Rensselaer Union, Volume 5, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 December 1872 — Suggestions for Ungraded Schools. [ARTICLE]

Suggestions for Ungraded Schools.

The follow ing is a report of the committee ot the/ Indiana Slate Board of Education, appointed to prepare a cohrse of study for the ungraded schools of the State: YAUt 1 ebtainiiitce "respectfully report Unit they are unable ft) prescribe definitely any course of study for ungraded Schools. Their inability arises from the diversity .of the conditions necessary to secure uniformity. These are: 1. The inequality in the length of school terms. .. 2. The shortness of the terms generally. *' I>. The inexperience and inefficiency es many of the teachers, and 4. The wantof thorough, systematic, intelligent supervision of the Schools: First. It is evident that unless there is uniformity in the length- of the school terms, there tan iidt he,much uniformity iii the studies or the rate of progress. The remedy for this is : with the people. 1 Second. fire shortness of the school terms generally precludes the idea of I securing a sufficient number of niaj tiired men and women as .teachers. — ; Teaching is a temporary employment 1 rathoi 1 ' tilan a pripension, conseqiietftly ! comparatively few, except young, undeveloped anil inexperienced ueraima, arc engaged in 'i t, and many of these leave the schools as soon as cure more permanent and remunerative employ men t. (Jon-tarft employment is necessary to induce young people to make teaching a profession. The remedy lor this lies with the pcoi’le- i

Third. The want of constant employment prevrnts, to a considerable extent, a professional preparation, ai)i las a—coiis.equeii'co in an y persons are selected to teach who are unable to organize, discipline, govern,-or instruct a school. Under sucli circumstance.- it is not umpiring that the selection of the studies,and the rate of progress-are determined by the children or their parents, and not by the teacher. The remedy for this Ts in a more rigid Scrutiny of the qualification of the teachers. —--* Fourth. As long as teachers—are elected by ’the people they will conform to the wishes of their constituents in ali that pertains to the management of tlfeir schools. It will, therefore la> impossible to secure any 1 uniformity in organization, classification, and method Of instruction until the direction of the schools is transferred from the parents tq the hands of mi intelligent -and efficient County J-Oijiorinlooilfnt. The .-remedy. .for tliis evii lies with the legislature. All that your, committee feel justified in doing under- present circumstances is to make a few suggestions, which, if adopted, will economize the time of the teachers and increase the efficiency of their schools: First. There should be but one series of books of any kind in tjie same school. -The diversify in readers arithmetics, geographies, etc., is detrimental to progress because it consumes the time of the teacher unnecessarily, and prevents thorough classification and instructioji. The remedy for the diversity of school books lies with the Trustee. ' Second. Every pupTT should Be expected to read r write awl spell every day. These studies are the basis ot a good edneation and should receive constant attention. No one can be too profieieiu in these essential branches.

Thiid. As the Fifth and Sixth Renders, of every series in use, con- 1 tain Uie choicest and at the same time ; th&gyost difficult selections' ok Eng- . dish UUiraturfeo.tlui fi me flmUxjiaualiyri spent by rhinmture pupils in attempt- ! ing to’ read them, is worse than wasted. The true test of every reading exercise is not the fluency with which the words are repeated, but is the in- i tcliigent appreciation of the thoughts of the author. If children read the Fourth Reader fluently, understand;; the sentiments it contains, spell and define its words, they are doing all that can he well done ordinarily in an | ungraded school. Fourth. Tittle children of ordinary intelligence, six years of age, may be ! taught to read with considecable..fluency, and spell the first thirty pages of any of the First Readers in use, : during the first four months of school. ; Every child should be furnished with j a slate, find should lie taught to count, j make figures, and print the words of the book. . The best teaching is done by the aid 6f the blackboard. The j spelling book sliouid not be used by little children, as the primer of-First reader furnishes ail that is necessary. Fittli. Speli+hg should be made an; instrumentality, for the intelligent study of language. Preference should j be given to the words in common use, such as are found in the readers. Advanced nunils shonbi have their knowledgo of the reading lesson tested by requiring them to write an analysis ,of it. The spelling lesson should be written front dictation. In oral spelling, every word spelled 1 should have its correct use illustrated by being put into a sentence. isixfh. In Arithmetic pupils should -be-drrHed thorough!y to write numbers, to add, subtract, 'multiply.' and 'divide with ease and accuracy, before -they are permitted to proceed to the more complex operations. It is not j unusual to find pupils working in per j ccntage»and the extraction of roots who can not write simple numbers or recite tire multiplication table with accuracy.

j SeVentli, Pupils who have mastered : the Second aim Third Readers should | commence the systematic study of i Primary Geography and Elementary | Arithmetic. j Eighth. A text bank in grammar should not he introduced until the pupils are able to read fluently ami iiitellip'feiitly in the Fourth Reader. Ninth. Thgtyudency to put pupils | into more advanced studies,. partieu- : larly the.higher arithmetic, should be j discouraged. A thorough knowledge of the'eoYifnyon -sefi’ftbr a ritfiinef ic ; is preferable to a superficial knowledge 1 of the higher hook. Tenth. Much of the success of any school depends upon wisdom shown in its classification. The fewer the classes, the more time there, will he for thorough instruction by the teacher and practice bv the pupils. Respectfully submitted. Ai.kx. 51. Gmv, . Stlpt. Evansville Public Schools. Wm. A. Jones, , Prest. State Normal School.

Last Friday the Kankakee Drain- | ing Company filed their yearly bond in the sinn of 3240,005' at the State Secretary's office. Messrs. George W. McConnell, Wm, ©. H<>well v Patrick Huneheon, lleifry IL. Walker, G. W. Cass, Aiden Tucker and’ Itick ai d Huneheon becoming sure* ties. The b<jnd was signed and approved by Gor. Bakerjthe same day it was tiled. —Laporte Argut. 1 4 '* ,