River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-05-11
Educational
IN. =. BAKER. A. H., Editor.
COUNTY sUPERMrENpENr)
The Word Method q Teaching Reading.
Read BIZ rIiss Lizzse Curtis, of the
River Falls Normal school, before
the Teachers Association at
Ellsworth, rIarch 4, 1870.
I-NNss- ,rrkun 4

the Teachers Association at
Ellsworth, March 4, 1870.
CONCLUDED
AT the end of the first week perhaps,
or possibly sooner, give them their
books, and let their first lesson in them
be genuine hunt for the words they
know: from this time | let them use
books. The pictures help greatly if
rightly used-the interest and ambi
ton excited by the fact that they are
really reading, viii help more, and in
less time than it will take them to
learn dozen letters, they will be able
TO read intelligently half that number
of pages, and the spelling of many of
these words will have been mastered,
also; at least that is my experience.
Speaking Of pages of book, how
eyer-T should skip all those pages
which cannot be read intelligently
simply because there are no ideas on
them; pages filled up with this sort Of
trash-''so he is''-''he is in"-swe
go on and the like. Children will
not learn, without fearful effort, what
they are not interested in. and quite
enough of that effort must necessarily
be used in teaching them the little
and great items of department which
they must learn, and from the nature
(human) of things they cannot be in
terested in.
| should like to repeat with empha-
sis that do not teach the letters.
do not know when my pupils learn the
letters, but they know them, and nei-
ther they nor have had any of that
long drawn agony, the drudgery of
learning the alphabet. II any teach
ers here or elsewhere who have ney-
er tried the WORD Method" will give
it one faithful trial, they will be salts.
fed of its benefits. and beauties, am
sure, and will never again desire to
resort to a, b, C, and b alb, as a first
step in teaching reading. Do not be
afraid to make free use of the pict.
ures, for, while they are looking al
and talking about them. they are edu.
eating their eyes to see and minds to
take In the details of what is before
them and in their talk about them,
they will be sure to say some of the
things that the book says about them,
and will be very much deli ,hted to
find their own sayings printed, and
themselves able to read them. Print
ing what they are learning is a very
essential feature of their work also,
and think it should be as close an i'm
itation of the words of their books as
they are able to make. After they
have advanced 80 far in reading that
you are sure they know the letters at
sight and many combinations Of them,
tell them something about the differ
ence between printing and writing,
and have them begin to write, and af-
ter it is once begun, increase their
practice in it until they can write
well.
The Wis Journal Of Education for
April has two articles on Normal
Schools; Corporal Punishment is treat
ed from a legal standpoint. Every
number is interesting. The best
teachers are reading it.
7 NOTICE that those teachers who STAY
away from Institutes are the most
backward in scholarship and methods
of teaching .-Supt. shafer in Dunn
County News.
Do not mean TO say that a teacher
who is teaching in mixed country
schools can use all the methods which
are given by Institute conductors.
But | do mean to say that they can be
used to greater extent than they
have been heretofore. -Supt. Shafer
in Dunn Co. News.
No xoRE school reports will be pub.
lished in this department.
OILY tive first grade certificates this
spring
0PES your school with singing, II
you are gifted in that way Have all
join.
JAMES T. McCLEART began his fourth
term in the Maiden Rock school on
Monday, April oath.
Miss KATE GREES began her second
term in Dist 4, Maiden Rock. the same
day
TUE School Bulletin for April con.
tains about one.half a column Of news
from Pierce county chiefly from the
Jo-RSAL. II has articles also upon
Language Lessons, How 10 Study and
Popular instruction in Drawing.
There Is a page Of school music, and
many other interesting topics It Is a
state enterprise and meets the wants
Of Wisconsin teachers. II Is a splen.
did paper. slO0 per year. S. r
Winchell. Milwaukee