The Infant System | Page 4

profane swearing--The example often shewn by parents--Anecdote in illustration--Parents ill used by their young children--Christian-like wish of George III.--Education for poor children still objected to--Folly of such objection illustrated--Lectures on the subject of infant training
CHAPTER V.
PRINCIPLES OF INFANT EDUCATION.
Moral treatment--Importance of exercise--Play-ground indispensable--The education of nature and human education should be joined--Mental development--Children should think for themselves--Intellectual food adapted for children--A spirit of enquiry should be excited--Gradual development of the young mind--Neglect of moral treatment--Inefficacy of maxims learned by rote--Influence of love--The play-ground a field of observation--Respect of private property inculcated--Force of conscience on the alert--Anecdote--Advantages of a strict regard for truth--The simple truths of the Bible fit for children
CHAPTER VI.
REQUISITES FOR AN INFANT SCHOOL.
The master and mistress should reside on the premises--Interior arrangements--A school and its furniture--Lesson-posts and lessons--The younger children should not be separated from the older--Play-ground arrangements--Rotary swing--Its management and advantages
CHAPTER VII.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHERS.
Teachers should practice what they teach--Necessity of patience--Mere automatons will not do for infant teachers--Disadvantage of using excessive restraint--A master and mistress more efficient than two mistresses--Objections to the sole government of females--Too frequent use of the divine names should be avoided--General observations
CHAPTER VIII.
HINTS FOR CONDUCTING AN INFANT SCHOOL.
Classification--Getting the children into order--Language--Lessons on objects--Rules to be observed by parents--Daily routine of instruction--Opening prayer and hymn--Object or developing lessons--Synopsis of a week's instruction--Cleanliness--Never frighten children--Guard against forgetfulness--Observe punctuality--Be strictly accurate in your expressions--Guard against the entrance of disease--Maxims for teachers--Resolutions
CHAPTER IX.
GALLERY TEACHING.--MORAL AND RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION.
Original intention of the gallery--What lessons are adapted for it--Its misapplication--Selection of teachers--Observations--Gallery lessons--on a feather--a spider--a piece of bog turf--a piece of coal--Observations on the preceding lessons--Scripture lessons in the gallery--The finding of Moses--Christ with the doctors--Moral training--Its neglect in most schools--Should be commenced in infancy--Beneficial effects of real moral culture--Ignorance of teachers--The gallery most useful in moral training--Specimen of a moral lesson--Illustrations of moral culture--Anecdotes--Simpson on moral education--Observations--Hints to teachers
CHAPTER X.
REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS.
Necessity of some punishment--Rewards to monitors--Trial by jury--Illustrative case--Necessity of firmness--Anecdotes--Playing the truant--Its evils--Means for prevention--Devices for punishment--Sympathy encouraged--Evil of expelling children--Case of Hartley--Difficulty of legislating for rewards and punishments--Badges of distinction not necessary
CHAPTER XI.
LANGUAGE.
Means for conveying instruction--Method of teaching the alphabet in connection with objects--Spelling--Reading--Developing lessons--Reading lessons in natural history--The arithmeticon--Brass letters--Their uses
CHAPTER XXI.
ARITHMETIC.
The arithmeticon--How applied--Numeration--Addition--Subtraction --Multiplication--Division--Fractions--Arithmetical tables--Arithmetical songs--Observations
CHAPTER XIII.
FORM, POSITION, AND SIZE.
Method of instruction--Geometrical song--Anecdotes--Size--Long measure--Observations
CHAPTER XIV.
GEOGRAPHY.
Its attraction for children--Sacred geography--Geographical song--Lessons on geography
CHAPTER XV.
PICTURES AND CONVERSATIONS.
Pictures--Religious instruction--Specimens of picture lessons on Scripture and natural history--Other means of religious instruction--Effects of religious instruction--Observations
CHAPTER XVI.
ON TEACHING BY OBJECTS.
Object boards--Utility of this method
CHAPTER XVII.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION.
Exercise--Various positions--Exercise blended with instruction Arithmetical and geometrical amusements
CHAPTER XVIII.
MUSIC.
Infant ditties--Songs on natural history--Moral lessons in verse--Influence of music in softening the feelings--Illustrative anecdote
CHAPTER XIX.
GRAMMAR.
Method of instruction--Grammatical rhymes
CHAPTER XX.
THE ELLIPTICAL PLAN.
Method Explained--Its success
CHAPTER XXI.
REMARKS ON SCHOOLS.
National schools--British and foreign societies--Sunday schools--Observations
CHAPTER XXII.
HINTS ON NURSERY EDUCATION.
Introduction to botany--First lessons in natural history--First truths of astronomy--Geographical instruction--Conclusion

THE INFANT SYSTEM.
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CHAPTER I.
RETROSPECT OF MY CAREER.
Days and scenes of childhood--Parental care--Power of early impressions--School experience--Commencement in business--Sunday-school teaching and its results--Experiment on a large scale--Development of plans and invention of implements--Heavy bereavement--Propagation of the system of education, in the neighborhood of London, and ultimately in most of the principal places in England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland--Misapprehension and perversion of the principles of infant education--Signs of advancement--Hope for the future.
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Be it a weakness, it deserves some praise, We love the play-place of our early days; The scene is touching."--Cowper
"What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?"--Ecclesiastes i. 3.
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How came you to think of the Infant School system of teaching?--is a question that I have often been asked; and my friends think it advisable that it should, in part at least, be answered. I proceed therefore, in compliance with their wishes, to give some little of the required information in this place, as perhaps it may throw light upon, or explain more clearly, the fundamental principles laid down and advocated throughout this volume. In few words, then, I would reply,--circumstances forced me to it. Born an only child, under peculiar circumstances, and living in an isolated neighbourhood, I had no childish companions from infancy; I was, consequently, thrown much on my own resources, and early became a thinker, and in some measure a contriver too. I beheld a beautiful world around me, full of everything to admire and to win attention. As soon as I could think at all, I saw that there must be a Maker, Governor, and Protector of this world. Such things as had life won my admiration, and thus I became very fond of animals. Flowers and fruits, stones and minerals, I also soon learned to observe and to mark their differences. This led to enquiries as to how they came--where from--who made them? My mother