Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-11-18

In the academies so numerous in
years past in the eastern states,
scarcely term ever passed without
the organization of class in parsing.
The pupils who had "gone through
an English grammar (perhaps sever
al times) procured copies of Milton's
Paradise Lost, Cowper's Task, or
some other equally well known
piece of standard literature, and went
through a daily exercise of deter
mining the grammatical construction
of each of the words of ten or a
dozen lines. The object sought was
a greater familiarity with the rules
and principles of grammar than the
study of the textbook had given.
No one who has participated in these
exercises can question their useful
ness in accomplishing this object.
But another object quite as desirable
was often secured without any dis
tinct purpose of the kind on the
part of the teacher, and sometimes
even without his recognition. In no
small number of instances, an ac-
curate Judgment concerning the
merits of literary performances, and
cultivated taste were the outgrowth !
of these Rotations.
Not only in the schools of higher |
grade were such exercises a part of
the daily programme, but in the
better class of district schools there
was usually found one small class
doing work of this kind. To-day, |
parsing from the English classics is |
not just in fashion 1t is true that
we have in all the higher grades OF
schools works on English Literature,
with excellent literary analyses; but |
what substitute is there for Milton |
in the hands of the older boys and
girls in the district school? Is it |
wholly certain that the medley |
that is found i'll the textbook on |
Literature. even though its selections
come from the very best authors, is
an equivalent for some one work Of
unquestioned excellence which may
be studied and analysed as a whole |
The following is an outline of a
method of spelling, presented by |
Miss Julia Plowman, at one of the |
meetings of the teachers of the city
schools:
have taken Spelling as my sub
ject. have as much trouble in
teaching that as anything else, as
some of our pupils are in a hurry to
begin the " REFORM" and spell ac-
cording to sound.
In spelling, the first lesson is oral;
if one word is incorrectly spelled,
sometimes the whole lesson is recited, |
sometimes only the word re-spelled |
or written several times. At first. | |
gave twenty words tone lesson in the
Word Speller), for a lesson, but |
soon found that required too much
time when | heard each one reeite
all of the lesson; SO now | give ten or
fifteen words; the length of the
lesson depending on the character of
the words. There are two oral les
sons, and then one written one Of
the two lessons that have been re-
cited. These words are given out i'll
the class and written in book. l
do not give them out in the order
they are in the Speller. The reason
of this is plain. | take the books,
mark each mis-spelled word, and
under the lesson mark the number
OF words incorrectly spelled. The
books are given back the next day
the words are then corrected and writ
ten under the number before the /,
books are returned to me- On Fri !
days all the work of the term is
revised by writing on slips Of paper,
by spelling down. or by choosing
sides.
The same day that the words are
written in the books, each pupil is
given & word, and a sentence is
required to be written on the board
that word; and in some
cases the definition is given.
1t seems to be impossible for
some to spell the easiest words cor !
rectly; 1t seems natural for them to
spell any but the right way. once
thought that anyone could spell
correctly if he wished, but | have
changed my mind somewhat with
regard to that. | know of a gentle
men who is a very fine scholar, ex-
cept in spelling. He says it is i'm
possible for him to spell correctly.
As he writes for a paper he feels !
this defect very much. His wife I
looks over all his writings before they :
are sent to the printer.
In lessons requiring written rules J
and definitions, it has been usual .
thing for me to return papers to t
pupils, and ask to have the words /
spelled just as they are in the book. s
They are more careful now, as they /
\ 80 I'll, Al