The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-08-03
Educational Column.
CONDUCTED BY GEO. R. WILSON co. surr
The Revival Of Spelling.
by :. y. Fiester, Co. supt., waverly low

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J An educator of no little prom
inence in educational matters says
that the principal business OF the
public school is to cause the child
to learn to spell well, to read under
standingly, to write legible hand,
to speak correctly; to learn some
thing Of American history, common
geography, and business arithmetic.
We note with pleasure the prom
inence given by the author to spell
ling. On careful examination OF
the manuscript work Of the average
pupil, one is led to ask the ques-
|tion, "Is spelling lost art?" Are
I'VE, in our desire to smooth the.
, rough places, not losing sight OF the
great undeniable fact that there is
no royal road to intellectual wealth.
Are we not forgetting that hard work
is the only thing that will ever bring
an education worth the havingy
While | do not advocate that "good
/, spoilers are born, not made" yet !
: do believe that person must learn
to spell while young or his chances
, of becoming a good speller are very
uncertain. Believing this, would
A develop the whole word before leav-
e ing it. / would have the eye life,
the ear life, and the soul life OF the
/ word at sight studied by the pupil,
e and have him spell it by sound and
t by letter, and understand its mean
ing and use in sentences OF his own
e construction.
o How many of us remember the
t long lines of spelling and the strife
/. made in getting to the head OF the
n class! We also remember how the
o spelling book came home at night,
q and how the earnest fathers and
; mothers heard us spell, spell, spell
,s But what a change took place
il Some wiseacre discovered that ora
re spelling was not made use OF II
a practical life; that we use the writ
e. ten word when we use its orthog
ID raphy; and, presto, change-tn'
spelling book was relegated to tn
rd rear and its dog-eared leaves left q
70 school never to return to share tn
N cooperative help and influence Q
he the home. As well have the multi
v. plication table learned and recite.
e. exclusively by the written method
re Perhaps some of these would-b
or new educationists will discover tina
or the Creator made a mistake in max
,ot ingthe eye and ear to aid each othel
ke For ten years did the book II
covered with dust and disgust
Then the new Cd education gre
tired of the old (?)-the new bt
comes the old in ten years-an
,p- some wise philosopher, (his nam
we is legion) discovering the wretche
le- spelling Of his not too numerou
ia progeny, traced its source way bac
en- into the dim distance OF the pr
&C. vious decade, and out OF the pr
in historic dust Of disgust arose II
he spelling-book, as !. were, from Il
w. dead. Yes, the spelling has con
we to STAY. While it is here, let
make thorough use OF its adval
tages. Let us combine the or
spelling with the written. Let
!. allow the eye and the ear to COO
crate in grasping so firm hold
the orthography Of the word that !
impression will be indelible.
Revive oral spelling; let the p
pills spell orally once each day, al
revive the old method, with its e
thusiastic way of "going up Is
do not neglect to have written spc
ing. 1t would seem a good plan
have written spelling in the foI
h). noon. and then take the same G
ercise in review, together with
advance lesson, for oral spelling
the close of the afternoon sesslo
BE careful to have the lessons w
learned BE thorough, but do \
give SO short lesson as to fail
create an interest. Rather q
nee twenty words and review It TN
times than five words each for 10
cia- recitations.
One Of our prominent busln'
ris- men said, recently, that nothI
in a letter so disguised him rs pt
in spelling. An applicant was refus
Iuor a good position in graded work
le- the sole reason that he misspell
cla- two words in his written apple
ton. The best commercial COLES
$50 are making good spelling one OF
prerequisites Of graduation. II
ion. know how good writing gives pro
inencc to bad spelling. The 10
State Normal has refused to gr
diplomas to candidates on the :
ground Of the applicants inabl
/, spell. The methods may dir
but poor spelling will not soon
taken rs mark Of superior gem
cen not till wise men make feasts
unu ennls eat them.