The Portland daily press., 1882-02-17
Lchambers's Journall
How to Teach Child Letter Writ

How to Teach Child Letter Wr1t-
ers.
Neat and legible letters, of course, the little
ones should be taught to write; because legibfi
ty-the distinct forming of every worlds
better quality than any mere uniformity OF
prettiness of writing, and because an ugly
careless letter is almost slight to the person
who is to read it. But before all else, it should
be impressed upon young letter writers that
they are to write down exactly what they
would like to say; that the letter that reads
like talk is the best letter; and the formal one
that never would have been spoken is the
worst When the children learn to speak
faultlessly, and pick up in time the conVersa-
tional habit of orderly sequence of ideas, their
letters will naturally become perfect in word
ing and arrangement, but will still be faith
full transmission of the UiUa-coce speech Of the
writers. If this common-sense principle oil
teaching letter writing were introduced, there
would be new and immense pleasure added
to the life of all childloving old folks; at some
time or other the children would find need OF
sending letters; and the prattle of the little
ones, their fresh talk breathing happy ignor-
ance of all but their little world, where small
cares, Joys, and interests stand around them
magnifed-the very sound OF their voices echo
ing out of the words they might have said-all
this could be kept indelible and ever treshi
and in how many cases OF distance, time, or
sorrow, the old letters would become precious
as gold
It would also remove from children's minds
much of the difficulty of learning to write let
ters. If the boys and girls are still too young
to 90 to DIR. Smithers or Miss Straightlaee's 8, q
Il. -. I--rs AwNd hal
John is labor approached with dread. Ihey
are shown where to begin, and after choosing q
COMMONPLACE beginning about the pleasure OF
writingD, or the safe receipt OF the last letter,
they beg to be 'set going just down the nrst
page" or be told something to say. The begin
ming was easy; and it was as fixed as chess
opening; but facing three and a half blank
pages, the brain-ransacking of the children is
pitiful-and the pen-chewing, and the Jealousy
of the one that has first found something to say
and is going ahead At last they all go
"ahead )" and get their sheets turned inside out
for page two; during which process six-year old
Baby, who has been printing in pencil, ques-
toned by Jack, reports about her sneezing
cold, the picnic tomorrow, the pigeons, Ia0-
by's kittens, the settlement OF the monkey
name as Pongo, and Nab learning music. And
Jack bursts out in a fury that he has written
every bit the same thing, only beginning with
the picnic, and ending with the kittens anu
the cold; while Nab, with equal resentment TO-
session of her exclusive property, complains;
That's the very thing I've got-my music,
and the picnic and Pongo and all the rest OF 1t
down to Babys coldl Uncle can't read the
same thing over three times, you stupid jack
Baby, begin again with something else to say"
Then, probably, some peacemaker interposes,
issues new writing paper, and divides the uni
versal topics into three separate lists: Baby y
to have her own 'sneezy cold and the kittens
and Nab her own music and the pigeons and
the picnic; Jack may have the picnic, too, and
Pongo; but they are all to say great deal
more about the items of news. After this
there is peace, until they become stranded
again, and don't know what to put next. :.
sSThe whole letter, which Uncle John Will re-
ceive as a spontaneous greeting, written with
great pleasure" is in reality dreary, prolong-
ed effort; and yet, if Uncle John were there,
Nab, Jack and Baby would hug him to pieces
with genuine welcome, and make his head
ache Nwith three lively versions Of inform
alton, all given irrepressibly and at once. Do
| let the peace maker that hit on the plan OF di-
viding the news fairly explain to the children
that they are to send their hugging welcome in
words freely to weary, work Uncle John
and that they are then just to think what they
| would say if they were talking, and say 1t that
| minute in the first words that come This, and
this alone is teaching children how 10 write
the letters that are worth the getting.