Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-07-11
Educational Column.
CONDUCTED BY GEO. L. Will IAAIS
COUNTY SURF OF SCHOOLS.
JOTTINGS.

" ould it not be the part OF wisdom
fog each of our country districts to so
arrange the terms of school for next
year as 10 have no school during the
months of July and August? It must
be evident to all who have thought Of
this subject for moment, that school
during the hot days of summer by
reason of the diminished attendance
and apathy of both teacher and pupils
/ is not only improbable, but, in many
cases, is injurious, in that the school
room becomes to too many q place of
dread rather than place Of delight.
Take for instance children who have
to walk from one to two miles to the
school house these hot morning, is it
possible to suppose that their minds
must not partake Of the exhaustion
and languor of the body, and that the
progress ''up the hill of science"
must be but slow and irksome. Let
the summer term begin so as to close
the last of June and have the fall and
winter term begin in September, &C.
tober or November, and thus the
school will be found to be most profit
able and attractive
Arrangements are being perfected
for the holding Of a two weeks Insti.
tute in Centralia, to commence Sep
tember End, Duncan McGregore, one
of the Profe, so1s in the Platteyille
Normal School, will be the conductor
thereof. We had hoped to have Prof.
Thayer again with US at the coming
Institute, but the committee having
the Institute work Of the state in
charge have otherwise ordered and We
must be contented, thankful that we
are to have an Institute this Fall and
that so able a conductor as Prof. Nc
Oregon will be with us
Do not continue beyond the hour
f1ed for the close of school. If work
is not then done, it must be left until
the nez5 day. Six hours in the schooi-
room is long enough for one day, for
if, during that time, work has been
faithfully done by teacher and pupils,
the mind and body need rest and fresh
air Many teachers think that they
are doing the district and scholars
great good by hearing some large OF
advanced classes after school hours
It is a mistake, and will in the end
work more injury to all concerned,
than good. In cases where it is an
absolute necessity to meet pupils again
the same day, for instruction, let it be
in the evening.
4 few facts concerning the spelling
reform may be of some use to our
readers,
1. IF English could be written as
pronounced, 100 hours in six years Of
primarv instruction could be saved.
2. When children have been taught
to read first On phonetic. and phonic
principles, ordinary spelling and read
inc has been learned in a shorter time
than children usually take to learn the
latter alone.
| 3. Tie spelling Of the Italian is
the most perfect Of any in Europe.
Ia $50 hours an Italian will learn to
read and spell, as we'll in his language,
as an American will in 1920; or Itai-
ian children Will read aud spell at least
as correctly as most American chill
dren when they leave school, though
two years later in beginning their
work.
4 German children who commence
school life later than Americans, at
fourteen years Of age are at least two
years in advance, in ability to read
and spell, fuently, and correctly, their
own language.
5. IF time is money. it certainly
would be a great pecuniary advantage
to US to adopt rational mode of spell
| ing our language. At least one-fourth
the time now occupied in obtaining a
good English education could be saved.
Would it not pay to reform?
Runaway. THE lethargic times
were enlivened by the boss runaway of
the season last Wednesday. A team
belonging to Mr.. Rider of Rudolph,
which was supposed to have been Sc
cvrely tied in front of Morren's Meat
Market, caught sight Of buffalo robe
in passing team, which was sufficient
excuse for ''ljghting out" Accord
ingly they gave one lunge, wheeled,
and were off down Water street like
bolt of A. 1. lightning. Turning the
corner by the bank they struck a snog
and Loft the rrnnnn nr nolIn4,-ol c.