A-B-C-darians, ABC-darians, or abecedarians were the youngest students (then called scholars) in the typical one-room school of 19th-century America, so-called because they were just learning their "a-b-cs". It could also refer to someone teaching the alphabet.[1]
In his autobiographical reminiscences on his school days, Warren Burton recounted that he "was three years and a half old when I first entered the Old School-house as an abecedarian".[2] Many young children were simply sent along with other siblings in order to get them out of their mothers' way.[3]Noah Webster's early school dictionary contains the following entry for abecedarian: A-be-ce-da'-ri-an, n. One who teaches or is learning the alphabet.[4]
Front row seats
In the district schools of the early 19th century, the youngest scholars were seated on the front benches in a room that typically had floors that sloped up from the center on three sides like a small amphitheater. The entrance door(s) and the teacher's desk were located on the unsloped side. The desks accommodated two or more scholars and were arranged up the ramps around a center space, the front of each desk providing the seat for the desk before it, with the front rows consisting only of the benches attached to the desks of the second row where the youngest children sat.[5]Samuel Griswold Goodrich (a.k.a. "Peter Parley") attended a district school around 1810 in which "The larger scholars were ranged on the outer sides, at the desks; the smaller fry of a-b-c-darians were seated in the center".[6] Warren Burton also noted that "next to the spelling floor, were low, narrow seats for abecedarians and others near that rank. In general, the older the scholar the further from the front was his location".[2]
A day in the life of an a-b-c-darian
A-b-c-darians in unreformed schools were drilled in their letters two or three times a day, then spent the rest of the school day on their own trying to recall the names of letters, and probably watching the recitations of older scholars who were called to the middle of the room to show what they had learned for the schoolmaster. Educator William Augustus Mowry recalled that "I was sent to the old brick schoolhouse when I was four years old. Two or three others entered school at the same A-B-C time. We sat on the low seat facing the open Class floor—the boys on one side and the girls on the other. We had nothing to do but to look on and thus cultivate our powers of observation. With all the classes of an ungraded school to teach, of course the teacher could give but a few minutes to the three A-B-C darians, who had just entered the school. Twice a day we were called up and took our places at the teacher's knee. Here we received our first lessons in learning to read; and this reading lesson of five minutes in the forenoon and five minutes in the afternoon was all we had to do".[7]
Reform
Beginning in the 1830s, education reform included consideration of how to improve instruction for all students, including the a-b-c-darians. Education reformer Henry Barnard shared in the American Journal of Education that "Basedow at Magdeburg Johann Bernhard Basedow, adopted a constructive method of teaching the letters, by presenting them made in gingerbread—then rewarding success in remembering the name by gift of the substance. This founder of Philanthropinism should be held in everlasting and grateful remembrance by A-b-c-darians".[8] In the 1850s it was reported that in some, modifications had already taken place: "The A B C darians are each in a separate class, and are instructed in a very uniform style".[9]
By contrast, New York educators continued to complain of poor methods for the younger students into the 1860s. "The habit of requiring the children of the alphabet class to give formal definitions to words which are far more simple than those used to define them, is a practice which I have endeavored to discourage. For instance, such words as father, mother, brother, sister, boy, girl, etc., it is not uncommon to hear defined by these little A-B-C-darians, in this manner:—"Mother—a female parent; brother—a male child born of the same parents; girl—a female child; cat— a domestic animal; cow—a domestic animal", &c."[10]
Obsolescence
By the end of the 19th century, the mere use of the term represented a bygone era of the one-room schoolhouse. George Howland, superintendent of the Chicago Public Schools declared in 1898 that "The days of the A-B-C-darians, and the three R's—all! ah! and alas!—have happily gone by, and hard after them are following those to whom the ability to trace with index-finger, word by word, and line by line, the pupil's progress down the page of the text-book, was enough".[11]
References
^Brewer, E. Cobham (1978) [1894]. The Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. reprint. Edwinstowe, England: Avenel Books. p. 3. ISBN0-517-25921-4.
^ abBurton, Warren (1838). The District School As It Was, By One Who Went To It. New York: J. Orville Taylor. pp. 5. warren burton.
^Sammons, Mark (1985). "Myths and Methods: the District School in Early 19th-Century New England". Old Sturbridge Village.
^Webster, Noah (1838). A Dictionary for Primary Schools. New York: F.J. Huntington. pp. 7. noah webster dictionary.
^Fennelly, Caroline (1962). Town Schooling in Early New England, 1790-1840. Sturbridge, MA: Old Sturbridge Village. p. 17.
^Goodrich, Samuel Griswold (1857). Recollections of a Lifetime. New York: Miller, Orton & Company. pp. 140. abc-darians.
^Mowry, William Augustus (1908). Recollections of a New England Educator, 1838-1908. New York, Boston & Chicago: Silver, Burdett & Company. pp. 16. a-b-c-darians.
^Barnard, Henry (1863). "A-B-C Books and Primers". American Journal of Education. Hartford: Henry Barnard. XII: 597.
^Phelps, W.F. (1851). "Lecture before the N. Y. State Teachers Association, in Hope Chapel, Broadway, August 8th, 1850". The District School Journal of the State of New York. Albany: Weed, Parsons & Company. 11: 106.
^Twenty-Second Annual Report. New York (N.Y.). Board of Education. 1864. pp. 101–102.
^Howland, George (1898). Practical Hints For The Teachers Of Public Schools. New York: D. Appleton & Company. pp. 26. abc-darians.
External links
Look up abecedarian in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
March 20, 2023
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For other uses see Abecedarian disambiguation A B C darians ABC darians or abecedarians were the youngest students then called scholars in the typical one room school of 19th century America so called because they were just learning their a b cs It could also refer to someone teaching the alphabet 1 Contents 1 Early references 2 Front row seats 3 A day in the life of an a b c darian 4 Reform 5 Obsolescence 6 References 7 External linksEarly references EditIn his autobiographical reminiscences on his school days Warren Burton recounted that he was three years and a half old when I first entered the Old School house as an abecedarian 2 Many young children were simply sent along with other siblings in order to get them out of their mothers way 3 Noah Webster s early school dictionary contains the following entry for abecedarian A be ce da ri an n One who teaches or is learning the alphabet 4 Front row seats EditIn the district schools of the early 19th century the youngest scholars were seated on the front benches in a room that typically had floors that sloped up from the center on three sides like a small amphitheater The entrance door s and the teacher s desk were located on the unsloped side The desks accommodated two or more scholars and were arranged up the ramps around a center space the front of each desk providing the seat for the desk before it with the front rows consisting only of the benches attached to the desks of the second row where the youngest children sat 5 Samuel Griswold Goodrich a k a Peter Parley attended a district school around 1810 in which The larger scholars were ranged on the outer sides at the desks the smaller fry of a b c darians were seated in the center 6 Warren Burton also noted that next to the spelling floor were low narrow seats for abecedarians and others near that rank In general the older the scholar the further from the front was his location 2 A day in the life of an a b c darian EditA b c darians in unreformed schools were drilled in their letters two or three times a day then spent the rest of the school day on their own trying to recall the names of letters and probably watching the recitations of older scholars who were called to the middle of the room to show what they had learned for the schoolmaster Educator William Augustus Mowry recalled that I was sent to the old brick schoolhouse when I was four years old Two or three others entered school at the same A B C time We sat on the low seat facing the open Class floor the boys on one side and the girls on the other We had nothing to do but to look on and thus cultivate our powers of observation With all the classes of an ungraded school to teach of course the teacher could give but a few minutes to the three A B C darians who had just entered the school Twice a day we were called up and took our places at the teacher s knee Here we received our first lessons in learning to read and this reading lesson of five minutes in the forenoon and five minutes in the afternoon was all we had to do 7 Reform EditBeginning in the 1830s education reform included consideration of how to improve instruction for all students including the a b c darians Education reformer Henry Barnard shared in the American Journal of Education that Basedow at Magdeburg Johann Bernhard Basedow adopted a constructive method of teaching the letters by presenting them made in gingerbread then rewarding success in remembering the name by gift of the substance This founder of Philanthropinism should be held in everlasting and grateful remembrance by A b c darians 8 In the 1850s it was reported that in some modifications had already taken place The A B C darians are each in a separate class and are instructed in a very uniform style 9 By contrast New York educators continued to complain of poor methods for the younger students into the 1860s The habit of requiring the children of the alphabet class to give formal definitions to words which are far more simple than those used to define them is a practice which I have endeavored to discourage For instance such words as father mother brother sister boy girl etc it is not uncommon to hear defined by these little A B C darians in this manner Mother a female parent brother a male child born of the same parents girl a female child cat a domestic animal cow a domestic animal amp c 10 Obsolescence EditBy the end of the 19th century the mere use of the term represented a bygone era of the one room schoolhouse George Howland superintendent of the Chicago Public Schools declared in 1898 that The days of the A B C darians and the three R s all ah and alas have happily gone by and hard after them are following those to whom the ability to trace with index finger word by word and line by line the pupil s progress down the page of the text book was enough 11 References Edit Brewer E Cobham 1978 1894 The Dictionary of Phrase and Fable reprint Edwinstowe England Avenel Books p 3 ISBN 0 517 25921 4 a b Burton Warren 1838 The District School As It Was By One Who Went To It New York J Orville Taylor pp 5 warren burton Sammons Mark 1985 Myths and Methods the District School in Early 19th Century New England Old Sturbridge Village Webster Noah 1838 A Dictionary for Primary Schools New York F J Huntington pp 7 noah webster dictionary Fennelly Caroline 1962 Town Schooling in Early New England 1790 1840 Sturbridge MA Old Sturbridge Village p 17 Goodrich Samuel Griswold 1857 Recollections of a Lifetime New York Miller Orton amp Company pp 140 abc darians Mowry William Augustus 1908 Recollections of a New England Educator 1838 1908 New York Boston amp Chicago Silver Burdett amp Company pp 16 a b c darians Barnard Henry 1863 A B C Books and Primers American Journal of Education Hartford Henry Barnard XII 597 Phelps W F 1851 Lecture before the N Y State Teachers Association in Hope Chapel Broadway August 8th 1850 The District School Journal of the State of New York Albany Weed Parsons amp Company 11 106 Twenty Second Annual Report New York N Y Board of Education 1864 pp 101 102 Howland George 1898 Practical Hints For The Teachers Of Public Schools New York D Appleton amp Company pp 26 abc darians External links Edit Look up abecedarian in Wiktionary the free dictionary The Carolina Abecedarian Project Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title A b c darian amp oldid 1068119605, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
