Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-06-16
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give below the report Of the majority Of the com.
mittee or rather the remarks Of Rev Mr. Thome,
which would have constituted the majority report
had not the Committee agreed upon a short report
as given in the Leader Of Tuesday morsing These
reports should be read by all who are interested in
our schools ntr.,l..... . -
Remarks Of Rev Mr. Thome, President q
Board of Education, and member Of the Text
Book Committee, on the proposal to lay aside the
Hiliard Series Of Readers, and introduce the Nc.
Gufey Series;
1t was the design Of the majority OF the commit
tee TO whom was referred this matter, to report
against change Of Readers, and in favor OF con.
unuing the Hillard Series In use for another year.
and 10 assign certain reasons for this course; but
the eve Of the meeting it was concluded to pre-
sent unanimous report recommending no present
action, and 10 submit the same without reasons-
This having been done, and the report having been
Immediately laid on the table, and resolution in
rOduced calling for the present introduction of the
McGutfey Series, iu the course Of the discussion
on this resolution, Mr.. Thome presented as CON
veying his own sentiments, the paper he had
drawn up as majority report, and added other
remarks, the substance OF which will be found
herein.
The Committee have had the question Of chang.
ing the Readers under consideration for several
weeks. They have examined the respective SO.
rlesi have endeavored to ascertain the senti.
ments OF the teachers, and have addressed letters
OF inquiry to sundTy teachers elsewhere who have
been using the Hard series, and also to some who
are using the McGuffey series.
They are prepared to recommend any decisive
course; but do submit the recommendation that
year be allowed to elapse before any definite ac
ton be taken, thinking IL possible that maturer eX
animation and ampler experiment may eviuce the
wisdom OF the proposed change.
The time has not yet come TO decide intelligently
upon the merits Of the series now in use Ii this
series is worth trying at ALL Il deserves fair trial
which it has not yet had. That It has deci led
merits appears from the extent to which il has
been adopted already, aud from the high oherac
ter ofmany Of the educators and professional gen
/ tlemer who recommend it. We are not aware
that this series Of Readers has been discontinued
| in any Of the schools ia which it has been intro
duced. It's advances in public favor in spite ofold
aud long popular competitors, bespeaks much
merit .'" |..T"
It seems obvious that time enough has not yet
been allowed since the introduction of these readers
into our schools to test conclusvely their real and
relative merits. The entire series has not indeed
been yet brought into use, that the trial has been
no. only short but partial, and altogether disad
vantageous from the confusion Of having parts of
several series in Simultaneous use. trial had
under such uniavorable circumstances hardly do
serves the name.
Moreover, any new series of text books, though
introduced entire, and by unanimous consent,
from the disparagng contrasts that would be drawn
between them and the old and more familiar ho6ls
Every new teacher, h0UeVeF excellent, has 10 suf.
fer for time from the comparisons that will be
instituted among his pupils, between himself and
his pre- decessor, and 1t may take more than one
term or one year for him TO gain the ascendancy
in the minds of the scholars ~ which his superior
merits may entite him at once. And as pupils
have their lingering attachments for former teach
ers much TO their credit, so teachers have theirs
for text books they have long used, If the books
have any merit at all. The new books may be
much better ones, yet it may require more than
one term or one year to establish their superiority
in the estimatiOnlOf those who take them up with
attachments still unbrOken for the discarded
series.
These considerations are urged in favor of giving
more time for testing the merits of the HillaTd
series. As these books have been introduced, and
have met with much favor here, as they have
wherever they are in use, we are bound by con 81
sistency to give them complete trial Another
years use Of them, the least that can be asked
may establish their reputation, and demonstrate
their eXceency Should we too hastily discard
them we might have much cause in the course OF
the next twelve months TO regret our rashness.--
II on the other hand these books should prove
inferior, at the end of another year they can be
Displaced without the doubt and disagreement
that must attend such action now, And surely
no serious evil can result from allowing this furth
er time OF trial. And as surely evil will result
from forcing an untmely change, against the re-
. cOmmendati0n Of the Text Book Committee and the
! Superintendent, with divided Board, aud a d-
yded corps Of teachers, and strong public opin-
ion adverse to the change
While urging only the policy of non action there
are considerations which may bo adduced In favor
Of the series now in use.
L. These books are got up In much better style
as to paper, Typography illustrations and binding.
These are approximations In view OF the bearing
Of good book iDOTk upon the American youth. II
the future citizens of our Commonwealth are emit.
tied to good school houses good fixtures and good
teachers they are also entitled 10 the best school
books mechanically considered. Inferior text
books, Of second late Typography, material and
binding, should not be countenaneed In our city
schools, unless we are prepared 10 go back to in
ferlOr school buildings and TO second rate teachers
?, AS TO the matter in the two series we are mol
disposed TO contend for any great excellence In
the Hilard Readers. We are willing TO leave
this point TO be tested by time. That the seec
tions are equally good for lessons in reading, and
moral tone, while they are OF superior literary
merit we thuk unquestonable all which VIZ
doubt not will appear 10 the satisfaction OF the
Board aud Teachers on further trial of the books
The objection has been urged that the selections
In the Hillard Readers are too tame, too heavy tC
enlist the interest Of the pupils. We think this Il
not true to an extent really objectionable. We dc
think the other readers are open 70 the criticism
of being too largely composed OF stimulating mat
ter, which is hurtiu 70 the pupil in various ways
particularly ia this that il cutivates an unnatura
for our reading books are those which come The
nearest TO ordinary reading matter. The Hllart
Readers are formed on thiS principle, the McGut-
fey Readers on the other principle Of stimulating
( and rOusng attention.
3 The Iiard series meets our appreciation II
dlscarding the system Of rhetorical notation. Th'
McGufey series employs this system Ihaving one
mark for the rising infection, another for the fall
ing, another for the circumhex, italics for empha
sis &C. This Is a vicious system, and can hardly
fail to make bad readers. Surprising these direc-
tOus 70 be uniformly correct and reliable, they ere
wholly Objectionable because they address the eye
while Il is the ear that Is to be cultivated aud leat
10 mechanical style, instead Of a natural one
And the pupil who Is accustomed 10 these printed
guides viii be dependento on them, aud cannot read
without them, nor indeed with them. Why car
he not read with themi Because they are not &C
eurate, aud cannot be followed strictly without bat
reading.
[Mr here produced several examples lron
two Of the hcGuhey Readers, showing erroneous
nOtatiOn.l .e5
He then proceeded TO say that the system is IA
tally liable 70 the objection that II ignores the de-
grees Of infection, and goes on the assumption tina
all rising infections, all falling infections, and al
emphases too, have the same quantity Rhetoh-
cal notation takes out Of the teachers hand th'
work Of instruction IN reading or imposes OF
q him shaekles which no trained elooutonist viii
submit to. This, then, is serious objection TO thi
. AlcGufiey Readers; and Il Is great advantage th
Hillard Readers have that they have rejected thi
vicious system Of Rhetorical Notation.
, The gentleman, In view Of such considerations
4 hoped II would seem best 10 the Board to max
no change in the Reading Books ut present, saw,
2 10 complete as soon ~ practicable the introduo
5 tiOn Of the Hillard Series.
In concluding his remarks, Mr. Thome refere,
the Roard 10 the numerous letters Addressed 10 th