Los Angeles herald., 1891-06-21

A correspondent of the New York Sun,
in speaking about the teaching of PEN
manship in the public schools OF that
great metropolis, elected an editorial
reply which contained the following:
Penmanship, therefore, should be a
department OF instruction in the public
schools upon which the greatest care
is bestowed. 1t is more important there
than algebra, geometry and three
quarters of the other branches by which
the board of education sets so much
store. A first rate writing master is
more essential than great mathemati-
clan, and he deserves a higher salary.
He is harder to get than high flown,
new tangled professor of pedagogy.
The English are good penmen, !, as their
ordinary commercial letter shows, and
even the writing of very many English
mechanics is clear and dignifed. The
I.ish are even better writer's, and the
German mercantile hand is quite ad-
mirable. But with us the rule is the
other way. Usually the letter is a
scrawl, or the chirography is OF the
copybook kind, cheap and poor, and
mechanical in appearance.
The HERALD school reporter recently
spent over half day watching the
method of teaching penmanship under
Mr.. L. B. Lawson, the teacher employed
by the board of education in the Los
Angeles schools. Springt street school
was selected as being representative,
and the reporter accompanied Mr.. Law
son to Miss Henry's class in the first
grade. The scholars were all little tots,
scarcely larger than the kindergarten
children, yet during the term they had
learned how to hold pencil open and
ink not being permitted) and could exc
cute the principal movements, such as
straight slanted lines, capital stems,
loops and ovals, besides writing simple
words embodying the principal move
ments. In this class, as we'll as in every
other throughout the school, the interest
of the scholars in their work was quite
noticeable.
Miss Tracy was the next teacher Wis
tied, with her class graduated from the
first grade at the commencement OF the
year. Pens were in use here, and the
copies written by the little folks were
remarkably neat, and the uniform grace
fulness and legibility of the writing was
something to be remarked upon.
From grade to grade the reporter
went, ending up finally with Miss Da-
Wis in the eighth grade. The scholars
here are ready to go to the high school
next term, and have all acquired good,
plain, graceful style Of penmanship. 1t
was especially noteworthy in this class
that while each scholars writing pos
sessed character of its own, yet the
penmanship was uniformly legible, cor
rect and devoid of useless hourishes.
Mr.. Lawson devoted from twenty-five
minutes to half an hour to each room,
and left a number of copies upon the
blackboard for practice until his next
visit.
In conversation witn the teachers it
was learned that Mr.. Lawson's round of
visits to the schools allows him to visit
every class once i'll two weeks, where he
spends about the length of time
noticed by the reporter in
each class, outlining new work, inspect
ing that done since his previous visit
and correcting errors. Not only is good
penmanship taught, but grammatical
construction, punctuation and business
and correspondence forms are also part
of the system of instruction pursued by
Mr.. Lawson.
On Saturdays, when there are no
children to be taught, the teachers
themselves form a class where they re-
ceive instruction in the same methods
which Mr.. Lawson teaches the children,
so that they are enabled to carry on the
teaching during the intervals between
his visits.
In the old days, when each teacher
was the instructor in penmanship,
music and drawing, as well as in. the or
dinary branches, the promotion OF q
child from one room to another meant
tenn of penmanship, as no two teachers
taught alike. With principal of draw
ing such as Los Angeles and all progress
sive cities employ, uniform progress in
one good system is made through all the
grades.
There is no longer the requirement
that pupils shall all sit ct exactly the
same angle and write in exactly the
same time, with the same movement of
pen, arm and fingers, but the child is
taught to conform to an easy, natural
position; taught the simplest and cas-
lest motions in using his or her pen, and
whenever the position is poor, the class
is interrupted moment, and the follow
ing position signals given: 1. Body
erect, without leaning against either
desk, both feet square on the floor, with
both hands dropped at side in the aisle.
2. Raise both arms and place well upon
the desk, the left hand being slightly in
advance OF the right. 3. Look at paper
without bending the body, and resume
writing.
Altogether, the reporter concluded
that Los Angeles was fortunate in hav-
ing teacher as we'll trained and pos
sessing the ability to teach in so mark
ed a degree as Mr.. Lawson.