The Hawaiian gazette., 1912-01-26

Or SCOTT.
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only in Hawaii alone, but to the cause
of education at large, it was decided in
| 1895 to secure the services of leading
educators on the mainland to assist in
the study of conditions and to advise
with the educational authorities in the
organization Of the work.
During the summer of 1896, DR.. Dress
Ter, and in 1897, Doctor Brown, now
commissioner of education at Washing
ton, lectured to the teachers in the
Summer School and advised with the
educational authorities concerning the
conditions existing in the schools and
the solutions of the problems confront
ing them. The assistance given is de-
scribed in the official reports as Gin
calculable' As result of this inves-
tigation into the educational conditions
in Hawaii, the course of study was
strengthened on the side of thought
work.
Experts Who Came.
In 1898, ColoneY Parker of Chicago,
explained and illustrated what was
meant by thought work in relation to
the course of study. Mrs. Parker IL
Illustrated thought work in reading, and
Miss Allen, of the Cook County Normal
School, illustrated thought work in the
kindergarten.
In the Summer School of 1899, Miss
Zonia Baber, of Chicago University, il
lustrated thought work in grammar and
high school grades in geography, and
Miss Flora J. Cook illustrated thought
work in the primary grades.
In 1900, DR.. John Dewey of Chicago
University, lectured to the teachers
during summer session of the normal
and training school and advised con-
corning the working out of the work of
the course of study.
Also in the same year M. GARNER,
the French commissioner of education,
on trip around the world examining
the various school systems spent day
while in Honolulu on his way to the
Orient, in the normal and training
school with the minister of public in
struction, the Hon. f. A. Mott Smith.
The purpose of his visit was to investi-
gate our methods of work and to see
what adaptations had been made of the
general principles of teaching to meet
the problems arising from the mixture
of races in our schools. He reported
the work as well adapted to the needs
of our cosmopolitan population.
Adaptations Suggested.
The adaptation referred to was (a)
the enrichment of the course of study in
the lower grades-for example, nature
study, home geography, myths and le
gends, ETC., and (b) the emphasis placed
upon establishing the relationship be-
tween the thought and the spoken, writ
ten or printed symbol for the thought.
This relationship is the basis for all
the child's future work.
The Language Trouble.
In schools where the mother tongue Is
of the schoolroom, this relationship is
established in the home and the teacher
gives attention principally to drilling
the child on the recognition of the writ
ten or printed symbols, but where the
tongue of the schoolroom is not the Ian
guage of the home, as in Hawaii, it is
necessary to first establish this relation
ship before giving the needed drill on
the symbol. Only in this way can the
teacher be sure that the child is learn
ing to talk, write and read the English
language.
One of the primary purposes for the
teaching of nature study, and home geo.
graphy in the schools of the Territory
is to furnish basis for the teaching Of
talking, reading and writing, in other
words, using the known for basis of
teaching the unknown. For example,
see Course of Study PIP. 20 and 81, Lam
guage, 1910, which reads as follows;
"Teach the children to talk about
what the mother does in the home; as,
the care of the children, the care of
the house, the cooking of food, the max.
ing of clothes. Teach them to talk
about what the father does to support
the home, the tools he uses in his work,
etc. Teach them to talk about the
games played at home. at school, the
things seen on the way to and from
school, the work in the school and
school yard. National stories adapted
and used as subject matter for talking,
reading and writing; as 'The House
That Jack Built, 'The Little Red Hen
etc. Memorize-nursery rhymes, stories
taught, etc. Teach ms many stories as
possible. In this way the child gets the
relation between the thought and the
spoken, written or printed symbol for
the thought. This relationship is the
basis for the child Is work in reading
Reader-Use Hawaii g Young People.
Teach about 100 words Keep a list of
all words taught. Drill on these until
the child is familiar with them"
Thought Method.
The method used is what is generally