Let the class be thoroughly impressed with the fact-a few repetitions will do it—that they are putting together letters to form signs of ideas; that if the idea, whose name is to be spelled, could in every case be presented to them the oral representative never would. Thus, to spell book, the object would be shown them, but its name not spoken; and so far from expecting the teacher to give the word with any especial distinctness, they ought to be satisfied if only enough of the word be given to call the idea to mind. Pupils should be allowed to spell once and only once; and they should be required to utter each individual letter with so great a degree of distinctness, that there can be no doubt as to what letter is meant; e and a, o and u, i and y, etc., are not so much alike that they need to be confounded. If any letter be given so as to sound like any other, it should be called wrong even if there is a moral certainty that the right letter was meant. Although distinct spelling generally depends upon a clear conception of the formation of the word to be spelled, yet the relation between distinct spelling and clear conception is so far mutual, that if a pupil be compelled to spell a word more distinctly, he will conceive its formation more clearly. Pupils should spell loud enough to be distinctly heard across the class-room. I say nothing about individual cases that may be exceptional; but when the major part of a class spell so low that they cannot be readily heard, they may be safely set down as poor spellers. They spell low because they lack confidence, and they lack confidence because they don't know how to spell. 'I have known great, strong girls, twelve years old, to spell so low that they could not be distinctly heard at the distance of six feet; and yet at recess, in the yard, they never yelled anything less than blue murder. If any teacher doubts this, let him give the same soft speller a number of easy words in succession, and he will see how increase of confidence brings increase of voice. Resident Editors' Department. TEXT BOOKS-adopted by the State Board of Education, for use in the public Schools of California, in accordance with the provisions of Section 50 of the revised School Law. Arithmetic Eaton's Primary, Eaton's Common School, Eaton's Higher, Eaton's Mental. Geography: Allen's Primary, Cornell's Primary, Warren's Intermediate, Warren's Physical, Guyot's Manual of Physical Geography, Cornell's Outline Maps, Cornell's Map Drawing, Guyot's Slate Map Drawing, Guyot's Wall Maps of Physical Geography. Grammar: Greene's Introduction (for beginners), Quackenbos' English Grammar. Readers: Willson's Series, entire, Willson's Primary Speller, Willson's School and Family Charts. Books recommended for use: Quackenbos' Natural Philosophy, Quackenbos' History of United States, Quackenbos' Primary History of United States, Quackenbos' English Composition, Hooker's Elementary Physiology, Hooker's Larger Physiology, Burgess' System of Drawing, Burgess' System of Penmanship. For use of teachers: Calkins' Object Lessons, Sheldon's Elementary Instruction, Sheldon's Lessons on Objects, Wells' Graded Schools, Willson's Manual of Instruction on Object Lessons, Russell's Normal Training, Page's Theory and Practice of Teaching, Emerson's School and Schoolmaster, Northend's Teacher, Russell's Vocal Culture, Guyot's Earth and Man, THE CALIFORNIA TEACHER. LELAND STANFORD, Governor, SAN FRANCISCO HIGH SCHOOL.-The Commencement Exercises of this institution were held in the old Unitarian Church, on the fourteenth of January. The house was crowded to its utmost capacity, and many were unable to gain admission. The Graduating Class consisted of fourteen young ladies and five young men. The exercises passed off to the entire satisfaction of everybody; the singing, under the direction of Mr. Elliott, was excellent; the essays of the young ladies were well read and well received; the declamations of the masters were substantial; and the teachers of the school may well feel an honorable pride in the class which has been four years under their instruction. Judge E. D. Sawyer presented the Diplomas, delivering an excellent address to the recipients; the State Superintendent made a brief talk to the class; the audience sang America, and then dispersed, leaving the graduating class to take a parting leave of teachers and receive the congratulations of friends. VERMONT.-We are indebted to the Secretary of the Vermont Board of Education, J. S. Adams, for a copy of the Seventh Annual Report of that State, for the year 1863. Like all his preceding reports, it is a very able one. Mr. Adams is vitalizing the school system of Vermont, and infusing his own energy into all departments. A Revised School Law--A Uniform State Series of Text Books-Teachers' Institutes-Full and Correct Returns from School Officers—and many other good things—are the results of his practical efforts. Mr. Adams, in a previous report, urged the importance of the study of the Geography and History of Vermont, in all the Public Schools. We are glad to learn from the report that the Legislature has passed an act requiring these two studies to be pursued, and authorizing the State Board to adopt text books. The Secretary urges, at length, the advantages of Graded Schools, and touches on the subject of a State Agricultural College and Normal School. We are indebted to Mr. Adams for many valuable thoughts, and take this occasion to extend to him the right hand of fellowship. We get a good many Vermont teachers out here, and they are generally "tall" ones. We have room for several more Vermont school-marms; send them along, Mr. Adams. We don't intend that California shall be far behind Vermont, in Public School matters, even if our female teachers do marry off in six months, notwithstanding a salary of fifty dollars per month and board. As California has adopted a State Series of Text Books, the following extract is of interest: The Authoritative List of Books.-The authorized list of books continues to give general, and as I think increased, satisfaction throughout the State. That portion of the act of 1858, by which provision was made for the selection of an authoritative list of school books, was at first regarded with a great deal of jealousy, and for many months met with much and oftentimes with virulent opposition. It was assailed as despotic in character and odious from its alleged tendency to the creation of a monopoly in the sale of school books, and its meddlesome interference with individual rights. But opposition to the law has been as short-lived as it was violent. The law has vindicated itself by its own operation, and while it is now almost universally approved, it has in a quiet way effected a great saving of money. I have not the least doubt but that the amount of money saved by the operation of this single clause of the law, is more than equal to the amount paid to town Superintendents, together with the expense of the Board of Education, Secretary, School Registers, and annual Report. The action of the Legislature at its last session, by which the time to which the operation of the law was originally limited, was extended three years with little or no discussion, evinces the general approval of the law within the State; and the educational officials of several of the other States have noticed the Vermont law and its successful administration, as eminently effective, simple and worthy of imitation or adoption. The riddance of the State of the swarm of book speculators, by which in common with all other States, it had been infested, was a leading object of the law, and has been most successfully accomplished. Book agents have almost entirely disappeared. and supported by the public. Total expenditures for school purposes, $1,231,000. Total number of school children between five and sixteen years of age, 403,000. Whole number attending schools, 343,000. In cities, the highest salary paid any teacher was $1,300 a year; the lowest, $200. STATE NORMAL SCHOOL.-The second term of the State Normal School closed on the twenty-second of December, 1863. An informal examination was conducted by the Principal, Mr. Holmes, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the City Superintendent of San Francisco. Remarks were made by B. W. Putnam, Esq., a veteran "regular" in public school service, out here on a furlough from "Athens;" ex-City Superintendent Denman, just home from a sight-seeing tour in Europe; J. C. Pelton, Principal of Rincon School, and Dr. Gibbons. The appearance of the school was highly creditable to both pupils and teachers. The third term of the school commenced on the sixth of January, under very favorable auspices. Sixty pupils were in attendance, and the prospect is good for an attendance of seventy-five. We are pleased to notice among the new members of the class a considerable number that have been engaged in teaching in the State, and as there are a few vacant seats, we trust that others of this class of students will immediately avail themselves of the advantages which the school affords for acquiring a working power, and a knowledge of the practical details of the teacher's profession. Miss Mary R. Harris, recently from Boston, has been employed as Female Assistant. We shall give in our next number the new Course of Study, and the Rules and Regulations of the school. superannuated or Worn-out Teachers.-The Legislature has appropriated $4,000 per annum in aid of superannuated and worn-out common school teachers. The allowance cannot exceed six dollars per annum for each year that the recipient has taught a common school in Upper Canada. Each recipient must pay four dollars for the current year, or five dollars for each past year, since 1854, into the fund; nor can any teacher share in the fund unless he pays annually at that rate to the fund, commencing with the time of his beginning to teach, or with 1854 (when the system was established), if he began to teach before that time. If a teacher has not paid his subscription annually, he must pay at the rate of five dollars per annum for past time, in order to be entitled to share in the fund when worn out. Table O gives the age, services, etc., of each pensioner, and the amount of the pittance which he receives. Two hundred and nine teachers have been admitted to receive aid from this fund; of whom thirty-eight have died before or during the year 1862. The average age of each pensioner in 1862, was sixty-six and a half years. In conclusion, the Chief Superintendent of Education says: The steady progress which the school system has made, irrespective of the occasional depression of agriculture, trade, and commerce, the wide dimensions to which it has attained, the various aids to the improvement and extension of its operations, the sensitiveness and jealousy with which the people at large view any possible infringement of its principles or integrity, and the liberality and zeal with which they have availed themselves of its facilities for the education of their children, encourage the hope, under the Divine blessing, for the future advancement and prosperity of Upper Canada. “WHAT WILL HE DO WITH IT?"—If any teacher has a dollar, and doesn't know, we advise him to subscribe for the Illinois Teacher, published at Peoria, and edited by our friend, S. A. Briggs, of Chicago. It is one of the very best of our exchanges, and has always given our little journal a cordial welcome. It is a live publication, fully up to the spirit of the times, and worthy of a State which ranks as one of the most liberal of the Union in her provision for public schools, and the most patriotic in supplying Volunteers for the army. We differ GOOD FOR SONOMA COUNTY.-The Teachers' Association of this county has purchased books, charts, maps, and apparatus, to the amount of one hundred dollars, as the foundation of a County Library. The town of Santa Rosa, moved by the influence of Mr. Ames, County Superintendent, has voted a tax of $4,000 for building a new school house. The tax-payers grumble a little, but will soon get used to it. There still remains another good thing for the people of Sonoma County to do—raise the salary of their present able County Superintendent to $1,200 a year, thus giving him the means of traveling through the county, and paying him some equivalent for his valuable services. THE VICE PRESIDENT.—An ever welcome correspondent sends us this "city item:" Scientific men have sought to discover the natural language of man by resorting to experiments upon infants: why may we not discover the natural polity of nations by questioning Young American sovereigns? I was led to think so by an incident which occurred a short time ago in the Fifth and Market streets school. A primary class was asked to name the President of the United States. They promptly answered, "Abraham Lincoln." They were then asked to name the Vice President; no one answered; but presently one of the smallest members of the class rose as if still engaged in deep thought, raised his head and answered, with all imaginable confidence and great emphasio " Mre Lincoln " Hereafter. I shall advocate the principle evolved by our young a salary of fifty dollars per month and board. As California has adopted a State Series of Text Books, the following extract is of interest: The Authoritative List of Books.-The authorized list of books continues to give general, and as I think increased, satisfaction throughout the State. That portion of the act of 1858, by which provision was made for the selection of an authoritative list of school books, was at first regarded with a great deal of jealousy, and for many months met with much and oftentimes with virulent opposition. It was assailed as despotic in character and odious from its alleged tendency to the creation of a monopoly in the sale of school books, and its meddlesome interference with individual rights. But opposition to the law has been as short-lived as it was violent. The law has vindicated itself by its own operation, and while it is now almost universally approved, it has in a quiet way effected a great saving of money. I have not the least doubt but that the amount of money saved by the operation of this single clause of the law, is more than equal to the amount paid to town Superintendents, together with the expense of the Board of Education, Secretary, School Registers, and annual Report. The action of the Legislature at its last session, by which the time to which the operation of the law was originally limited, was extended three years with little or no discussion, evinces the general approval of the law within the State; and the educational officials of several of the other States have noticed the Vermont law and its successful administration, as eminently effective, simple and worthy of imitation or adoption. The riddance of the State of the swarm of book speculators, by which in common with all other States, it had been infested, was a leading object of the law, and has been most successfully accomplished. Book agents have almost entirely disappeared. and supported by the public. Total expenditures for school purposes, $1,231,000. Total number of school children between five and sixteen years of age, 403,000. Whole number attending schools, 343,000. In cities, the highest salary paid any teacher was $1,300 a year; the lowest, $200. |