The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-10

an interest OK Sucn importance TO MIN
as the education OF his children to any
public institution. What is everybody's
business is nobody's business; Ia just
as true Of the public school as Of any
other miserable souialistic institution.
Each mans child Is O. mere unit, one of
a class In public school or college, Its
particular needs are nobody's business
The teacher can only attend to his class
as class. and his salary II you would
have your child properly trained you
must attend to 1t yourself until the time
when he can attend to 1t himself
The public school is but a poor make
shift for good parental teaching A child
can learn nothing at school but deviltry,
that he can not learn better at home with
his father and mother 1t would be Of In
finite value to the cause OF education
generally. II every busy, Woodworking.
tired father would train his children to-
read to him every evening.
The mother is the chlds first and most
natural teacher. Most parents have no
idea how much their children lose by
not having their eduuation begun at the
earliest opportunity.
When child is learning to talk the
linguistic powers Of his race are develop
lnS III MIN. II ~ not tu0 Wac UlI Oh u
child. but the intellectual force OF the
human race. that is unfolding. The intel
lectual force OF the three-year-old child is
marvellous. Tho requirement OF spoken
language by child in HIS second and
third years is the greatest marvel Of
education. yet unnoticed. Then Is the lam
guage period. Then the language should
be taught and finished.
Every mother should remember that
the baby no matter how weak and small
apparently, has within him the intel
lectual force OF the future man. though
folded UP. ready to unfold. Not only so,
this force is the force OF every ancestor.
OF the race itself. which may unfold in the
infant mind before even the mother is
aware OF 1t. And that force may be that
OF a great man. Do not belittle It.
Mothers should not talk fooishly to
their children. Babies are weak and un-
developed physically; but they are loS-
cal and not foolish. Baby talk is no
doubt very harmful to children One Of
language in the time in which a baby
learns his. would be confused by such
an amount OF silly language as almost
every mother addresses to her children.
Most children can read the primer more
readily at three than at six years OF age.
The written language should DO ilnbided
by the child while he Is learning to talk.
The different branches OF language-learn-
Ing should not be separated, Even the
foreign languages that 1t is necessary to
know should be learned by children be-
fore they are six years old.
AS soon MS a child talks some and no.
tees things it should havo alphabet
blocks and n pictorial primer; and few
minutes at time Its attention should
be directed to them The best primer /
have over seen Is very appropriate for a
child Of three. but is stupidity babyish to
ono of six years.
When the child Is lisping his first con-
nected words of recognition Of his com.
rades. he may be shown the picture In tho
primer. and taught that tho picture is
"red;'' and his eye may be made to follow
the lines: This Is red "How do you do
red ?"-and SO on for dot. Ben, tho dog.
the apple, the orange, and all the other
interesting things in the primer. This Is q
chi!d's business to thus torn his Ian
guage. and he will do It easily. &
So with tho admirable childish mental
nrithmettcs parents should take delight III
making tho baby acquainted with the
number OF his fingers and toes; and lead.
Ing him thus to the portals OF the higher
mathematics iliHost peIor6 he Is IT
breeches while the parent Ia, perhaps
unconsclously In sight OF one of the
| miracles OF nature-the unfolding of the
1 human mind In little child. When the
/ child is half grown his slower menta
| advancement Is prosalo In comparison,
| At about five years tho bright chile
! begins to have some interest In the thing,
!, happening about him In the world, Sucl
q child would get far better IDEAS from
reading tho newspapers than many grown
/ people It Is the height of stupidity t,
] consider that child IL not mature
enough, "does not know enough" to read
sense at such an age. The well and bright
ly written Biographies should be laugh
children at home at five or six years O.
ago, as nn aid to newspaper reading.
Many Of the mower books now used Ii
the schools would be OF some advantag
to children II they got to them in nat
ural way four or six years ahead of til
present schedule.
One who observes children, especially
the country school teacher. general,
knows Of one child that Ia exceptional,
bright. Perhaps one child IN a score
e hundred, learns many times faster thar
\ the average Such q child Should lWuy