Year: 1868




We desire to make our articles practical and use
full to others and if we can induce other teachers
to examine carefully the methods We present, we
think they will find some suggestions worthy Of
their attention. We will commence with giving a
few hints on teaching the Alphabet.


The old method is calling the little fellows up
one at time, and with book on your knee and
pen knife in hand, point to A, and then to B, and
so on through. While the scholar follows the PEN
knife saying "A-ah, )" 'B-ah, }" "C-ah," &c. This
process is repeated thres or four time day until
each litte can say the line from top to bottom


Were we to go into a school room and find
teacher going through this lifeless, thoughtless,
soulless heathenish style of teaching small children
we would feel very much like seeing said teacher
reported to Ia rtary End made to eat rice with
knitting neekle, tillhe could acquire common
enough to know that child should be fought to
think.


Well, let us take that, as the fundamental princi-
pie in all teaching, ''we'll teach the child to
think every step of the way" With this idea
uPpermost in our minds let call up all the little
ones in school who do not know their letters. Now
place them in a row upon the floor, with arms
folded, heads erect, and shoulders back. Then ask
them "if they ever saw dog. OF course they
have, and all are eager to tell you something about
him. Now let the teacher exercise his skill in
drawing out the thoughts of every scholar in the
class. Say, let him ask each one to tell some part
Of tie dog, as the head, utb, ears, eyes, legs
and so on. Let each one tell something that the
dog can do, as bark, bite, howl, watch. Then ask
wherein dog is like cat or pig, and where they
differ. Does dog look like cat Is any part of
q cat just tibe dog9 And here the teacher may
elicit thoughts, anl make it deeply interesting to
the lass. Now, VIII en- the mind is all awake, priH.
the word DOG on the blackboard. Tell them that
stands for dog, means dog, just the same as pic
ture Of dog. Talk about this word, let each try
to print it, and then let them take their seats and
with slate and pencil try to initiate the word the
teacher las printed.


Thus you will have had q real pleasant time
with the children, and they have enjoyed the ex-
ercise exceedingly, too, and will be impatient for
the next recitation. Do not keep your class the
floor more than fifteen minutes at q time; avoid
wearying the little ones By standing, but change
your exercises frequently. If the weather is
pleasant send them out doors most of the time
and while they are in the school room keep them
busy in some way, but do not make their less q
task, till they spell and read lietie, and
then make their lessons very short and whatever
they do learn let it bring some thought to the
mind.


We can only give hint the intelligent teacher
will readily see the plan and be able to carry it
out successfully. As the teacher progresses, he
teaches the letters secondary, the child learns
them incidently from their in forming words.
And if the teacher fully understands his business,
he teaches that letters only signs for certain
sounds, which the chill must make every time it
pronounces word.