The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-11-17
TEACHING PUNCTUATION.

1t is often asked, when should
punctuation be taught?" | believe it
can be taught just as soon as n child
begins to read and write, which, -
thanks TO the abolishmcnt of tho old
alphabet and printing methods!-arc
now simultaneous achievements.
l have been asked still oftcncr.
"How soon, and how, and why would
you use the printers marks?" As
have not found many teachers who do
use them, an experience may prove in
tcresting, and in relating it i hope to
answer these questions. A class was
sent To me from n lower room, COM
posed of scholars ranging from nine to
twelve years of age, the majority of
whom were well versed in the use of
the period and comma. so it was easy
To carry them farther on this road.
But writing compositions was still n
cross to them, borne with varying de-
grees of patience or Righteousness, ac-
cording to the disposition of each
pupil. | had long held theory as 10
the use of the printers marks in cor
recting compositions, and rs these
were the youngest pupils | had ever
taught, it seemed good time to begin.
Not scholar knew any of them except
the caret and the sign for italics, so |
had virgin soil in which to work.
One day the simpler marks were
placed on the board,--the two lines for
small capitals, the q for paragraph.
the tr. and line around words to in-
dicate transpostion, and for omitted
quotation marks Zone comma being
ta taI
phe), ),-as these were the marks that
would most easily indicate their most
common errors.
The pupils used no books, their work
consisting OF written work on black
board or paper, and object language
lessons. All had notebooks, into which
the signs given them were copied, nndfn
n few days all had learned them. Thev
were accustomed to writing impromp-
tn exercises, and that day were re-
quested to use extra care i'll preparing
them, as their papers would be first
corrected by members of the class. and
afterwards by the teacher. who would
mark each scholar, both for tho mis-
takes hc made in his own exercise, and
for the mistakes he made in using the
marks for correction. The marks were
to be used in tho inch margins, which
they always left all around their exer-
cises, TO indicate tho mistakes made,
but no correction, Cere TO be made in h.o
body of the exercise.
Fifteen minutes were used in writ
ing, then the papers were folded
lengthwise and exchanged. Tho mis-
takes on the left of tho fold in paper
were to be corrected in the left-hand
margin. etc. At first let the correct
or draw line through the word that
was wrong, but we soon did away with
that, merely placing the mark on the
same line where the mistake occurred,
and leaving the scholar to whom the
exercise belonged to find out Dhut the
mistake was, and correct it in copying
his exercise for final approval.
Some were troubled At first, by find
ing several errors in one line, both at
left and right OF the fold, but little
miss Immediately solved the difficulty
by saying, in n scornful tone that was
vastly amusing, "Why, put all the
marks for one line in row, OF course,
and take them rs they come"
The papers were then returned TO
their writers, and each. as called upon,
told the marks in the margin, what
they indicated, aud made the corrsc-
tons orally.
wa. agreeaby Y surprised at the re-
suit. A few of the class failed utterly,
as is generally the case when new
methods are tried on short notice, but
nearly all made the marks neatly,
learned their meaning readily, correct
ed their mistakes quickly, and were
delighted with the cute little things,n
as one girl called them.
This trial convinced me that it is
never too soon 10 begin TO teach a new
thing. if it is good, and answers tho
first part of that question, whilo the
show" is already explained. l began
at once to use ii in my older compost
tion CLASSES, aud was always surprised
ut the new interest it infused into the
formerly dreaded task Of essay writing,
IL this method is used soon enough,
and followed in all the different
grades. the graduates will have = thor
ough. practical. and lasting knowledge
of the principal signs used by COM
positors and proof-readers. and Of all
the grammatical and diacritical points.
"a large card on which the diacritical
points were printed with "a marking
penn was hung in the recitation room,
and the pupil soon learned them with
out making any especial effort TO
memorize them. )-Aristi.!c Anderson in
Jonrnal Of Education.