Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-09-08
wHAr scnooLs NEEp.


the principals have sought 90 accom-
MEDIATE the prescribed course of study
To- the demands OF the day that the
scuools do something moro than repeat
definitions
The new ideals of training require
coulscs that are decidedly more Vital
than the mcmorizine OF dates. some
what more rational than drills in tho
spelling 81 lists Of words separated
from their context and emphatically
more "homehke" and natural than the
pretended study ~ foreign lands or
distant states
our own city. county and state with
al the wealth q material lying az our
very feet. or towering from every
mountain and hillside. nashiug from
every stream and cleaning from every
wer-these are the tyres ~ the re-
slues which the child really knows
Facts about other lands tho child
merely repeats but what he sees, hears.
handles works with. he understands
Whatever is part Of the pupils expert
cpce is the something that forms the
basis by means Of which he learns an
that he knows n what IS beyond his
experience. II this foundation OF
things perceived and dealt with In a
scientific or methodical manner is wei
laid then all future learning ls ren-
dcred easier and more certain n this
frst-handed knowledge is vague. or "
It has not been called 10 the special at
tcntion Of the child by some systematic
exercise. then there are many things
that he viii understand falsely through
life. He viii think he understands.
his teacher will suppose nc understand.
but II put to the test he will show
that he is not only mistaken but often
completely mlslcd or even doluded as
TO what he really understands about
that which he recites and repeats.
This frst basis Of certainty the child
acquires about most things In his play
His world Of reality is perhaps already
larger when he enters school than that
which he subsequently acquires; but II
IS of simple and arbitrarily grouped
character lie Classics together what
ever has occurred together In his ex-
perienee. and seems often to regard one
part of Il as the cause or condition OF
the other But the knowledge which he
acquires IN the school begins TO take
on a classified character and in this
STAGE the relations are not those OF
mere proximity IN time or space The
similarity may now he some hidden
identity that is not apparent at first
sight
Now, in order 10 prepare the child Go
grasp classified knowledge he should
have In his school life much practice
IN the classification 81 the real objects
which he knows he is 90 read about
the Industries of nations FIRST. then. ne
must see something 81 an industry at
home And as we see only what we
ore trained 60 perceive he should be
directed IN BITS seeing 80 that ne viii
understand the steps Of the process in
the industry under inspection. He will
read ~ the plants Of foreign countries
does he know the plants that grow at
his doors In the gardens. on the hills
400 about hime re win hear ~ the min
oral products ~ other lands docs he
know az sight the names or properties
of the rocks and minerals that are
within his own district2 lie win read
~ wild mammals of strange insects
of attractive birdie of dangerous rep
Tiles IN Gar IN lands does he know
anything Of this class ~ remarkable
creatures here % home IN his own west
efn wonderland
n the answer 10 these questions ls
ESQ. thon a reformation Is called Tor
in the elementary schools. How can
pupils learn. without knowing some
bling about their own surroundings
~ the absence of such home knoWledgo
their reading however glib ana smooth
e. only the uttorance of words. their
images Of what they learn WIN be-
faulty or misleading their supposed
proficiency. deluaou.
IN several respects We note with sat-
isfaction how the schools hy the iu-
PRODUCTION OF manual training cooking
and art arc tending towards results
more practical aud useful for the ale..
age citizen than any form ~ word
studs is likely Go be- Skin OF the
hand Is worth much, mental skin Is
worth stil more bat the latter is NOT
attalnablc without practical adoption
IN some form IS the kind n studies
suggested herein
Already this has been done hy The
kindergarten. with results that are NOT
sufficiently described hy saying that
they are cxcsllea;. beautiful won.
derful" etc. are the terms usually ap,
piled 10 a description of me results
~ the Kindergarten Tho so.onun.
colleges have Ions since been dons
thcir utmost 10 eaforce this method "a
Learning from seelns. from experiments
and no'r 1etaE go some extent th'
high schools are seeklng. at least .n th.
scientific subjects, 10 follow the sam.
method But the public schools har.
not set found ways and means Of ac
complshing the great reform which IL
the crying needs Of our system of cle
mentary public schools.