8 DECEMBER 1883, Page 21

Seeing and Thinking : Elementary Lessons and Eterciees, Introduc- tory

to Grammar, Composition, and Logical Analysis. By C. Schaible, Ph.D. Second Edition, revised, partly rewritten, and edited by T. F. Althaus, B.A. (W. Swan Sonnenschein and Co.)—This use- ful and original teacher's guide well deserves the care and ability which Mr. Althaus has brought to its revision. A second edition can- not fail of a warm welcome, at a time when the development of the School-Board system has created so large a demand for skilled elementary teaching. Some of the leading ideas of the systems of Rochow and Pestalozzi, which have hitherto exercised but little influence upon English methods of teaching, are here put forward in a clear and telling manner, and Professor Schaible, by his array of care- fully prepared exercises and examples, has not only brought his method clearly home to the teacher, but has also supplied him with materials for many useful lessons. It is difficult to say bow far it is either possible or expedient for the child's mind to grapple with the logical aspect of grammar. Possibly, Continental educationalists lay more stress than is necessary upon the early inculcation of exactness in thought and expression. To any one, however, who remembers the mystery which surrounded such simple grammatical terms as "conjugation," "voice," and the like, long after he could conjugate " amo," it can- not but appear that some such simple and progressive series of object lessons as this which Professor Schaible has put together would have lightened very appreciably the dreary horrors of " parsing " and "analysis." Both teachers and taught will owe a debt of gratitude to Professor Schaible and his editor if, by a practical application of their method, the grammar lesson can be robbed of some of its tedium.