Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-12-02

graphing sounds was perfected, not lew
who think themselves educated would
skulk out of sight and hearing for very
shame. 1t would require more burrine
and scratching of sounds to cover up the
bunders in language than it does now oil
paint, furbelows, and false teeth to I'll
some faces to produce a sensation in the
ballroom The fact is, the way words
are commonly spoken, does more to cul-
tivate error than truth in the utterance
of the sounds of our language. The
schools then ought to be correcting this
matter. They must correct it or the fault
will continue, and the errors increase
"But what matter is it? some one will
say, show | pronounce, if only | am un.
Iderstood ?" "What matter when | want
shoe, if call for a sheao, provided | get
something to wear on my iootF' "What
business to anybody if say | am a
member of the Litrary hstOOShun, or
"what is worse" should call it "Litarra-
~ MStitchooShun," so as to be sure and
display my learning, if only | get the
school and receive my pay for teaching
the same blunders to the children?" We
are too tolerant Of men sometimes because
they claim to mean well, even when we
can understand their meaning. IF a Ian.
guage is refined and cultivated we ought
to hold every man responsible 10 use the
hes. he can command. Especially should
the teachers Of youth be made to feel that
they must teach the articulation Of words
better than it is taught now.
We should not endure a person long,
who should attempt to teach the arts Of
civilized life, and to carry it out, should
take his food in trough and sit on the
cellar bottom, eating with his fingers
He might reply, Il get my dinner, that
is all want" Neither ought we to toll
crate him when he talks about the "Suller
dream" when he means drain to let the
water out of the cellar. 1t costs some
thing for knives and forks, and spoons,
aud plates, and tabIe-spread, and floors
and chairs, and good manners at a meal.
Ii does not cost much to have our Ian
guage taught correctly in comparison
with the expense of table furniture
Yet we will eat and be like other folks
about it, because it is mark of refine
ment and civilization. Why should we
not require pure language 10 be taught
our children which is much more a sign
Of refinement Increase of wealth and
division of labor has provided US with |
he means OF fine equipage for dress and
urniture, and we say we DiH hare it
Why not have the ability to use pure
language which is much more a sign that I
We have escaped from barbarism ? We
are proud to tell immigrants that we are
an educated people. But to make them
understand it we say the cummun schools |
'decate all classes, and our words give
be lie to our thought. We appear TO be
9oasting of civilization and practicing
Where is the school in Or
leans county that teaches the elementary
sounds of our language as they should
be? What teacher analyses words and
drills his pupils on each sound alone and
on all together till he can utter them
clearly and easily? Some may have
Towns Chart" in school and practice on
it. That points in the right direction,--
So does the guide board that points south |
to Montpelier. But it is different thing
to read the board from what it is to pass
over the entire road. The fact is this |
work takes time. One half hour each !
day to each reading class for the whole
time Of life pupil should be in school, !
is none too much to be devoted to this |
one branch of training in good reading.
The process is slower and Surer than that
which runs scholar through the whole
four Readers, by the time he is twelve
years old aud before be can pronounce
one word in three correctly; then leaves
him to wear out his pencil and slate and
coat sleeve ill he is twenty over his
Mash nal Rethmetic." This matter will
be looked into, parents and tax payers,
when you attend to it. Teachers will be
careful how they are able to teach read
ing when you require them to not be-
fore.
AN OLD TEACHER.
Nov, 81.
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