Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-11-28


minded of what | once heard member Of
the school committee say at public school
Examination. He had. during the afternoon,
given the scholars a very hard test in SPELL
ing While making his closing remarks, -
II TO justify himself for carrying the test to
an extent that weared both teacher aud pu-
y Is, he told them that it was no disgrace to
make mistake in figures, or even to be
Obliged to admit that was deficient in
m ,thematics. but to be poor spefter was, in
deed. a Disgrace.
why" said he "only the other evening |
heard lady say, my husband Gays | can
not count my fingers twice alike. but she
was not at all ashamed to admit that she could
not reckon quickly and never liked to study
her arithmetic when she WAS girl, but
here he placed the fingers Of his right hand
upon the palm of his left, and after looking
for an instant into the faces Of over two hun
dred boy. he added edo you not think
she would have been ashamed to ad-
init that she poor spellerl
I should have been ashamed of her Boys
be sure To learn how to spell all the words in
common use while you are attending school,
for after that your opportunities for study
ing spelling may be few"
If were asked--why are there so many
poor spoilers in that part Of the community
termed our young folks, | would answer
because they were not during their nrst
school years taught the sounds of the
letters, neither do many young and inex-
perienced teachers understand that pure and
clear .nunciation should be a part of their
own education.
| was once urged to teach q district
school In the school were several young
In .n ipfa fbatr nd ID
yanced in all the common branches includ
irg physical geography. physiology and
United States history But such readers
and such spoilers had never before met in
all my experience in the school room. As
had been my custom in graded school, be-
gan to instruct the smaller ones in the
sounds of the letters novels and con-
sonanIs Judge my surprise, when, one
night after school one of the largest girls
came to me and with look
of mingled shame and regret, said,
"Miss,--I never learned the sounds
Of the lie tiers in my life and We never before
had a teacher here who taught them" but to
my knowledge the two preceding winter
terms had been taught by the supervisor Of
that town
The next day the whole school took les
son in the sounds Of the letters This was
Kept up through the entire term-with ex-
amples of words in which these sounds oc-
Cured, words in the regular spelling lesson
can be used TO great advantage. This vocal
drill always gave as rest when l would
not have time for longer or regular recita-
ton b. fore recess or at the close of ses-
sion. 1t seems 4 simple thing to repeat
q a d and so on through all the vo~els and
copsonints giving each its several and par
iicuar sounds. Simply to know and to be
able to repeat them IL not all. But by them
We are able to determ ne the letters and their
places in word when that word is properly
and clearly pronounced by another.
Particular notice should be called to all
the hard words. especially syllables in which
diphthones ami iripthongs occur A little
attention given at the right time and in the
right way will take away much OF the dread
of hard spelling lessons. Help should be
given by the teacher as long as ''dislike and
dread" are INDUCED in by the pupil But
believe that no such thing as 'dslike"
would enter child's mind If he were from
the very trs' properly taught aud sufficiently
helped and encouraged in that study the
same a. in any other. Why, have, scores
of times, pronounced every word in .
spelling lesson, and pointed out every
hard place in it. to class of young men
about TO commence their classical course. and
l have had the pleasure of seeing them watch
TIE pronunciation of every word ~ carefully
as though it had been the explanation of .
difficult problem By no means set aside
as worthless or rs having no part in the mat
ter of becoming good speller. close appli-
cation to the study on the part of the pupil,
but have mentioned what believe to be .
few of the neglected stones, which 90 far ~
my experience goes, should be the corner
stones of the structure. once knew 4
mother who ma lie il rule to hear her little
girls foreuoons lessons before she vent to
school. These recited che (the child applied
herself to her afternoon lessons, aud At
o., tive hours intermission we're given
the mother invariably heard the afternoon
lessons. The result was that this young girl
was never marked down in all her course |;
for back Of her. around and about her, vas
the influence and help Of 4 mother. competent
| to assist her in all her studies. There are
many mothers who cannot assist their chill
dren in the .his her branches. but there are
but few, at least let Us hope there are but
few in our free school community, Who can
not pronounce and hear . spelling lessOu.
Yes. know there are some, and when re
bear the numbers given in Thousands il seems
almost incredible. but that number 10 few
when compared with the great number Of
human beings that make up the community
of cur nation. But of these We will not
speak now.