American series. Many men for years went over the history of German literature,
from the Eddas and Nibelungenlied down, including a few living writers,
carefully selecting saga, legends, Märchen, fables, proverbs, hymns, a few
prayers, Bible tales, conundrums, jests, and humorous tales, with many digests,
epitomes and condensation of great standards, quotations, epic, lyric, dramatic
poetry, adventure, exploration, biography, with sketches of the life of each writer
quoted, with a large final volume on the history of German literature. All this, it
is explained, is "stataric" or required to be read between Octava[A] and
Obersecunda. It is no aimless anthology or chrestomathy like Chambers's
Encyclopedia, but it is perhaps the best product of prolonged concerted study to
select from a vast field the best to feed each nascent stage of later childhood and
early youth, and to secure the maximum of pleasure and profit. The ethical end is
dominant throughout this pedagogic canon.]
[Footnote A: The Prussian gymnasium, whose course is classical and fits for the
University, has nine classes in three divisions of three classes each. The lower
classes are Octava, Septa, Sexta, Quinta, and Quarta; the middle classes,
Untertertia, Obertertia, and Untersecunda; the higher classes, Obersecunda,
Unterprima, and Oberprima. Pupils must be at least nine years of age and have
done three years preparatory work before entrance.]
[Footnote 19: The Historic Sense among Children. In her Studies in
Historical Method. D. C. Heath and Co., Boston, 1896, p. 57.]
[Footnote 20: Special Study on Children's Sense of Historical Time.
Mrs. Barnes's Studies in Historical Method, D.C. Heath and Co.,
Boston, 1896, p. 94.]
[Footnote 21: L'Etude expérimentale de l'intelligence. Schleicher
Frères, Paris, 1903.]
[Footnote 22: The Growth of Memory in School Children. American
Journal of Psychology, April, 1892, vol. 9, pp. 362-380.]
[Footnote 23: Contribution to the Psychology and Pedagogy of
Feeble-minded Children. By G.E. Johnson. Pedagogical Seminary,
October, 1895, vol. 3, p. 270.]
[Footnote 24: A Test of Memory in School Children. Pedagogical
Seminary, October, 1898, vol. 4, pp. 61-78.]