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Talk to them much about outward objects, common things, such as are right about them; matters and occur

rences of every day and every hour.

Allow them, yea require them, to question you. Exercise their senses,— particularly their organs of seeing and hearing. Question them on the size, form, weight, color, taste, appearance and uses of objects. Say to them, Does this object grow, or was it made by man? If it grows, where does it grow? In the water or on the land? On trees or bushes, or in the ground? What is its use? Is it sweet or sour? Beautiful or ugly? do you want it for?

Do you want it? What

Put many questions to them about the articles of furniture in the room; articles of dress, and school-apparatus. Also, about the various arts, trades, and occupations of life; or rather such as they may have seen, and have some acquaintance with. Talk to them of vegetables, fruits, and various productions of the earth; animals, and, especially the domestic and useful animals; birds, fishes, and insects: of air, fire, smoke, clouds, wind, rain, snow, ice, thunder and lightning, the sun, moon and stars. On each of these and many other subjects, the teacher should give lessons, varying in number and difficulty of comprehension, to suit the age, capacity and attainments of his little pupils. Let the recitation, or conversation, be accompanied with the object itself, or some good drawing for illustration. It may excite a smile, that I mention the sun, moon, and stars, thunder and lightning, as fit subjects for the instruction of children. Of course I do not mean that the teacher should attempt to take his baby pupils into the clouds, or descend with them into the depths of science, or deliver to

them grave and learned lectures on any subject; but, as these are all things which are continually being addressed to their senses, I do think that some plain familiar talks about them might be intelligible, interesting and profitable to these young disciples. It would serve to beguile the school-room of many an irksome hour, and prevent misconceptions and erroneous associations in the young mind, which may greatly impede the progress of future

years.

This part of education, I regard as highly important; and if it is not attended to in the nursery and at home, it should by no means be neglected at school: or rather I would say, whether attended to or not at home, let it be taught at school. It certainly has one recommendation, which belongs not to every subject introduced within the school walls, viz.: it will be very easy to obtain specimens for examination and remark. I once knew a teacher on her way to school, to pick up a small strip of leather, the rib of a dog, a fragment of a broken tumbler, a chestnut burr, and a pine cone. These furnished her with matter for half a dozen interesting and instructive conversations, or familiar lectures, with her pupils. She compared and contrasted these articles; spoke of their origin, formation, structure, and use,-the points of dif ference and of resemblance in their composition, size, color, &c. The children looked at them, handled them, inquired and talked about them; and though they had all seen the articles before, and some of them many times, yet the teacher, by her ingenious inquiries and instructive remarks, succeeded in keeping up attention, and imparting to them the interest and charm of things entirely new. And in truth they were things which the children had

indeed looked upon, but which they had not sSEEN. The subject grew on the teacher's hands, so that what she supposed would occupy the attention of her class but a few moments, furnished matter for several lectures. Let any interested and devoted teacher try the experiment; she will find, that out of almost any object that she may pick up on her way to school, she may make a conversation, which will be both interesting and valuable to her pupils. Mingle these instructions with all your first efforts with the young. They should make a part, and a great part of every lesson. They would almost supply the desideratum alluded to in the beginning of my remarks: "What shall be done with little children in school?" They will bring much relief, both to pupils and to teachers. Again, I say, try it.

2. But your instructions need not be confined to visible and outward objects. Direct the attention of the young listeners, even at this early period, to what is nearer to them than the external world, I mean the world within them, themselves, their spiritual nature,-their own thoughts, feelings and inward operations. This part of education has been too long delayed; evils, moral and intellectual, have been the consequence. The work of education, arduous enough at best, becomes all the more difficult by being delayed. Whatever is done should be done quickly. The objection that children cannot un derstand this subject is not valid. They understand what love, hatred, hope, fear, joy, anger, grief, &c., is, if not as well as adults, yet well enough for practical education. They may not comprehend the subtleties of metaphysics, but they know something of their own spiritual nature; they are conscious that they have thoughts

and feelings and passions; and of these the teacher may speak to them intelligibly. In no way can a teacher's labors do more good. Let these things be associated in the minds of children with their first school lessons. Too long, quite too long, are they kept in the dark in regard to "the kingdom that is within them." Let teachers look to this matter. Painful must be the reflection to one of acute moral perceptions, that in all her labors with children, little or nothing has been done for the training of their spiritual and immortal nature. Study this nature. Cultivate this nature. Endeavor to train up good men and good women, even though they be not learned men and women. You may not be able to read the works of profound metaphysicians, but you can turn your thoughts in upon yourselves, and then read and learn what and how you should teach children. Excellent auxiliaries in this branch of juvenile instruction, you will find in Gallaudet's Work on the Soul; also in his Natural Theology.

When these exercises have been continued for a considerable time, or rather perhaps in connexion with them, you may begin to teach children to read. For I do not pretend that children can go very far in acquiring knowledge without having learned to read. By using the black-board, you may make learning to read arbitrary signs, a sort of modification of the exercise on visible objects. Begin with words, not letters;-words, printed on the black-board. Let them be simple words,-short words; generally the names of familiar things, and such as children are acquainted with. Let them be such words too, as when combined, will form a sentence, which children will understand, and talk about. Let

them read both singly and in concert. This, together with conversation and questioning, will make the exercise pleasing. When they are perfectly familiar with the first words chosen, and the sentence which they compose, select other words, and form other sentences; and so on indefinitely; taking care to choose words which are easily pronounced, and the names of familiar things. Let the sentence, which they form, be short and easy. As children advance, both words and sentences may, of course, increase in length and difficulty. Worcester's Primer, Swan's Primary Reader, Bumstead's My First Book,' and many other works, will furnish very good sentences for your purpose; but in Miss Peabody's book for teaching children how to read, you will find a full illustration of the whole method with words and senThe following may serve as a specimen of the Write on the black-board several times and in various orders, the following words; large, has, two, cow, the, horns; cow, horns, large, has, two, the; has, cow, horns, large, the, two; horns, has, two, the, cow, large; and finally, combine them into the sentence,'The cow has two large horns.' Again, take the following sentence, and resolve it into its component parts, writing the words in various orders. The dog has four legs.' Legs, four, dog, the, has; dog, the, four, has, legs; four, dog, has, the, four, &c. Then combine them again so as to form the original sentence,—' The dog has four legs.'

tences.

manner.

It may be necessary with very young scholars to make the process still more simple. You take a child or a small class of children to you to give them their first lesson in reading. You show them on a card, sheet, black

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