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282 ADVANTAGES OF JUDICIOUS SELECTION OF MONITORS,

work them out according to circumstances, and the tools he may have to work with. There are few schools that will not supply him with sufficient tools, provided he has the sagacity to choose the proper material. If he chooses brass for iron, he fails, the qualities being different; and if he chooses a monitor for teaching that nature designed to be a monitor of order, he fails also. I have sccn boys chosen for monitors every way incompetent; the result has been the boy has been unhappy, the class has made no progress, the school has been in complete disorder, and the whole has been fairly traceable to want of knowledge in the master, in not selecting proper boys to work out his own plans; forgetting that a good engine will not work unless the fire is continually charged, and every thing kept in proper order. No-system of education will work well, without a good master to superintend it; no rational writer on education will ever expect it, and for this reason he will never fail to hold out every encouragement to a wise and judicious teacher. No salary can be too much for such a man; because there exists not the power of estimating the good that may result from his labours.

283

CHAPTER VII.

READING, WRITING, AND ARITHMETIC.

Reading arrangements-Writing arrangements-Arithmetical arrange

ments.

READING ARRANGEMENTS.

EACH class shall have one trained monitor, with an assistant monitor appointed out of the class he is teaching; who shall occupy such post during the period of the monitor's engagement, unless misconduct require his removal.

The monitors are requested attentively to read such lessons as are to be taught, and are to apply to the master for such objects, or pictorial illustrations, as may be required to elucidate them to the pupils in their class.

When reading, the pupils are required to stand upright, hold their books in the same manner, viz. by lying flat upon the left hand; to speak distinctly and sufficiently loud for the monitor and each individual in the class to hear.

Every lesson comprehending any branch of instruction taught in the school, must be fully understood by the pupils prior to their being engaged on any subsequent section of a book.

To excite laudable emulation, and promote advancement, all fair corrections shall entitle the pupil making them to the place of the individual committing the mistake, and the removal must be made in front of the boys quietly and quickly. No boy to be chosen for a reading monitor who has any impediment in his speech, or who speaks with a provincial dialect.

To dissipate listlessness and arouse to vigorous exertion, the lesson, or part of the lesson, shall occasionally be

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read by single words, cach successive pupil reading cach successive word; on other occasions the pupil only to read to a point, whether comma, colon, or any other stop; like in spelling, sometimes it must be done by each successive pupil uttering a letter only, and also by spelling entire words; this will be ordered by the master.

The interrogatory system must be frequently resorted to, in connection with this branch of instruction.

Such classes as are in the first book, before proceeding further in the book than the first section, are to learn to read casily the words when pointed out; second section, to read the words easily, and spell them off; third section, the same.

Second book, section first. To read the section easily, spell off the words at the head of each lesson, answer the questions as to the contents of each of the lessons, 4, 5, and 9, and repeat perfectly lesson 12 Section second. Read and spell as before, answer the questions as to contents, and point out nouns, pronouns, and verbs. Section third. Answer questions as to contents, read lesson 16, with propriety, and point out adjectives and adverbs. Section fourth. To be acquainted with the contents, and to read it with propriety.

The final examination of this book must be such as to satisfy the master that the pupils are so fully acquainted with what was required in the previous examinations, as to be fit to commence with advantage the reading of the next book,

In reading, it is recommended that the master sometimes adopts the elliptical plan when the pupils are on the gallery; this will quicken their apprehensions, force them to think, and assist both in grammar and composition.

That the monitor sometimes adopt the elliptical plan with the pupils, he rcading part, and they filling up the rest to make sense of it. This is an excellent plan to induce thought, and will relieve the pupils from the tedium of poring frequently over the same lessons in the same way.

Q.

It will also relieve the monitor, and enable him to teach with more vigour, and the pupil to learn with more pleasure and profit. In reading about animals, the representation of the animal to be put on the lesson-post, before the whole class, and after the lesson is read, and the words used are explained, the pupils must be sometimes questioned, as follows: suppose the subject is the eagle. What kind of bird is the eagle? A. Bird of prey. Q. What does prey mean? A. To kill and eat. Q. Is he a weak bird? A. No; very strong. Q. Can he fly high? A. Yes; very high? Q. Can he take his prey with him? A. Yes; he can take a hare, a rabbit, a lamb, or any animal of that size. Q. How does he take it? A. He strikes his claws into it, and as they are curved they hold fast. Q. What kind of bill has he? A. A hooked bill. Q. Have all birds of prey a hooked bill? A. All that prey upon large animals have. Q. Why? A. Because it enables them to tear the flesh of the animals they catch, that they may eat it, or feed their young with it. Q. Where do they build their nests? A. At the side of a high mountain, or high rock. Q. Are there many in England in a wild state? A. No; none of the kind represented in the picture, unless they are brought from other countries. Q. Are they in a wild state? A. No; they are kept confined, merely for pleasure, or for persons to see them. Q. Are there any in Wales? A. Yes; a few in the wild and mountainous parts. Q. Are there any in Scotland? A. Yes; in the highlands, where the people are few. Q. Are there many? A. No; they are frightened of man, and do not like to stay where he dwells. Q. Why are they frightened by man? A. Because they know his power. Q. Who gave man dominion over the fowls of the air? A. The Almighty. Q. What is the eagle's body covered with? A. Feathers. Q. What do they call it beside feathers? A. Plumage. Q. What is the colour of his plumage? A. Dark brown. Q. By what name is this one in the picture called to distinguish it from

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others? A. The golden eagle Q. Are there any other kinds of eagles A. Yes; the black eagle, the sca cagle, the bald cagle, and other kinds. Under the head Natural History many other lessons of this description will be given.

WRITING ARRANGEMENTS.

The pupils shall first learn to write on slates, straight strokes, afterwards the same with a curve at the top, then a straight stroke with a curve at the bottom. When correct in the formation of these, they shall proceed to write the letters M and O. Afterwards through all the gradual variations from these letters, to all the letters in the alphabet.

Occasional instructions by examples and illustrations on the black-board (to be practised by the masters) during this gradation, will be necessary.

The pupils having attained tolerable proficiency in the formation of these letters, shall be occasionally practised. in writing capital letters.

Practice upon paper shall not be allowed until they have acquired neatness and uniformity in their slate writing, and are habituated to holding their pencils correctly.

On paper, the above process beginning at strokes shall be entirely passed through by the pupils, prior to writing round hand and small hand

The progress of each class to be specially examined at fixed periods, and the varying merits of their attainments expressed and recorded by characteristic signs according to the following arrangement, viz.,

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