X.—WRITING           Perfect Accomplishment.—I can only offer a few hints on the teaching of writing, though much might be said. First, let the child accomplish something perfectly in every lesson—a stroke, a pothook, a letter. Let the writing lesson be short; it should not last more than five or ten minutes. Ease in p.234 writing comes by practice; but that must be secured later. In … Continue reading Home Education Volume 1 Pt 5. Ch 10

IX.—THE ART OF NARRATING           Children Narrate by Nature.—Narrating is an art, like poetry-making or painting, because it is there, in every child’s mind, waiting to be discovered, and is not the result of any process of disciplinary education. A creative fiat calls it forth. ‘Let him narrate’; and the child narrates, fluently, copiously, in ordered sequence, with fit and graphic details, with a just … Continue reading Home Education Volume 1 Pt 5. Ch 9

VIII.—READING FOR OLDER CHILDREN           In teaching to read, as in other matters, c’est le premier pas qui coûte. The child who has been taught to read with care and deliberation until he has mastered the words of a limited vocabulary, usually does the rest for himself. The attention of his teachers should be fixed on two points—that he acquires the habit of reading, and … Continue reading Home Education Volume 1 Pt 5. Ch 8

VII.—RECITATION ‘The Children’s Art’           On this subject I cannot do better that refer the reader to Mr Arthur Burwell’s Recitation.[1] This book purports to be a handbook for many teachers in elementary schools. I wish that it may be very largely used by such teachers, and may also become a family handbook; though many of the lessons will not be called for in educated … Continue reading Home Education Volume 1Pt 5. Ch 7

VI.—READING BY SIGHT AND BY SOUND           Learning to read is Hard Work.—Probably that vague whole which we call ‘Education’ offers no more difficult and repellent task than that to which every little child is (or ought to be) set down—the task of learning to read. We realise the labour of it when some grown man makes a heroic effort to remedy shameful ignorance, but … Continue reading Home Education Volume 1 Pt 5. Ch 6

V. THE FIRST READING LESSON[1] (Two Mothers Confer)           “You don’t mean to say you would go plump into words of three or four syllables before a child knows his letters?”           “It is possible to read words without knowing the alphabet, as you may know a face without singling out its features; but we learn not only the names but the … Continue reading Home Education Volume 1 Pt 5. Ch 5

IV.—READING           Time of Teaching to Read, an Open Question.—Reading presents itself first amongst the lessons to be used as instruments of education, although it is open to discussion whether the child should acquire the art unconsciously, from his infancy upwards, or whether the effort should be deferred until he is, say, six or seven, and then made with vigour. In a valuable letter, addressed … Continue reading Home Education Volume 1 Pt 5. Ch 4

III.—FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF THE KINDERGARTEN           The Childhood of Tolstoi.—There is possibly no known field of research in which so little available work has been done as in that covered by the word ‘children.’ The ‘fair lande’ lies under our very eyes, but whoso would map it out must write ‘Unexplored’ across vast tracts. Thoughtful persons begin to suspect that the mistakes we make through … Continue reading Home Education Volume 1 Pt 5. Ch 3

II.—THE KINDERGARTEN AS A PLACE OF EDUCATION           The Mother the best Kindergärtnerin.—It is hardly necessary, here, to discuss the merits of the Kindergarten School. The success of such a school demands rare qualities in the teacher—high culture, some knowledge of psychology and of the art of education; intense sympathy with the children, much tact, much common sense, much common information, much ‘joyousness of nature,’ … Continue reading Home Education Volume 1 Pt 5. Ch 2

CHAPTER II   THESE happy days had lasted for a month or more, when, one bright day in February, I remember it well, a little cloud arose. This is how it was: Dorothy had promised Elsie that she would drive her in the pony-carriage to Banford to choose a doll for May’s birthday. Now, it happened that I wanted the little carriage to take my … Continue reading Formation of Character Volume 5 Pt 1. Chapter 4 , ch II