Year: 1863

always found it beneficial to vary the ex.
ercises in spelling, instead of always pro-
nouncing the words from spelling book.
to class, to be spelled by them orally.
have them written. and to call their atten
tion at different times to different words.
Pennmanship comes next in order and
should receive marked attention. The
custom which is followed by many teach
els of having no particular method in ref
crencc to the exercise of writing. and al
lowing the pupils to write whsn suits them
best,-we cannot commend but must un-
quali6edly condemn. A certain portion
Of each day should be allotted to the exer-


else. and all tho pupils who write. should
engage ia it at the same time, and the


teacher should give his attention to it ex-


clusively. Particular attention should be


paid to the position in which the scholars


sit. while engaged in writing. and the


mannerin which the pen is held. Unless


these matters receive due attention it is un-


reasonable to expect the pupils to become


adepts in penmanship Unlessthe teacher


is an excellent penman. we weuld recon-
mend the use Of copy plate. for copies,


which are more perfect, than those usually


written. and is great saving of time to


the teachers and in most public schools


they are coming into general use.


Grammar is most important study. and


should receive large share of attention in
ali common schools. Not only should the
pupil be required to study the text books
and become familiar with the written rules
of grammar,-to analyze and parse SEN
tences, as a part of the exercise Of each
day.--but be required to make practical
use Of it. The best method we have ever
adopted. or seen adopted, to make pupils
correct practical grammarians, is to set
apart portion of each day. to correcting
false syntax, and require the scholars to
notice incorrect expressions OF each other,


while they associate together. and at that
time to produce those incorrect sentences,
in order to have them corrected. This is
calculated to have q beneficial effect, not
only in habituating the pupils to correct
false grammar, but it has direct tendencv
to make all the scholars extremely cautious
relative to the language they use, and as
sists materially in forming correct habits.
in this particular. which we regard as most
essential, and something which should be
particularly understood by all. Some
have affected to undervalue the study of
grammar, but we consider it of the utmost
importance. All have to use language,
and it important that it should 10 used
correctly. aud unless the rules Of grammar
are understood aud observed, erroneous
habits will inevitably be formed. aud 20
confirmed as to render correction Of
their difficulties next to impossible. An
ungrammatical expression never should go
unnoticed in the school room. and pupils
should early be taught to be critics in ref
erenco to the use of language.


The study OF arithmetic we will next no.
tice. This is IN important branch Of
science; and very much depends on the
manner in Shch it is taught. whether the |
pupil gets practical idea Of it. and SO un-
derstands it as to make practical use of
it in after life. One very common prac-
tice among many teachers is, to give no
whatever Of the principles,
but if the pupil cannot perform the exam
pie. the teacher performs the operation,
the pupil copies it and in a majority of
cases has no more idea of the principle on
which it is performed than before the work
was done. This we consider ridiculous,
absurd, preposturous, and reprehensible in
the extreme. Such course cannot pos.
sibly be Of any real benefit TO the pupil
The proper method, in our opinion is to
require the pupil to study and understand |
every rule, and for the teacher to explain /
and illustrate them so that every scholar
thoroughly understands them, and then |
require that every example should be
worked out and explained on the black |
board in the presence Of the entire class
In this way the pupils will get correct
idea of the principles Of arithmetic. and
be able to reduce them to practice subse- |
quently. The time that is spent in study |
ing arithmetic in any other way, we re- |
gard as worse than lost.


Geography and history should be thor
oughly taught in all common schools
1t is important that the pnril while ac-
quiring an education should learn something
relating to the situation, and history con-
nscted with the different parts of the world.
Without this they must ever be under the
necessity of betraying deplorabls isnor-
ance. Not only should the description
given in the text books be carefully stud
icd. and the maps understood, but the
pupils should be required to draw repre-
sentations Of the different localities on the
slate or blackboard. In this way the con-
formation Of tine different places will be
engraved on their memories. and they will
better understand what they are studying
than in any other way.


A Revelation.


A Mr.. Henry Renish published a letter