this case, these were the results of mere memoriter teaching; still the form of words was agreeably valuable, and to this, with the little instruction they had received, they managed to put, as our informant, an intelligent Christian, said, pretty accurate meaning. We do not see with S. J. the necessity of allowing in any case, the knowledge of the Catechism to be deferred till Confirmation. That the period of Confirmation may be, and is, suitable for its revision, and a wider and deeper course of instruction in connexion with it, we at once admit. It is important, however, that a Catechism should not be made parrot work, and we hope that our correspondent's letter on this subject will lead each of our readers to enquire whether he is doing this part of his work intelligently, and as befits the present advancing condition of elementary schools.1 Sm, I shall feel very much obliged if any of your numerous correspondents will furnish us with a simple plan for teaching the Church Catechism to Infants. W. E. P. [Our own opinion is, that the Church Catechism is quite out of place with Infants, The simplest Parables will better afford them the elements of Christian instruction. SIR,-May I trespass upon your patience for a few minutes, while I explain a system of arranging "Notes of Lessons," which, as they require the same care in preparation as their Sermons require of Clergymen, ought to stand to the teacher in the same stead, as the Notes of Sermons do to the Clergy. Any one will suppose how easily Notes may be lost, which have cost hours of careful study: and if arranged, and even bound, without exact order and method, may, if numerous, cause loss of time in the search. No classification equals, in my opinion, an alphabetical one; the various subjects being previously allotted. For Geographical Notes, I suggest the interlearing of some Pocket Gazette, that of Maunder for instance; for Scientific Notes, the same compiler's Treasury, also amply interleaved; for Etymological Notes, Smart's Walker's Dictionary; and for Biographical Notes, any alphabetical register of distinguished men. Cn these blank leaves the Notes can be conveniently copied, and once prepared, would form a nucleus of what I may, perhaps, designate, in more senses than one, "The Schoolmasters' Treasury." I am not vain enough to suppose this plan to possess any originality: it has probably suggested itself to many others, who may have carried out the idea more happily; in this case I shall be very glad to profit by their experience. Indeed, I am not without hope of seeing a leaf or two, in eyery educational periodical, devoted to "Notes of Lessons;" so arranged as to be capable of classification and binding, as a distinct book. 1 confess that something of this kind appears to me highly desirable. My apology for thus troubling you, must be my estimation of the importance of the subject, and my conviction that you have at heart whatever concerns the interests of Educators, or the improvement of education. J. B. R. [We are pleased to find that the subject of "Notes of Lessons" is one of growing interest with teachers, and though we take exceptions to a point or two in J. B. R's communication, we willingly insert it, believing that a free intercommunication of ideas on school topics, cannot but interest our subscribers. It seems to us that our correspondent assumes that a very extensive stock of 'Notes' is necessary to an elementary teacher. We doubt this, and have reason to think that this notion in most instances grows out of an incomplete idea of the actual position of elementary education in this country. Notes of lessons are required for two purposes-collective and class teaching. Few teachers can profitably give more than two collective lessons a day, and while the attendance in our schools is for so short a period as it now is, secular lessons should not generally run more than a threemonths course; a six-months course may be attempted only under very favourable circumstances. Such a course should be one with a definite arrangement, adapted to the particular object in view. Whatever the course may be, there should be a well-established relationship between its several parts, whilst unity should characterize it as a whole. The weak point in much of the present collective teaching is the want of this relationship, one lesson having little or no connexion with its predecessor, and thus instead of a child's instruction being made to centre round a few main points, it is made to induce a kind of mental vagrancy. In the Notes for Scripture Lessons, a wider range may be taken, for though the texts on which the lessons are based may be different, there is abundant opportunity for bringing_out distinctly from time to time the most prominent truths connected with the Faith and Duty of a Christian. When we come to Notes for Class Teaching, we can agree with our correspondent, and reccommend teachers to have their copies of the reading books used in the school, interleaved and carefully filled with notes.] We have received further communications on the subject of teaching the Rule of Three, which we however do not insert as the methods suggested are substantially the same as in Tate's Arithmetic, which either is, or ought to be, in the hands of every teacher, being one of the best books we have for teaching principles to young children. We have ourselves explained the principles of this rule in page 145 of the first volume, to which we refer our readers. Some remarks made by our correspondents lead us to fear that they do not quite comprehend the exact place of Mr. Tate's valuable work. Mr. T. has shown in the construction of his book, a thorough knowledge of the processes proper to sound and effiicient education; hence he gives principles stated with remarkable simplicity, and then a series of easily graduated examples for the application of those principles. The object of the book is now accomplished and teachers should take up, for the use of their advanced class, a work of much greater difficulty, such as the one by the Scotish School Book Association, or that by Colenso, in which he will find a fair collection of examples not specially fitted for the necessities of very young students, but containing such difficulties as present themselves in the business of life. We have reason to believe that many teachers have damaged their scholastic reputation by dwelling too long on special examples-those for instance in the Rule of Three, purposely for cancelling, and have prided themselves on the long sums of this kind their children could do out in a few seconds. But it so happens, that the Inspectors and Examiners of Schools have so little sympathy with cancelling that they mostly avoid such examples and then the children are in difficulties. We saw at an examination, a class of boys which had been thus drilled to do sums of any number of terms in the Rule of Three, and who yet were seventeen minutes, before one of them brought out the right result of an examples which should not have taken two, to the no small chagrin of the master. once M. A. B. applies to us for some questions such as are given to female Pupil-teachers. Will some of our subscribers be so good, as to send for publication, questions which may have been given by H. M. Inspectors, for the several years of the term of the apprenticeship: ANSWERS TO EXAMINATION PAPER ON SCHOOL (Continued from No. XIX.)* To secure earnestness you must pre- | ly furnished of putting their knowsent to the mind an object that is valuable, desirable, and attainable. Much of school work is unappreciated by both parents and children, as they cannot see its bearing on themselves and their interests. Let such a connection be established between school work and the interests of the family, and it becomes at once valuable and desirable. Hence the work of the school should be practical. The instruction should have relation to the things of every-day life. Opportunities should be frequent ledge to practical use. They should be thus made to feel that what they acquire is valuable; its connection with their own interests will make it desirable, and if put in a familiar, practical, experimental manner, they will see that it is attainable. Children should be made to do as much as possible, and every genuine effort should receive its meed of praise, so that they may feel conscious, although the result may be small, that the attempt will not go without its reward. This was accidentaliy omitted last month. (CONTINUED FROM NO. XX.) IV. METHOD-EDUCATION. QUESTION I. The chief, and perhaps the most powerful instrument in intellectual education in elementary schools, is well arranged systematic instruction in the ordinary school topics; but it is highly desirable, in addition, to attempt it by more direct efforts in Gallery Lessons. That such lessons may be efficient, it is essential to remember, that the mental faculties are gradual in their development, and follow a certain and well ascertained order, that the brain in the periods of infancy and childhood is highly susceptible of injury from a too early or forced culture; that some exercises of the mind are more difficult than others, and that the most difficult ones are the most likely to prove injurious to the brain; hence, if we would consult the interests of the children, we must carefully adapt our lessons to their age and state of mental develop ment. Without being able precisely to determine the time of the development of the faculties of perception, conception, judgment, and abstraction, it is desirable that the school-life of a child should be divided into four periods, in each of which a special culture of one of these faculties should be attempted; viz., 3 to 4, Perception; 5 to 7, Conception; 7 to 10, Judgment; 10 and upwards, Abstraction. The advantages of such a graduation must be obvious. One of the most striking is, that in a school embracing these ages, formed into four sections, and coming before the teacher at regular intervals for this direct culture, he has a simple principle by which, whether in his previous preparation or in his actual teaching, he has to proceed. QUESTION 2. Oral instruction is that which is addressed to groups of children, either in illustration of previously prepared lessons, or on subjects which do not form lessons. In the former case it is termed a part of their ordinary reading or other supplementary, in the latter, indepen dent. Its chief object is the culture and right direction of the mental powers. In the early periods of school life it must necessarily be independent, and should be based on objects which may be presented to the children, or which admit of an easily apprehended description. In the later periods, instruction should be chiefly supplementary, as this throws the burden of preparation upon the children, thereby insuring a better reception, and more permanent results. QUESTION 3. Simultaneous teaching has been thus defined, "The teacher instructs and directs a certain number of children together; he addresses to all the same language, the same demonstrations; all execute at once the same things, and in union. He has his eye on all, and all observe and hear him." Where such instruction is addressed to a whole school, or to large groups of children differing in age, capacity, and progress, it is either not suitable in character, or it is not received; in either case, there is a waste of time and power, with a fastening of habits of inattention and listlessness, which cannot but have a very injurious influence on the progress and character of the school. Teaching is collective, when every child to whom suitable instruction is addressed, receives all that is presented. Whenever in the recapitulation of a lesson it is discovered, that some have not received all that has been offered, the teaching has not been collective. In collective teaching the simultaneous method is preserved as far as addressing groups of children is concerned, but these groups must be as nearly as possible of equal ages, capacity, and progress. The province of Interrogation is to discover the state of knowledge on any subject amongst a group of children, to excite enquiry, and to stimulate a healthy curiosity, to convey knowledge, and to ascertain if that which has been conveyed has been received. The best mode of employing it must depend on the object in view; if it be in the communication of new matter, then it should be addressed to all, while those who can answer should indicate their ability to do so by putting out their hands. In examination it should be addressed to every child. Ellipses should be formed when comparing answers that have been offered, in examining facts, in ascertaining what is known, and in the recapitulation of what has been given. This method should never be employed during the Inductive or Training processes, as, while it never exacts any vigorous mental efforts, it encourages a habit of guessing. As a means of intellectual culture, it is the weakest of all weak methods, but as an instrument of discipline and attention in its proper sphere, its employment is not to be despised. Simultaneous answering is not essential to collective teaching, and in fact is, unless carefully employed, utterly destructive of it. "The first words of the answer of the quickest often sug gests the whole;it is caught with rapidity by the rest, and passes as theirs." Still if employed under the same regulations as Ellipses, it may be made subservient to purposes of discipline. In individual answering the most important point is to secure completǝ sentences. QUESTION 4. Analysis is the method of resolution or decomposition, by which ideas, sentences, arguments, or subjects, are This separated into their elements. process is necessary for the communication of knowledge in a simple and effective form, and is the opposite of synthesis." Synthesis is the putting together of the different parts of a subject after they have been made matters of exposition. It is a constructive process leading the child by the simplest steps from the known to the unknown or from the simple to the complex. Induction is the investigation of facts for the purpose of drawing a conclusion. Exposition is the putting forth of a matter so clearly as to ensure its reception. "Its province is to put knowledge into the head." While it employs all other methods, it includes as belonging to its special province, graphic description, explanation of difficulties by the mind of a child one's own concepvivid illustration, and the picturing to tions. G. N.B.-It has not been deemed necessary to answer this series of questions more fully, as articles on the different topics, in which they have been fully discussed, have already appeared in our pages. No. 22. PAPERS FOR THE SCHOOLMASTER. DECEMBER 1, 1852. Lotes of a Certure on Teaching tu Read. Lo. H. In the last lecture we considered that part of the subject which related to the lower section; we propose now to enter on that of the middle section. The great object in this section is to secure correct reading, with an intelligent apprehension of the meaning of the text. Reading is correct "when it conveys to the hearers through the medium of the ear, what is conveyed to the readers by the eye." In order to secure this, the closest attention must be paid to pronounciation, that it may be slow, full, and clear. Perhaps there is no better way of accomplishing this, than by letting each child, for a time, pronounce but one word; that is, let the entire lesson be read by "word about," giving to each sufficient time for slow and distinct articulation. When a difficult word presents itself, enunciate it yourself syllabically; let it be done once or twice by the whole class simultaneously in an under tone, and then by each child in rotation. The whole lesson having been read by "word about" some two or three times, according to its difficulty, the class will be prepared to attempt it by sentences. The reading should now proceed not by rotation, but with those only on whom you call; by making the call irregular and by a careful practice of mutual correction, you will be able to keep alive the attention of the whole class, and render your teaching thoroughly collective. In this section a more extensive analysi |