Guide to the Kindergarten and Intermediate Class and Moral Culture of Infancy Part 17

FOOTNOTES:

[I] All these difficulties with which I wrestled so many years in my character of _champion of childhood_, are entirely solved and done away with by the more recently introduced method,--introduced by authority of a distinguished philologist, of teaching the Italian alphabet, and always calling _c_ and _g_ hard, as the old Romans are supposed to have done. This mode is made practicable in the "First Nursery Reading-Book,"

and the last edition of the "Primer of Reading and Drawing." Abundant experience shows that reading taught in this way leaves nothing to be unlearned in English, and teaches an a.n.a.lysis of words into letters which contributes very much to the ease of the subsequent study of European languages, to which the sounds of the letters of the Italian alphabet apply almost without an exception. Experience upon this subject has given me confidence in the general rule of _never_ teaching exceptions to anything until the rule is well understood and mastered.

[J] The work referred to, by Peter Schmid, of Berlin, was subsequently translated, and published in the 6th vol. of the _Common-School Journal_, and afterwards in a pamphlet called the _Common-School Drawing Master_. It is largely used in the public schools of Germany, and formed a new era in Germany, in the teaching of Perspective Drawing, as truly as _Colburn's First Lessons_ formed a new era in the teaching of Mental Arithmetic here.

[K] Since writing the above he has died untimely.

[L] Since these letters were written, the St. William's school established in Edinburgh by George Combe, Esq., and in which that distinguished man taught personally during the latter years of his life, has proved conclusively that the Phrenological philosophy is a fine basis for education. The principle there practised is, to cultivate a.s.siduously those faculties which were found naturally deficient in the pupils; thus aiming to make whole men out of what otherwise would have been but fragments of men.

[M] One of these children subsequently evinced much talent for the plastic art, which she traced back to this opportunity. She always kept it up, and gave fair promise of accomplishing something in this department of art.

[N] Several years after these letters were written, the Rev. Thomas Hill issued a series of cards containing geometrical figures composed of triangles of different sizes. They were very useful in aiding the development of the mathematical faculty in a private family, and might be used with advantage in the present Kindergarten-schools, whose success forever settles the question of the manner in which young children should be taught. The above letters exemplify the blind gropings of a true child-lover after that which has now been so beautifully developed by observation and genius united.

SONGS.

I. Lord's Prayer.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Lord's Prayer Music]

Our Father, who in heaven art, Thy name be hallowed; Thy will as 'tis in heaven be done, Let thy dear kingdom come; Give us this day our daily bread, Our trespa.s.ses forgive, As we forgive the trespa.s.ses Of those who injure us.

Deliver us from doing wrong; O, lead us from temptation's snare; For thine the kingdom and the power, And glory evermore.

II. The Fishes.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Fishes music]

Happy the fishes now appear, Sporting in water bright and clear; Now swimming, now diving, above, below; Now they are straight, and now they all bow.

III. Brotherly Love.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Brotherly Love music]

1.

How delightful 'tis to see Little children who agree; Who from every thing abstain, That will give each other pain; O, how lovely 'tis to see Little children who agree.

2.

Angry words they never speak, Promises they never break; Unkind looks they never show; Love sits smiling on each brow.

O, how lovely, &c.

3.

They are one in heart and mind; Courteous, pitiful, and kind; Willing others to forgive, And make happy all who live.

4.

When at home, at school, at play, They are cheerful, blithe, and gay; Always trying to increase Human pleasure, social peace.

5.

If we for each other care, All each other's burdens bear, Soon the human race will be Like one happy family.

O, how lovely, &c.

IV. AT THE BEGINNING AND CLOSE OF PLAY, IS SUNG:

[Ill.u.s.tration: At the beginning and close of play music]

Front to back we march away, Let us all go out to play.

Front to back we march away, Now we all have done our play.

V. The Pigeon House.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Pigeon House music]

We open the pigeon house again, And set all the happy flutt'rers free; They fly o'er the fields and gra.s.sy plain, Delighted with joyous liberty; And when they return from their merry flight, We shut up the house and bid 'em good night.

VI. The Cuckoo.