hand and eye. Too much system, and too many directions only embarrass little children: but great watchfulness is required on the part of the teacher to secure a good position of the pupil's hand; as also to prevent his stooping too much, or leaning against the desk. The progressive steps from simple elementary lines to words should be made very slowly, and with strict attention to the capabilities of each pupil. Slates only are used; and the pencils should be fixed in tin holders and pointed with a file. By attention to these points children soon learn to write a fair, large hand; but no exercises should be given which tend to divert the pupil's attention from the careful imitation of the model. It must be remembered that writing in an Infant School is intended as a rest from more intellectual occupation.

Twenty minutes are quite sufficient for the continuance of the lesson.

DRAWING.

Drawing is more popular with little children than writing, and as an exercise for their constructive and imitative faculties is decidedly superior. Indirectly, too, it assists writing, by giving to the pupil freedom of hand and correctness of eye. Drawing also serves to lead the infant mind to observe and analyze the forms of things, and also to cultivate the taste.

A slate and pencil are all that are required for the pupil's use; and simple outlines, to serve as models, may be easily sketched by the teacher on the blackboard. But where copies of a proper kind can be had to place before each child, it is preferable; as the effort necessary to adapt the eye alternately to a distant model and to the slate, is perplexing to the beginner. There is, however, one advantage in the use of the black board; it enables the teacher to construct the model on it by degrees, the children following the

process and adding line by line until tion is completed.

In arranging a system of drawing 1 natural progression of subjects seems first with simple lines, to proceed from trical figures, then to representative ou to such as are intended to cultivate But an exception to this order must be of little children, who, although they ca to copy a mere assemblage of lines, wil the form of any object known to the forms of numbers of things with which can be represented by a few lines, it them at once to commence with simp as the following.

When some progress is made, combinat the cultivation of taste, may be given f the elder children, accompanied by ren planations from the teacher on the form and on the perspective, or manner in wh posed to be viewed; but this analysis extend to a lecture, or distract the pupils' much from the business of imitating the

The elder children are seated in the desks for drawing, and the younger portion in a group in the gallery, each holding a small slate on the lap. The same care is required for the position of the body and hand as in writing, with this difference that, whereas in writing the hand must be kept in one fixed direction to secure the proper inclination of the letters, in drawing the position of the hand should vary with the direction of the lines: the body, too, should lean less than in writing. It will be found that, when a number of pupils are seated at varying distances from a model, each will copy it of a different size; the more distant much smaller than those near, and this must not at first be interfered with, or the difficulty of copying will be much increased. Thus, when the model is eight feet from the eye of the pupil and the slate one foot, the size of the copy will be oneeighth of the original; that is, if the height of the model be sixteen inches, that of the copy will be two inches. The pupil may be led afterwards to extend the size of his copy, as it is better practice to draw large than small. The first outlines for imitation should be of an extremely simple character, and the propensity which children. show to repeat the same form should be encouraged, as it assists their progress. Such subjects as the following

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may be sketched for imitation: lea flowers, tools and implements, furnitu of buildings or parts of buildings, artic of animals, parts of the human figure.

As first ideas of number and quant edly derived from observation, the tea adapt and extend this natural process, his pupils real objects to represent uni them in the necessary combinations. are needed in the earlier lessons, all being to name each number as it is p and to repeat the first exercises seve them in the memory. Perhaps no

calculated to arrest the attention, an judgment of little children, than arithm takeable clearness, and the easy and gr which it admits of being taught, rende popular in infant schools. Many kinds have been suggested and used for assis such as small cards, counters of bone, and printed tables in which each numb represented by dots or strokes; but the being more adapted to the nursery than all been superseded by the Arithmetic duced by Mr. Wilderspin. From the ra with which this instrument can be ma any combination of numbers, it is pecul infant school purposes. It consists of by twelve wires, on each of which twelv are made to slide, which, to render then are painted black and white alternat board is made to fold or slide in front which numbers can be written to corres balls employed in any operation. Mr. commends that one half of the frame sho to hide the balls not immediately in use

The children are seated in a group in the gallery for the lesson, and the teacher, placing the Arithmeticon before them, stands himself behind it to move the balls. Placing one ball on the first wire, he names it one, and the children repeat one; he then places two balls on the second wire, and names them two, which the children also repeat, proceeding in the same manner up to ten. The little ones are then exercised in arranging the numbers for themselves; one child is called down to place five balls, another nine, and so on. When the teacher is quite sure that the numbers up to ten are well remembered, he proceeds to count up to twenty, occasionally exercising the children in arranging the balls for themselves. Just ten balls should be placed on each wire, and the recurrence of the ten pointed out in twenty, thirty, forty &c. The lesson proceeds in this way until the children can count a hundred. As it is necessary to repeat this enumeration several times, the little childchant the numbers, varying the note at every ten, and keeping time by clapping their hands and other simple exercises. The ordinals should also be taught, by placing a row or column of balls in sight, and making the class repeat "the first ball," "the second ball," and so on up to the twentieth. This exercise should be varied by referring to other objects, as by placing several children in a rank, and pointing to the first child, second child, and so on.

ren may

Addition. Place two balls on the upper wire of the ball frame, to the right hand; to these add another ball. Teacher: How many are two and one? Children an

swer, three. Place two balls on the second wire; to these add two more. T.-How many are two and two? Children: four. Continue in the same manner up to "ten and two are twelve." The addition of three should then be gone through in the same manner, placing three balls on the upper wire; add one more to them, and say, three and one are four: then three and two are five, three and three are six, and so on with the remaining additions.