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 AN ESSAY 
 
 ON 
 
 TOGETHER WITH 
 
 SOME OBSERJ^TIOJVS OJ^ TIIE PRESE.%T MODB 
 
 KJfSf 4.- 
 
 OF TEJiCIimG THE ENGLISH LAA^&U.iGE. 
 
 M 
 
 m^ ^^ m,_^^M . D 
 
 Begin uell if you wish to co on ij 
 
 In C07istnicti7ig any Edifice care should be ^^^<^^^^S^ ^ Gooj> 
 
 FOUNDATION. 
 
 Teach a Child to think and give him tvo^rds for his thoughis, and^ 
 1/ow will havt inore than half completed his Education. 
 
 f^4»iMHr1Mr^!9BS;^ 
 
 XIARRISBURG: 
 
 Printed by JOfm WYETH. ^^ 
 1824. 
 
 
P ^' \.. 
 
 THE remarks contained in the foHot^ing sheeti, are in the 
 main, an extract from a series Of Essays on Education written 
 some years ago, and first published in the Morning Chronicle of 
 Baltimore, in the Spring of 1819. 
 
 The request of a number of .ftiends has urged the pubh'cation of 
 the present extractin this form. Should it meet a favorable recep- 
 tion from the publiej the whole series may probably, at some coavc- 
 nient time, ma^ U» appearance. 
 
 >586?^Ks*ii*^ 
 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 THE subject of Education has occupied the attention of persona 
 of the first genius and acquirements in ancient and modern times. 
 It fs a master of such great interest to the community, that too much 
 cannot be said about it. 
 
 Among the ancients a scientific education was ardently sought 
 after and highly esteemed ; but from the want of the art of print- 
 ing, their facilities for obtaining it were very greatly inferior to 
 ours. Of these superior advantages we have not yet made a prO" 
 per use. 
 
 During the dark ages which succeeded the inroads of the North* 
 ern barbarians on the countries of Italy and Greece, we see but 
 little attention paid to education, unless in the cloisters. 
 
 A higher value began to be set on learning during the time of 
 Leo the Xth at Rome, and under the government of the family of 
 the Medici at Florence.— This wliich has been appropriately term- 
 ed the era of the revival of learning, produced many eminent 
 teachers in Europe. It may however be observed that the mode to 
 be pursued in the acquisition of knowledge, did not be#ome a point 
 of much written discussion till the time of Montaigne. He maybe 
 reckoned among the ^rsi writers on education among the moderns, 
 either as to the order of time, or the simplicity of his plan of corns 
 municating instruction. 
 
 Since his time he catalogue of writers on this subject basbecoHie 
 very extensive, including in it the names of Milton, Locke, North- 
 more, Fenelon, Watts, Condillac, Burgh, Knox, Darwin, De Genlis^ 
 Rousseau, EJgeworth, H. More, Hamilton, Pestallozzi, &c. &c. 
 
 Of these perhaps Locke, Condillac, De Genlis, Rousseau, Edge- 
 worth and Pestallozzi have given us ihe best plans to be pursued in 
 a course of teaching. 
 
 The method of .instruction iatroi/UvCil by Pestallozzi a;id known 
 
IV 
 
 under his name, is without douht the best that has yet been present- 
 ed to the world. The most that we know of this system is derived 
 from a sketch published in 1808, by J. Neef, who conducted a school 
 near Philadelphia on t>iat pi- n. But Neef's system is exceptiona- 
 ble in some parts, and from the best information, we can collectj 
 differs from that of Pestalloz^i in these exceptionable points. 
 
 The design of the present essay is to exhibit in a concise and 
 simple manner, a method of teaching the English language which will 
 include in it some of the prominent advantages of the PestalLvzIan 
 system. The rational and thhiking plan of Pestallozzi leads us to 
 notice the manner in which early education is at present conduct- 
 ed. The absurdity of teaching by SpeUing Books is examined in- 
 to and exposed ; and 6uch a substitute is offered, as we beheve will 
 teach children to think oi what they are reading. A constant refer- 
 ence is kept to this useful precept " Teach a child to think and give 
 him words for his thoughts ; and you have more than half completed 
 bis Education " 
 
 As to the style of this essay it was our intpntion that it should be 
 in some measure declamatory. It is designed for the mass of man- 
 kind, who will probably rather look at our opinions in such a dress 
 than if we had put on more logical piimness. We are conscious 
 however of a want of due connexion in some parts of this tract. — 
 yor this we shall offer no apology ; but transfer the blame to the 
 defective method hi which we were educated, and adduce it as one 
 more reason for a radical reform in the present mode of instruction. 
 
 With these remarks we commit our views to the public, believing 
 that what is intended for their good, will be noticed by their indul' 
 gent attention. 
 
ESSAY, &c. 
 
 E, 
 
 iDTJCATION, in the general acceptation of the term, signi- 
 fies the formation of such habits and the acquisition of such know- 
 ledge as may render the subject of it more useful to himself and to 
 his fellow beings. It may be divided into physical, intellectual 
 and moral. 
 
 Physical education consists in a course of exercises tending to 
 invigorate the bodily functions. 
 
 Intellectual education pursues a course of exercises designed to 
 devetope the mental faculties, by communicating a knowledge of 
 language and fixing a habit of observing and reasoning. 
 
 Moral education institutes a course of investigation into the rela- 
 tions in which a human being stands to the DEITY and to his fel- 
 low creatures. — It is strictly speaking a branch of intellectual 
 education, but is of such great moment as to merit & separate 
 division. 
 
 In giving our views on the subject of education we shall confine 
 our attention chiefly to our second division. 
 
 Language is indispensably necessary to the prosecution of a course 
 of intellectual education. We shall therefore commence our es^ 
 aay with a few remarks on the nature of language, and its influ- 
 ence in training the mind ; and then add some observations on the 
 present mode of teaching the English language in our initiatory 
 schools : after which we shall venture to propose a plan which we 
 humbly think ^raay possess some advantages over the usual me- 
 thod of communicating English instruction. 
 
 Language has been d<jfmed to be a syaten^t of oral or risible signs^ 
 
2 
 
 by which we communicate our ideas to one another, or as a certain 
 metaphysician perhaps more jusily observes, a system of signs by 
 which we excite in the mind of the person we address, a train of 
 ideas similar to that which is passing in our own minds. 
 
 It is language that forn".s the grand characteristic distinction 
 between man and the brute creation. It is ©nly by means of this 
 instrument that man is able to improve his condition and become a 
 social and civilized being. For we see that the state and progress 
 of civilization in any nation is uniformly indicated by the number 
 of their terms and the propriety of their application. Indeed, were 
 man deprived of the ability to form or use language, he would soon 
 be reduced to a condition but little removed from the herding 
 brute. Society would become a moral wilderness, as destitute of 
 mental fruit as the barren waste is of vegetable productions. We 
 should then see that the firmest ties and the strongest bonds of 
 the civil compact as well as of the family circle, owe their stability 
 and their worth to liie invisible agency of words. Schlegel in his 
 history of literatur^ remarks that "there is no impiety in saying 
 that it was scarcely in the power of the DEITY to confer on maa 
 a more glorious present than language ; by the medium of which 
 HE himself is revealed to us, and which at once affords the strong- 
 est bond of union, and the best instrument of communication." 
 ** So inseparable indeed," continues he, " are mind and speech, so 
 identically one are thought and language, that although we must 
 always hold reason as the greatest characteristic and peculiar at- 
 tribute of man ; yet language, when we regard its original object 
 and intrinsic dignity is well entitled to be considered as a compO"* 
 nent part of the intellectual structure of our being !" 
 
 With respect to the origin of language we need say but little. — > 
 It seems to have been the natural result of an exertion of those 
 faculties with which man is endowed. The first account we have 
 of the application of names, is when GOD caused the various spe- 
 cies of the animal creation to come to Adam to see what he would 
 call them. There appears in this case to have been no dictation on 
 tile part of the DEITY ; for it is expressly stated, that this op- 
 portunity was granted to Adam that HE might see what he would 
 call them : thus leaving him perfectly at liberty to exercise his own 
 powers at making language. 
 
Here it might be remarked, that this exercise was given to man 
 before he had a companion to converse with ; for Eve was not 
 yet created. May we not thence infer, that words are useful to 
 man, not only as a social being, but also as a solitary individual.— 
 This observation, however, has stronger evidence of its truth than 
 is afForde'd by this circumstance ; and which we shall notice pre- 
 sently. 
 
 Without wasting much time with useless inquiries, whether lan- 
 guage in its origin, consisted of monosyllables er polysyllablesy 
 or many other equally unimportant investigations, we shall proceed 
 to notice the manner in whicll it influences and invigorates the in- 
 tellectual faculties. 
 
 The beneficial effects of words on the human understanding, are 
 particularly evident in the manner in which they improve the pow- 
 ers of attention, memory, judgment and reasoning. 
 
 By attention may be understood that faculty by which the mind 
 can direct and confine itself to the consideration ©f an individual 
 subject, examine its inherent properties, and trace out all its rela- 
 tions with surrounding objects. It is mucii strengthened by ex- 
 ercise and is the source of all correct knowledge ; whether that 
 be derived immediately through the organs of'sense, or by a reflec- 
 tive act of the mind on its previously acquired stores, it may be 
 called the vital power of the intellectual functions, the main sprirjjr 
 of the machinery of the mind. Whatever therefore in a system of 
 education tends to debilitate this principle must of necessity enfee- 
 ble all the other mental powers and their operations. In the same 
 proportion as we possess a vigorous command of this faculty so 
 will our perceptions be clear and our observations accurate. Its 
 perfection consists in the ability to fix it steadily on any point of 
 enquiry. It is imperfect of course in proportion as it is unsteady ; 
 and we may add, that there is nothing which is a greater barrier 
 to our progress in knowledge than an incessant diversion of our at- 
 tention from one object to another. Of this we have a very strik- 
 ing example in the case of a child before it can speak, or understand 
 rightly what is said to it. Its attention is ever veering, and its 
 knowledge is then extremely limited. But so soon as it is able to 
 use words, it acquires such a fixity of attention to its own ideas, and 
 the objects represented by words, that it astonishe.'s us with the im- 
 
laense acquisitions it makes, during the first year after it begins to 
 talk. 
 
 Words oblige the niinil to fix itself and to proceed more regular- 
 ly and more slowly, than it piSBsibly could without them ; and this 
 regularity and slo'vness ensure the speediest progress. Ijanguage 
 in this sense may be called a bridle to the roving mind ; and it is oa 
 this account that words may be useful to man as a solitary being as 
 well as a member of society. By these two or three remarks, we 
 are enabled, without further comment, to perceive the mode in 
 which the use of words trains the faculty of attention. 
 
 Before noticing the influence of language on the memory, we 
 wjdl define it to be that power of the mind by which we are ca- 
 pable of retaining our perceptions, or of resuscitating them at will. 
 This faculty is stronger or weaker in proportion as it is capable of 
 bringii>g forward many or few ideas, or as these are corrector in- 
 correct, distinct or confused. It is dependent on the power of at- 
 tention as well for its accuracy as for its vigor. 
 
 The memory can be improved to an astonishing extent, and this 
 chiefly by the effect which repetition has in commanding renew- 
 ed attention to the same ideas, and thus making a more perma- 
 nent impression. Here words begin to assume their true oflice, 
 and become in reality the instruments by which the mind carries 
 on its thinking process. We would not, with some metaphysicians, 
 go so far as to say, that we cannot think without words ; but we 
 feel ourselves authorized in asserting, that they are the memoran- 
 dums of our ideas, and are absolutely necessary to us for retaining 
 the greater portion of our thoughts. By means of language, we can 
 tie down to a word, an idea, which can at any time be recalled, and 
 which otherwise would be as evanescent as our breath. — How 
 many ideas lie dormant in the mind until brought into active exis- 
 tence by words I — A traveller may pass through a country abound- 
 ing with all the beauties of nature and art, and yet find that his 
 reminiscences are very faint until he has clothed them in language. 
 Immediately they assume a permanence of which he was not before 
 aware ! How frequently does the poet in describing the most familiar 
 scenes in the natural or moral world, please and surprise us by sim- 
 ply individualizing and identifying all our previous ideas by words ? 
 It cannot be said that he givos us a single new imagCj but he real?:' 
 
s 
 
 presents us with another sight of the same ptoasing objects. The 
 atteniion is again directed to them, and tha remembrance of them 
 becomes more perfect and agreeable. 
 
 By judgment, we mean that faculty by which we perceive the 
 resemblances and differences among our thoughts. — In order to 
 judge rightly of things which are subjected to our senses we need 
 only possess a proper command of attention. But to form correct 
 judgments on subjects which are not under our immediate observa- 
 tion, we need accuracy of memory as well as fixity of attention. 
 Here is seen the great value of these two fundamental faculties of 
 the mind. We have already seen that they are very much im- 
 proved by language, and it may be inferred that our judgment is 
 necessarily improved by the same means. Words being the repre- 
 sentatives of our ideas, precision and propriety in the use of tbeni 
 must of course imply a similar precision and discrimination among 
 our thoughts. Therefore an attention to the true meaning of our 
 terms must tend to improve our judgment. In examining, for in-- 
 stance, the difference or similarity of signification of two words, we 
 are obliged to attach certain ideas to the one and separate certaio 
 ideas from the other. This is then an exercise of judgment impli- 
 '■ating both attention and inemory. Thus language, as we advance 
 in a knowledge of it, affords one of the best means of strengthening 
 this valuable power of the human understanding The judgment 
 is one of the first best gifts of l)eaven to man. It f >rms the various 
 links of which reasoning is the chain — a chain, which, considered 
 either as a whole or in its various parts, owes its strength to the 
 mysterious agenry of words. Reasoning may be said to be a train of 
 judgments ; the subsequent ones depending on their antecedents for 
 their correctness and value. What was true in speaking of the 
 judgment will hold, good with regard to reasoning. The capability 
 to reason wfcjl must depend on the number and accuracy of the dis- 
 criminations we make among our ideas. Precision then in the de- 
 finition of our terms is a necessary pre-requisite to good reasoning. 
 This is exemj>lified in the correctness of mathematical reasonings. 
 Here every word has a dei:nite meaning, and by tisis means prevei^ts 
 misapprehension or prevarication. — In speakirv; on tite subject of 
 precision in the use of words, Condillac goes so far as to say, that a 
 
 correct language and good reasoning are inseparably connected. A 
 
 B 
 
6 • 
 
 proper study of language, therefore, by leading us to examine into 
 the true meaning and liglit applifation of terms, will furnish a fund, 
 from which we may draw, as occasion may require, for conducting 
 all the various investigations in which we may be engaged. 
 
 It may be objected to our setting so high a value on words as an 
 aid to the rational f. culty, that we meet with a great many instances 
 of persons, who are very full of words, and are at the same time mise- 
 rable reasoners. This objection is more specious than solid ; for 
 when Ave exanjine into the minds of this class of persons, we find 
 that they ought rather to be considered as possessing great volubil- 
 ity, than as having a competent stock of worded ideas. Their words 
 are used in a confused manner without being distinctly limited in 
 their signification. This is a consequence of a defect in their edu- 
 cation, in which the faculty of attention has never been properly 
 trained ; but has been left the fettered slave of a frolicsome imagi- 
 nation We think we are now justified in concluding, that all the 
 powers of the mind are very much improved by the influence of cor- 
 rect language. That the attention becomes more capable of fixing 
 itself, that the memory, as a matter of course, is rendered stronger 
 and more retentive ; that the judgment and rational faculty are all 
 invigorated by the use of precise and well defined terms. 
 
 Having thus briefly and imperfectly stated the manner in which 
 we conceive that words strengthen the human understanding, we 
 shall next proceed to make a few observations on the different spe- 
 cies of language, and then hasten to the practical part of our 
 essay. 
 
 One division of language may be into oral and written, and ano- 
 ther into common language and terminology, or the terms employed 
 in the arrangements and reasonings of the different sciences. 
 
 Oral language is of every day use and indispensable to man as a 
 social being. By its means the infant mind is first trained to order 
 and thinking. It is peculiarly adapted to early education ; and 
 children until they are six years of age, should be taught entirely by 
 oral instruction. 
 
 But, however valuable oral language may be, we find that na- 
 tions vvho have gone no farther than the use oi audible signs of their 
 ideas, Jiave nevei: made any great advances in civilization. Heno 
 
the art of representing our thoughts by visible signs may indeed be 
 called " the greatest and most important discovery of human in- 
 ;;onuity." The art of writing has this great advantage over oral 
 language, that it is not confined bytime nor space. By its instrur 
 mentality Moses and David, Newton and Locke, though dead, can 
 yet speak, and improve and refine our souls by their sublime views 
 of the moral, the physical or the intellectual world. Through its 
 means we can concentrate into the narrow compass of, a library all 
 the accumulated wisdom of ages, and hold sweet converse with* 
 the departed worthies of consecrated antiquity.— -Oral language 
 serves the present purpose and the present time, and peinshes in the 
 using : But written language gives to the " airj beings of our 
 minds not only a name but a local habitation." But we will turn 
 these remarks to practical account by observing, that the acquisition 
 of the habit of committing our thoughts to paper must then be 3 
 matter of the greatest importance to civilized man, and ought to be 
 the paramount object of a school education. The pen has still a 
 greater tendency to regulate the mental powers tlian oral language^ 
 by the slowness and order whicli it obliges us to pursue in combin-' 
 ing our ideas. Our judgments are the result of a longer attention 
 to the objects under consideration, and consequently will be more 
 likely to be true. Beside the regularity which the practice of 
 composition introduces into the mind, there is an additional reason 
 for making it an early part of a scholastic course ; and that is, if it 
 is not commenced beiorethe age of twelve orfifteenit will be muck 
 more difficult to acquire the art of penning our thoughts afterwards^ 
 The reason of this will be obvious when we reHect that no two ac- 
 tions can be performed at one and the same time, unless they have 
 been long rendered easy by previously established habit. — The hab- 
 it of thinking and speaking at once, commences in the first efforts of 
 the little prattler to lisp his words : But the habit of thinking and, 
 writing at the same time, is acquired by very few indeed, so as to 
 be performed with facility and freedom from constraint. This ob- 
 tains so generally, only because children are not early taught to put 
 their ideas on paper, so as to think as well with their pens as with 
 their tongues ; and in after life they are scavcely evpr able to form 
 the habit. 
 
8* 
 
 %.- 
 
 We bdvc known persons who Cou W dictate a letter to another with 
 ease, but the niomciit they Avouid 'attempt to associate the molion of 
 their pens with the process of their thovghls, all their arrangements 
 became confused, and' they were incapable of effecting their inten- 
 tions at all to their satisfaction. 
 
 Mav we not hence explain how it has happened, that many men 
 of great natural genius, and inventive-powers, have not left behind 
 them any written traces of their superiority to the coir.mon herd of 
 mankind. They may have laboured under the magic spell of this 
 mysterious embarrassment. We also frequently see a man, who in 
 the pulpit, or at the bar, shall bear his willing hearers' souls along 
 with him ; ivho shall please, as well by the propriety of his arrange- 
 ment, as hy the elegance of his diction and the sublimity of his fig- 
 ures ; and yet this man shall not be able to pen any one of his fino 
 orations so as to please, either himself or his most flattering admi- 
 rers.— Viewed in the light in which these circumstances place it, 
 the practice of composition, as a school exercise, assumes an impor- 
 tance, which makes it rank highest on the scale of the habits acquir- 
 ed under an instructor.— But to proceed. 
 
 Our other division of languge was into common and technical By 
 the common language may be understood the words in daily use on 
 the tnisceltaneous topics which occupy thf^ attention of mankind. 
 This portion of language is most used, and therefore most necessary; 
 but its frequent use does not invalidate the high estimate we shoidd 
 get on terminology, or the nomenclatures adopted in the various sci- 
 ences. Terminology has been the result of the advance of science 
 from vagueness to accuracy, and from the poverty of its infancy to 
 the riches and abundance of its mature age It is the hond Tvhich 
 givf s scientific research its stability and consistency, and preserves 
 in their proper places the various additions of successive ages. 
 
 With respect to technical language we have considerable advan- 
 tage over the ancients. Ours is more definite as well as more ex- 
 tensive, and is rapidly progressing in its growth. To keep up with 
 the progress of science we must know its terms. Since h is fortu- 
 nately becoming fashionable to make science triovtary to the coift- 
 fort of common life and the happiness of mankin J, we are decidedly 
 of opinion, that termjnolo^y should be as generally taught as common 
 
iaiiguage. This would afford a key to the youthful mind by which 
 it miijht have access to the varied stores of knowledge.* 
 
 We next como to treat of the causes which l-.ave retarded intel- 
 lectual improvement, u,nd to notice the means that might be substi- 
 tuted in order to advance the art of education to its proper dignity, 
 as tiie most noble of al! human professions. I We might enumerate 
 a greaj, many defects and evils existing in the common mode of 
 teaching; among which a-e the number of classes learning differ- 
 ent thing's, the long and debilitating confinement of the scholars dur- 
 
 * Oil the subject ol" terminolog'y our Eni;UsIi dictionaries are extremeU 
 defeclive. We sliall in vain look even ii Johnson's quarto work for some 
 of i!ie most common scientific terms, used mi the improved state oF modern 
 science. The reason usually offered by lexict.grapbers for not insertjug- tecli^ 
 nical terms is, that the nomcochvtnres of some of tlie sciences are liable to 
 frequent chani<'es,andong-hi ihereti:)ie (sav they) not to be adopted as a le- 
 g'itnnate porLien of" our lani;'ua;.;"e. We admit tiiat nomenclatuies are varia- 
 able; bui oupflit we oat to fiavp them ex))lained in our diciionarics., at least 
 so lanj^ as we make use of tliem incur scieiuific and tliiscellancous publica- 
 tions. If they should not be taken into the body of the work, they miirht 
 be attached by way of an appendix to the end of our dictionaries. Disap- 
 pointment and chaj^rin will attend the sea.rch of a pupil in looking- for tlie 
 meanin.ir of our elegant ci.emical terms in our larg-est dictionaries; and 
 thousands of words, though tliey have been in use for near a century in tlie 
 various branches of natural history, are not to be met with, unless we look for 
 them in glossaries appropriated to geoiopfy, mincialog-y, botnnv, and anima- 
 ted nature. Webster's compendioi.s dictionary is in a great measure an ex- 
 ception to this censure ; but it is too small to be sat is facto rv ; still, small 
 as it is, it contains more words and better definitions than "any dictionary 
 yet published. — An ext nsive and complete dictionary of the Eng-lisli lan- 
 guaic,e is still a desideratum. Ji is to be hoped that Mr. Webster wjU 
 sh^Jrvly give to the world his long promised work to fill up the unoccuniea 
 space in English literature. 
 
 • f The profession of teaching-, next to the ministry, is daubtless the most 
 nobie and respectable of all the professions. Rut in the present day it 
 has beco.me very much degraded through tlie ignorance and parsimony of 
 the communiiy. Men of talents are not inclined o remain in ihe employ- 
 ment of teacliing tiian circumstances may require it. Sufficient encour- 
 agement is not jjiyen to retain them, and as numerous situations of a more 
 lucrative kind otter themselves, they will abandon this occupation for one 
 intrinsically less respectable. — Their place must then be supplied by inex- 
 perieneed and ignorant persons, wiio have perhaps no better reason to give 
 for offering themselves as instructors of youth, than that they are disabled 
 from foUo-idng- any other trade for a }iviiir>; Tliey are accepted and enifloy- 
 ed, and of this class we find a great number of the teachers of our country- 
 schools ; and these have degraded the profession in many parts of our coun- 
 try to that ne^flfn« state which is worse than nothing. Their motives in 
 wishing to support themselves by their own industry are certainly laudable : 
 but would it not be the interest of the public rather to pay them for not 
 teachi'ig, or support them in some other way, than to ha e the intellects of 
 our children seriously injureU, if not entirely ruined, by their vnski'fu'- 
 though tvell intended encieavozirs to instruct them. 
 
10 
 
 ing the day, the teaching subjects incomprehensible to their minds, 
 &c. Sec. &.C. But the evil of greatest magnitude, in our opinion, is 
 (he defective nianna' in which the English language is tavght. 
 
 Our lanf,uage is generally taught in such a way as to establish a 
 habit of reading xcithoid ihinking, when lliis habit is confirmed 
 (wFiicli is very soon the case) the pupil will pass his eyes over and 
 pronounce a number of paragraphs in a book, without there being 
 awakened in his mind o'lie idea In a hundred intended to be convey- 
 ed by the words. That this is the fact every person of the least re- 
 flection must acknowledge. — The question then only remains, hoio 
 is this monstrous and r^ernicious habit acquired ? a question of such 
 weight as to merit a serious consideration. 
 
 At the threshold of our answer to this enquiry, we shall lay it 
 down as an axiom, that all our permanent habits whether intellectual 
 or moral y owe their origin to our early impressions and exercises. — 
 This is a standard truth, and admonislies us to be careful to begin 
 well if Ave wish to go on well. " Train up a child" said a wise 
 man "■ in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not de- 
 part from it." — Of allour scliools those for small children should be 
 conducted by the most competent teachers ; who should be gener- 
 ously encouraged and handsomely remunerated. This however is 
 far from being the case ; and the present mode of domestic educa- 
 tion, either in a moral or intellectual point of vieiv, is also very de- 
 fective, and forms a miserable introduction to the scholastic course. 
 Much of this is at present unavoidable, since many parents are un- 
 fortunately ignorant of every parental duty, but that of feeding and 
 clothing their children. Should not such parents live under a gov- 
 ernment controlled by the laws of Lycurgus, and deliver up their 
 offspring to be brought up by its parental hand .''* But to return to 
 our question. 
 
 * Thougliout the world we too generally find poverty connected with the 
 most debasing ignorance. In very fe •^ couniries indeed, do we observe the 
 lovverorders of society, raised many degrees above tlie level of ll>e savage 
 ni intellectual cuitivaUon. Scotland, the north of Ireland, the New Eng- 
 land states, the state of New York, and some other portions of our country 
 can boast of the greatest efforts tovvrards the instruction of the poor. More 
 recently than the th-ee first mentioned, England, the principalities of Ger- 
 many, Switzerland, Russia and France, have made some exertions toward 
 the same object. The vast advantages, which arise from having the lower 
 classes well educated, may be seen by adverting to any of those couniries 
 \v here they arc furnished with even a, moderate share of information. The 
 
n 
 
 Let us notice what Is ilone in the initiatory course of a child just 
 transferred fioai the company of an ignorant nurse to the care of 
 an Abecedarian. — We find him put into a spelling book ! ! yee, we 
 repeat it with regret, he is init into a spelling book .' ! O ! tell it 
 not to posterity ! pubiisli it not to future generations, lest they ex- 
 press an irreverent smile at the ignorance of their ancestors for us- 
 
 benefiis tliat have I'esulted from the partial and insulated influence oP Lan- 
 casterian and Sunday bchouls, must strike every statesman and t'rieiid of 
 mankind with the most pleasing' eniDtions, and force conviction on the !Tiind;3 
 of the most obstinate of the necessity oftducatmg all the pour on u liberal 
 scale. « 
 
 What an immense quantum of intellect lies dormant, or is brought into 
 exercise, only to be a curse to socieiy, merely trom the want of tllo^e facili- 
 ties ot instruction which should be afforded to the indigent ! The children 
 oftliepoor grow up in idleness and vice, because their parents can find nc. 
 employment for them until they are twelve or fourteen years ot age. By 
 this time tlieir moral and intellectual habits are pretty well formed, and it 
 is nothing- but some peruliir cu-cumstances, m which some may be placed 
 that Will ever make them jj od citizens. It is, painful to reflect, how great 
 a loss the public sustains from tins cause. — What happy consequences would 
 ensue from giving a proper direction to all the mental energies ot these 
 childien ! 
 
 It may be said that provision is made in tliis state (Pennsylvania) for 
 their education. Tliis is done to a certain extent; but liie provision be- 
 comes inefficient thrdugh some circumstances attending it. Many persons 
 \vlio are too poor to send their cliildren to school, will not give them in to 
 the assessor to be put on thi' poor list. This is perhaps an improper priilc ; 
 but as we see most men acluaicd more by their moral feelings tiiau sober 
 reason, so we s^e in this case, that parents will delraud tlitir children of 
 learning, and the com.munity of well iiiibinied citizens, from a fear of feel- 
 ing more acutely their degraded condition. Poverty is tooiriuch a disgrace, 
 and the reproach of being a charity scholar is severely felt by the cliililren, 
 and will easily make them and their parents forego all the advantages ot" 
 educaliiiji, when purcliased at tlie expense of honorable feeling. 
 
 Some other regulation would ajipear llitu to be necessary in order to 
 accomplisli tiie instruction of every poor child. This could best be done 
 by laying a scliool tax so as to create a fund for the payment of teacfjing. 
 Teachers should receive nothing for their services from the parents of chil- 
 dren. The ricii and the poor would then be on equal footing, with respeci: 
 to education ; and the latter ougiil by all means to be as uell educated as 
 the former. It is a duty which the government o^^ es to them ; and the 
 performance of that duty would be repaid by tenfbhl interest. There 
 would be more saved to the public in the diminution of criminal prosecu- 
 tions tlian would educate every indigent child in the state. Along with this 
 our lives and property would be m ire secure, and we should have, besides, 
 an accession to the number of good and entiglitened members of society. — 
 The recorjLs of the Lanca.^teriau and Sunday schools furnish scarcely any 
 instances of children wlio have been brought up under their care, ever hav- 
 ing been charged as criminals before a court of justice. This fact then 
 sliould urge every legislature to exert their power in establishing a regu- 
 lar and general system of education. The results that would *bllow a mea- 
 sure of this kind in tlie next thirty years, v.'ould be sucli as to rejoice t!:e 
 heart of every pluh'nihropist. 
 
w^ so irrational a means of " teaching the young idea how to 
 shoot." — And what is a speUing book ? A spelling book may be 
 «lefined to be a work designed to teach children the viable represen- 
 tation of all the words constituting our oral language, without tlie 
 least regard to the ideas intended to be associated with these visihk 
 signs. In this book children are kept for a year or more, spelling 
 thotjsdnds of words (if we dare call that a luord which is not under- 
 stood) which they never heard of before. A continuance of these ex- 
 ercises renders their powers of attention, association and memo- 
 ry so torpid, that they will spell even the jnost familiar combina- 
 tions of letters, such as cat, dog, eake, and not iliinh of either a cat, 
 a d')g, or a cake. 
 
 If it is a true maxim that ail knowledge must consist of ideas ; and 
 that unless we convey ideas we communicate no knowledge 5 what 
 can be said of a plan of teaching that makes no higher pretensions' 
 than that it teaches the shape and colour of letters ; that supplies 
 no other ideas tb.an the black marks of the printer's ink.* The 
 combin;itions of these letters are as perfect mysteries to the child 
 as were the secret symbols of the Egyptian hieroglyphics to the 
 ^^ profane vulgar.^^ We arc sorry that this is almost universally 
 true, and we blush^ when we behold the degraded stupefaction su- 
 perinduced on all the mental faculties by this absurd mode of teach- 
 ing. Were St, Paul living, we feel assured, that he would unite 
 with us in opposing such a system of instruction, for he says, " I 
 would rather speak five words with^lhe understanding than ten thou- 
 sand in an unknown tongue." 
 
 After the spelling" course come the reading exercises, and here 
 
 * The dlfTeience between cral and printed oi" viriuen langunge is so great 
 H? to constUiile them two distinct lang-uages. I'ije one nsay be called tbe 
 language of the ere, the olhcf the language of the cat-. 'l~In.sc l%vj should 
 be so completely united in one act, tliat I he sound or o?'rtZ word shall bfinii^ 
 before the imag'ination tiie written or printed word ; and also the idea for 
 wliich both the oraV and -oiitten wwnls stand ; and so vice vcsa. Unless this 
 point is attended to in the iiist lessons g-iven to a child, as well as through 
 ?. whole course of teaching', obscurity will only become more obscure. In 
 ihe spelline^ book this principle is not acted on, and consequently everlast- 
 ing- clouds and darkness hang over the minds of children. So much atten- 
 tion is requisite to name the iridividual letters in a word, (commonly called 
 spelling') that llie ciiild is unable to recal to mind Xhc meaning conveyed by 
 \\\e sound f^\' ^^u^se letters. And at this bu-jiness of spelling, the poor crea- 
 ture is kept so long, tha' habit may forever afterv.-ards prevent hio mind froai 
 taking a raticiiid course^ 
 
15 
 
 we see the bad consequences of previous hahits. The child read* 
 like i stupid automaton, the tnitid having no other concern ia tlie 
 affair than to direct the vocal organs in the enunciation of a se- 
 ries of sounds. Even when tlie lesson is on a level with the capa- 
 city of the child, it will require the most laborious and incessant reit- 
 eration to confine his attention to the connection of thought. But 
 what are we to expect, when his lessons are above the level of his 
 mind? — nothing but that dulness should become more dull. It is un- 
 fortunately true that most reading hooks for children are of this 
 cast, and fit only for a mature mind to comprehend. What an ab- 
 surdity 'to set a child of seven or eiglit years of age to I'eading ex- 
 tracts from the elaborate essays of Johnson, Addison, Blair, Sic 
 By this practice the habit of reading without thinking, will be last- 
 ingly rivetted.* 
 
 Some accidental circumstances not unfrequently occur whicli 
 may tend to rouse a scholar fi'om the mental torpor induced by this 
 course of instruction. He may in after life get into some active 
 situation, which will force him to bend his attention to the meaning 
 
 * riie selections of reading lessons in general use, are not suited to the 
 capaci. les )f cliiidren under tiij age of Uvetve or fourteen years. BoLn -he 
 subjects and vlie language are muc.i above their compreliension. Murray's 
 reading books indicate mucli laste and piety in ti^e ciioice of the lessons ; 
 bui they are no more calculated for the comprehension of children, (a-i tliey 
 are at present taug'nt) than the armour of Saul vvas for the stripli. g David. — 
 Mr. Murray has done muc:> for the youth of our tmie, and deserves their 
 warmest thanks ; but Ins readuig selection , are, to use a cant plirase, too 
 ^ood <'ov c\n\ he I. The reading lessons in liis spelling book are an excep- 
 tion to t'lis remark. There is aone of his \v rks, m which he has displayed 
 more judgment than in the composition and ch'ice of the reading exercises 
 in tha* little work. I'hey are excellent hoMi in maiter and manner. 
 
 But tliere is no school book tnu' forms a gradation between those les- 
 sons and the elevated range f>f his other reading books. 'I'he works o' Mrs. 
 Barbauld, Mrs. rrimmer, Dr Aikm and Miss Edge vort'i, m.giit prob .hly 
 fill up the ctiasm. Tuey have all le iraed to think like children, but, trxcept- 
 ing Mrs. Barbuuld, not yet to speak and write in ihe style of children.— 
 Their style for tlie most part vershoots the limits of a cluid's vocabulary. 
 
 Mr. Murray's spelling book is tlie only one that has the semblance of be- 
 ing (fe«i'^?ie</ for children. Il IS surprising that he did not see the ahsu dity 
 of introducing 4;/)e//i/(^- lessons, without intending ti-e woids con ained in 
 them to be defined and explained by the teacher. Had he adop;. d an ar- 
 rangement suited to this end, und extended his series of interesting rt-uUr/g 
 lessons, he would uav- inir_)iiuced a new era in the art of teachijig, Sucli »' 
 work is at present « desideratum, 
 
 
 
14 
 
 of words. H« may be obliged to hold mercantile or other correa- 
 pondence with several persons. This will bring him to think with 
 his pen, and lead liis mind to know the force of words. The mo8t 
 •happy remedy however for his disease that he can meet with, is to 
 be put to the study of some foreign language. This will oblige him 
 to unite reading and thinking, more especially if he makes wr'dien 
 translations. It is on this account chiefly, that the study of the 
 Latin language is of such great use. Indeed so long as spelling 
 books form the first step in our instructions, we conceive the study 
 of some foreign language to be quite indispensable ; and the Latia 
 is perhaps better calculated than any other, for commanding the 
 sluggish attention of victiais to the spelling book system.* 
 
 But should the scholar not meet with these advantages, and grow 
 to manhood with his load of evil habits pressing him, he will ex- 
 hibit one of the thousand instances that surround us, of a man 
 whose mind is quite unfledged ; who has a distaste for every intel- 
 lectual enjoyment j to whom a book is an annoyance, because the 
 eyes of his mind were rendered blind by looking at signs instead of 
 seeing tlie things signified ; who when he reads, cannot infuse into 
 hia enunciation the soul and tone of a thinking being, but, pardon 
 the expressi«B reader, effects little more than the humdrum mono- 
 tony of a hand-organ. 
 
 We hope we may now be permitted to conclude that the usual 
 plan of teaching to read without thought, has its origin in the use of 
 the spelling book ; and that this is the greatest barrier now existing to 
 intelleciual improvement : That " the great reason," as a sensible, 
 though sarcastic writer (Neef ) observes, " why men in general are 
 BO ignorant, is, that they were taught by this mechanical method," 
 a (nethod, we would add, which like the destructive mildew has 
 blasted the just unfolding germs of many a rising genius. 
 
 • But if a youth is put at the study of Latin, a great deal of time wiil 
 Still be lost : First, on account of his previous habits of inattention ; and 
 serondly, from his ignorance of his own.language : for when he shall look 
 fo' a word in his Latin dictionary, lie will often find it explained by English 
 Words, which are as little understood by him as the Latin was. This proves 
 a source of (iiscourti^cment to him, and tends very much to retard his pm- 
 grcag. 
 
15 
 
 A question of the following kind may now be stai'ited, *' If the 
 spelling book be given up, what is then to be done ?" The answer 
 i3 simply this, that a method of teaching should be introduced, which 
 possessing none of the disadvantages animadverted on, includes ia 
 itself the means of improving all the faculties of the human under" 
 standing. The outlines of such a method we shall make a feeble 
 effort to pourtray. 
 
 Domestic or preparatory education should as before stated, be 
 conducted by oral instruction. The innocent inmate of the nursery 
 should not be harrassed with a horn book, by which to learn his 
 alphabet. Rather let his attention be fixed on objects that tneet hla 
 senses ; let him be taught the seosible properties of things that en- 
 gage his attention. This will give him an intellectual hold on the 
 surrounding universe, and his mind, by employing the lever of lan- 
 guage will daily gain new strength Let him be taught the names 
 of 'aW the parts of an individual object, and as much as possible its 
 history and the uses to which it may be applied. 
 
 But his knowledge should for some time be confined chiefly to 
 notices derived directly through his sensations, which mayJbe de- 
 nominated positive knov/ledge ; and let his knowledge of relations 
 as well as abstract ideas be left untouched until he shall be able to 
 apprehend them. The reason why relative knowledge should be 
 left to succeed positive, is that the former is dependent on the latter; 
 for the knowledge of relations cannot be acquired until the know- 
 ledge of objects is familiar. Besides a knowledge of the sensible 
 properties of things may be acquired as readily at the age of five 
 years as at any future period. 
 
 By pursuing a course of this kind, a child would possess qualifica- 
 tions for entering school at the age of six or seven years, of a very 
 different character from what we generally meet with. He would 
 have been taught to think and to bind his volatile ideas to appro- 
 priate words. His subsequent progress would be rapid and agree^-^ 
 able. 
 
 Such a method is not so difficult to put into effectual operaiioE 
 as some may think : for it could be pursued by any mother of goot' 
 
16 • 
 
 common sense. There is no reason io g6 far for subjects. A chair, 
 or a table, a peach or an apple, a cup or a saucer, a bean or a peb- 
 ble, would form ample subjects to interest and instruct a child of 
 four years of age.* But lest all this nftiy be considered a digression 
 
 * When we reflect oo t!*e condition of wimen and their relation to society, 
 we cannot help perceiving the immense influence they possess and exert in 
 all civilized nations. " Men make laws, but women make manners," has 
 long' ago biicome an adage ; and if it is true that laws are ineffectual, where 
 tlie manners and cusioms of a people are opposed to them, we ohall see the 
 high value we should set on female education. We feel no hesitation in 
 hazarding the opinion, thai, of all human beings, the female sex ought to be 
 the best educated. 'J'his would secure the moralsof society and ensure a race 
 of enlightened and virtuous citizens. 
 
 The first years of children are spent under the eye and in the company of 
 their mothers. Boys until they are ten or twelve years old, and girls until 
 they marry, may be said to be under the management of their motliers.— • 
 liow neces.^aiy i; it therefore that the minds ofworr.cn should be v.eU culti- 
 vated ; especially when we recollect that early impressions and habits, 
 wiiether moral or intellectual are hardly ever eflViced. If mothers are wise 
 ^nd prudent, their chlldrenwlll in general be the same. It has been remark- 
 ed by persons of the greatest observation, that most men who have been 
 eminent for learning and piety have owed the germs of that eminence to their 
 inothers. Jllen are btit chilchen of a larger groiuth, and our dispositions 
 and habits in after life are nothing more than the developemcnt of those 
 principles which were imbibed during pur tender years. How important 
 vhat these should be correct ! With these observations as general points, vvc 
 will notice some of the branches of study that might employ the attention 
 of females. 
 
 An acctu-ate knowledge of their own language, ought to be an object of 
 primary attention in the instruction of females. By tliis we are far Irom 
 STieanmg ihe mere mechumcal knowledge ufthe principles of grammar and 
 their application; but a thorovgh knowledge of the meaning of every English 
 M'ord, and a critical acquaintance with the shades ofdilfercncein thesignifica- 
 tionof ouf synon5'mous terms. To this sliould be added the ability, from fre- 
 qacnt exercise, of espressing themselves well in written composition. They 
 should also be well acquainted with the principles of arithmetic on Pestal- 
 lo^zi's simple and excellent plan. This would enable them to teach theif 
 jchildren, with very little trouble all the principal doctrines of numbers. 
 
 Na'ural history in its most extensive sense, will form a very useful and in. 
 Struclive b.-anch o.^fem,ale study. Geography and general history .ire also 
 very necessary. Natural philosophy and chemistry, should claim a share of 
 attention. They would furnish many subjects of reflection, and cultivate 
 the reasoning powers. But above all the doctrines of morals as examined 
 jn works on natural tlieology and moral philosophy, and displayed In the 
 sacred scriptures, should constitute the points of the most careful investiga- 
 tion. With these should be connected the evidences of the truth of the 
 phristian religion. 
 
 As to a knowledge of other languages than their own, we are not of the 
 opinion of Milionj that " one tongue is enough for a -vomau ,•" but we tliinfc 
 where there is time, the acquisition of some foreign language may be very 
 useful. It will extend the field of knowledge and give variety to tiie object^ 
 gi" enquiry. The French and Latin would answer this purpose best. 
 
instead ©f an introduction to our school course, we will proceed to 
 that part of our essay. 
 
 A school on our plan should have only one class 
 to each teacher, and the pupih in each class should be a? 
 
 With reg^aid to {geometry and practical mathematics, we think, young 
 ladies ought at hast la be -well acquainted with Euclid's elements and arith- 
 metic. Thev should stuti) Euclid's elements, not as some might suppose, 
 for tlie purpose of ostenfation ; but for the same reason that Locke would 
 have young" gentlemen to study them, namely " for the purpose of making 
 them raiional beings." No person ever went tivroiigh Euclid understand- 
 ingly, who did no^ become a better reasoner by' it. We would therefore 
 g'ive a young lady a knowledge of geometry, because it will be useful to her^ 
 though nobody should ever know her to be a Euclidian, 
 
 Let us now examine some of the uses to which women could apply such a 
 stock of acquiiemen s as the preceding. OmiUipgthementionof the numerous 
 benefits de ived to themselves from the possession of a well cultivated mind, 
 we would notice more particularly the advantages that society would de- 
 riv;e from them. 
 
 A proper pl.an of domestic education might then be instituted and put 
 into practice. Children could be taught by their mothers at the r.ate of one 
 or two hours a day, tiuice as much as they learn at our common schools. — 
 The demoralizing influence of associating with the promiscuous groups of 
 our common schools, might thus be obviated. 
 
 This is an evil which has been observed by most parents that are solici- 
 tous for the welfare of their children. Here the innocent and the good are 
 mixed with those v/ho are already acquainted with the vices of the world. 
 The spelling and other books used at school can afford them littleor noenle; ■ 
 tainment, because they are not understood. The conversation of their j)!ay- 
 mates becomes therefore, the centre of attraction, to whicii ail ihc.r feelings 
 tend. And this conversation is not of a cast that will improve thu-ir morals 
 or their understanding. — The word that dismisses school is themosi grate- 
 ful sound that meets the scholars ears; and the call to their books is disa- 
 greeable to .all, and so disgusting to some, that they will even risk the con- 
 sequences of playing truant, to avoid learning what they do not tinderstand 
 and v.hat consequently cannot interest tliem. If their books were under- 
 stood by them, reading woidd in most instances be preferred to bad corapa- 
 ny. Rut on the present mode of learning nothing but words without mean- 
 ings, it is scarcely possible for a child to love to go to school. Indeed, we 
 might very reasonably express our wonder if we saw it otherwise. Hence it 
 also happens, that, to command attention, teachers must have recourse to 
 so many modes of punishment which might have been prevented, by avoid- 
 ing the cause. 
 
 Should female education once be put upon a liberal footing, thewhole face 
 of society would be greatly changed for the better in the cour.se of the next 
 fifty years. Women would then delight in " teaching the young idea how- 
 to shoot ;" and the expense of most of our common schools might be saved, 
 Our ladies would then be capable at a small expenditure of time to qualify 
 their sons for the lower classes of our academies and colleges ; and to give 
 lo their daughters all the qualifications requisite fo? making them as useful 
 ;p their turn as their mothers have been. 
 
i3 • 
 
 nearly as possible of one age.* They sliould all be employed at 
 the same time at one and the same course of studies. They sh.'uld 
 not be confined in school so long at any troie, as to fatigue their at- 
 tention. Whenever real listlessness would appear they should havc 
 an intermission to be occupied in some way that might interest 
 them. Our c/«c/object for the first two er three years would be 
 the acquisition ofthe English language and tiie art of expressing 
 ourselves in wrilien composition. Other subjects should be pursued 
 collaterally, such as arithmetic on Pestallozzi's plan, the nomen- 
 clature and simplest reasonings of geometry, &.c. &.c. But the 
 
 "' To accomplish this object would be difficult In country places, but might 
 !)e effected in to'.vns and boarding' establishments. '1 he advantages would 
 be very great. 
 
 Tile time that is wasted, ar.d v.'orse than washed in our comnion schools, is 
 nlways in the ratio of the number of classes to one teaclier. Say lor instance, 
 That there are six classes in a school, v/hich is held during six hours ofthe 
 ■iay. Every child can then only receive one sixth part of the teacher's atten- 
 tion, that is to say one hour per day. The rest of his tmie he is either idle, 
 or learning- erroneously by himself ; or else v/orse than idle, promoting mis- 
 chief.among his companions. This is a correct statement of facts as they 
 esist; and the consequences can he told by every thinking mind. 
 
 By the arrangement of one class to each teacher the whole six hours could 
 be usefully occupied in acquiring krowledge. Certain intervals should be 
 allowed for recreation; as it is impossible for a child to be long confined 
 vithout injuring its 'mind and body. Dulness and ill health are both con- 
 comitants of the long confmement prevalent in our schools. .Mens sana in 
 cevpore sa::o, (i sound rnind in a sound body,) is a maxim as true as it is an- 
 cient, and enforces on us the iuiportancc of attention to the health of children 
 during their scliool course. The lessons should therefore continue for the 
 apace of an hour or more ; and then an intermission of half an hour or less 
 Tnight be allowed for useful and scientific recreation. After this relasatiou 
 the pupils would return to their studies witii renewed -delight ; and thus 
 i-.o circumstances v/ouM exist tending to induce cither bodily or mentsl 
 debility. 
 
 A method might be likewise devised by which our country Echools could 
 approximate tliis arrangement, by adopting somethinglike the plan proposed by 
 Miss Edgeworth, of having the pupils of a country school divided into large 
 classes, and appointing particular portions of the day for each classlo come 
 to school. Say there are thirty scholars in a school, divided into classes of 
 ten each. One class might come at eight or nine o'clock A. M. and remain 
 Li fev; hours. After receiving the exclusive r.ttenticn ofthe teacher for two 
 hours they might return home and the next class v/ould c. cupy their place 
 for a few hours, who should be succeeded by the third class. There is no 
 doubt that 'much more knowledge could be acquired in this way, than^ en 
 the usual plan of incarceration for the whole day; and the evils of conn:-:^ 
 meat and moTral deterioration might be very much avoided^ bcCAU^; Uic 
 children would r.gain be under tlie eyes oft-teir parents. 
 
motto that would direct this part of eur course would be " that no- 
 body Jias been tauglit any branch of knowledge ivell, who is not a- 
 ble to express his views correctly in a written essay on it." 
 
 .After becooiing acquainted with the alphabet and the manner oi 
 forming the letters on a slate, we should follow the plan pursued in 
 the oral course, but advance to points untouched in that. We 
 would first write down the simplest words and after ascertaining 
 ivell their meaning, make short phrases on them, exemplifying their 
 use. Not a single ivord should be brought under the notice of the 
 pupil which he would not be nvd.de fully to understand. We should. 
 at first keep almost exclusively to words denoting malerial objects 
 and their qualities. We should then gradually introduce other 
 terms, and write phrases on them in the same way ; and thus pro- 
 ceed through the whole language. These exercises would per- 
 haps occupy two or three years ; from the age of six or seven to 
 nine or ten. 
 
 This course of phrases could be made the vehicle of a great nmv. 
 ber of facts and principles in natural history, the sciences and tlio 
 arts. Our phrases would also become the subjects of a great varie- 
 ty of comments forming a series of exercises" of the following kind, 
 [ The reader will observe here that we are indebted for some of 
 these exercises to a sketch of a system of education by J. Neef j 
 
 At first the pupils should confine themselves to noticing the pro 
 perties of the things signified by the words in a phrase ; as for ex- 
 ample in the sentence a done sinhs in water : observe the qualities 
 of a stone and of water. The reason why it sinks should be left for 
 a more advanced part of our course. 
 
 For an evening exercise they shoald write from memory as 
 much of their previous day's work as they could remember, and 
 have it jevised and corrected the ensuing morning. This would 
 improve their memory, and produce a habit of uniting in one act 
 ihinkieg and wiiling. It would also teach them orthography iu the 
 ©nly perfect way in which it can be taught. 
 
 We might next add to the above exercise the practice of naming 
 all the parts of any thing mentioned in a sentence ; e. g f have a 
 ^hot on my foot. Here the shoe would be found to consist of parts 
 
so 
 
 csiiled the vamp, ihe quartevs, the sole, &.C. , and the foot of the; 
 heel, sole, toes, instep, &c. Agaia in the phrase I saw a flower in 
 the garden ; the flower might be analysed into the calyx or flower 
 Clip, the carolla or floiver-leaves, the "tamens, or chives and the pistil 
 or pointal. Simple as this may appear, its effects will be very valu- 
 able. It will not only greatly increase their stock of words vnth 
 ideas attacked to them, but will also teach them the first elements of 
 arrangement in composition. And we all know that to be able to 
 classify our ideas and bring them to a certain order under different 
 heads is a g'reat acquireoient. 
 
 Their evening exercises should still be continued as before ind if 
 they were disposed and able to make phrases of tlieir own, so much 
 the better, It is likely however that they would as yet, not attempt 
 ;t!iis ; for it is a maxim that man must first imitate before he caa 
 originate. 
 
 In addition to the last praxis, we would now introduce another, 
 which should consist in comparing different objects mentioned in 
 a phrase, e. g. ^ dog cats flesh and a cow cats gras9. Here all the 
 points of difference and resemblance between a dog and a cow should 
 be minutely noticed, both as to their appearance and habits. This 
 will :ifford an excellent exercise for strengthening the judgment, 
 and with it the powers of attention, or observation and memory.— 
 It will also be a great source of relative knowledge, which forms 
 the most extensive portion of our scientific acquirements. 
 
 Their attention should next be drawn to notice the uses of things 
 and what can be made of them ; or if an organ of some plant or ani- 
 mal, to learn its functions. Thus the word iron occurring in a phrase^ 
 would lead us to examine its various uses. So the v<rordslcaf, livery 
 heart, lungs, should induce us to ascertain that the leaf performs 
 the office of a respiratory organ to the jAaiit as the lungs do to an 
 animal ; that the liver secretes bile, and that the heart is a muscular 
 macbine, which foices the blcod by means of the arteries to every 
 part of the body. — It need scarely be observed that tliis pri<xis 
 will produce aa immense gain of useful and scientific infor- 
 mation 
 
When we should have progressed for some time in this sort of in- 
 quiries, the evening lessons of ihe pupils would no doubt bej;iu to as- 
 sume some originality. Their funds augmenting, they would be a- 
 ble to bring from their treasures "things new as well as old." — 
 These independent efforts will invigorate their minds, while the 
 pleasure of originating something of their own, will stimulate exer- 
 tion, and the march of mind will be marked by a firm and steadily 
 progressive sicp. They will become conscious of their own powcra 
 and feel delighted with the exercise of them. They will be daily 
 more and more able to associate their thoughts with their pens as 
 Tvell as with their tongues. 
 
 After some time wo should add another mode of arresting atten- 
 tion to the words in a phrase, and that would be to classify every 
 word that is capable of it, uniler that science or branch of science 
 in which we may find a history of it. This we shall take the li!)er- 
 ty of calling the art of parsing words into their sciences. Thus 
 dogy horse, gnat, should be transferred to zoology, as the depart- 
 mept whicli gives them their general arrangement. The gnat 
 would afterwards be found to come under another division denomi- 
 nated entomology : To thi3 branch Avould be referred such words 
 as larva, aurelia, chrysalis, Sec. as forming a part of its terminolog}'. 
 Horse and dog would be placed under mammalia or quadrupeds. — 
 The woi'ds limestone, gijpsum, luakr, diaraond will be referred to 
 mineralogy for their classification, and to chemistry for an analysis 
 of their properties. To this latter science the terms oxxjdalion, com- 
 hnstlon, fermentalion, chrystallization, &c, will also be placed under 
 it, as constituting a part of its nomonclature. The words honcy 
 muscles, heart, brain, &c will come under anatomy foi' a descrip- 
 tion of them, and under physiology for an accouit of (heir functions. 
 Mountain, rocJc, river, quarrij, mine, pebble, &c. &c. will be refeired 
 to geology for scientific conjectures respecting their formation, con- 
 nect! )ns&.c. ^0 plant, grass, apple, pear, peach, cabbage, potctloc, 
 'wheat, &c. will come under botany as the broncii of natural history 
 ■Tvhich gives them their proper clans, ord-er, genus, &c. 'n thi3 
 manner all the various divisirms of physical and metaphysical sci- 
 ence siiall have their subjects and their terms identified. Various 
 modes of classifying animals and vegetable* should be pursued ; hv\ 
 ^ D 
 
the classification of Linnaeus as being the most generally usecl should 
 be especially attended to. The arrangements of Cuvier in the 
 animal, and Jussieu in the vegetable kingdom, would form an a- 
 greeable variety, at the same time that they would prevent the pu- 
 pil from imbibing an improper prejudice in favor of any classifica- 
 tion, seeing that they must all in many respects be very imper- 
 fect. 
 
 One advantage accruing from this mode of parsing words into 
 their sciences, will be that our pupil shall be able to tell in what 
 science he mav look for the investigation of any subject of enquiry. 
 But this is not ail : the plan admits of such an extension as to be- 
 come a perfect means of ascertaining the general and specific divi- 
 sion of every branch of human knowledge. Say the word insect is 
 the subject of tittention, let him make out a list of all the insects he 
 can readily recollect. If the word metal, make a catalogue of themp 
 and arrange them in their orders and genera. Afterwards 
 descend to a more speeifiq course and treat them in the same 
 way. 
 
 It may be objected by some, that the knowledge gained in this 
 way would not be deep nor extensive. This objection Is plausible, 
 and, in some measure, true. Scholars of eight or ten years of age 
 would not possess as profound views of each science as the adept 
 who had made it for years his study. This is neither intended nor 
 expected to be done. But they will have the keys of knowledge, 
 and will have fully come up to Locke's opinion of this matter, 
 where he says, " that youth should early be aiForded a general view 
 of all, the divisions of human knowledge, as well that they may apply 
 themselves to that which may thereafter suit their turn best, as that 
 they may see the connexion and harmony of all the sciences." — 
 But every cavil will vanish, when it Is known that all this is merely 
 a preliminary exercise to a course of scientific reading, that is to be 
 prosecuted after our scholars are conducted through the English 
 language. 
 
 Our next exercise might be to notice the words of contrary mean- 
 ing to the one under consideration, and by this means determine its 
 various significations : e. g-finc in the phrases " he is a fine many" 
 \' 6he has a fine voice^^'* " that is fine fiour.''^ The oppositQ to fim in 
 
23 
 
 the first phrase, is mean or bad ; to the second is hoarse or disagree- 
 ble ; and to the third is coarse or roKgh. — This little exercise will 
 have its use, since it will give an opportunity for observing the man- 
 ner in which a word is modified by a literal or metaphorical mean- 
 ing, and also for noticing the beauty of any particular figure. 
 
 Another praxis shall be added to the foregoing, which will be, to 
 examine the synonymous words of our language, and determine 
 the various shades of difference in their meaning. Their use in 
 aifording variety of expression, and how the sentence must be 
 changed in its arrangement in order to effect this, will also be at« 
 tended to. Vagueness in their application must not* be allowed 5 
 lest the very copiousness which they give to the language become 
 a serious injury, by exciting misunderstandings among those who 
 use them incorrectly. — A remark or two of Locke's may be suitably 
 introduced here. Speaking of the necessity of understanding th© 
 full force of words, he says " the want of a precise signification in 
 their words, when men come to reason, especially on mora! matters^ 
 is the cause of very obscure and uncertain notions. They use thelr 
 undeterniined words confidently, without much troubling their heads 
 with a fixed meaning ; whereby, besides the ease of it, they obtaiu 
 this advantage, that as, in such discourses, they are seldom in the 
 right, so they are as seldom to be convinced, that they are in the 
 wrong : it being just the same to go about to draw these persons out 
 of their mistakes, v/ho have no settled notions, as to dispossess a vag- 
 rant of his habitation, who has no settled abode. The chief end of 
 language being to be understood, words serve not for that end when 
 they excite not in the mind of the hearer the same idea which they 
 stand for in the mind of the speaker." 
 
 In addition to our remarks on variety of expression, we may add 
 that it gives an opportunity fov the exercise of discrimination and 
 taste. These habits of mind will be cultivated hy separating from 
 each word the ideas of which it is not properly the representative ; 
 and also by examining which is the most perspicuous mode of ex- 
 pressing a sentiment. 
 
 Another attempt at awakening interest might be. made by bring- 
 ing forward the practice of ascertaining what is tacitly implied in 
 any word, as soaio way conaected cr co-existent with it. E. g; 
 
24 
 
 the word ihtindcr iierfissarily associates with Its meaning the addi- 
 tional idoas of lightnhig, clouds and %uctrm iveather. In the word 
 pump, we find the probable associations are, that it is in a well, and 
 near a house : But neither of tliese may be true, and the degree of 
 truth niust be measured by what is the most usual condition of things. 
 IVe sliall therefore divide our ideas of association into necessary, 
 :md contingent. — -When we mention the word rooJ\ the imagination 
 immediately sets a building under it ; yet the term may be applied 
 to the same object entirely separate from any building. Still, where 
 there is no direct proof of tht- contrary, the mind rests satisfied 
 with the higlicst probability, resulting from the most usual connexion 
 4)f things. 
 
 Such exercises as these may appear trivial to some persons ; but 
 they do not know how much they strengthen the imaginatioi^;and 
 at the same time make it pay homage to the judgment as its mas- 
 ter This species of mentiil exercise is in fact the process of in- 
 vestigation pursued in all tliose cases where we cannot arrive at 
 mathematical certainty. It has been called analogical reasoning 
 and pcrliaps correctly. — We read, for instance, that Noah built an 
 urk of Gopher wood of great dimensions j our imagination guided 
 by judgment may draw a great many curious and highly probable 
 inferences respecting the state of the arts among the antediluvians. 
 Metallic tools were necessary to the construction of such a building ; 
 and the knowledge of various cliemical processes is prc-supposed in 
 order lo bring any of the metals into a state in which they may be 
 used as instruments. 
 
 Tills praxis Avill be of such great value in reference to the rea- 
 sonings oi^ common life, tliat we will venture to place it on a level 
 with im'.tliematical researches : and though it does not arrive at the 
 same certainty, yet it gives equal exercise to the powers of memory, 
 judgment and reasoning, with the most accurate course of gcometri-^ 
 cal or algebraical analysis. 
 
 Our next object might bo, to cxainine into the derivation of En- 
 glish words, by finding their roots, and investigating the meaning of 
 prefixes and affixes. This would afford variety for some time, and 
 in many instances give ail opportunity of testing the skill and tasto 
 cf the pupil. 
 
* 'This, or something like it, sliould constitute tlie series of exercis- 
 es, which should be incorporated ^Yith our study of the English 
 language. We will however mention some others which shall occu- 
 py the various intervals that would occur between the regular les- 
 sons of the day. These should be mostly of an active or amusing 
 land ; such as performing easy experiments in natural philosophy 
 and chemistry, the learning the use of the globes, drawing of maps, 
 a^d making small surveys of surrounding fields, lots, &c. In addi- 
 tion to these, exercises in gardening and some of the mech.anic 
 trades should be attended to. Their minds should also be directed 
 to make observations on the infinite variety of objects presented to 
 them in the great museum of nature. They might be required to 
 form smdll collections in natural history for themselves, and be taught 
 how to analyse and arrange them. Thus the plants of the fields 
 and the woods, the different kinds of clays, stones, &c. that would 
 be met with in their excursions, would all afford subjects of inquiij 
 •and improvement. 
 
 It is understood that in the whole progress of this scliool course, 
 wlien a phrase included any moral sentiment or duly, that it should 
 be especially noticed, and its worth proven by its conformity to the 
 sacred standai'd of moral truth and reasou. The scriptures should 
 not be read bij our scholars, until they have g|one through our course 
 of the English language. Bible truths would be given them orally^ 
 and there sliould be daily a portion of this book suited to their un- 
 derstanding read to them and such comments made theresta as 
 might seem proper. The highest veneration should ever be exhib- 
 ited for the authority of this code of laws, referring to, and abiding 
 l)y its decisions, in all cases of jnoral conduct. 
 
 After understanding our own language well, our next point would 
 be to prosecute a coui-se of English reading, and regular composi- 
 tion. To this point all our previous lessons have been tending, anC 
 to the successful accomplishmen-t of this object all the foregoin*, 
 instructions were dengned as preparatory. Here then the antece- 
 dent acquirements of the pupil will be brought into action. 
 
 Our reading should consist of a series of works on grammar, tlie 
 different branches of natural Iiistory, mathematics, natural philoso- 
 phy, chemistry, loglc^ rhetoricj voyages and travcIS; civil history. 
 
natural theology, moral and political philosophy, mythology, anti- 
 quities and a course oPpoetical reading. We would then conclirde 
 v.'ith a series of scripture readings, and the evidences of the chris- 
 tian religion. 
 
 The time that would be occupied in accomplishing these studies 
 might probably be three or four years ; from the age of nine or ten 
 lO that ofthirtecn or fourteen. 
 
 Compositions should now be punctually required every morning. 
 These should at first be no more than simple descriptions of some 
 aiticle in natural history, or some manufacturing process. After- 
 wards they should proceed to moral and other subjects, and finally, 
 write essays or treatises on every branch of knowledge they have 
 passed through. — Here then English education would be consider- 
 ed as finished; and they miglit then very profitably enter on a coui'se 
 of the learned languages, if thought necessary. 
 
 The advantages of such a plan of education we believe will be an- 
 ticipated by every reflecting mind. Our pupils Vt^ould possess an ac- 
 quaintance with correct language, and also a considerable mass of 
 scientific acquirements. Study would become theirtielight. — They 
 would know when language is used rightly, as well as how to use 
 it. This is a great blessing in a moral point of viaw ; for it is said 
 " by thy words shalt thou be justified, and by thy words shalt thou 
 be condemned." Miss H. More also very justly remarks, that, 
 " scarcely any one perhaps has an adequate conception how much 
 clear and correct expression favours the elucidation of truth ; and 
 the side of truth is obviously the side of morals 2 it is in fact one 
 and the same cause, and it is of course the same cause with true re- 
 ligion also." 
 
 How readily will a pupil, trained on this plan, understand and re- 
 member all that he reads : His knowledge of words will have re- 
 moved every obstacle in the way of his understanding, and his mem- 
 ory will become accurate and retentive, because his views will be 
 clear and impressive. Observation likewise will be to him a never 
 failing source of pleasure and profit. His senses of seeing, hear- 
 ing, &c. will all ajsume their proper offices, and continually supply 
 his mind with subjects of knowledge and vellection. — To such a 
 scholar the whole creation would be a book. Ev«ry object would 
 
awaken some useful hint, and if his rriintl should have taken a cor- 
 rect moral turn, he would delight in " looking through nature up to 
 nature's GOD." 
 
 We fear an idea may have been excited by our remarks that we 
 have proven too much ; that it is hot possible that every human be- 
 ing can have his faculties equally cultivated ; and that therefore we 
 have only given a picture of the gifted fe\y. — We grant that man- 
 kind are not all equal in mental endowments ; but we have reasoa 
 to believe that the great majorltij are blessed with superior intellec- 
 tual powers J and that all that has prevented these faculties from 
 developing themselves, has been the irrational mode pursued i;> 
 our in{liator\j schools : and that even the duller portion of the human 
 race, could their thoughts be traced out carefully, and their minds 
 unfolded, would display treasures, which are now concealed from 
 their possessors and lost to society. 
 
 We do not lay claim to much originality in our opinions on edu- 
 cation ; they may perhaps be properly called old opinions set in c 
 new light ; for the most of our notions are either collected from c- 
 ther writers or consist of inferences drawn from their general hints. 
 Many of our remarks however are the result of considerable obser- 
 Tatlon and reflection on the subject of training the youthful mind. 
 
 The authors by whom we have been hiost liberally supplied with 
 materials and hints, are Locke and Condillac, some observations 
 of Dugald Stewart, and chiefly the views of Pestallozzi as given by 
 Neef and others. — These are names that we feel a pleasure in asso- 
 ciating with our views. With such able supporters, we are confi- 
 dent that such a method of instruction must ultimately prevail. The 
 subject must however frequently be brought before the public, m 
 all its modifications and bearings. The engine of reform must be 
 gradually set in motion, and as skilfully managed in its ex- 
 perimenting efforts, or its progress may be long retarded. 
 
 But success will finally attend ihe endeavours of those, who* are 
 investigating the laws of mind, and the method of managing them. — 
 When we of the present generation, oppressed by the prejudices of 
 our ancestors, shall have been borne down the stream of time along 
 with our prejudices, a rational system of education may then he- 
 C'?me the order of the day.— IJ'be present spelling book system, the 
 
28 
 
 tinlucky Invention of Ignorant and barbarous times, will then no moro 
 paralyse the energies of the youthful mind. 
 
 This is not the enthusiastic expectation of a warm fancy, but the 
 sober calculation of moral certainty. Let us but look back at the 
 course of improvement in the arts and sciences, foi* the last fifty 
 years, and that retrospect will justify our anticipations. — The pro- 
 phecy of D.niiel, that " many shall go to and fro and knowledge 
 shall increase," has been, and is daily fulfilling. The philosophy 
 of mind as well ohnattsr is continually progressing In its researchesj 
 and it shall progress until the philosopliic teacher, shall be able to 
 apply his principles to the regulation of the tkinking jirocess with much 
 the same certainty as tlio mecliaiiician applies the laws of motiou 
 to the managemcnl of his engines. — Then will be seen the gigantic 
 march of human intellect, advancing in all its majesty. Then will 
 mind assert its true prerogatives, and prove its str.pendous supe- 
 riority over maL'er by subjugating surrounding nature to its control. 
 That knowledge is power, is a maxim even now ; but then and then 
 only will the physical world fullr acknowledge the univorsal domin- 
 ion of the intellectual ' 
 
29 
 
 ®©sr©iLwiDasr® m®^m, 
 
 However correct we may consider the opinions advanced in tina 
 little tract, we are not so sanguine as to suppose, that they will be 
 generally approved, much less, that they will be shortly, to any 
 great extent, adopted. Custom and prejudice will render most per- 
 sons blind to an error, until it has been often presented to their view- 
 This is a fact that the history of every improvement in the arts 
 and sciences evinces. — The mest then, that is for some years to be 
 expected, is, that the public mind should take a direction favorable 
 to improvement in the art of communicating knowledge. A ten- 
 dency to this is very pei'ceptible at present, in the disposition that 
 exists to encourage little elementary works in the different sciencesj 
 written in a popular style ; and as the community becomes more en- 
 lightened, every subject of knowledge will become more and more 
 simplified. The course of elementary instruction will receive a 
 thorough examination, and the stricte.')t attention will be paid to the 
 manner of beginning to learn. The initiatonj department in our 
 schools will be thouglit the most;]important, and be made the subject 
 of legislative attention. 
 
 But though these things will certainly take place, yet being a- 
 mongthe events of future and distant years, a friend to some of our 
 opinions might ask, " whether the present mode of teaching could 
 not be so modified as to meet present feelings and prejudices, and 
 jiievertheless include in it many of the useful plans which are offeredl 
 by the projectors of the day."— -This we think might be done to a 
 considerable extent, and by this means pave the way for the adop- 
 tion of such other innovations^ as dare not now be more tharn 
 named. 
 
 With this rievv we will trace out a middle way, between the ab- 
 surd spelling book mode, and that which reason would dictate. Or. 
 tthis plan of accommodation we should have to compromise difficult 
 ties. The spelling book must of course retain its place by priority 
 of possession ; but we shall try to press it into our service by usin^ 
 it in a way to which it has not been accustomed. 
 
 " The first lesson of a judicious education" says Godwin " Is, to 
 Jp^rn to thinkj to discrimmate, to remember , io eniv.irc/^ The spelling 
 
so 
 
 books best calculated for producing these effects are such aa gl?? 
 children an opportunity of reading as soon as they know a fev/ 
 monosyllables. Murray's or Mavor's answer this end best, being 
 composed with a view to teach children to read as soon as possible. 
 We will now take a child of five or six years of age, who is unac- 
 quainted with his letters, and put him through the spelling book in 
 our way. — In learning the alphabet, he should be made acquainted 
 with only cne letter at a time. This letter should be the" sole sub- 
 ject of one or more lessons, until he could recognize it in any part 
 of his book. In this way the whole alphabet should be gone 
 through ; and would be acquired in less than half the time usually 
 employed at it. To attempt to teach a child the whole alphabet 
 together is as absurd as it would be to propose teaching a novice the 
 first six books of Euclid at one lesson. 
 
 As soon as he could combine two letters and sound them, hie 
 should be taught to read. — Reading is no more than sounding cer- 
 tain combinations of letters at sight. Every speUing lesson should 
 "be thus sounded, after having gone orer it in the usual spelling way, 
 and would then form a reading exercise. This would produce a 
 facility in reading that would show none of that sleepy monotony to 
 be met with, where children are a long time kept at the stupid 
 feusiness of first naming letters and then sounding the words. Tho 
 scholar would acquire a quickness of sight which will enable him 
 to sound the word, by the time another would name one or two of 
 its letters. 
 
 We now have our pupil reading, but not ihi7il-ing of what he sounds 
 or reads. Our next point and the most needful is to teach him 
 io think. For inducing this habit he should give definitions or de- 
 scriptions in his own language ©f all the easy words in his lesson, 
 with the meaning of which he is acquainted. His errors should be 
 corrected, and we should define all the remaining words, themean" 
 lug of which he might be able to understand. 
 
 To teach him to remember, he should be required at each suc- 
 ceeding lesson to repeat from memory as much of the preceding 
 lesson as he could. — He should as soon as possible make oral phras- 
 es on all the words in his lesson to exemplify their meaning. And 
 "when he had advanced far enough he should get by heart a selec- 
 tion of classical Enghsh words with their meanings. On these he 
 should write phrases and show how they are apphed in constructing 
 sentences. This will teach him to think, to compose and to spell 
 "Well, He would also necessarily be led to discriminate and to en- 
 quire. These exercises being daily corrected for him, would give 
 him ?t -practical knowledge of grammar, which would be the best in- 
 troduction to the //ifoj't/. 
 
 Reference to meanings is the main point in a course of Enghsh 
 instruction. Without continual explanation, all other exerciges 
 are mere $hado%m without substance : an.d the reuiembering of wha* 
 
31 
 
 is read, is impossible. Butif meanings are attended to, the mind 
 will have something to act upon, and will gain strength at every 
 step of its progress. 
 
 If our scholar meets with any narrative in the course of his lessons, 
 he will be obliged lo write it off from memory as well as to give au 
 oral relation of its principal circumstances. 
 
 We should by no means keep our pupil the whole day at so dis- 
 gusting a study as his spelling book affords. The same day that he 
 begins his alphabet, he should begin arithmetic. Indeed, we 
 should feel no qualms of conscience in having him at arithmetic and 
 the nomenclature of geometry six months before he is put to his 
 letters. 
 
 A class of little boys beginning their spelling book, might learn 
 one alphabetic lesson, and then take a lesson in arithmetic on Pes- 
 tallozzi's plan, as arranged by W. Colburn ; who has indeed per- 
 formed a great public service, in giving to our citizens the only 
 simple work on this science, adapted to the faculties of children. — 
 Their next lesson miglit be what a child would call a story Icssoti 
 in which we should give the whole class a history of s§me natural 
 curiosity or manufacturing process, and then require them in their 
 turn to relate the same. This would give them an exercise for their 
 memory, and teach them the art of expressing their thoughts orally 
 in a connected scries. Tliis habit formed thus early, might in 
 many instances in after life, bo called into useful exercise. 
 
 As variety is absolutely necessary to the comfortable existence 
 of children, their confinement should, never be more than an hour 
 at a time, and mostly much less. To give an additional variety to 
 their exercises, a lesson or two of vocal music might be introduced 
 daily. Children cannot be taught to sing to soon ; for by early ex- 
 ercising the muscles of the larynx, they will become capable of 
 commanding higher tones during life, than they ever would have 
 done without commencing so soon. The effect as respects their 
 health would also be beneficial ; for the exercise that singing would 
 give their lungs would tend to strengthen their chests, and in a 
 great measure secure them against many breast complaints. 
 
 There might be another exercise connected with the spelling 
 book course of children, so as to temper a little the mental nausea it 
 occasions. This should be a course of experiments of the more ea- 
 sy and simple sort, in natural phibsophy and chemistry. — Should 
 some be disposed to smile at the idea of children mixing these stu- 
 dies with their spelUng book lessons, we would desire them to re- 
 flect on the subject a few moments, and we have no doubt they will 
 soon perceive that natural philoso^jhy, chemistry, all the portions 
 of natural history that a*.iy neighborhood afford, as well as a know- 
 ledge of geography from maps, Sec. may all be much easier learned 
 py a clnld than its spelling book. If theee sludics; theiv. are not 
 
3,2 
 
 allowed io precede the spelling course, they ought at least fo accom-- 
 vany it. Th<^re would be no need of expensive apparatus to effect 
 this ; for most of the experimeiits which elucidate the principles of 
 chemistry and mechanical philosophy, could be performed by an 
 ingenious teacher, without going farther than the utensils of a 
 kitchen. The great laboratory of nature, also, is daily furnish- 
 ing us with a succession of experiments, which might be made a 
 perpetual source of instruction to a class of pupils 
 
 The arrangement of, our lessons might, with these designs, be 
 something like the following-, viz.- First lesson, spelling book ; se- 
 cond, arithmetic ; third, histories or story lessons ; fourth, spelling 
 book; fifth, arithmetic and nomenclature of geometry ; sixth, 
 philosophical and chemical experiments. This series of exercises 
 would seeiu't' variety and entertainment, at the same time that they 
 would afford instruction on important subjects. 
 
 The musical lesson would be a general one, and might be intro- 
 idured ai any time to relieve ennui. 
 
 The method of comparing different objects represented by two 
 "iwords should also be pursued ; and most of the exercises which we 
 have noticed in the body of this essay might be incorporated with 
 the couree of lessons just mentioned. 
 
 By the time a child would get through his speUing book on this 
 plan, he would be pretty well qualified fer entering on a course of 
 reading, which should consist of a number of small, well written 
 works on natural history, geography, chemistry, natural philosophy, 
 EngHsh grammar, civil history, &c. &c. 
 
 It is a gratifying circumstance that our book stores are in general 
 pretty weil furnished with the means of aiding this plan. A great 
 number of excellent little woiks have appeared within ten years 
 past, yery well adapted to these views. We will mention a few of 
 them, and then conclude our tiresome note. 
 
 As a book of definitions for the use of schools, we have met with 
 none that has higher claims to attention than Grimshaw's etymol- 
 ogical dictionary. With the exception of a few errors this work 
 should be gone through in the way of definition lessons, eonnected 
 with the writing of phrases on every word. 
 
 With regard to arithmetic, we have no treatise on it in this coun- 
 try, fit for children, excepting W. Colburn's before mentioned. — 
 This should be u^ed universally, and may be commenced as soon as 
 a child can tell the difterence between three and four. 
 
 In geography we Iiave a superabundance of elementary works, 
 mostly very good. The little works of Cummings, Willetts, Wor- 
 cester, Morse, &c. answer very well to give a knowledge of the 
 rudiments of this interesting and useful branch of study. 
 
 In natural philosophy we have several little treatises ; among the 
 best of which are, Blair's grammar of natural philosophy, Joyce's 
 scientific dialogues^ and Mvs. Marcet's coaversations en natural 
 
33 
 
 philosophy. Either of these will afford a pupil a general view of 
 this science. 
 
 With regard to chemistry there is no scarcity of elementary 
 works. Those best calculated for children are Blair's grammar of 
 chemistry by Comstock, BIrs Marcet's conversations, and Parke's 
 rudiments. These give a very interesting view of this fascinating 
 and valuable science. 
 
 In natural history we have no work adapted to the use of schools. 
 Bingley's three volumes entitled " Useful knowledge," are a judi- 
 cious selection of some of the most useful points of information in 
 zoology, botany and mineralogy. As preparatory to that branch of 
 natural history which treats of animated nature, we have no popu- 
 lar treatise on physiology and comparative anatomy. This is a de- 
 sideratum, and ought to be supplied by some able hand. Vegetable 
 physiology is also neglected in our popular works on the vegetable 
 isingdom. — Geology and mineralogy have not been treated in such 
 a way as to render them accessible to the children composing our 
 schools. The advantages resulting from acquainting children early 
 with these branches of human knowledge, are incalculable. — Were 
 every child, while going to school, taught to analyse all the minerals 
 in the neighbourhood, and informed on those points of geological 
 connexion which obtain between the strata of different minerals, dis- 
 coveries the most invaluable to society might be made, even during 
 the rambles of our school boys ; and much more so after self inter- 
 est shoultl have spurred on curiosity in its researches into our 
 hills and mountains. 
 
 On English grammar we abound in compilations, travesties, &c. 
 written by wise and ignorant, competent and incompetent. Mur- 
 ray or Ingersoll for common views of practical grammar are the 
 best ; doctors Webster, Wilson and Gray for curious and uncommon 
 views on this subject. Webster's philosophical grammar of our 
 language is a very useful work, and ought by all means to be read. 
 It is an extension of the curious and interesting researches of Home 
 Tooke in his work called " The diversions at Parley." 
 
 In civil history, we have a number of treatises, intended for 
 schools. Ty tier's elements, as a general introduction, is perhaps 
 as unexceptionable as most of them. 
 
 On the history of particular nations, Grimshaw's and Goodricli's 
 United States, Grimshaw's England and Rome, Goldsmith's Greece 
 and Bigland's France, may give a scholar all that is necessary to be 
 known before the age of fifteen. 
 
 Either succeeding or united with the study of history, a pupil 
 should get by rote, the constitution of the United States, the con- 
 stitution of his own state, and the declaration of independence. He 
 should also read some small work on poUtical economy and moral 
 science. 
 
 Some small work on heathen mythology, should also be read to 
 
34 
 
 prepare a scholar for reading poeti-y with satisfaction. Boyse'd. 
 Pantheon, is a good school book of this kind. Tooke's Pantheon 
 for the use of schools, is exceptionable from the want of a proper 
 delicacy of language. The plan and general execution of the work 
 is good, and there has been an altered and expurgated edition pub- 
 lished by E. Cole of the city of Baltimore, that merits attention. — 
 Tooke's colloquail style is changed to the narrative, which is a 
 change for the worse ; but the other improvements are such as to 
 put it before all other editions of tliat work for schools. 
 
 After going through the preceding course a boy of fourteen or fif- 
 teen years of age would be able to read with satisfaction by himself 
 a course of the English classics in prose and poetry, and might ac- 
 complish something like a good English education.— Though it 
 would still be defective in many respects, yet it would certainly 
 be superior to the grade of English education commonly met with. 
 
 Much more remains to be said on this very extensive subject, 
 but lest we should exhaust the reader's patience by any farther de- 
 tail of oi'r singular notions, we will at present conclude with re- 
 questing him '• to think on these things.'^ 
 
Page 9, (note) ,liiie 5, for ".teaching than" reatl, teaching, 
 longer than — 
 
 Page 10, (note) fn"> I""'-' for "Thoughout" read, Through" 
 out — 
 
 Pago 19, line 32, for '• tliinkieg" reati, thinking — 
 
 Page 21, line lOj'^for " with pens" read, with their pens-— 
 
 Page 26; line If?, for " Hove tb^n" yo^cl. H<^-o ^iir.;.. — 
 
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 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 
 
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