Part 20 (1/2)

The greatthe children acquainted with the things of which the words used are the signs, and moreover, from the use of a number of hard words, which the children repeat without understanding For instance, in the classification of words, or the parts of speech, as they are called, nouns, substantives, and adjectives, convey, as terms, no idea to the minds of children; and, in spite of the definitions by which their iible as the language of ical incantation That the children can easily comprehend the difference betords which express the nas, and those which express their qualities, and betords which express actions, and those which express the nature of those actions, is undeniable; and this is just what should be taught in an infant school In the first place, let the children be accustos, not of any certain nus set down on a lesson card, or in a book, but of any thing, and every thing, in the school-roo sos-their qualities; as for instance, the school-rooood, attentive, &c-the pictures are pretty: the play-ground is pleasant, &c Having accustoive you the na respecting theht the children to be observant and discriuish two distinct classes of words, or naive theuish these respective classes, viz substantives and adjectives They will no longer be ns, by which the children will understand and express definite ideas The next thing you have to teach theular and plural, and, if you think proper, masculine and feminine; but before you talk to the children about plural nuender, &c, let them be made acquainted with the realities of which these hard-sounding words are the signs

Having made the classification of words clear and corand class of words, the verbs, and their adjuncts, the adverbs With these you will proceed as with the foruished by words;-the children walk, play, read, eat, run;the children find their own examples; then co the manner of action How do the children walk?-slowly, quickly, orderly How do they read, eat run! How does the ? The children now find you ADVERBS, and it will be quite tiive them terms for the classification they thus intuitivelyWhen this end is attained, your children have sorammar, and those clear ones There is no occasion to stop here Proceed, but slowly, and in the same method The tenses of the verbs, and the subdivision into active, passive, and neuter, will require the greatest care and attention which the teacher can use, to simplify them sufficiently for the children's comprehension; as it will likewise enable them to understand the nature and office of the other classes of words As, however, it is not rammar here, but merely to throw out a few hints on the subject, I shall leave the further developenuity of those who may think fit to adopt its principles, as above laid down

English Grammar doth us teach, That it hath nine parts of speech;- Article, adjective, and noun, Verb, conjunction, and pronoun, With preposition, and adverb, And interjection, as I've heard

The letters are just twenty-six, These forhtly mix'd

The vowels are a, e, o, i, With u, and sometimes w and y

Without the little vowels' aid, No word or syllable is made; But consonants the rest we call, And so of these we've mention'd all

Three little words we often see, Are articles,-a, an, and the

A noun's the na

Adjectives tell the kind of noun- As great, small, pretty, white, or brown

Instead of nouns the pronouns stand, John's head, his face,done- To read, write, count, sing, jus are done the adverbs tell- As slowly, quickly, ill, or well

Conjunctions join the nouns together- As men and children, wind or weather

A preposition stands before A noun, as in or through a door

The interjection shows surprise- As, oh! how pretty, ah! hoise

The whole are called nine parts of speech, Which, reading, writing, speaking teach

THE ARTICLES

Three little words we hear and see In frequent use, a, an, and the; These words so useful, though so small, Are those which articles we call

The first two, a and an, we use When speaking of one thing alone; For instance, we , a bone

The speaks of either one or s, The plu, the figs

An oak, a , a bone,may find

This article we only use Whenever it , As thus;-the bird, the ox, the fish

By which wein the air st the herd, Or any fish in stream or sea

But some one certain bird or ox, Or fish (let it be which its when you see The little words, a, an, and the

These words so useful, though so s can bechildren to commit to memory uage Such requires a painful effort of theGrarammar, and from this it necessarily follows, that children should acquire a considerable store of words fros, before their hly understood they require words to be compared ords, and one word to be compared with another; and how can this be done without theamply supplied with them previously Such siiven; but to atteant and ornamental structure before you had collected materials to build with

CHAPTER XX

THE ELLIPTICAL PLAN OF TEACHING

Method Explained-Its success

”He tried each art”-Goldsmith