Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1860-01-25
SPELLING SCHOOL MATCHES, &c

W nat "OIu IOSy mas forgotten liC SP0I-
ling schools and spelling matches of the
district schools, when correct spelling con.
stituted one of the indispensable branches
of a good common English education?-
Then the scholars had to study their spell
ling lessons, read them alond in classes, pro-
nounce every syllable, spell at least once in
the forenoon and once in the afternoon, take
their places, at head at night 60 to the foot
in the morning receive credit marks,
and at the end of tAe term if at the head
the most. be made supremely happy by a
prize of some sort. Those were the schools
of application, emulation, progress, and
solid Observation-Disclosures of every day
use in life
Then the reading classes all had to un-
dcrstand accent, emphasis, and cadence !;
the sounds OF the letters in the fore-part of
Webster's Spelling Book, and had to tell
them too, giving the rules in reading and
spelling lessons as often as twice week
until as familiar as A. B. c.; had to learn
and observe the stops and marks, know the
numerals, abbrcviatiOns, vowels dipthongs,
etc, ctc.,-rudimentary matters small in
themselves, but just as necessary to be
practically taught and thoroughly under
stood to make good spoilers and readers, as
to have the use of the tongue-matters
which we know are most sadly neglected in
some, if not all. of our city public schools.
In some, the reading aloud of spelling les
sons, and spelling in classes, is omitted for
whole terms, AMI the pupils know nothing
of the rules relating to the sounds of the
letters, or of the proper division Of words
into syllables- They read glibly the Les
sons in the Easy Readers they have rehers-
ed until familiar to ear and memory, but
give them a newspaper paragraph of ten
lines, and ten chances to one they will hesi-
tate at or mispronomce some word in every
line. Having never learned in the public
schools to divide words into syllables by
reading spelling lessons, and knowing moth
ing practically of the rules regulating the
sounds of the letters. the pupil is non-
plusscd and disoloses the ignoramus the
moment a trisyllable or polysyllable not
entirely familiar to the eye is encountered
We know young men, educated in our pub
lie schools, to the shame of both be it said,
who can scarcely be persuaded to read even
a newspaper accident aloud, so defective has
been their instruction in spelling, sounds of
letters, accent, emphasis and cadence
And we have been told of well authentica-
ted instances in which children have been
pushed forward into Easy Readers, and
who read their lessons partly by rote, with
out knowing the letters of the alphabet!
We have spoken plainly of defects which
we know exist to considerable extent in our
public schools. and which can and should
be Immediately rcmedicd. Any lack of at
tention by teachers to these small but real
ly most important matters to the children
being educated, or their omission in the
programme laid down for their guidance,
comes properly within the supervision Of
the Board of Education. We have only
the usefulness and welfare of the schools at |
heart. in calling attention to what we con-
ceivc to be radical defects in the public
school education of children our own in
cluded.
But to return to spelling schools and |
spelling matches. The County School Ex-
aminers of Trumbull county have hit upon
a match that is exciting great interest in |
the schools of the several districts and
among the people. They have proclaimed
that on the llth of February, grand |
County Spelling Match shall come off at
Bazetta. Each school in the County is t5
have one representative, and the words
spelled are to be put out from McGufey's |
Spelling book, and if the spoilers 60 through |
that, Webster's Primary Dictionary is to
furnish the hard words. The best speller
will receive, as prize, copy of Webster's
Unabridged Pictorial Dictionary. The
Match has set all the schools on tip-toe,
and the lamentably growing deficiency in
the spelling branch of the education of
Young America, has taken healthy refux
in Old Trumbull.
Why not institute spelling schools and
spelling matches in own city schools? The
children would jump at the chance to at
tend them, and much improvement in am
bitiOn and in OrthOgraphy would be the re-
suit They could be held in each Ward
school building say one or two evenings a
week, or each Saturday forenoon or after
noon. Parents as well as children would
soon become interested, and the series for
the term might be concluded with a grand
spelling match after the manner of the
Trumbull schools The emulation, zeal,
study, and proficiency, would most amply
repay the slight cost of lights and extra
heating of school rooms, and the trorble to
teachers who attend them.
The Cuyahoga County Schools might al
SO profit largely by the example of Trum-
bull. Children delight in such friendly
contests, and they serve to quicken the per-
ception and memory beyond estimate. Re
wives the Spelling Schools CZsreLa,ld Lea
der.
Old mems lives arc Heightened shadows;
the evening sun falls coldly on the earth,
but the shadows all point to the morning.