The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1895-02-08
TEXT BOOKS.
HE QUESTION of textbook
uniformity has been discussed

Is question which to.us appears not a
debatable one. Given good set of
textbooks, and there can be no ques-
ton but that they should be uniformly
used throughout the state in the same
schools The reasons are obvious and
the objections, If any, do not occur to
US.
The antecedent proviso, "a good set
of books," is the one that seems to us
to be important.
While it is doubtless true that good
books will not compensate for an in
capable teacher, 1t is also true that a
poor teacher will achieve better results
with a good set of books than with the
reverse. At the same time u good set
of textbooks in. the hands of All eff
cieDt teacher will add greatly to the
power of that teacher; while good
teacher Will be diEested of much of his
power by d poor set of books in the
hands of his pupils.
Further. Good books will have an
educating effect upon pupils. 1t seems,
therefore, that whatever else we do III
regard to books we should at least
select the BEST that are available.
Now let US take the text books in
use in the schools of Edwards county.
First, there are the Readers. Barnes
series is used iii most of the schools,
and it will not take long to show that
it IS far from being the best book for
use in our schools. No modern teacher
now makes use of the old A B c method
of teaching reading. Barnes First
Reader is constructed OH this principle
and is adapted for teaching the word
method. by reference to the book in
question anyone can see that in the
preface to that book, the authors claim
the direct contrary of our assertion.
They say in the first santence of that
preface: THAT word method is the
most natural and practicable" and in
the last sentence, That this book is
on the above principles. D."
Both of these statements are incorrect,
as We will proceed to show. Lesson l
has the words: ut is dog" In
Lesson III the words are all new but
one. While all the first words should
appear again and one or two new ones
should be introduced If the child is to
learn them by sight. In Lesson LII
but three of the words of the FIRST
lesson appear, and but one of the new
words in the second, while five entirely
new words are introduced. In Lesson
Nv but two of the words of the first
lesson appear, While thirteen out of
the eighteen words of the lesson are
new and have never before
appeared. And so OH through the
book.
No teacher will think such lessons
adapted for teaching the word-method,
and one not a teacher can readily see
that If words are to be recognized by
sight, they should appear in the lessons
much more frequently repeated than is
the case in this book.
Now let us look at a book that is
adapted for teaching the word method.
This book also has in it's first lesson
four words. One of them cat and
then the combinations "a cat" s.the
cat," 'my cat'' are given. Now this
lesson is much superior i'm point of
merit to one in Barnes Reader for
several reasons. In the first place
scat" is much better word to teach
the Child first than dog" 1t always
awakens in the child's mind agreeable
while the word ''dog''
does this OILY sometimes. The word
''cat" presents no difficulties in the
way of letters while the word ''dog'
does. Children nearly always reverse
the g and in spelling, and if they
write the wOld they will learn to write
d less readily than C. Second, ssthe,"
"a anj ''my" admit of being com
bined with any word method that is
afterward. Then the word
my" IS full of agreeable associations
for the child.
Its second lesson has all The words
OF the first repeated, some of them
more than once. and introduces two
new words, rat" and s.biack'' These
appear in heavy type at the top of the
lesson under Il very vivid illustration
CT black rat being watched by ii cat.
In this lesson We have the combina-
tiOns, a rat, the rat, black rat, my
Cat, my black cat. Lesson LII has two
more new words ''aud' and has"
and the combinations cat and rat.
The cat has the rat. Has the cat
rat? The new words appear as before
in large type above, with an il!ustra-
tion portrayipg the scene described,
viz: the cat has the rat.
Now here is a language lesson. rhe
child will learn to say, 1.-The cat has
the rat, ;" instead of 1.-The cat has got