New-York tribune., 1872-02-28
STRAIGHTENING TIE PATHS.

The mn who simpliGes any process OF
learning. makes straight the paths to BnOWl-
edge. The children of these days have
abundant "helps to. knowledge" some of
which are, possibly, moro confusing than help
full but, OF all these helps, mono can be more
gratefully received than any which aid in
mastering the arbitrary pronunciation OF tho
English tongue. We all have painful recoi-
lections of the dreary hours spent in attempt
ing to grasp che different pronunciations given
20 the Same combinations of vowels. The
value of the different letters of the alphabet
was a hard problem to solve, and the signiii-
cameo of their form was something which no
child could find out; no teacher ever would
Try to teach. Latterly, by some system OF
phonetic spelling reformers have attempted to
asplace the old, cumbrOus formula and tho
bewildering combinations of the alphabet.
But these experiments have proved abortiVe,
and they have no place in the curriculum OF
the Common Schools Of the country
Latterly, however, there has been growing up
into public favor system of pronouncing or
biography, which not only gives great promise
of usefulness, but has actually been inGOrsed
as success by many officials in charge OF
public and private schools. Tho plan of DR..
Leigh, of which readers of THE TRIBUNE have
frequently heard, does not involve o substtu-
ton of g. new alphabet for that now iii use,
but simply an improved notation therefor
Perceiving that @ large portion, of the time of
teachers is spent in teaching pupils to
recognize in print words with which they are
already familiar orally, DR.. Leigh arranged q
printed alphabet, which may be said to convey
unerringly to the mind Of the reader the
elementary sounds which appear in the pro-
nunciation. This prOnounCng print" does
not so much vary from that in ordinary use
as to unfit the pupil for tho use of tho latter
when he has mastered tho former. Indeed,
most of those who have emplOyed tho Leigh
system in teaching, testify that scholars pass
from oae to the other without any hesitation,
mastering the elementary sounds with the new
style of print, and using thereafter the
ordinary forms, because those are most in use
in tho language and literature of the country.
| The experiment seems to be a success, and If
il is half its friends claim for it, it has greatly
shortened the paths which all beginners in the
study of tho English language must tread.
The Leigh system of pronouncing type has
been introduced in the public schools of Bos-
ton, where, in 1871, it was taught in eleven
districts and the Superintendent of Public
Schools, Mr.. Philbrick, after an examination
and study of tho experiments in its use, in
dorsed it as capable of "saving from 30
"to so per cent of the time now devoted to
reading in tho primary schools" In st.
Louis, where it was introduced in tho public
schools in 1866, it is pronounced great sue
cess, In 1860, the system was used expert
mentally in some of tho schools of this city
with such success that. In December last, an
order was adopted permitting its employment
on requsition. in any of the public schools in
tho city. Specially warm commendaton
seems to be given the new pronouncing type
by those engaged in teaching foreigners
Young people made familiar with this type
acquire English pronunciation, 1t is said, Will