The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-04

Class begins with sword building" by putting
together the vowels and consonants In all sorts
OF combinations. Marking of accents, converse
ton exercises, supplementary reading in his
tories, newspapers, magazines and books Of
travel are also taken up.
LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION.
The course in language and composition
radically differs from that in vogue few years
ago. Then the older pupils wrote stiff little
compositions once month, or once week at
most. Now conversation exercises and compo-
sition are part of the everyday routine. The
schedule is elaborate and comprehensive, and
much work has been expended on il The in
tention is that any pupil who goes through the
school shall be able to express himself with
reasonable accuracy, fuency aud force. short
extract from the many pages of directions to
teachers shows something of the scope Of the
work:
The pupil must first learn TO observe and to
express the result of his observation by means
OF correct spoken language. before attempting
10 make use OF written language. Object lessons
furnish the material for the development OF the
pupil ideas, but they should not be confined to
mere statements of facts
:. The aim of the teacher should be to SO develop
the pupils powers OF observation that he may,
Dy his own efforts, acquire information addi-
lonai 10 that impaired by the teacher That
pupils may express their thoughts in intelligent
and correct spoken and written language re-
quires constant practice in talking and writing,
under the guidance of a teacher who has the
ability 70 carefully and patiently correct all
errors nhiso Of speech whether spoken OF written
non lessons, in connection with familiar
things, afford the best means of securing the
continual practice in talking and writing.
lhe outline OF work should be systematic and
logical, going from one "step'' to another care
fully and patiently. Without such systematic
traiaing, as will enable the pupil to proceed
from easy to more difficult subjects, compost
kl0n VIII continue To he much dreaded h.
ject.
To properly follow the outlines of work as
given requires OF the teacher very thorough and
careful preparation each day for the work OF the
following day The labor cannot be shirked.
once week is not often enough TO have compo-
sition exerc ses.
must be so frequent, SO thorough, that the pupil
forms fixed habit of observing, thinking, talk
Ing and writing in a correct and methodical
way. Ultimate success can only be had by talk
ing and writing day by day. week after week,
month after month, term after term, year after
year.
The steps 70 be followed by the teachers are
very carefully planned The smallest pupils
are led to talk about first the names of common
things, then the materials and then the quail
ties In the second year actions are taken up,
manner OF actions, times of actions, and the
parts OF things. In this year the actual writing
begins. In the higher grades observa-
hon lessons are given In qualities OF
things, actions of thing, uses of things,
forms OF things, motives of actions, conse-
qnences, causes effects, etc. Letter writing, re-
production of stories from memory, short CON-
positions about topics in geography, arithmet C,
the reader, American history, plant and animal
life, about objects seen each day, together with
lessons in language, its history and origin, oc-
cupy the later years.
1t Is safe to say that no completer course in
composition has ever been planned for any pub
lie school system in the country. The results
must certainly be very gratifying