Does Piozzi's account of her daughter's progress seem consistent with the principles of education advanced by John Locke? To what extent does Piozzi seem to take a different approach to raising her daughter? What in these texts suggests to you that Piozzi was or was not familiar with Locke's approach to education? As always, cite some text to support your claims.
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I do not believe that Piozzi was familiar with Locke's method of education. Piozzi's strategy does resemble Locke's teaching style, but I believe that it is only mere coincidence that they stumbled onto the same conclusion. If Piozzi was familiar with Locke she would have mentioned his name at least once in her recordings. Furthermore, Piozzi says "I have made her up a little red book to which I must appeal for her progress" (2979). Piozzi credits the little red book for her daughter's progress instead of John Locke. However, Piozzi failed to mention the title of the little red book, but I am sure that she linked the book with some sort of astronomical topic. Also, Locke's method only dealt with boys in school, and Piozzi's daughter was tutored at home by her mother.
Piozzi's account of Hester Maria Thrale's progress in education is markedly distinguishable from the principles of education advanced by John Locke. Piozzi's understanding of education is to emphasize on rote rehearsal that is evident in Hester's ability to "repeat the Pater Noster, the three Christian virtues and the signs of the zodiac in Watt's verses" (Longman, 2978). Hester, however, is "no great talker" (2978) at the age of two years, nor can she "read at all" (2979) six months thereafter. Locke emphasizes on the advantages and natural acquisition that conversant languages, such as French, has to offer. Piozzi makes no mention of introducing French to Hester. Locke shares, "People are accustomed to the right way of teaching that language, which is by talking it into children in constant conversation, and not by grammatical rule" (Portable Enlightenment, 227). While Locke's teaching values a more natural and flexible approach, Hester's curriculum continues to demand a strong emphasis on memorization. Despite Hester's ability to recite "all the responses in [her little blue-cover book] by heart... she is yet a miserable poor speller, and can scarce read a word" (Longman, 2979). Eventually, Piozzi advances Hester to "a little red book" in Piozzi's "appeal for [Hester's] progress in improvements" (Longman, 2979), yet Piozzi also observes that Hester's "temper is not so good; reserved to all, insolent where she is free, and sullen to those who teach or dress or do anything towards her. Never in passion, but obstinate to that uncommon degree that no punishment except severe smart can prevail on her to beg if she has offended" (Longman, 2980). Locke explicitly warns against this temperament in which Hester displays: "If the mind be curbed and humbled too much in children... they lose their vigor and industry... dejected minds, timorous and tame, and low spirits are hardly ever to be raise, and very seldom attain to anything" and emphasizes that one must "keep up a child's spirit, easy, active, and free" (Portable Enlightenment, 224). Locke's solution, then, is to insistently implement an inherent inclination "to the right" (Portable Enlightenment, 226) that is vital for the sort of love for learning that must be necessarily inspired within each child, specific to her own learning style. The apparent differences in curriculum content, and principles between Piozzi and Locke demonstrates the stark inconsistencies of their teaching methods.
Though it is entirely possible that Piozzi could have read Locke's essay, I don't believe she was familiar with it at all. The description of Hester's progress is more reflective of the traditional styles of education that Locke's essay argues against. At only "2 years and 6 months", Hester is able to "repeat...the 1st page of Lily's Grammar to the bottom" (Longman, 2979). Because she has forced this upon Hester at such an early age, Piozzi is obviously one who believes that her child would have "scarce an orthodox education, unless [she] learned Lilly's grammar" (Portable Enlightenment, 228). Though he would rather children learn a useful, living language, Locke does not condemn instruction in Latin. Instead of learning it though a book, however, Lock would "have Latin...without the perplexity of rules, talked into [a child]" (Portable Enlightenment, 228). Piozzi not only teaches her daughter a dead language, but she teaches it unnaturally through a grammar book. Were she familiar with Locke's essay, the instruction of Hester would have been different.
I would say that Piozzi's daughter did not experience a formal education, but rather she learned through experiences. The focus of her education was not on mechanics, but putting the knowledge to practice. She is "sullen to those who teach" (2980). She learns not from teaching, but by doing. She learns a great deal about geography "by the help of the dissected maps" and she "knows the compass as perfectly as any mariner upon the seas" (2979). It seems that what she learns can be very practical. However, unlike Locke, it seems that she is also forced to learn by memorization or "by repeating all the responses in that book by heart" (2979). When Piozzi gave birth and recovered, the daughter's writing was not practiced, and "was totally forgotten, and is now all to begin with again" (2080).
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