The System of Infants' Schools (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1826 Excerpt: ...and afterwards with as much accuracy as the teacher himself, he will lead his school-fellows, with the clap of the hand, or with any other movement of the body, through the various parts of the lesson which they may be learning. A little discretion will suggest to the master the propriety of not suffering the same boy to hold the situation for any considerable length of time. He will, if possible, change the teacher every five or ten minutes, and he will choose the succession of them from different parts of the school. The superintendant has gained an important advantage when he has thus brought the children to be mutual teachers of each other. The progress of instruction thence will flow more easily. Any correction of an error will be given by the little monitor in language understood by his fellow-pupils. Pleasurable feelings will be diffused. There will be a sympathetic influence over the whole assembly, and he may himself proceed to the most important part of his duty; to perambulate the room; to watch over the tempers of his flock; to correct, by a word of admonition, the rising evil, and by a kindly smile, or any other sign of his approbation to encourage the efforts which they may make. All this may be done without diverting the attention of the infants from the lesson which is addressing itself to their mind. It will be perceived by the reader, that when the children have attained the habit of numbering in the way above mentioned, through the prescribed formula, the teacher has a groundwork of every simple combination of numbers which can, for the present, be of use to his school. He may proceed from this point, by a little exercise of attention, to give them the habit of the five following modes of calculation; Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication...