2. Divide 12 by 2. 121 twelve times, and 122 instead of one 1⁄2 as nany times. 1⁄2 of 12-6, hencé 12÷2=6.

3. If one book cost 50 cents, how many books can be bought for $2.50. $225-2 dollars, 5-21⁄2 5 half times, and 5-21⁄2 instead of 1, two times 5 half times or ten half times, or 5 times, hence $2.50 will buy 5 books.

But we prefer this analysis. The number of books is to be increased or decreased hence reason to i book.

8

7

3

4

6

7

I I 16

Since 50 cents will buy one book, half dollars will buy 5 5 times as many books or 5 books. The number to be increased or de

Two thirds equal 1, 2/3 of one time, and 23 will equal 1⁄2 instead of two times as many times because 1⁄2 is only 1⁄2 as great as one. The result is 4-3 or 113.

The number to be increased or decreased is %. %=1, %of one time. %4 instead of 1, four times as many times, and it will equal 34 instead of 4, only 3 as many times, the result is I I-16.

Notice that having concluded "four times" we place 4 on right of line, and having concluded "3 as many times." We place 3 on left of line which placing according to our custom of figuring gives the results required. It is to be hoped our teachers will meditate over the process of reasoning here given.

On the opening of the Johns Hopkins Medical School to Women. Century.

Colored Churches and Schools in the South. L. B. C. Wyouman. N. E. Mag.

Is there a science of Education? Josiah Royce. Educational Review (January).

The Limits of State Control in Education. A. S. Droher. Educational Review, (January).

Medical Supervision of the Schools in Paris. Translated from Freie Paedag Blateter, by L. R. Klemm. Southwestern Journal of Education.

Formative Influences. B. L. Gildersleeve.
The next Step in Education. C. K. Adams.

Forum.

Forum.

The Physical Basis of Mind. Henry Mandsley. Forum.

BOOKS FOR FEBRUARY.

School Hygiene. A. Newsholme, M. D., D. C. Heath & Co.

Rudimentary Psychology. G. M. Steele, Leach, Shewell and Sanborn.

SYLLABUS ON THE TOPIC OF ATTENTION.

[In addition to the text of Rosenkranz. sec. 82-84, reference is made below to the psychology of attention, by Th. Ribot; trans. (Humboldt Pub. Co., N. Y., phamphlet ed); Prof. W. James' valuable new work on psychology; communications on half-time Teaching, collected for edn. commission, in Parl. Reports, London, 1862, XLIII.—G. B. N.]

(1) Nature of attention. Rosenkranz, sec, 82, first paragraph, "Relatively, the observer allows, for a moment, his relations to all other surroundings to cease," Again, in note, p, 70, attention operates by selection and neglect. Using Ribot's phrase, attention is a relative mono-ideaism, contrasted with the poly-ideaism characteristic of the undisciplined mind. Wandering thoughts, scattered ideas, are customary where the habit and power of focalizing consciousness has not been studiously developed developed ("The ordinary state an irradiation in various directions." etc). With Compayre, attention consists in dominating the sensations, overcoming the natural mobility of the child's consciousness.

(2) Training Attention. Rosenkranz in sec. 83, justly insists that education should accustom the pupil "to an exact, rapid and many sided attention." Note, however, that the capacity itself of voluntary attention is a product of culture; the attention available at first is the reflex or involuntary form. See Sully, on the growth of voluntary out of involuntary attention, pp, 80, 81, and 95, 96. The training in at tention requires at first frequent and variǝd appeals to the active sense-interests. Then (Ribot) "we substititute an tificial end for the natural attractiveness, until the power of holding the attention becomes a second nature."

ar

(3) The Process of Voluntary Attention or Control of Attention. Attention cannot be literally held to one idea. After all, it is only a relative mono-ideaism, the dominance of a master-idea, which guides or controls our thoughts. The will can fix the attention for an instant, but cannot hold it unless interest be awakened and sustained. The idea, to "capture the personality," must be appercewed-by orderly connection with the rest of our experience. Apperceptive attention is due to association of the idea presented with our previous acquisitions, our general knowledge. The importance of such connection is brought out at length by Rosenkranz, eg, pp. 74-76. See James Psy. 1, p. 408, for striking illustrations of apperceptive attention, from Herbart. Attention, is, in reality, not a dull stare at an idea, but an active canvass of its connections. Sully says, p. 99, "Strictly speaking, what is often called attending to one thing, is the following of a series of connected impressions or ideas, and involves a continual renewal and deepening of interest." The peda gogic bearings of this are obvious.

(4) Hence, note the strain on nervous organism involved in protracted voluntary attention. "Concentrated voluntary attention implies a large amount of work being done in the

cerebral hemispheres." Ladd's Physiol. Psychol., p. 543. The limits of profitable attention must be carefully considered by the educator in arrangement of hours and lessons. Much interesting testimony given by English schoolmasters as to the limits of profitable attention to one subject, the number of hours usefully employed in hard study, etc., is contained in the English report above mentioned. Long hours at school, it was held, should be broken by such admixture of branches not requiring brain work as may relieve the strain of attention. Undue strain was permanently hurtful to the capacity or attention. The advocates of "manual training" in its various branches, recommend it from this point of view. See several articles in N. Y. Teacher, Vol. 1. (5) Queries for consideration: Limits of capacity for continuous attention at different ages; expedients for securing or reviving attention; treatment of different temperaments.

A GERMAN GEOGRAPHY LESSON.

BY H. H. BOYESEN.

The Germans are disposed to over-educate their children. They pay too little attention to the development of the body, and too much to that of the mind. Making due allowance for this tendency, I find much that is admirable in instruction of the primary and secondary German schools, especially in the best schools in Berlin. I one day obtained a permit to be present at the lesson in geography in the lowest class, the Sexta. The pupils were all boys about eight or nine years old. This was the second or third lesson of the school year, and accordingly very elementary. a man, called up a small boy and asked him pleasantly where he lived. The boy replied that he lived in Ritter Strasse. "Where in Ritter Strasse ?" asked the teacher.

"Number 171."

The teacher

"Mark on the blackboard the place where your house is. Right. Now, when you started for school this morning, in what direction did you walk?

The little boy looked for a moment perplexed, and the teacher said: "Did you walk north, south, east, or west? "I don't know."

ence.

delineate his course; and then another boy was taken. There was a constant appeal to the child's intelligence and experiThe first boy had been made to draw a correct map of the road he took to school. The second boy, who lived in a digerent part of the city, was made to do the same, fitting his lines and distances correctly to those of the first. A third, fourth and fifth pupil were called up and required to do the same, and in the end the blackboard exhibited a rough but fairly correct map of a considerable part of the city of Berlin. Christian Union.

Some cookies, an apple or two,

A knife and pencil and bunch of strings,
Some nails and may be a screw,

And marbles, of course, and a top and a ball,
And shells and pebbles and such,

And some odds and ends—yes, honest, that's all!
You can see for yourself 't is n't much.

THE GRUMBLER.

First Pupil-His Youth.

His cap was too thick, and his coat was too thin;
He couldn't be quiet: he hated a din;
He hated to write, and he hated to read;
He was certainly very much injured indeed.
He must study and toil over work he detested;
His parents were strict, and he never was rested;
He knew he was wretched as wretched could be,
There was no one so wretchedly wretched as he.

Second Pupil-His Manhood.

His farm was too small, his taxes too big;
He was selfish and lazy, and cross as a pig;
His wife was too silly, his children too rude,
And just because he was uncommonly good!
He hadn't got money enough and to spare;
He had nothing at all fit to eat or to wear;
He knew he was wretched as wretched could be,
There was no one so wretchedly wretched as ǹe.

SPELLING.

BY FRANK A. FITZPATRICK.

The teaching of spelling is, as a rule, irksome to both teachers and pupils. And in city school systems spelling is almost one of the lost arts. In the rural schools pupils, as a rule, average much higher than they do in the apparently more favored schools in the towns. There are many reasons for this; suffice it to mention two of them : 1. The rural schools, have not beauda, 5 han donȧrs will buy 5 times as many books or 5 books. The number to be increased or de

5 books. Divide 2/3 by 2.

4. creased is 23.

On the opening of the Johns Hopkins Medical School to Women. Century.

Colored Churches and Schools in the South. L. B. C. Wyouman. N. E. Mag.

Is there a science of Education? Josiah Royce. Educational Review (January).

The Limits of State Control in Education. A. S. Droher. Educational Review, (January).

Medical Supervision of the Schools in Paris. Translated from Freie Paedag Blateter, by L. R. Klemm. Southwestern Journal of Education.

Formative Influences. B. L. Gildersleeve.
The next Step in Education. C. K. Adams.

Forum.

Forum.

Don't

as on words strange to them or imperfectly known. let the time of the spelling lessons be taken up by language work, except in an illustrative way. Have your pupils spell orally in the ratio of four to one as comparsd with the written spelling.

The legitimate province of written work in spelling is in the preparation of the lesson, not in the recitation itself. Dicta tion exercises have a great deal of value, especially so if the teacher will dictate the sentence but once, and use appropriate sentences. Oral spelling enables the teacher to cover a great deal of ground, and failures present a definite side at the time they can be corrected. All misspelled words in the class should be spelled correctly by the pupil who failed, before the class is dismissed from the recitation. The teacher should keep a list of the misspelled words to bring in from time to time for review; if she is a strong teacher she will use this list of words to very great advantage.

It is very essential that pupils be taught at an early age that various words are built up from the simple elemental word. The word "peace" ought to suggest peaceful, peaceable, etc. How few children are ever shown that the word "nonA little sense" is a compound from two simple elements. drill here will go far to tighten the pupil's grasp upon the language, and also lessen his labor in acquiring a mastery over vocabulary. Except in the highest grade it is not advisable to lay much stress on definitions, but all through the grades pupils should be required to give a synonym for the common words in ordinary use.

There are many simple devices which may be used to break the monotony of a spelling recitation, and still not interfere with the central idea. A good plan for occasional use is to have pupils spell any word in the lesson that they remember without the action of the teacher. Another variation is to give out the words in rotation to the class, and when a word is misspelled pay no attention to it, but give out the next word to the next pupil, having it understood that in such cases the pupil is to spell the word which has been missed, instead of the one which has been given out by the teacher. This will help the attention and make the pupils critical, so that they will notice for themselves when an error is made. The much abused expression "next" ought not to be heard in a spelling recitation except on rare occasions. Still another variation for written work can be made by having some pupils, usually not the one who spells the word, give a sentence in which the given word will be a component part, which sentence should be written from the pupil's dictation, when given properly. This exercise will be very profitable if the pupil is encouraged to form a sentence which does not have a proper noun or personal proun for its subject.

The drill side should be especially strong in the teaching of spelling, so that by the time the child has passed through the grades he will know well the twelve hundred difficult word forms which in the main constitute a mastery over this branch of study. In practice, both oral and written work will be necessary to secure the best results. Don't try to save time by allowing the pupils to spell a word without pronouncing it. Don't try to save time by neglecting to separate a word into syllables. Don't let pupils separate the syllables imperfectly or in a way that destroys the elements of the word. Insist rigorously that each pupil failing on a word spell the word correctly at the ciose of the recitation. Insist that the pupi

ioned spelling matches between the girls and the boys, between two sides selected by the teacher, or by the pupils, will break the monotony and aid in creating enthusiasm. Much interest might be excited by the use of the word "game." Take the word "Nebraska," for instance, and have one section of the pupils write ten words beginning with "N," the other ten words beginning with "E," and so on with the other letters and the other sections of the class. It should never be forgotten that the way to learn to spell is to spell, and and that there are no short cuts across the corners by which we can gain either time or space.—Northwestern Journal of Education.

A GRIEVOUS COMPLAINT.

"It's hard on a fellow, I do declare!" Said Tommy, one day, with a pout; "In every one of the suits I wear

The pockets are 'most worn out. They're 'bout as big as the ear of a mole, And I never have more than three; And there's always coming a mean little hole That loses my knife for me.

"I can't make 'em hold but a few little thingsSome cookies, an apple or two,

A knife and pencil and bunch of strings,
Some nails and may be a screw,

And marbles, of course, and a top and a ball,
And shells and pebbles and such,

And some odds and ends-yes, honest, that's all!
You can see for yourself 't is n't much.

"I'd like a suit of some patent kind,
With pockets made wide and long ;
Above and below and before and behind,
Sewed extra heavy and strong.

I'd want about a dozen or so,

All easy and quick to get at;

And I should be perfectly happy, I know,
With a handy rig like that."

-Eudora S. Bumstead, in St. Nicholas for August.

A funny thing I heard to-day
I might as well relate.
Our Lil is six, and little May

Still lacks a month of eight.

And, through the open play-room door,

I heard the elder say:

"Lil, run down stairs and get my doll, Go quick, now, right away!"

And Lillie said-(and I agreed

That May was hardly fair):

"You might say 'please,' or, go yourselfI didn't leave it th re."

"But, Lillie," urged the elder one,
"Your little legs, you know,

Are younger far than mine are, child,
And so you ought to go!"

THE GRUMBLER.

First Pupil-His Youth.

His cap was too thick, and his coat was too thin;
He couldn't be quiet: he hated a din;
He hated to write, and he hated to read;
He was certainly very much injured indeed.
He must study and toil over work he detested;
His parents were strict, and he never was rested;
He knew he was wretched as wretched could be,
There was no one so wretchedly wretched as he.

Second Pupil-His Manhood.

His farm was too small, his taxes too big;
He was selfish and lazy, and cross as a pig;
His wife was too silly, his children too rude,
And just because he was uncommonly good!
He hadn't got money enough and to spare;
He had nothing at all fit to eat or to wear;
He knew he was wretched as wretched could be,
There was no one so wretchedly wretched as ne.

Together-His Old Age.

He finds he has sorrows more deep than his fears;
He grumbles to think he has grumbled for years;
He grumbles to think he has grumbled away
His home and his children; his life's little day;
But alas! 'tis too late! it is no use to say

That his eyes are too dim, and his hair is too gray;
He knows he is wretched as wretched can be,
There is no one so wretchedly wretched as he.

WHERE THERE'S A WILL, THERE'S A WAY.

Dear children, do not say,

"I would, but then I can't," For where there's a will

There's always a way.

And 'tis only the will that you want.

GOD HELP HIM.

God help the boy that never sees
The butterflies, the birds, the bees
Nor hears the music of the breeze

When zephyrs soft are blowing;
Who cannot in sweet comfort lie
Where clover blooms are thick and high
And hear the gentle murmur sigh

Of brooklets softly flowing.

God help the boy who does not know
Where all the woodland berries grow,
Who never sees the forests glow

When leaves are red and yellow; Whose childish feet can never stray Where nature doth her charms display—

For such a helpless boy I say

God help the little fellow.

THE TEACHER'S TASK.

Yes, sculptor, touch the clay with skill,
Let lines of beauty curve and flow,
And shape the marble to thy will,

While soft-winged fancies come and goTill the stone, vanquished, yield the strife, And some fair form awake to life, Obedient to thy beckoning hand

And thy name ring through all the land!

And painter, wield the brush with care;
Give firm, true touches, one by one,
Toil patiently on, nor know despair;
Open thy whole soul to the sun,
And give of love's serene repose,

Till the dull canvas gleams and glows
With truth and wealth of sentiment

And thine own heart shall be content!

Hunting for eggs in the barn-yard,

Looking for turkeys astray,
Carrying lunch to the reapers,
Tossing the new-mown hay;
Riding the horses to water,
Feeding the chickens and cows,
Throwing the hay to the mangers,
Down from the fragrant mows;
White-washing corn-cribs and fences,
Gathering fruits from the trees,
Covering the flower-beds in Autumn,
For fear of an early "freeze;"
Pumping the clear, cold water,

Chopping an armload of wood,
These are the farm boys' "gymnastics."
They're cheap, but none the less good!

TOMMY'S RIDE.

The crackers cracked; the guns went bang;
Folks shouted: and the bells they rang;
All hearts were full of joy and pride,
When Tommy took his famous ride.

It wasn't in a big balloon

That he sailed up to meet the moon;
But all the money in his pocket
He spent upon a single rocket.

He planted it against the wall,
And there it towered, slim and tall;
Then silly Tommy-such a trick!-
Must tie himself fast to the stick.

Whiz! went the rocket in the air;
The people stopped to wildly stare;

The dogs they barked with all their might,
But Tommy soon was out of sight.

The old man in the moon looked out
To see what it was all about;
Said he to Tommy, "is that you!
Come in and see me,-how d'ye do?"

Away went Tommy, fast and far;
He tried to catch a pretty star;
He saw the clouds go sailing by,
Like boats of pearl along the sky.

But soon he slower went, and then--
Down, down, he fell to earth again!
Down, down:—the old man in the moon
Said, "Call again some afternoon."

Down, down: sweet faces o'er him beam;
How lucky this was all a dream!

Safe in his little crib he lay;

And it was Independence Day.

-George Cooper, in Children's Museum.

A LITTLE SCHOOLMA'AM. [With three dolls arranged in a row on chairs.] Melinda Jane, and Kate, and Nell It's time you learned to read and spell. Come, now, and say your A, B, C. Hold up your heads and look at me, For, if you never learn to read, What stupid dolls you'll be, indeed. All ready now: A, B, and CWhat is the matter? Oh, dear me! I cannot hear one word you say ! Why, Katy dear, don't turn away; Sit up again and listen-there! She's fast asleep, I do declare!