Education and Manual Training by Jennie M. Snow

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 3, 1907

Education and Manual Training

By Jennie M. Snow

MORE and more are worldly educators beginning to realize the importance of combining industrial labor with educational work. In so doing, they are but following out the instruction that for years has been coming to us through the spirit of prophecy.

“Let the teachers wake up to the importance of this subject, and teach agriculture and other industries that it is essential for students to understand. Seek in every department of labor to reach the very best results.”

By the side of the above quotation I wish to place the one following:—

“Children should be educated to read, write, to understand figures, to keep their own accounts when very young. They may go forward, advancing step by step in this knowledge.”

The introduction into our primary schools of the study of agriculture, which in many of them is being made practical by the school garden, is opening the way for a strong line of correlated work in the teaching of accounts to the younger children.

These subjects, combined with reading, writing, spelling, and language study, make a pleasant and profitable line of work for the summer season, while geography and physiology can as well be taught during the cooler months.

The school garden furnishes ample material for the work in keeping simple accounts. The interest of the child knows no bounds as he watches the development of nature in his garden, and faithfully keeps the record of it in his account-book. While the garden is growing, the theory of keeping accounts can be thoroughly taught.

The child should first be shown a neatly ruled practise sheet, then be asked to rule one for himself. When this is done, he should, by careful questioning, be led to see the necessity for the various columns on his paper. Next he should be required to enter on his sheet several well-chosen transactions to test his ability to apply the newly learned principles. The daily lessons may now be neatly written on the blackboard, and should consist of six or more carefully selected transactions, which the children enter on their practise sheets. When this work is readily performed by all, it is time to lead the child, by a series of clear-cut questions, to discover how to “balance” his account. The pupil now feels that he has really entered the joys of keeping accounts, and takes pride in placing the “red word” in the proper place.

In assigning lessons care should be taken that the work furnishes a practical illustration of all new principles. Pupils should be required to compute the cost or selling price of all articles bought or sold, also to determine in which money column the amount should be placed.

Spelling, writing, punctuation, and abbreviations should all receive due attention.

When as teachers we fully appreciate the need of instruction in these matters, and realize the blessing attending the giving of it, we shall feel amply repaid for diligent and faithful service.

JENNIE M. SNOW.