Smyrna times., 1889-11-06
Smelling in the Schools.


We publish on our first page q note
from two of the teachers of our public
schools prompted by an article on the
same page in a previous issue OF the
TINES about teaching spelling i'll the
public schools. The article was not In
the local columns, nor Il special local
complaint, but about the habit OF ne
glect in the schools in general OF the
nation, including colleges and uniVer-
stiles, which in such broad sweep
would of course embrace those of this
locality. The authors of this article
speak for themselves personally, and
we havn't aught to say III regard to
their statement.
There are teachers and teachers, as
any school superintendent can testify, of
devious methods and conceptions
some giving their chief attention to one
branch of studies and some to another.
The article in question was about
spelling. The centraliZing idea in the
article complained of was that spell
ing was neglected to the detriment of
the pupils, by crOwding their time
with other studies. This has become
| apparent i'll scholastic New England
as well as Delaware and many other
states.
The three essentials of Il good ordi-
nary educatiOn-such an education as
! fits one for the proper use of the
English language, in the ordinary bus
mess and social requisites by pen or
speech arc - writing, spelling, and
English grammar. Whatever atten-
ton may be given to arithmetic, his
| ho Ryn or
necessary to the proper mastery and
use of the others. They can never be
learned too well, it matters not how
long the pupil may be going to school,
and in our public schools they should
neUer be dropped from the Weekly studies,
not even Ofthe graduating year We
are glad to be able to state, as we are
informed, that for the past two years
spelling has not only been on the cur
riculum of studies for our High school,
but has been attended to in their reg
ular studies. But that this is the ten
dency in the multiplication of new
studies is apparent TO such men as
Senator Hawley and other persons OBJ
servant of educational matters. Thi!
is why he spoke so pOintedly in the
article which has called forth the note
above referred to. We again assert
| cOrrObOrated by such high authority
: that spelling is the most important at
tainable thing for school exercise,
J (premising of course proper prof
, cheney in the other studies) because i
t is the measuring line, SO to speak, il
epistOlatory and other writings of one
T scholarship.
= On the same line it might be re
2 marked that the study Of grammar i
not mastered now as it was in the bes
schools Of forty years ago, when it wa
| regarded as one of the highest studies
r There are very few scholars now VIII
can give the rule for wrong syntax an
correct a sentence by it, which was
necessity in studying Lindley MuI
f rays Grammar. True, the idiomati
t knowledge of the English language
far ahead of that period, and correC
speaking and writing is more part {
the common tongue and runs throug
+ all the grades of education. But chi
v dren are put in grammar training bool
. and pass out of them for other studie
n before they are old enough to cOmpr
=, hend the subject as a science and Civ
\ the rules for correcting incorrect lal
q guage. Those who go through IL
T whole curriculum and study Lati
=; have this deficiency largely, but ind
: rectly made up in the necessary rule
" for rendering Latin into English, (or
. of the best methods of learning the roc
,s work of our own language,) but lil
il writing and spelling, grammar shoul
q not be taken out of the scholars ham
e until the day of graduation.