The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1875-09-01
ANOTHER TEACHER TALKS.
CEXrERrowN, Ky, Aug. 81


meekness mentioned in that article, and
as some of my views are rditferent from
his, | propose TO discuss in friendly |
manner some ofthe grievances of"R.C.,"
in order that you and your readers may
have the "Views of Two Teachers" r.
c. seems to lie sour on everything he
mentions pertaining to schools, except
Buffers grammar, the Elementary SPELL
ing book, and the shafc of Noah Webster.
| will subscribe to what he says of But
ler's grammar, and think l have due
reverence for the shade of Noah Webster;
but introducing Buffers spoilers in place
of Webster's, we should look at the books,
not at the shades of the authors. |
| learned to spell from the old Elementary
when at school, and yet love that book
for the good it has done. | love the au-
thor of it, too, because his works on lex
Geography have tended to purify and
adorn the English language Every
American, every English speaking son Of
Adam, should pay high honors to the
name of Noah Webster for the good
books he has written; but his school
books are not so well suited to the schools
of to-day as they were to those Of twenty
years ago. The old Elementary answered
our purpose very well when we made
child spell for two or three years without
irving to read. The idea then acted up
on, was that child should learn a large
vocabulary of hard words before attempts
ing to learn the use Of any OF them by
practice in reading. Noe the system is
changed, and the child is taught to read
while it can spell very few words. The
new system seems to be the better one.
At any rate, it is the one in vogue, and
Buffers spoilers seem better adapted to it
than Webster's. A great many of the
first words that a child uses are found in
the fore-part of Buffers speller and in
the back part of Webster's. The words
Iona, ,ohen, then, thing, the, than, then, them,
this, thus, that ,rih, and a host Of others
are thus situated. To make my meaning
plain, | ask, how far can q child read
without calling and understanding the
word the! Some may claim superiority
for Websters spcller, because the letters
are marked; but this sounds better in
theory than in practice. For all pracil-
cal purposes the marks are to a small
child nothing but source Of needless,
cruel confusion. Many teachers, who
have learned all they know about SPELL
ing from that book, frankly admit that
, they know very little about the marks
But little attention has been given to them
in our schools. But some stickler fol
the marking system, would ask it they
; should be thrown away entirely. / an
; swer, no. | would retain them in the
t Dictionaries, and the Dictionary class
should be instructed in the use of tho
marks. Every member Of it should bC
urged to a complete mastery OF the Key
. The expanding mind can then easily
grasp the principles and make immediate
o application of them. The key then be-
O comes the key that will unlock the gate
a way TO halls oil correct pronunciation.
A few more words about Noah Web
3, ster and will leave him. That he wa
great, none will deny. That he was
profound and energetic scholar, needs NJ
proof but his works. 1t is not general,
known, however, by those who in
manner worship his memory, that he al
lowed a good portion of his otherwis
=, valuable time to be wasted in literar
folly into which he was led by his am
80 bition for fame and an over-estimate o
- his influence alludc to the time whe
!, he taught land practiced, too, J that word
should be spelt as they are pronounced
Here is an extract from the preface of
volume of Essays written by him an
). published in 1890 During the cours
II of ten or twelv yers | hav been labor
, ing to correct popular errors and to assis
l, my yung brethren in the rode to trut
!, and virtue. Much tim
haz been spent which l do not regret, an
much censure incurred which my han
" tells me do not dezerv.
te The reader will obzerv that the orthogrs
ply IL not uniform. The recon IL, &c.
This spelling ofthe late Noah Websre
% with a great big title or two, resemble
~ that of Josh Billings. But enough o
= this point. He backed from his rash p,
l. sition and made a man of himself.
Our friend r. c. docs not like our Ii
.. stitutes, and thinks that if the Commo
50 School Teachers could reject the law or
70 ating them, they would send it to tn
p neither world. lie seems to think tn
Ie futiity of them patent to every reilectin
he mind, and triumphantly asks, how fe
It, days attendance at any place Of instru
n ton will enable any one to make any vi:
Is ible Improvement. II says the teacher
/. come up quietly as sheep and foot tn
IS bill of expenses. Ny opinion is, and
q think | can be borne out in it, that man
a fail to attend, and some who attend IA
rs to enroll and pay. Perhaps this might /
,e called toot,Eg, that is, walking away frol
= the bill \ great many teachers do nc