Part 17 (2/2)

[Footnote A: This ansas given by a child five years of age]

[Footnote B: This ansas given by a child six years of age]

Here we observe to the children, that as this animal is so useful toquestioned them as to the difference between a cart and a coach, and satisfied ourselves that they understand the things that arethem what is the use of the horse after he is dead, to which the children reply, that its flesh is eaten by other ani them), and that its skin is put into pits with oak bark, which is called tanning; and that when it is tanned it is called leather; and leather is made into shoes to keep the feet warm and dry, and that we are indebted to the anis that we both eat and wear, and above all to the great God for every thing that we possess I cannot help thinking that if this plan were enerally adopted, in all schools, we should not have soto blind chance, when all nature exhibits a God, who guides, protects, and continually preserves the whole

We also exa that ill-treated animal, the ass, and contrast it with the beautiful external appearance of the zebra; taking care to warn the children not to judge of things by their outward appearance, which the world in general are too apt to do, but to judge of things by their uses, and ofexa the animals that are , and others of a sin anier, the lion, &c &c In describing the use of the camel and the elephant, there is a fine field to open the understandings of the children, by stating how useful the camel is in the deserts of Arabia; how o without water; and the reason it can go without water longer than most other animals; how much the elephant can carry; what use it s will assist the thinking powers of children, and enlarge their understandings, if ed carefully We also contrast the beautiful appearance of the tiger with its cruel and blood-thirsty disposition, and endeavour to shew these erous plan to judge of things by outward appearances, but that there is a , which forms a part of the business of education to explain

The children are highly delighted with these pictures, and, of their own accord, require an explanation of the subjects Nay, they will even ask questions that will puzzle the teacher to answer; and although there is in some minds such a natural barrenness, that, like the sands of Arabia, they are never to be cultivated or improved, yet I can safely say, that I never knew a child who did not like the pictures; and as soon as I had done explaining one, it was always, ”Please, sir, may we learn this?” ”Please, teacher, enerally tired before the children; instead of having to apply anyto learn; and this e over every other, because it does not interfere with any religious opinion, there being no body of Christians that I know, or ever heard of, ould object to the facts recorded in the Bible, being thus elucidated by pictures Thus a ground-work may be laid, not only of natural history, but of sacred history also; for the objects being before the children's eyes, they can, in soree, comprehend them, and store them in their memories Indeed, there is such attraction in pictures, that you can scarcely pass a picture-shop in London, without seeing a nu at them When pictures were first introduced into the school, the children told their parents; many of whoh the plates are very coree of attention and reverence in the parents, scarcely to be expected, and especially froenerally the case, that e have alith us, beco deprived of it for a tireater value on it: and I have found this to be the case with the children If the pictures we make use of in the schools be exposed all at once, and at all times, then there would be such a multiplicity of objects before the eyes of the children, that their attention would not be fixed by any of them; they would look at them all, at first, onder and surprise, but in a short time the pictures would cease to attract notice, and, consequently, the children would think no more of them than they would of the paper that covers the room To prevent this, and to excite a desire for information, it is always necessary to keep some behind, and to let very few objects appear at one time When the children understand, in some measure, the subjects before them, these may be replaced by others, and so on successively, until the whole have been seen

So represented in the hu that it is calculated to ht it better that be should not be represented at all; the man that undertakes to please all will soon find out his mistake, and, therefore, be must do the best he can, and leave the objectors to please thereat pity little children should suffer frorounded objections of those who cannot do better On visiting a school, take notice of the pictures hanging about, if they are dusty, and have not the appearance of being well-used, be sure that the coood infant school, or that the teacher has never been properly trained, and, therefore, does not kno to use them

CHAPTER XVI

ON TEACHING BY OBJECTS

Object Boards-Utility of this Method

”The eyes will greatly aid the ears”

As I have before said that it is our object to teach the children from objects in preference to books, I will mention a method we adopt for the accomplishment of this purpose It consists of a nu description will convey an accurate idea

The boards are about sixteen inches square, and a quarter of an inch thick: wainscot is the best, as it does not warp These will go into the groove of the lesson post: there should be about twenty articles on each board, or twenty-five, just as it suits the conductors of the school; there should be the sas on each board, in order that all the children may finish at one time; this will not be the case, if there be ive an account of a few of our boards, and that must suffice, or I shall exceed the limits I have prescribed to old in its rough state, a piece of gold in its manufactured state, a piece of silver in both states, a piece of copper in both states, a piece of brass in both states, a piece of iron in both states, a piece of steel in both states, a piece of tinfoil, a piece of solder, a screw, a clasp nail, a clout nail, a hob nail, a spike nail, a sparable, and a tack

These articles are all on one board, and the monitor puts his pointer to each article, and tells his little pupils their naes them to repeat the nao to the next

The next board may contain a piece of he, a piece of sacking, a piece of canvass, a piece of hessian, a piece of Scotch sheeting, a piece of unbleached linen, a piece of bleached linen, a piece of diaper linen, a piece of dyed linen, a piece of flax, a piece of thread, a piece of yarn, a piece of ticking, a piece of raw silk, a piece of twisted silk, a piece of wove silk, figured, a piece of white plain sills, and a piece of dyed silk, a piece of ribbon, a piece of silk cord, a piece of silk velvet, &c

The nextcotton, unbleached calico, bleached calico, diham, bed furniture, printed calico, marseilles, flannel, baise, stuff; woollen cloth and wool, worsted, white, black, and mixed

The next may contain milled board, paste board, Bristol card, brown paper, white paper of various sorts, white sheep skin, yellow sheep, tanned sheep, purple sheep, glazed sheep, red sheep, calf skin, cow hide, goat skin, kid, seal, pig leather, seal skin, wash leather, beaver, &c

The next may contain about twenty-five of those wood animals which are in toy warehouses; soly well, and appear very like the real aniany, and the various kinds of wood

The next s of the various fruit trees, all about an inch long, or an inch square

The next ery, needles, pins, cutlery, small tools, and every other object that can be obtained sh for the purpose

The lessons are to be put in the lesson-post the salued, or fastened on the boards with screws or waxed thread

I would have dried leaves provided, such as an oak leaf, an elreens should be kept separate These will enable a judicious instructor to coreat variety of valuable information