PART II.

OF THE PRACTICES OF THE ASYLUM.

CHAP. I.

INTRODUCTION.

In the former part of this Essay, I have stated the system of the Male Asylum, and the plan on which it is conducted; and I have endeavoured to unite theory to practice, by elucidating the principles on which this system rests. It is the mode of tuition by the scholars themselves, which constitutes the system: and this plan of conducting the school is essentially requisite to the success of the Institution. Whenever this

scheme is followed, there is the Madras system, and whenever a School is conducted independently of the agency of the Scholars, there another system is followed. But beside this system, there were isolated practices, which were also contrived at the Asylum, to facilitate and expedite labour in the art of teaching in its different elementary steps. Such are the practices of alphabetical writing on sand, reading by syllables, spelling without tedious and useless

repetitions, &c. But these form no part of the. above system, and do not arrange themselves under the general law of tuition, which has been explained. These detached, subsidiary, and auxiliary practices, may go along with any other system, and be introduced into any school, conducted in the common, or any other mode.

They differ from the system, as art does from science. The system, consisting of a series of consecutive rules, linked together in the closest union, and depending on a common principle, assimilates itself to a science, however humble that science may be. The practices, which follow, on the other hand, can only be regarded as a collection of independent facts in the art of tuition, intended to abridge labour, and facilitate progress, by certain alphabetical, syllabic, and other initiatory processes in reading, spelling, and writing.

CHAP. II.

OF ALPHABETIC AND MONOSYLLABIC WRITING

OF THE PRINTED CHARACTERS AND DIGITS ON SAND.

IT will not be deemed a wide departure from my subject, if I preface this chapter with a recommendation to Parents, who would wish to prevent their children from acquiring a vitiated pronunciation, and to enable them, soon and readily, to

speak distinctly, that they begin at an early period, to teach them the elementary sounds. This is an ancient practice, which may be revived with advantage at table, at play, &c. Begin with the letter A, repeating the lesson at intervals, till the child pronounces it distinctly and readily; and so with the other vowels, or perfect sounds, E, I, O, U; then the consonants, or imperfect sounds. It is obvious what a help this must be to the child, to articulate distinctly and speak early. And the names and sounds of the letters being thus learnt beforehand, he will afterwards have only to learn the forms or characters corresponding to these. Those Parents, who wish their children to learn French, or any other language, may also instruct them in the elementary sounds peculiar to that language, at an early age, when the organs of speech are pliant, and readily formed to any mould.

In writing on sand, a tray or board (thirty-six inches by ten), with a ledge (of an inch deep) on every side, may be prepared for a School. A little dry sand is put into it, so that with a shake it will become level, and spread itself thinly over the bottom. The Teacher, who is sometimes the boy who at learned the alphabet himself, often an expert boy selected for the purpose, traces in the sand with his forefinger the letter A, of which there is a prototype before him. The Scholar retraces the impression again and again, the Teacher guiding his finger at first, if necessary; the sand is then smoothed with

a shake. Next the Scholar, looking at the letter before him, tries to copy it, and is assisted as before, and directed till he can do it with facility and precision. The prototype is then withdrawn, and the scholar must now copy it from memory. This first and very difficult task achieved, a pause or interval of rest or play is allowed, and as often as is requisite, to unbend the stretched bow, and to ensure uniform and uninterrupted attention while at work. These interludes become every day less and less necessary, as a habit of greater and greater application is superinduced.

In like manner the second letter, B, is taught. When he returns to A, and makes A and B till he can form both with readiness and exactness. Thus ends the first lesson, which, at an average of capacity and age, may require an hour or two hours. But I must warn those, who have not teachers that have been taught in this way, much more if they have not the same rigid discipline, for commanding the exertion of the Teacher and the attention of the Scholar, from expecting this result. The same observation the reader must apply throughout. It is in a School as in an army, discipline is the first, second, and third essential.

This done, the two next letters are taught in the same manner, which does not require the same length of time, as the great difficulty of forming an image of a letter in the mind's eye,

son.

and copying it, was conquered, in the first lesAnd thus the capital letters are taught two by two, till the alphabet is gone through in this manner, when the Scholar returns to his first letters, which by this time have escaped his memory, but are easily revived, and goes over his alphabet anew, at four letters to a lesson, and again at eight; and afterwards at sixteen; last of all, the whole, till he is perfectly master of his capital letters.

The same process is followed in regard to the small letters; particular attention is shewn to the letters b, d, p, and q, which the pupil is taught to distinguish, by telling him that each is formed of an o, and a straight line; that the o in b and p is on the right, and d and q on the left, hand, or by such like device, which will readily occur to the earnest teacher. In like manner the double letters, monosyllables of two letters, the digits, and numbers are taught by writing them on

sand..

The superiority, which writing on sand possesses over every other mode, as an initiatory process, consists in its being performed with the simplest and most manageable instrument, the (fore) finger (of the right hand) which the child can guide more readily than he can a piece of chalk, a pencil, or pen. The simplicity of this process, and its fitness for children of four years, at which age they were admitted into the Asylum, entitle it to the notice of all Schools in a similar