ing in succession, lessons belonging to the same class or order. Thus far, however, the children have no realizing sense of any such design. After having gone over in this way with a few of the leading types of each order of mammals, they are led to associate in natural groups or orders the animals that have constituted the subjects of these lessons, aided by the knowledge they have acquired of their characteristic parts and habits. These systematic lessons, however, are confined to mammals and birds, as being more familiar to the children. For variety an occasional lesson may be given on a fish, an insect, a reptile, or a shell, those somewhat familiar to the children, but a large proportion of the animals belonging to these and the lower subdivisions of the animal kingdom are farther removed from the child's immediate sphere of observation, and therefore the basis of the classification is less apparent.

In "Lessons on Objects" proper, as distinct from "Lessons on Animals and Plants," the first lessons should be on objects of the most familiar character, and for a long time their attention should only be called to the simple parts and their position. This involves no use of difficult terms, but at the same time cultivates observation and the power of accurate expression. At the next step some of the more simple and common qualities are added. At a further step more occult qualities, requiring more close and careful observation, and such as are brought out by experiment, may be introduced; also, to a limited extent, the adaptation of qualities, material or structure, to use, may be considered. At a still more advanced stage, some information in regard to the objects considered may be. brought in, as also a simple classification of the objects and qualities considered. In connection with all these lessons, the cultivation of language should be made one of the leading points; commencing with the simplest oral expressions, leading on to written reproductions, and finally to consecutive narrative.

This leads us directly to a consideration of language, the subject next in order. It was a favorite maxim of Pestalozzi, that "The first object in education must be to lead a child to observe with accuracy; the second, to express with correctness the result of his observations." Again, "ideas first, and language afterward." That there is a natural connection between thought and speech, observation and expression, there can be no reasonable doubt. Who has not observed that children always seek a name for every new object of discovery, and are never satisfied until they receive it? It is, in fact, out of this necessity of our nature, that language has grown up, expanded and enlarged, to keep pace with the growth of

ideas. Bacon has well said, "Men believe their reason to be lord over their words; but it often happens too, that words exercise a reciprocal and reactionary power over our intellect. Words, as a Tartar's bow, shoot back upon the understanding of the wisest, and mightily entangle and pervert the judgment."

Again, of what practical advantage would be the careful cultivation of observation, without a corresponding power of expression? Ideas unuttered are valueless to all but their possessor, but well expressed, they are a power to move the world. Like the ripple started on the surface of the placid lake, their influence is felt to the remotest shores of time. Now as observation is cultivated by careful and constant use, so is language by the frequent expression of ideas. But how is the child to acquire this power of language, or what is the process and order of this acquisition? This is an interesting question, and deserves an intelligent answer. Here, as in everything else, we must go back to nature, if we would make no mistakes. Observe then the child in his first utterances. His first efforts at speech are to articulate the names of those persons, objects and actions, bearing the most immediate relation to his desires and necessities; the names of pa and ma, the articles of food and drink, the different members of the household, and familiar objects about him. Next in order come action-words.

Neither name nor action-words are as yet qualified, but these quality words follow slowly along.

Next

The third step is reached before the time of school life begins. However, when the transfer is made from the nursery to the schoolroom, this vocabulary must be enlarged to keep pace with the growth of ideas. Observing then the order already indicated, we begin with the names of objects, the wholes and their parts. come the names of the properties and qualities of objects, proceeding, of course, from the most simple to the more difficult. But is it asked to what extent are these terms to be given! We answer most unhesitatingly, just so far as the child feels the necessity for their use, and has the power to apply them. But it is objected that "The use of words can not be long kept up or remembered by the children, that are above the current language of the circle in which they move."

We can say with that assurance that springs from careful observation and experience, that they are governed quite as much in the application of these terms, and consequently in their familiarity with them, by the necessity they experience for their use in the description of objects about them, and in the expression of their per

teacher to labor poorer classes. such unfortunate

ceptions, as by the language of the home circle, or immediate associates. To this may be added the fact that for five hours in the day, and five days in the week, and this for several successive years, they live in the atmosphere of the school-room, where these terms are "current language," and the children from the humblest homes readily incorporate them into their own dialect. Were not these facts, there would be poor encouragement for the to improve the diction, manners or morals of the The success of every good school located in neighborhood, in elevating the children in all these points, is sufficient to substantiate this position. On what other principle can we account for the elevation of successive generations and races of men above their immediate ancestors? And how else can we account for the growth of language? We must depend upon the school to exert a refining, civilizing influence, and that too above and beyond the immediate "circle in which they move." Now in the language of the masses of the people there is a great dearth of terms descriptive of the properties and qualities of objects. How and where is this defect to be remedied? We answer emphatically, by the cultivation of language in the schools. We have already stated that language as the expression of ideas, bears an important relation to their development and growth, and therefore that the two should be carried on contemporaneously. We should, therefore, as we proceed with the exercises in developing ideas, give the terms expressive of those ideas, always using, however, those terms which are most simple, and at the same time expressive of the perceptions to be indicated. In all these exercises reference should be had to the mental status of the children; never giving any more than can be readily comprehended and appropriated. In these and all other school exercises, the answers of the children should be incorporated into full and complete expressions. As they advance they will take pleasure in reproducing their object lessons on their slates. This should always be encouraged, and should become a daily and regular exercise. Where this course is pursued the children will early acquire the power of easy and elegant diction, and readiness in composition.

The subject of reading is one surrounded with many difficulties. These, it is the business of the teacher to so divide and classify as to present but one difficulty at a time, and make the successive, steps easy and pleasurable to the child. The difficulties that meet the young learner at the very threshold, are the number of different sounds represented by the same character, the number of different characters representing the same sound, the representation of the

same sound sometimes by one character and sometimes by another, and sometimes by a combination of characters, and the frequent use of silent letters. To obviate these difficulties he should not for a long time be confused with more than a single form to a single sound. With twenty-three characters and the same number of sounds a large amount of reading matter, consisting of easy simple words, may be given. It is better to commence with the small forms of the letters, as they are better adapted for general use. When the children become familiar with these, the capitals may be introduced. Gradually new sounds may be brought in, and with them new words. A few words may be learned as words, to enable us to fill up the reading matter. In connection with the Object Lessons, also, new words are being continually learned. By this process, in which the children are able to help themselves at every step of their progress, they ever find fresh delight. By a simple plan of classifi cation, in which words of like anomalies are brought together, and which the children at first dictate themselves, the work of spelling is made one of the most pleasing, and animated exercises in the schoolroom. These words are both spelled orally and written upon the slate. The plan we have suggested, of which we have been able only to give the merest outline, we have found a very rapid and thorough one in teaching children to read and spell, and in its details strictly Pestalozzian.

We have thus briefly alluded to a few of the leading exercises, and the extent to which they should be employed in the development of the early faculties of childhood, that our position may be definitely understood, and for the reason that we believe them liable to much abuse.

OBJECT SYSTEM OF INSTRUCTION

AS PURSUED IN THE SCHOOLS OF OSWEGO.

BY H. B. WILBUR, M. D.

Superintendent of the State Asylum for Idiots, Syracuse, N. Y

INTRODUCTORY NOTE.

IN consenting to the publication of the following paper, read before the National Association of Teachers, at its last meeting, I am constrained, in justice to myself, to prefix a brief statement of the circumstances under which it was prepared.

Some two years since, I delivered an address before the New York State Teachers' Association. On that occasion I gave some account of my own peculiar work, the instruction of idiots And as it seemed to me that my experience had some practical relations to the audience before me and to the topics just then somewhat prominent in the minds of American educators, I ventured to make the proper application. The "object system of instruction," so-called, was referred to at some length, and I indu'ged in some passing criticisms upon the peculiar methods of instruction adopted by the Home and Colonial Society of England, which some persons were laboring to introduce into this country. That I was not a conservative in an obnoxious sense in my educational views, an outline of what was then sa'd upon these two points will sufficiently show. I attempted to set forth the doctr.ne, by implication rather than by any very distinct enunciation, that there were two kinds of knowledge, the one which may be styled natu al and the other conventional. I remarked that the educa tion related to the former began where instinct ceases, and consisted of a judicious ministering of the proper aliment to the intuitive powers. And I endeavored to point out the true function of the teacher, in respect to this natural education.

I then added that, as in point of time, so in harmony with the natural order of development of the human faculties, was it fit and proper that the acquisition of natural should precede that of conventional knowledge, and that the former was the best foundation for the superstructure of the latter The summary statement of my argument upon the subject was, "that we should educate the senses and through the senses, the intelligence and will, and then apply and subordinate the engendered habits of accurate observation and the cultivated intellectual activity and power to a proper method of acqu ring the elementary studies and their outgrowing attainments."

It seemed to me then that, if these views were correct, they had a twofold application. In the first place, that our system of primary school instruction, confining itself, as it had hitherto done, mainly to elementary studies of a conventional character, should be modified by the introduction of a preliminaỳ class of exercises, designed especially to cultivate the faculties of observation. That the elementary branches should be taught in such a manner as not to blunt the perceptive faculties. Of course, the natural outgrowth of these two provis ions would be, that the apparent acquirements of the school-room would repre sent the actual mental power and knowledge of the pupils.

In the second place, sympathizing, as I have before said, fully with the aims of those seeking reform in the principles and methods of elementary instruction, I yet could not fail to see or avoid making an application of the principles I had developed, to the correction of certain grievous errors some of these well disposed friends of education had fallen into.