Evening star., 1937-09-08
Sinnplihed
Schooling
The Best
Failure in First Few
Grades Is Due to
Overteaching.
BY ANGELO PATRT.

RELIEVE in simplified schooling. A
lot of illustrative material, for ex-
ample, Is likely to confuse a child
rather than enliehten him. In The
lower grades there are many children
who recite lessons badly and get poor
marks. The reason for the failure
OF this group is the overtes ching they
receive
Little children have trouble getting
thought from language They cannot
HEAR language so as to get it's mean
ing because their minds have not
experienced the ideas thai rhe words
should recall There is. in short.
nothing to recall. nothing TO back I'D
The sound of those words. The child
hears sounds and those sounds trouble
him because they have no meaning
for him and he knows he is expected
10 6nd meaning and use In them.
Confusion of mind often is AZ the
bottom OF failure in the 6rst few
grades of school
| believe that the simplest state
ment, the simplest illustration. is ss
much as q teacher oares offer be-
glnner. The elaborate equipment of
tables, chairs, books. pictures. tools.
that sre in some modern primary
classes is not helpful 10 a great group
OF children. These can see one word.
one picture, understand one gesture.
take In one experience at a time, and
they need 10 dwell with that expert
ence for time before going on 10 the
next.
Simple schooling is best Give The
class good teacher. a good text
book, a simple but complete equip
ment for illustration and experience.
and YOU have given a school all it
needs We are in danger of overelabo-
ration OF uneSsentials For example. I
think u Is fine 10 teach girls ~ cook.
but l can't justify The expense df
giving each girl student an electric
stove, with complete kitchen equip
ment. in community that uses hard
wood in the cook stove sll year round"
] would simplify that sort OF school,
ine
When / speak about simplifying
schooling / am not speaking about
simplifying education, which is a far
different thing Schooling is con-
cerned with the things you can lay
hold on-books. courses Of study.
equipment, buildings and the like
Education is the inta ngible quality
of mind that is produced by exposing a
child to worth while experience under
the guidance OF skilled and intelli-
gent teacher
Education can never be simple. II
really has little to do with the ma
lerial equipment OF the school. II
NAV come by wsv of that equipment
If II is wisely used. snd Vt may come
in spite OF IL there is an under
standing teacher close by TO maintain
communication with the mind Of the
pupil. Education rs a very compli-
Gated matter because H. touches the
mysteries of the human mind snd
soul. | hate TO see II mixed up with
things that bear little relation 10 IL
but make good show for the tax
PAYERS
This is what people are irving 10
express when they bewsil The passing
of the little red school house II is
not the barrenness of the old buildings
they bewsil, but the barrenness of the
new education that has turned its
back upon the spiritual inheritance
that those little red school houses
left for our children. H. is the direct
simplicity Of the old teaching that is
being missed in the welter of theories
things personal projects and general
! Buchness.
fCopyrisht. 1872