Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1875-01-28
From the Ohio Educational Monthly.
Spelling: A Means to what End?

7.
Spelling: A Means to what End;
Since spelling has ceased to Oecu
py that eminence in school worl
which formerly characterized it. ther,
is danger that it may take position
in some schools inferior to its merits
When you and /, Mr.. Editor. wer,
boys, you know spelling was the chic
test of scholarly distinction. A few
years ago, it was the laboriOus high
,cGy to reading. Most of us hav,
vivid recollections of the fact, tha
when We hesitated at word our ears
were greeted with the suggestion
''Spell the word"
Our teachers had not then learned
(perhaps some have not Yet learned
that saying double yOu aitch sc,
ditch was not very suggestive pro
cess to reach ,ohich, and hence We
were required to spell words that we
might pronounce them. We suppose
that in no graded school is this prac,
tice continued, but we have reason to
fear that in many of our ungraded
schools, children are still spelling
through to reading. We remember
school in the Hoosier State land
they have good schools there as we
know, having taught there number
of years, in which two large girls
were spelling such words as in-com-
Pre-hen sibil-i-ty, and the like, and
their teacher hoped to get them
through that quarter so they might
commence reading!
Is not this same folly often repeat
ed in the Buckeye State? We sup
pose that superintendents, and teach
ers generally have a distinct impress
sion that the purpose of spelling is to
enable the pupil to write his Ian
guage, and that being the well-settled
purpose, all their aims tend to the
accomplishment of that end and that
end only, so far as spelling is concern
ed. But this is no small attainment,
nor is it easy of accomplishment.
The county examiners in our State
would be able to testify that few ap-
plicants for certificates have learned
to use capitals properly, nor is the
knowledge of the spelling of the pos
sessive case and the different forms
of the plural by any means common.
Is it not well to inquire why these de-
fects are so common? Certainly the
few infections in our language ought
to be acquired without much Difficult
ty, though we would not say So
much for its photography. Per
haps the secret of the failure lies in
the fact, that we have attempted to
teach these infections by rules rather
than by actual practice. Perhaps,
too, our authors are somewhat to
blame for the hap-hazard manner in
which capitals usod in many of
our spelling and other school books.
But how may these things be
taught? They may and should be
taught with and through the spell
ing lesson. Just so soon as children
commence to write words, they should
be taught to begin proper names with
and other words with small
letters. This rule should be strictly
adhered to in the written spelling les
son. The use of capitals may be i'm
pressed in oral spelling. In our
third and fourth grades, if in the oral
lesson, the teacher gives out the
word George, the pupil spells thus,
'capitat q e-O-r-g-e', and SO of other
proper names. 1t is distinction
hat little children like to make, as it
gives them an opportunity to show
heir powers of observation.
In the higher grades where the
spelling is nearly all written, the
ormation of the plural is readily
aught. First, lists Of words in
which the plural is formed by adj
ling or ey may be made, and the
,upil may be asked to spell the plu-
al OF such words as bog, book, bOr,
tc. Then lists of words ending in
preceded by a vowel may be made,
nd afterward lists of words ending
n q preceded by a consOnant. The
'upil is led to observe and make a
ule in each case, based on the usage.
In like manner, the proper writing
f the possessive singular and pos
essive plural may be taught, many
instances of their use being drawn
rom their readers. 1t is necessary in
his, as in other teaching, to be care
ul to take but one step at time, and
to review when two or
lOre steps have been taken. The
ule for 'siinal silent" and for doub ,
ing the final consonant should, we !
hink, be taught through the spelling ,
ssson, leading the pupil to observe !
he usage and make the rule himself !
Our experience is, that these ,
lings may be taught in connection ,
18th the spelling lesson, and, instead !
{ detracting from its interest or ,
alue, it enhances both. Our belief
j, that unless these things are learn :
i in early school life, they are rare :
: learned at all, unless, as is too. Of :
N the case, we waken up in after [.
ears to the painful consciousness :
lat, though we have spent much
me at school, we have not learned
write the most common infections
our own yernacular. j. S. W.
GduipOlis, o.
A MUSICAL TREE.-A man in New :