SYNOPSIS OF A WEEK'S LESSONS FOR THE ELDER

CLASSES.

The object of the following arrangement is to secure, first, the recurrence of each subject at certain intervals; and secondly, to indicate the manner in which its several parts should be taken up in. successive lessons, so as to avoid a desultory and confused method of teaching on the one hand, or the neglect of any material point on the other.

MONDAY.

MORNING LESSON.-Arithmetic, Enumeration of real objects, the Ball-frame, Notation with black board. READING.*-Preliminary questions on the subject of the lesson, with explanations. Teacher then reads a portion of the lesson, with remarks upon punctuation, and tone of voice. Children read, classify words in first sentences. Spelling.

MID-DAY LESSON.-Geography. Map of the World, first outlines— cardinal points-circles-climates-division of time and seasons. AFTERNOON LESSON.-Developing lesson-form, lines, and plane figures, with illustrations from objects. Teacher draws on black board simple outlines, children analyze them. Song, "Geometrical lines."

TUESDAY.

MORNING LESSON.-Singing Exercises on tone and time, concluding with a song.

READING.-Children read, questions on the meanings of words, substitution of words, parts of speech, spelling.

MID-DAY LESSON.-Arithmetic, addition, and subtraction, with ball frame and black board.

AFTERNOON LESSON.-Geography, divisions of land, continents, islands, peninsulas, countries. Song, "The solid earth."

WEDNESDAY.

MORNING LESSON.-Developing lesson, colour, texture of surfaces, structure, (as laminar, fibrous, &c.)

READING. Children read, teacher then reads with ellipses, requiring the children to complete the sense. Questions on the time of verbs, number and gender of nouns, and comparison of adjectives. Spelling.

* The reading classes come up twice, first to read, and then they return to their seats to look over the lesson again for questions and spelling; otherwise, the lesson would be too fatiguing. When the subject of the lesson is sacred history, it should not be made the basis of any grammatical teaching.

MID-DAY LESSON.-Singing. Teacher sings the melody to be learned twice or oftener to the children, explains the style and time, then the children sing it with the teacher. AFTERNOON LESSON.-Picture lessons. The monitors should have been well trained previously. The classes must move exactly at the appointed time, and the teacher go from class to class, assisting and directing so as to keep up the spirit of the lesson.

THURSDAY.

MORNING LESSON.-Geography. Divisions of water, oceans, seas, gulfs, lakes, rivers, with explanations of each term. READING.-Teacher reads slowly, purposely making errors in punctuation, &c. requiring the children to look on their books and correct them. Children read; classification of words.

Spelling.

MID-DAY LESSON.-Developing lesson. Weight, with illustrations of mechanical powers.

AFTERNOON LESSON.-Arithmetic. Multiplication and Division with ball-frame and black board.

FRIDAY.

MORNING LESSON.-Singing. Children sing; teacher listens, corrects, and instructs; gives explanations of the words of the song. READING. Children read, and ask the teacher questions on the subject, and meanings of words. Spelling.

MID-DAY LESSON.-Arithmetic. Mental arithmetic and illustrations of fractional parts by drawing on the black board.

AFTERNOON LESSON.-Natural history of animals and plants, with pictures.

SATURDAY.

MORNING LESSON-Geography.

Capital cities, national character

istics and exports. SECOND LESSON.-Singing. Recapitulation of songs of the week.

The foregoing is only given as a specimen, as each teacher should arrange his own work in accordance with the circumstances of his particular school. It will be seen that no place is given above for religious instruction, as that must entirely depend upon local arrangements; but, as a general principle, the commencement or close of the day should be selected for this important exercise.

Moral lessons will intermingle themselves with all others, and must be taken up as they arise; it is, however, a good practice to defer any important investigation to the beginning of the afternoon gallery lesson.

F

GENERAL REMARKS ON THE DAILY ROUTINE.

The doors should be opened strictly at nine o'clock, and one of the teachers, at least, should be in attendance. The baskets to receive the children's clothes and bread should be placed at each class-post. Where a monitor's class is taught, it should be at this hour.

The bell ought to be rung at five minutes to ten, and the children formed in line in the playground, and marched to the galleries. The first lesson of the day should be quietly conducted; the attention of the children is fresh and no excitement is required to make them learn. At half past ten the lesson should cease, the class rolls be called, and the elder children leave the gallery and proceed to their classes to read, (the monitors having previously put away the baskets containing caps, bags, &c. :) books are then distributed to those who have none. The reading should be conducted with as little noise as possible, and should never continue beyond an hour with the elder classes; the younger ones should be dismissed to the playground at least fifteen minutes sooner.

The first four classes who read from books are generally seated round the room, and come up to their respective lesson-posts to read, in successive sections of nine; while those who read from tablets are seated in the gallery, and are taught collectively. In this plan monitors must be employed.

Where the attendance is moderate and there is a separate class-room, another plan is to arrange those pupils who read from tablets, in the class-room gallery, under the charge of an assistant or paid monitress; while those who read from books are placed in the school-room gallery. The teacher of this latter division selects in rotation those who are to read, and then addresses questions to the whole.

Another occasional plan, where there are many who

learn from books, is for the teacher to hear the first or most advanced class read, while the others study their lesson; and (supposing there are four classes) when the first class have read, they are made to seat themselves alternately with the children of the third, thus,-1st, 3rd, 1st, 3rd, 1st, 3rd; and each 1st class pupil hears one of the 3rd class read. The teacher in the mean time hears the second class; and when they have read, arranges them in a similar manner with the fourth, thus,-2nd, 4th, 2nd, 4th. The first class are then dismissed to play, and the third class, which they were teaching, come up to the teacher, who questions them on the lesson they have read; they are then in turn dismissed together with the second class, and the teacher takes the fourth class up for examination. We have found this an excellent mode of carrying out the principle of mutual instruction, as it exacts but a small amount of labour from each, and avoids the worst defects of monitorial teaching.

While in the playground, the children should be carefully watched by at least one teacher.

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The writing must be conducted with care; otherwise it will do more harm than good; great watchfulness is required to prevent bad habits in holding the pencil, &c. At the commencement of the lesson the signals are:take your seats-take pencils-sit upright-left hand on the desk-write. At the close of the lesson::-pencils down-hands up-turn slates-take pencils-co mence drawing. At the close of the drawing lesson :— pencils down-hands up-hands behind-stand upstep from the desks-march to the gallery. The midday gallery lesson is important; the children are generally in good working order, the writing and drawing having allowed a comparative rest to the mind, and almost any subject will be attended to. During lunch time, the teacher must see to the proper distribution of the bags by the monitors, and that each child has a drink of water, and also that a quiet, orderly behaviour