The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-09-30
SCHOOL BOOK QUESTION:

Som Othing Pertinent About the Excelsior
Readers.
I To the Editor of the State Journal.
In reference to the matter of Readers
for the use of the pupils in the Topeka
/ schools. and the proposition of Crane s.
| Co to the school board offering the Ex-
celsior Readers, wish to say few
words.
| Enemies of the proposition have bus
| led themselves in searching for errors
! and criticisms, and they have been pub
| lished to the world. Some things have
been published as errors which are not
errors, and some criticisms have bsen
made which are unfair.
Thomas Mcclellan, the highest author
| ty on printing, says that "a book never
yet has been published, free from err
rors" We do not claim infallibility for
the Author of the Excelsior Read
ers, But we do claim for ourselves
the disposition and ability to cor
rect errors. Some teachers will
! criticise some things that others
| commend. One says that the Excelsior
First reader is made up of a very few
words repeated in various WAYS to make
sentences, while City Supt. Perkins says:
'every primary teacher will appreciate
this valuable feature of the work l re-
gard these readers as the best OF the
available for our use in the school ROOM"
Another says: "The script used is
job office font" That is correct; but it
is plain, simple and uniform. McGufey
teaches one kind of script letter in the
Alphabet and uses another kind in tho
lessons, his script is uneven and so crowd
ed as to be difficult to read, thus confus-
ing the child. There is no authority as
to which is the best style Of penmAnship;
but every one will admit that uniformity
is better than irregularity. Another crit
icism: 1.-The pupil will be enabled
to get a lesson" If this is wrong, it is a
very common expression to say the leasW
and one which Webster recognizes as
correct. Another criticism: "A dog is
reported as talking, and as the selection
is not fable, this is not permissible"
If that is fair criticism, it will apply to
every set of readers that is in the market
But whether the criticisms are fair OF
not | take the position and stand to it,
that our new edition of Excelsior read
ers is better in paper, printing and bind
ing than any other set on the market
As now printed they are as free from err
rors and objections as any others, and
are fir superior in many points.
l might criticise other readers that
are on the market, some of them having
been in use forty years, with glaring err
ror5 in them all that time.
The McGuffeys ara full of such errors
erroneous punctuation; the use OF
simple words where they should be
compound, and vice versa; incorrect
diacritical markings; pictures that do
not illustrate the lesson; and improperly
formed script letters.
The Harper's readers are beautifully
printed, on good paper, and some of the
editions are we'll bound; but the books
throughout are entirely too far advanced
for the children who are to use them.
There are errors in punctuation and dia-
critical markings, and bad morals are
taught. There are sentences in the first
part of the First reader which are as
difficult as those usually found in q
we'll graded Third Reader. The Fifth
Reader is fine literary collection, and