Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1860-01-27
Spelling school Watches, &C..

! ing schools and spelling matches of the dis.
trict schools when correct spelling constitu-
ted one of the indispensable branches of q
good common English education9 Then the
scholars had to study their spelling lessons
read them aloud in classes, pronounce every
syllable, spell at least once in the forenoon
and once in the afternoon; take their places
the fortunate individual at the "head" of the
class in the evening, taking his place at the
foot the next morning; receiving a credit
mark therefor, and at the end of the term
if at tho head the most, be made supreme
ly happy by 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.
derstand accent, emphasis, and cadence
the sounds of the letters in the fore part oI
Webster's Spelling Book, and had to tell
them too, giving the rules in reading aud
spelling lessons as often as twice a week, un.
til as familiar as A. B. c., had to learn and
observe the stops and marks, know the nu.
neral, authorizations, vowels, dipthongs, etc.
etc.,-rudimentary matters small in them
selves, but just as necessary to be practic
ally taught and thoroughly understood tc
make good spoilers and readers, as TO have
the use of the tongue-matters which VIC
know are most sadly neglected in some, il
not all, of our city public schools. In
some, the reading aloud of spelling lessons
and spelling in classes is omitted for whole
terms, and the pupils know nothing of the
rules relating to the sounds of the letters,
the pupil is non-plussed and discloses The
ignoramus the moment a trisylable or poly
syllable not entirely familiar to the eye is
encountered. We know young men, edu.
Gated in our public schools, to the shame OF
both be it said, who can scarcely be persua.
ded to read even a newspaper accident
aloud, so defective has been their instruction
in spelling, sounds of letters, accent, empha-
sis and cadence And we have been told
of well authenticated instances in which
children have been pushed forward into easy
readers, and who read their lessons partly
by rote, without knowing the letters Of the
alphabet!
We have spoken plainly of defects which
we know exist to a considerable extent in
our public schools, and which can and
should be Immediately remedied. Any
lack of attention by teachers, to these
small, but really most important matters to
the children being educated, or their oms-
sion in the programme laid down for their
guidance, comes properly within the super
vision of the Board of Education. We
have only the usefulness and welfare of the
schools at heart, in calling attention to
what we consider to be radical defects in
the public school education of children,
our own included.
But to return to spelling schools and
spelling-matches. The County School Ex-
amiuers of Trumbull county have hit upon
match that is exciting great interest in
the schools of the several districts and
among the people. They have proclaimed
that on the l1th of February, grand coun-
ty spelling match shall come off at Bazetta.
Each school in the county is to have one
representative, and the words spelled are to
be put out from McGuffey's Spelling book,
and if the spoilers go through that, Web
ster's Primary Dictionary is to furnish the
hard words. The best speller will receive,
as prize, a copy of Webster's Unabridged
Pictorial Dictionary. The match has set
all the schools on tiptoe, and the amenta-
bly, growing deficiency in the spelling
branch of the education of Young Ameri-
ca, has taken healthy refux in old Trum-
bull.
Why not institute spelling schools and
spelling matches in our own city schools p
The children would jump at the chance to
attend them, and much improvement in
ambition and in orthography would be the
result. They could be held in each ward
shool 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 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 trouble to
teachers who attend than.
The Cuyahoga county schools might al
so profit largely by the example of Trum-
bull. Children delight in such friendly con-
tests, and they serve to quicken the percep-
tion and memory beyond estimate. Re-
vive the spelling schools.
SPIRIT OF SOUTHERN LADIEs.--A cores