Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-03-12
About the Spelling Book.

The following article from the ~.
y Tribune will bear reading by the
schocl-teaching fraternity, for whose
benefit it was evidently prepared
1t trea'R of kind of reform concern
ing the advantages of which there
can be no question. Mr.. Holford, if
we mistake not, is an earnest advo-
cate Of this system Of pronouncing Or
biography, and be has thus far been
quite successful in calling therto the
serious attention of the teachers gen.
orally throughout the county:
"Tbe man who simplifies any pro-
cess of learning, makes straight the
paths of knowledge. The children of
these days have abundant helps TO
knowledge, some of which are, pos-
sihly, more confusing than helpful !;
but, OF all these helps, none can be
more gratefully received than any
which aid in mastering the arbitrary
pronunciation of the English tongue.
We all have painful recollections of the
dreary hours spent in attempting to
grasp the different RECOMMENDATIONS
given TO the same combinations Of
vowels. The value of the different
letters ofthe alphabet was hard PROB
lem to solve, and the significance of
their form was something which no
child could find out; no teacher
would ever try to teach. Latterly,
by some system Of phonetic spelling,
retormers have endeavored to dis
place the old, cumbrous formula aud
the bewildering combinations of the
alphabet. But these experiments
have proved abortive, and they have
no place in the curriculum ofthe COM
mon schools of the country.
Latterly, however, there has been
growing up into public favor a sys-
tenn OF pronouncing photography,
which not only gives great promise
of usefulness, but has actually been
iudorsed as success by many Off
eials in charge of public and private
schools. The plan of DR.. Leigh does
not involve the substitution of new
alphabet for that now in use, but
simply au improved notation there
ior. Perceiving that large portion
of the time of nearly all teachers is
spent in teaching pupils to recognize
IN print words with which they are
already familiar orally, Dr.. Leigh ar
ranged u printed alphabet, which
may be said TO convey unerringly to
tae mind Of the reader the element.
airy sounds which appear in the pro-
nunciatiou. This pronouncibg print
does not SO much vary from that in
ordinary use as to unfit the pupil for
the use Of the latter when he has
mastered the former. Indeed, most
of those who, have employed the
Leigh system In teaching, testify that
scholars pass from one 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 the language and liter
allure of tho country. The expert
ment seems TO be success, aud if it
is half its friends claim for it, it has
greatly shortened the path which al
beginners 10 the study of the English
language must tread.
The Leigh system of pronouncing
type has been introduced 10 the 10
lie schools Of Boston, where, in 1871,
it was taught in eleven districts and
the Superintendent Of Public Schools,
Mr.. Philbrick, after an examination
and study of the experiments in its
use, indorsed il as capable of Saving
from 30 TO so per cent. of of the time
now devoted TO reading in the prima-
ry schools In ST. Louis, where it
was introduced in the public schools
in 1866, it is pronounced q great sue
cess. In 1869, the system was used
experimentslly in some of the schools
of New York city with such success
that, in December last, an order was
adopted permitting its employment,
on requisition, in any of the pubic
schools in the city. Specially warm
commentator seems TO be given the
new pronouncing type by those en-
gagged in teaching foreigners. Young
people made familiar with this type
acquire English pronunciation, it is
said, with surprising accuracy.
These facts seem to be conclusive
as to the valne of the plan and if
the time and mental vigor of pupils
arc saved by it, there seems to be no
chance for controversy as to its mer-
it's. At any rate, the facts, as far as
they are collated, speak welt for The
system, and it promises to be real
help to tho youngsters who may add
this to other modern timessaving
methods Of learning"
t..e The Great Fires.