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of some of the objects that you see in the room,"-writing them on the board as they are given," the names of some of the objects you can see from the window; of some of those in your own homes." Continuing in this way till sh has made out a list of some fifteen or twenty words, she asks, at length: "What are all these words that I have written?" "Names of objects." Now, it will be observed, the children have a clear idea of a noun; ask them for the name of an object, and they cannot be mistaken. The first requirement, then, of our principle is acted upon; an idea is developed. What remains? Give the term. This is done in a minute, and the whole thing is finished. How simple this operation is! Yet the children are kept interested throughout the lesson; even the dullest are familiar with it, and the knowledge is gained without the exercise of severity on the part of the teacher, or of conscious effort on that of the pupils. In fifteen minutes the idea has become a part of themselves, and they would no more think of calling a noun a conjunction-as I have heard boys fourteen, fifteen, sixteen years of age do, repeatedly-than they would of calling white black. And this applies to the dullest children in the class as well as to the quickest.

At the end of the first lesson let us see how the two classes compare. Those of the first, who have worked hard, either from choice or under compulsion, have learned the words contained in the definitions of a noun, and the two great classes of nouns, with such idea as they may have been able to extract. Two-thirds of the four-fifths of the class who learned the lesson attached no idea whatever to the words, and consequently in a year from the time, unless their memory is refreshed by constant reviews, will have forgotten the whole matter. Has there been any intellectual growth here?

In the second class, every child has added to himself a new idea, which he can clothe in words, because it is part of himself. Every child, then, has taken one step farther towards that development of mind, which is, or should be, the aim of all educators to promote. To be sure, they have learned only one thing; but has the other class really learned even that? Let us trace the progress of the two classes for the next six months: this is easily done in the first case, since the first lesson is a type of all the others; for at each a page or two is assigned, explained, and committed to memory. At the end of the six months, they have, perhaps, gone over some forty or fifty pages. A very few, say one-fifth, and these the choice spirits of the class, have gained a few intelligible ideas; three-fifths have gained a collection of words alone, and one-fifth are quite innocent of either words or ideas.

The second teacher, bearing in mind the principle, "not the order of the subject, but the order of nature," gives her second lesson on the verb, calling on the children for the names of different actions, as "walk," "run," "ride," &c., writing them as they are dictated, and then proceeding in the same manner, as with the noun. At the conclusion of this lesson, the children have gained two distinct ideas, clothed in language which they themselves have applied, the ideas, namely, of a noun and a verb. Now combine them, and they have a third,—the idea of a sentence. By a few well-directed questions, the teacher here leads them to perceive and state that the verb tells something of the noun.

Through all this, notice how faithfully the principle, "first synthesis, then analysis," has been carried out.

The reader will see at what the teacher is aiming. She is aiming to lead her children to an understanding of the relations of words to each other; to see at a glance the bearing and meaning of a sentence, and to feel the force of each word composing it. She is laying the foundation of a thorough knowledge of the English language, and doing something to diminish the number of mute geniuses in the world.

Her third lesson is on the adjective. She develops this idea by letting the children describe one or more of the objects, the names of which are written on the board, writing the descriptive words as they are given, before the names of the objects described. Having thus developed the idea, the children will readily clothe it in words; the teacher gives the term, and another step towards the great end is accomplished. The subject of the adverb is next taken up; then the article; then the conjunction. Then come the personal pronoun, the preposition, the interjection. Now that the ground-work is laid, the children can assign to any word its place as a part of speech, and with as good an idea of what they are talking about as the most learned of grammarians. As the several parts of speech have been taken up, the teacher has combined examples of them into sentences, the children pointing out the relation of each word to the others. When the whole nine have been considered, suppose such a sentence as this is given the class to parse: "The black horse runs swiftly to the stable." They proceed in their own childish way, having no knowledge of technical terms, as follows: "The is an article, telling that a particular black horse is meant; black is an adjective, and tells what kind of a horse it is; horse is a noun, and tells what is running; runs is a verb, and tells what the horse does; swiftly is an adverb, telling how the horse runs; to is a preposition, joining runs and stable; the is an article, telling that a particular stable is meant; and stable is a noun, that tells to what the horse runs." So much work can be accomplished in five months. Next would come the technical terms for these childish expressions, "limits," "agrees with," "qualifies," etc. The subject of case would also be brought in here.

In a month more the children parse readily, accurately, and in good language, any simple sentence. This closes the six months' work. The children have used no books,-have committed to memory no definitions but such as they have themselves dictated. Yet which of the two classes has been the most truly educated?

Let a simple sentence be given to the first class, and it will be found that they have no more idea of the relations and nice dependence of its words on one another, than if they had never looked inside of a grammar. They have filled their minds with rubbish, among which can be detected, only here and there, and that with much difficulty, the sparkle of a half smothered idea. These are the children who will cause their teachers such trials of patience and vexation of spirit, when they shall have attained an age, at which they might be reasonably expected to distinguish a noun from a conjunction, or a verb from an adjective. But in the minds of the second class, we find a well-defined, orderly, and methodical array of strong, bright ideas, with not a particle of rubbish to quench or weaken their lustre.

It may be asked, "Would you never use a book?" Yes; after six months more, or 30, on the different classes in which the parts of speech are divided, with the grammatical accidents, they will be ready for the book, and the thousand and one nice points and fine shades which our language furnishes.

I sincerely hope that a reformation of some sort may be effected in the teaching of this branch of knowledge, before long,―that grammar may be raised to its proper place in the list of school studies, and made as interesting to the child as is his history or geography. It can be done, if every teacher will take hold of the work with a right good will, keeping constantly in view the principles upon which all our teaching should be grounded: "Develop the idea, before giving the term." "Synthesis, before analysis,--not the order of the subject, but the order of nature." A BOSTON TEACHER.

TO THE TEACHERS AND FRIENDS OF EDUCATION OF OHIO. The next annual session of the Ohio State Teachers' Association will be held in Zanesville, and will commence on the evening of the 3d of July (Tuesday). Among the topics of discussion, the following will come before the Associa tion for its consideration:

1st. Graded Schools in Rural Districts: How far have they been tried, and how have they succeeded when the trial has been made? What prevents the further adoption of the plan.

2d. The feasibility of a General Plan for the Education and Training of Teachers, embracing a Normal School, Judicial-District and County Institutes. 3d. Whether it is advisable for Teachers to labor for the establishment of County Superintendencies.

4th. Whether English Grammar is now generally taught so as to be of any considerable advantage to the student.

5th. Whether the study of Higher Arithmetic ought not to give way to the study of Algebra and Geometry, and, as far as possible, of other branches of the Higher Mathematics.

6th. Whether the true theory of Object Teaching is the one which is now pressed upon the attention of American Teachers.

Teachers are earnestly requested to write out and present to the Association short papers on these topics, which shall not occupy more than ten or twelve minutes in the reading, and prepare themselves to present in the discussions which may arise, as succinctly as possible, their maturest thoughts in regard to the same.

It is confidently expected that there will be a large attendance, and the Committee are assured that the usual courtesies will be extended to ladies attending the convention, and that the railway companies will make the usual liberal reduction of fare on their respective roads.

The State of Massachusetts had a gathering, recently, of nearly two thousand teachers. That must have been a glorious assemblage. Let us have such a meeting that those who attend may go from it with more ardent feeling and higher hopes than those with which they came together.

ANDREW J. RICKOFF, Chairman of Ex. Committee.

Editorial Department.

DURING the months of April and May we added to our subscription books the names of over one thousand new subscribers. The loss during the same time by expiration of subscriptions was about seven hundred, which leaves a net gain of over three hundred. This increase of circulation indicates that our expectations at the beginning of the year will be realized, and that the continued support of the Monthly is a fixed fact. We trust that this announcement will stimulate all to renewed efforts to make the circulation of the Monthly equal to the new opportunities for usefulness now before it.

We would remind those whose subscription commenced in July, 1865, that this number closes their year. An early renewal of their subscription is solicited. We dislike to part company with any of our readers. Those who may wish to subscribe for only six months can do so by remitting seventy-five cents.

THE PROFESSIONAL CHARACTER OF THE MONTHLY. We do not expect to be able to make the Monthly interesting to those who feel no special interest in educational questions. Persons who care nothing about politics are not likely to be interested in a political paper; and an enthu siastic admirer of the New York Ledger would doubtless pronounce the best of our religious papers "dry" and "prosy." Millions leave the Bible unread because they have no inward thirst for its living waters. We are not, therefore, at all surprised to learn that a few of our readers (?) would like the Monthly much better if it contained a liberal supply of attractive and fascinating stories, and fewer articles having reference to those vital questions which underlie the teacher's duties. Such teachers have simply made a wrong investment of funds. Instead of subscribing for the Monthly they should have purchased the last novel.

There are other teachers who would like to see their professional organ a rival of Round Table or The Atlantic. They cull among its pages for literary spices, passing by everything that is designed to be nutritious to the growing

teacher.

There are still other teachers who think they know all about teaching that is worth knowing; who stand, in their own estimation, upon the very summit of professional attainments. Self-sufficient, they do not seek the stimulus and assistance which may be derived from the ideas and methods of others. Indeed, they commisserate the condition of those who are inquiring for better methods of teaching. The teacher who finds anything of interest or profit in the plans

and suggestions of others, is put down as a novice in his business. Place upon their table an educational journal or treatise, and they will smile at your verdancy in supposing that they ever read such professional puerilities. They may, perchance, condescend to fumble the leaves delicately, while they enlighten you respecting their pre-eminent qualifications and success.

Now we frankly confess that we are not editing the Monthly with the expectation of interesting or directly benefiting either class of teachers above described. On the contrary, we have in view those earnest, progressive teachers who realize the responsibility of their high vocation, and who, unsatisfied with their present attainments, are earnestly seeking for higher qualifications and more satisfactory results. We seek to interest and benefit those who are willing to be interested and benefited; to assist those who are striving to lift themselves out of the deep ruts of the profession.

Nor are our purposes and efforts wholly vain. Hundreds of the best teachers in the State gratefully acknowledge their indebtedness to the Monthly, not only for needed stimulus and encouragement, but for valuable suggestions and ideas. We are constantly cheered by the reception of such acknowledgements. Nor are these assurances that the special mission of the Monthly is appreciated, confined to inexperienced teachers. The most eminent teachers of the country have heartily commended it for the directness and practicalness with which it bears upon the daily duties of the school-room as well as for its references to the higher problems of education. And the more strictly and earnestly professional we have made the Monthly, the heartier have been these assurances of appreciation, and the more satisfactory its pecuniary support.

But though we aim to make the Monthly distinctively professional, we also strive to give to it a literary character worthy of the cause it advocates. While we have no special admiration for what is known as "fine writing," we like to see important educational truths clothed in attractive garments. We have been, for this reason, much pleased with the series of articles entitled "Talks after Working Hours," which closed in the May number, and we hope to receive other contributions of like character. The essentials of the literary aspirations of the Monthly are point, vigor, and freshness, good grammar and pure English.

THE TEACHER'S PREPARATION FOR CONDUCTING RECITATIONS.

Why should the teacher make special preparation for conducting each recitation? What should such special preparation include? Why should it include the method of conducting the recitation? Why should the teacher's knowledge go beyond the textbook used by his class? To what extent should the teacher use a text-book in hearing a lesson? What direction can you give respecting the assigning of lessons?— Questions on the Theory and Practice of Teaching.

Skill here in

The recitation is largely the measure of the teacher's success. sures success in every direction, while a failure here is a failure throughout. Prompt, thorough and inspiriting recitations create in the pupil a love for study, secure vigorous application, and promote good order. If, on the contrary, the

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