Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1839. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER IV. ADVANTAGES OF CLASSICAL INSTRUCTION DURING THE PERIOD BETWEEN TEN AND FOURTEEN. In the early part of childhood, instruction appeared to have two main objects in view: one, to accustom children to the exercise of their attention, and to the observance of exact rules, by means of regular, but short, lessons; the other, to interest their minds in more general ideas, by communicating to them occasionally such knowledge as seems to be within their comprehension. But under whatever form instruction may be presented, it is absolutely necessary, at this age, that the attention should never be too long fixed on the same object. Variety of occupation seems to be dictated by nature. Mental, as well as bodily, exercise may be frequently, nay, almost constantly, employed, provided even the most trifling efforts of the mind, be not continued for any length of time in the same direction. This has been placed beyond all doubt by well-attested experience. In the infant schools at Geneva, as well as in the Lancasterian institutions, to which the children are afterwards transferred, it has been found that pupils of ten or eleven years old, had made as much progress in a variety of studies, as their contemporaries at other schools had done in an exclusive pursuit. Let us compare the characters of these two ages; and in order to make the difference between them more distinctly marked, let us take them at their two extremes. A child of eight years old thinks only of accomplishing his daily task: he wishes, indeed, to please his teacher, by which his idea of duty is satisfied, and with which he may perhaps also associate some vague idea of glory; but as to any thing more, his only object in study, as in every thing else, is amusement. As long as all is new, and only the cr...
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