New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-04-22
VACATION THOUGHTS
Wider Holiday Environment Full
of Educational Opportunity.
sy Martha McCuIloch Williams.

uov many have played geography? Don't
.r.ak all at once, neither all be silent.
myself never played it. only taught others
- MAY It. A class of seven, dear adorable
lads and Iasses betwixt nine and fifteen
They could memorize. being normally in
,,ugent. and repeat IN parrot fashion what
the book said But comprehend!-lt made
me feel like a CRATER to think of taking
money FOR letting them remain so ignorant
Tbsv knew glibly what a cape was, a strait.
q rIlf, a bay-on the map. AS actualities
,srt Of the material world. they had not
,hs renotest conception Of them. And they
vsre on the whole. rather above than be
lov the average. They taught me much
more than I ever by any chance taught
them. though I tried hard enough, all
through the term.
Taught me the difference between the alb
.ract description and the concrete fact.
That is 10 say. the difference between
names and things. It happened that our
NAV place boosted beautiful cold spring,
whose waters ran away in a shallow silver
sheet Il
was perhaps twenty feet across. Just how
the Inspiration came I know not-but from
somewhere I got the idea of teaching my
class In its play time to play geography.
II took only the faintest susgestion-once
they found the book words had actual
meaning they rushed joyously to make
sulfs bays. straits. even mountains and
Canons To the scandal of parents and
the regret Of my we'll wishers, | gave up
whole afternoon weekly TO such demonstra-
lions From that I went on 70 teaching OBJ
isctiveIy reconcile things like the diction-
arv. Never shall forget tho CLEAN which
flumined the face Of my dullest pupil when
7 made him understand the meaning of &C
emulate b. telling him the ashes OF our
log fires removed only once>a week. &C
cumulated, were heaped up, in the corners.
such demonstration was impossible with
many words but the number admitting of
Il turned out 10 be surprising. My school
mistress career ran but through ons term
vet out of IT has been horn much specula-
ton as TO whether education, so-callcd, is
not mostly all wrong.
Youthful minds lay hold hardly upon the
abstract. Bur things themselves are COM
50 simply familiar as far and near, 7 found,
gave a wholly new impression when Illus
tratsd by examples actual. Town. nine
miles OF, was far-very far when the cir
Gus came he woodpile, Just under the
window, was likewise near-but not so
near that the big boys found it play TO
fstch in a backlog But It vas in figures
my pupils seemed TO get the most ilumi-
nation BY help Of round pebbles they
learned the inner meaning of addition, sub
traction. multiplication and division-which
before had been only words 70 them. though
they we're letter perfect in rules. But in
grammar the utmost was to drive home
comprehension that nouns we're tho names
Of things-this by requiring over and over
each pupil 10 name three nouns not in the
book.
have hardly a nodding acquaintance
with kndergartens-uot sufficient to war
rant any sort Of judgment Yet it seems
to me that they fall below their poten-
taliues: such teaching as has come under
my knowledge is a sort no child OF mine
should endure. The songs, the motions,
the PLAYS. appear to me 10 ne taught not
as means to ends but as ends in them
serves. fuIlHeI, III my JuuBHtuls lHty
cramp or smother initiative. thereby aiding
still further 10 the machine made tcnden-
clss Of the modern curriculum a normal
child educates itself through its own &C
tivities far more than by going around
chanting about brides. hopping and flop
ping and pretending to fly.
The mountain "lf' stands between all Of
US and some dear desire II I could order
training for the youth Of this nation it
would he along lines. If not OF least resist
snce, OF most illumination. Its aim would
be 10 translate palpaby, actually, those
things the looks but shadow forth His
tory. for example-my lads should fight
over the worlds decisive battles with the
post Of commander as prize for scholar
ship Similarly the world-movcments-e emf
Grafton, settlement discovery would
have bodied forth not by starchcd profess
sorS but by the children themselves. And
thereby would be achieved a most ma gnifi-
cent saving Of health time, strength,
youth and enthusiasm. If all the world
stage. those who as men and women will
DC players thereon cannot begin too early
10 learn the fine art OF playing. 1t strikes
me-hsrd-that one exigeant cause of the
general uninstructedness Of which even the
coLege-bred begin now TO be aware is
mat those who SHOULD be learning through
oelng and doing are instead yawning
through lectures that 80 over their heads
enn eApending upon tri1es or worse the