Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-03-28
New York Tribsns. ]

new 1OrA 1tiDSDc.
Au article which appeared in the Irs-
bsae on sunday, November 9Th, on
teaching children 10 read, has excited
much interest among educators who
have given time and study to this sub
jaot. That satisfactory solution has
cot been generally reached Is evident
from tbs variety of methods employed.
1 be old A, h, q system, tine phoaeiie
alphabet and the kindergarten methods
with many variations have all ~arfa
Supporters. Some teachers OF loI eI-
pesisnce disre2arded entirely at frat the
committing of the alphabet 90 mesaory,
bat begin with the effort to form pie
tares of the words aud syilsbies IN the
chaid's mind. fhs views af G.. n. Nor
ton. a teacher in New York private
school, which we're given in she TsitH'ss
article. are largely sustained by AlgeT-
mon ;. Higgins. the Principal OF Gram
mar school No. 9of Brooklyn. meth
cd of teaching oAildren 30 read in the
fret stages has been for several years ia
practios there. siah. It is claimed. re-
suits Of an unusaaily satisfactory CHAR
aeter. The method does not differ ma
terially from that OF James w. Shsarer,
whioh Mr.. MGrtsn recommends, and
which he says has been elaborated with
remarkable results by Professor Hudson
Of Rio de Janeiro.
II believe" said Mr.. Higgins 10 8
Tribune reporter last week, ''that VIC
have solved the problem BY securing
phonetic type that Is not Greek alpha.
bot to children. The system Is thai of
Edwin Leigh, a Brooklyn teacher, who
has given the subject the experience
and study OF his life. IL Is used in
many parts of the country, and | am
aba 30 demoustrste that we in the pri
mary department Of the school have not
only taken a step Ia the right direction.
bat have accomplished the entire ioaf
iiey."
Mr.. Lsigh's system. iiks that Of Mr..
Skearor, il founded on tbs phonetic
method. Ii alssS combines tbs word pie
tuEss of other nethods 10 familiaFike
the ckild with the appearance of soras.
The teacher may begin With the vord
''boy" or dog and after thoroughly
acqnAintinR tbs child with the ohiect.
Imtn,s the word on tue blackboard. fbis
10 the frst actual step in the LeiRa
method. The letters, TO q casual OBJ
server, do not dtfisr from any other let
tiers, bat ON closer inspection she lyps Is
SHARKS. una Issieg 10 bread and heavy,
and another distinguished BY ths light
hair lines OF infections. These dis
tinctians are tAnebl the pupil gradual
lF. He learns to associate them wlth
the different sounds Of the word aud
t.arns 10 knoG the word, not only by
tka leGtsrs. hnt by she different
sounds Of each letter. as indSeAt a by
she way 10 which The letter Is formed.
lhe entire priEser Is printed in these
charactere, walsh diher 80 little from
ordinsry type that the impFessiou on
one unsecustosned 10 them u that OF
print which is slightly blurred, hut not
safaaisbfly 30 20 cause any difhculty in
rssdinH.
.It is only the saAaolding." said Mr..
Eli2sans, in explaining the nsethod and
the typo. Thu child IL carried through
alie primer With tie aid Of this type inso
words Of i've sSilsblss and through the
second reader. In tke third reader be
has acquired lsood SocAbulary. has BE-
oynla acquainted with the words and
Knows the SQUADS OF each letter. The
dzssnefisn is then dropped the scaf
is,lding u taken down. The advantage
which we gain by this means IL 10 teach
tue ehila 10 sead fatty esoht noaths
s<ssner than by any osher prsocess that
know Of. Oar children in the primary
d,spMrtmsnt all begin with this s0ethod
ana they have no dsfsacaity IN passing
frum ID 90 egdinaEy type.
= In the i0sess class children OF Eve
oi SIX years begin school, uaay OF thenl
wtihsut kneUsng their letters These
oltildren with us oaly come 10 school
h,td a day. Ihe class that entered tae
gekaosh IN September u now 10 rs thlrd
uunth of half siay teAehing. Yea nay
ses thai the ssheaars sheFs FeNd vel.
Afpa that tAey are half threnee tbs
ptinasr. Althoash they uzay never have
satn il before. II the teaelleT writes ont
aK,v ordinary word in characters on the
as,Arsi q dazen children will quickly
su,.lI il by tie ssand af the hssssrs, and
ps,sasics u coETrctiy. Ia tie second
sStxu they take ap the reader. and ey
the end 90 the first year cf schcoa they
have rpaeAs.i tke tAlrd reader end s<iost
ths regular typa. Tae good fe<aias of
tht pA0nasaa useseod are all apparent ~
ths scarse uf tks seschiEe. Tue ckAi
arsT learn 10 catch seeds aeszFNtssy.
Il Is dssasrals 10 detect any sce<nt aason2
them, aiihcnxh tAey have tofesga 81
rwkta IN mAnx eA<es. IaSlr wssrds are
suoksn elearly and faliy. ard eysa saa-
psainssnss ct speeek are eftcH rensedted,
Il nef entirely sosFscSssi.
e1te natural ssSer ef The se0nas -
k,ts in xsew by tlae exesalSes in this
uisith.Sa. siforatne reAl earaseey u The
v,nAi a. veil &S the musical scale. Tbs
strikes The eAE and awAksas the Interest
uf tee class. Ths RoEnIas Ai's eFonoane-
ca and tRnRha In patrs aEa not By aHy
arbitrary 4, b, q. oR ., = / ., .. arrange
na,sns. AmGnR pupiis ot say&nced years
sslta are lsarnsng The taafluags. ! be-
liexs ID i possible ey this insaas 10 ea-
a.hle ths1n 10 naake . deeiGad preEress IN
ieaidsiae after TOO u1cutAs u careful
iirsdy,-