The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-01-04
PRIMARY READING.
Spelling Reform.


Dawson, and this week we publish
an article on Spelling Reform, by J.
B. JiIsun. We called attention to
the article on Primsry Reading last
week and we now call at tention to
the article on Spelling Reform. Both
are good articles in their way, and
both perhaps are worthy of criticism.
In the article on Primary Re aiding
the five methods Of teaching reading
are presented and the writer gives
preference TO the Word and Phonic
methods combined. There can some
thing be said in favor of each method
and something against each method.
We believe the Alphabet method has
oflate been done injustice, and that
modern educators have exaggerated
it's disadvantages and claimed for
other methods advantages over it
greater than they are entitled to. In
the common alphabet there are 26
letters: In the phonetic AZ. BY the
alphabet method the child has to
learn % or AZ things and the names
of these 26 or AZ things. And this
is comparatively a small matter cem-
pared with the number of things
which every intelligent child learns
in few months after it learns to
talk. The greatest difficulty a child
meets with is in learning to know
things as small ah the letters. The
names of the letters will be learned
as easily as the names of the same
number of other things. And SO
easily are the letters and their names
learned that every child in a civilized
family should know the letters and
their names before going to school.
But there may be some families in
civilized countries who are not civiliz-
ed, and there may be some parts Of
our country or OF the world which
are not civilized;and children ofsuch
families or parts of our country or
the world may find their way into
schools without knowing the letters
or their names. And then it becomes
the duty of tea ehers to learn them
to read: And the question is, How
shall they do it? Miss Dawson says
by the Word and Phonlc methods
combined. j. B. Jilsun speaks Of the
Phonetic and Phonic methods as if
they were one and the same. The
drift of his article however is in favor
ofPhonetic spelling, without speak
ing Of any method of learning to
read.
Miss Dawson would first teach a
child to know words, and after time
turn him back and teach him by the
phonic combined with the wordmeth-
cd. and then after time would teach
him the sounds of letters, delaying to
teach the names of letters till he had
entered the First or Second Reader
We doubt the advantage of such
method and especially the delay to
teach the names of letters. How
long would the advocates of the
method have parents, after their
child had learned to know cat
delay teaching him the names of ths
cats head, tail, legs, ears, eyes, nose
and mouth? Till they enter the FRS
or Second Reader of Geological
knowledge? Ifnot, why delay teach
ING him the names of the letters in ca
till he enters the First or Second
Reader ?
Ateacher, understanding his bust
ness, would never allow child K
learn the letters by note whethe
taught from a to 2 of the Alphabe
or from the Primer. And it neeC
not take teacher long to learn E.;
child &c or ~ letters and their names
There may however be bette
and quicker way. Let the letters b.
printed separately on blocks or cards