, long-sufferint
are worth while.
Don't have too many "don'ts" ant
rules, but enforce those you have
don't expect children tc sit as still
and quiet as grown people, and for al
example of b. lw welt these latter de
serve these last adjectives applied t.
them, rotice in church on next s'unda.
morning and see how many of then
90 into "iiod's House" in quiet re
VerentiaI manner and remain perfect
| Iy quiet thro' the service. And do no
fossafh re 5fusfss f tfsVttfa Vatfa s. stem t fav
seen schools presided over by teach
ers so cold, that they were like ice
bergs, and the order was so perfect
that there seemed to be no room for
new idea, lest it disturb the routine
Understand, that believe, in method
but not carried beyond "moderation-
that sllken skein running thro' tht
pearls of virtues"
And last, but moi least, if you do no
love to teach, do lot teach primary
grades, whatever you dol! Those frs
years are the most important in tht
child's mental life, and wrong move
may mar character, or n whole men
tai life any way. DO not give uI
study of all the great teachers espe-
cially that most important, the Grea
Teacher who said, "suffer little chill.
dren to come unto me and forbid them
not for of such is the kingdom o.
Heaven.