The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1907-10-26
leach the Children to Study.

If children were taught to study
properly in the beginning, the average
school course would be made with
much greater ease and would be pro-
ductive of more lasting results than
with our present haphazard methods OF
/ study.
As rule, primary teachers are too
rushed to give each child the atten-
ton it requires and upon the intelli-
| gent and sympathetic cooperation of
the parents devolves largely the task
Of seeing that the little one acquires
proper mental habits and makes a fair
start on the road to knowledge. Ex-
perience proves that all things else
being equal, that child that has had
the advantage of attending a good
kindergarten makes the most success
full record in after school work. The
reason is the kindergarten teaches ac-
curacy and industry and by turning the
activity of childhood into useful chan
nels awakens an interest and a JOY
in work which children who have not
received kindergarten training seldom
possess.
The mother may do much to secure
the results Of the kindergarten, and IL
she realized how precious are the
years that precede school life she
proper development of the tiny plant
entrusted to her keeping. Children are
inclined to pay too much attention to
words and to neglect the thought which
they convey; hence from the beginning
the aim should be to strengthen the
reasoning capacity rather than the
memory. With ordinarily bright chill
dren the latter will take care of itself.
The reproduction of the thought, not
the words, of simple stories, first oral
ly and then in writing is a good ex-
ercise and later on little stories with
morals may be used, letting the chill
dren enter a contest as to who can
give the best solution of the lesson
intended to be conveyed. By the use
Of blocks. blackboard drawings and
other devices a correct eye may be Gull
tivated, while habits of observation
may be learned by requiring children
to tell what they see on their walks,
etc.
When the child enters school it is
most important that it should have
sufficient time to prepare its work, but
no more than is necessary, as too much |
time is quite as disastrous to concen- |
tration Of thought as too little In
the latter case the anxiety of not be-
ing able to perform the task in the |
given time prevents proper appllca- |
ton, while continually hanging over
books with divided attention accom-
plishes but little.
It is the mothers duty to see first |
that the child is in proper condition |
to study, by looking closely after its
food, clothing, exercise, baths and
sleeping apartments; in a word, what
ever affects the health Of the little one.
for healthy minds and bodies usually
go together, and the child is frequently
blamed for things at school that are
physical defects or the result Of neg
let on the part of the mother. II
among the children there is one that
IS too precocious and nervous, de-
formed in mind or body, or abnormally
sensitive, the mother has a difficult
ask, and one that she should study
carefully, employing all her patience
md mother love to guide Alright the
afflicted little one and to correct, as
much as possible, the defects of ma
IRE