Time Table. MORNING. O'CLOCK. 9 93 -The school opens. -Prayer and singing-show hands and faces-count the children, Read Scripture texts on the wall marching round the school --and repeat catechisms and hymns. 101-Say tables-addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and fractions. 101 103 114 11 12 -Writing on slates. -Picture lessons-reading from posts-march out of the school, and into the gallery. -Miscellaneous questions-dictation - elliptical lessons single pictures-frame and balls-spelling-commandments-creed-hymns-tables-manual exercises. -Grace before meals-curtsey and bow-return to their seats -get hats and bonnets. -Dismiss the children-marching round the room. 1 14 2 2 3 31 * 4 -Show hands and faces-call over names of children-grace Reading and spelling, in classes. -Go into the gallery-roman numerals-books of the Bible- Children return to their seats-hymn and prayer-get hats Dismiss the children-marching out one by one. N.B. The Master or Mistress may select any lessons appointed to be said, as for instance, whether they shall say the Multiplication table, or any other Arithmetical table, but each portion of time must be occupied with the kind of lesson appointed. They must not write, when they should be reading-nor sit in their classes, when they should be in the gallery. Order of Proceedings. MORNING. Door opens at nine o'clock, children assemble in their respective classes and the monitors at their lesson-posts at half-past nine, doors are locked, and the children kneeling on their seats, their eyes shut, and hands behind them, repeat after the master the following Prayer. "O God our heavenly Father, we have sinned and done wrong many times; forgive us our sins for Jesus Christ's sake. May thy Holy Spirit change our hearts, and make us good children. Keep us from wicked thoughts, bad words, naughty tempers, and all wicked actions. Help us to love one another. Help us to learn what we are taught. Bless our fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, and teachers, and make us all thy children for Christ's sake. Our Father, which art in heaven," &c. The children then stand up, and sing one of the morning hymns; after which they shew hands and faces; if any do not come clean, washed, and combed, they are sent back home. No child is admitted into the school after prayers. When the master has called the names over, he gives the reading lessons to the monitors to insert them into the lesson posts, or hang them up on the walls. The reading lessons are for In reading, the monitor brings up to a chalked line five of his class at a time; each taking hold of hands, and standing with their toes to the chalk line. The monitor reads the letter, or word, and the children repeat it after him; having thus proceeded through the lesson, the monitor questions the children upon it: then these return to their seats, and five other children are brought up, until the whole class have had a lesson, and been questioned; as the children return to their seats they are furnished with slates and pencils. When all the children have said their reading lessons, sitting on their seats, they sing one or other of the tables or hymns. They then go through different evolutions-holding up and putting down their hands, &c. &c. Then go out into the play-ground for a few minutes: on their return, march one by one, with hands behind them, into the gallery, singing as they proceed, Or some other piece, according to the direction of the teacher, or wish of the visitors. N When assembled in the gallery, they go through various evolutions, for a few minutes, in order to engage their attention,-point out the different parts of the body-mention the various articles of dress-things in the room, of what made, by whom, and for what purpose or else sing the agricultural exercises, &c. This is the way we sow the corn, we sow the corn, we sow the corn, (So, hands, clothes, &c.) This is the way we comb our hair, to come to school in the morning. This is the way we count in school, &c. all to please the children. Then follow questions on natural history, single animals, as Are its feet like yours ? What is its flesh called? What is the difference? What has the cow which you have not? What do men do with the hair? Who made the cow? An Elliptical Lesson. Now, dear children, listen to me and I will tell you a tale about a little boy who broke a looking-glass. * Little children, always tell the truth, for God knows when you tell lies, and he has said that all liars shall be cast into hell. • In all elliptical stories, the SUBJECT should be given, as affording a key to the children; otherwise it will be impossible for them to supply the ellipsis. Questions on the above. What have we been talking about? Where did the little boy live? What was there in one of the rooms? What did he play at? What happened when he had played some time? Did he tell his father what he had done? '' Repeat that pretty hymn, "O 'tis a lovely thing for youth," &c. My dear children, how many lies have you told? Oh! pray to God to forgive you for Jesus Christ's sake. After this examination, let them count 100, varying the motions of their hands and fingers, and the intonation of the voice after each ten numbers. The children then are exercised, on the numeral frame,—in the first four rules of arithmetic; which done, they spell various words at the discretion of the master. In order to make a variety, part of the words are spelt by the fingers merely, as in talking to the deaf and dumb. One of the children then repeats a part of the Scripture alphabet, with Questions, the others saying it after him, A stands for Adam, who was the first man, He broke God's commandment, and so sin began, &c. When the teacher thinks it proper time to dismiss the children, they are all told to stand up, when they sing, Be present at our table, Lord, Our sins forgive, and grant that we Bonnets and caps having been put on, the girls having made a curtsey, and the boys a bow, the children are dismissed to their dinners. AFTERNOON. The children having assembled in their respective places, before they begin any lesson, sing, We thank thee, Lord, for this our food, But most of all for Jesu's blood; Let manna to our souls be given, The bread of life sent down from heaven. The monitors then procure the pictures, and affix them to the posts, or hang them up on the walls, and mark the lines, round the lesson; when the teacher has directed what boy or girl shall bring up the children, let him or her take five, holding each other by the hand, to the chalk line at bottom of the school, when the teacher whistles, these five are brought, with their toes to the chalk line, round lesson 1.; the monitor then takes his pointer, and pointing to each figure on the board names it, the children repeating after him—and this, till he has mentioned every thing on the board-when he has finished, he puts his pointer at the top of the lesson post; the teacher whistles, these five are taken to lesson 2, and five fresh ones are brought to lesson 1, and so on in succession, till all the monitors are employed. After having named all the objects on the last lesson, the teacher whistles, when these five go into the playground, each succeeding five following them on finishing the last lesson, until all the children are gone out. On returning from the playground, they march into the school singing some table, or hymn, and proceed to their seats, or the gallery, as the teacher directs. If they go to their seats, they repeat words of opposite meaning. This lesson is called, "Contrast." These words are afterwards all spelt by the children. If the children go into the gallery, they are examined on the geometrical figures, &e.-chronology of the kings of England-elliptical lessons or converse on cleanliness-coming in time-holiness of heart and life-duty to God-to our neighbour-to ourselves-love to God and man-love of Christ-teaching of the Holy Spirit-sin-pardon-obedience to parents duties of children-sins of children, lying, theft, self-will, using bad words, pride, sloth-cruelty to animals-creedten commandments-Lord's prayer-God sees and knows every thing— judgment-death-heaven-hell-Sabbath-going to church-miscel laneous. At the time of dismissal the children march from the gallery to their respective places, in silence,-standing up, they sing the evening hymn, -and conclude with prayer-after which they return home. List of Works to be consulted. The System of Infants' Schools, by Rev. William Wilson, Walthamstow. Infant Education, by S. Wilderspin. A Manual of Instruction for Infants' Schools, by Rev. W. Wilson. Lessons on Objects, as given in a Pestalozzian school, at Cheam, Surrey. |