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cating them to the children is quite sim- 
ple. Ali the objects of instruction being 
arranged in such a manner as to leave no 
doubt with respect to their truth, they do 
not require any explanation on the part 
of the preceptor: nothing more being ne- 
cessary, but to shew to the child that 
which is to be taught, acquainting him at 
the same time with the name of the thing 
which he-has observed. It is thus Pesta- 
lozzi procceds.—The master names the 
thing when pointing it out tothe pupils,who 
express what they see by the same word 
that has been used by the master; and 
in general they recite their lessons all to- 
gether, and in cadence. At the end of 
each paragraph, the master puts some 
questions relative to the objects which 
have just been treated of, that he may 
learn from the answers of the pupils, 
whether they have sufficiently imprinted 
it on their memory, or whether it will be 
necessary to repeat the lesson. 
Though the above account gives but a 
faint idea of what is done ina schoel 
where every thing is calculated for oral 
demonstration, this sketch may never- 
theless suffice to shew to those even who 
are least versed in the drt of teaching, 
that the spirit of Pestalozzi’s method is 
very different from the commen rontine. 
The following are the different points 
which seem to characterise his discovery: ' 
1. The elements of instruction are fixed 
by M. Pestuloszi with greater precision 
than they were before. The elementary 
instruction of children generally com- 
mences with reading, writing, and cipher- 
ing: but no one mguires why it should 
beso. Pestalozzi at last proposed this 
question, and has endeavonred to solve it 
himself. In searching for the way which 
nature herself indicates for the develop- 
ment of the mental powers, he has found 
the basis of ail our knowledge in lan- 
guage, numbers, and form, whence ‘e- 
sult the abovementioned three branches 
of elementary instruction; and if he 
has not been able to exhaust the en- 
guiry, ke has at least the merit of having 
first pointed out the road, and made con- 
siderable progress. 
2. Every one will admit that in mak- 
ing these three elements the basis, and 
putting off the art of reading tou a more 
mature age, he has preserved an intimate 
connection between the different branches of 
elementary instruction and, by these means, 
«@ conforinity hitherto unknown in the 
progression of the whole art of imstruc- 
tion. 
The arts of reading, writing, calculat- 
ing, aud design, had not before any rela- 
On M. Pestaiozzt’s new Method of Instruction. 
tion: but in the new method all the 
branches of elementary instruction are 
conjoined with each other by a natural 
progression. 
S. To imprint these elements on the 
minds of the children, he uses the com- 
mon mode of intuition, but in an improved 
manner ; tor instead of a simple passive 
impression which objects make spontane- 
ously on the senses (in which the essence 
of intuition had Intherto been placed), 
he has made the culture of the mind an 
indispensable condition of it; and, as 
for the gradation from what is known to 
what is not known, which has always 
been observed in exposing the objects 
to the eyes of children, he has adopted 
it im the strictest manner, not regulating 
it with respect to the objects, but the 
progressive capacity of the clildren. 
4, It is generally a distinct character 
of his method to observe a strict grada- 
tion throughout, so that each part, and 
in particular each fundamental part, be 
indelibly imprinted on the mind before 
any other be added ; and with this view 
he has combined all the pomts of his 
system with such order and precision, 
that the child, in“increasing his know- 
ledge, is only continually adding small 
supplements to the notions he had al- 
ready acquired. 
5. Another characteristic trait is, that, 
according to his method, knowledge is 
not communicated to the children by rea- 
soning with them, but sy furnishing them 
with the words which they must use in dc- 
quiring a knowledge of things. This cir- 
cumstance gives to his method a mecha- 
nical air: but if the spirit of this instruc- 
tion be duly attended to, it will soon be 
seen, that the teacher, who seems to be 
loading the memory with words, is only 
furnishing the terms most proper to ex- 
press the sensations which the child him- 
self experiences. 
6. This method is not less remarkable 
by being founded altogether upon practice. 
The common mode of teaching is by 
means of certain rules which are given to 
the children, to be by them applied to the 
objects of instruction. Here the teacher 
only gives them exercises; but in per- 
forming these exercises, they are made to 
practise. the rules without having them 
formally pointed out to them; and it is 
not till after the children have acquired 
the necessary expertness in any art, that 
they are led to draw thence the rules of 
it. Virtue itself, according to this sys- 
tem, must have becoine a faculty before 
the actions be regulated by maxims. 
7. Lastly, by facilitating the ena 
oO 
(July 1, ~ 
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