Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-11-25
Educational
Column
GUY STANTON FORD, Editor.

GGFSGSS9SSSG5 esss5FstSE5
To Parents: No doubt it seems to
some parents that many calls are made
for books to help the children in getting
their education. The books they buy
are the tools they use and the better
and more complete their supply of tools
the better their work. Text books they
must haye-the course Of study requires
it. There is one text book that helps all
school work from the time they can
read in the third reader until they grad
uate from the high school-that book is
dictionary
Every study in the course requires
the constant use of a dictionary and the
one or two supplied by the district are
far too few to meet the needs of the
forty or fifty boys and girls with whom
your child is studying. Without a die
tionary spelling and pronunciation are
poor, the meaning of a word and, there
fore of whole sentence, is often lost
all for lack of an opportunity to consult
dictionary. The habit of constantly
using dictionary is almost an educator
in itself Every parent who can posi-
bly, afford it should supply his child
with at least Webster's Academic Die
tionarv. Orders given to the teacher
will be filed ct the actual cost of the
work, about a dollar and forty cents
The dictionary will last a pupil their
school course and be splendid refer
ence work both at home and in school.
Vest-pocket and advertising diction-
aries are worse than useless for they are
so incomplete as to be inaccurate. If
your child is in the fourth grade or any
grade above it the most useful Christ
mas present you can make him is good
condensed dictionary.
~
There will be no school on Thanks
giving or the day succeeding as the
teachers chose to teach on Labor Day
and take the Friday succeeding Thanks
giving as holiday.
*
The first term closes this week and
report cards will be sent out in all de-
partments. Parents should examine
these reports, sign and return them.
Try and see the teacher if the card
seems to show that the terms work of
your child has not been successful.
~
day vacation and opens again Monday,
Jan. 3rd.
The slate has practically disappeared
from our schools. Teachers and pupils
bid it good-by with little regret. 1t was
productive Of noise, dirt and disease.
In it's place has come the tablet which
is also not without its dangers. Poor
paper in these something for nothing"
tablets will prove injurious to the eyes
of pupils using cheap tablets. We refer
particularly to the tablets Of the cheap
est sort whose paper has BLUSH tint
making it hard to distinguish pencil
marks made upon it. 1t is too bad that
competition has brought such tablet
into the market.
*
Work on the new laboratory which is
located in the southeast room of the
second floor, is finished. The room has
been supplied with a large cabinet for
holding the apparatus and small tables
and chairs will be put in for the use of
the botany class.
~
Miss Perry and Mrs. Voss are pre-
serving and arranging specimens of the
work done in their department and
hope to have such display as will be
we'll worth the inspection of parents.
*
The old laboratory room on the third
floor will be used as a superintendent
office after the holidays.
~
Have you made your plans for visit
ing the schools each term of this year?
TX
Stevens Point is to have a lecture
course this winter. Why not Grand
Rapids? The extension department of
the university offers a very interesting
and instructive course for parents and
teachers by Prof. M. Y. O'Shea. 1t is
entitled "Practical Problems in Child
Study" and was one of the most popu-
lar courses offered in New York state
last year. If not Prof O'Shea, then
there arc the courses of Prof. Freeman
on literature, Prof. Turner in history,
Prof. Comstock IN astronomy. Surely
these two cities should make a good
centre.
-
The editor of this column made the
following clipping from a leading edu-
cational paper thinking it might be of
use-not in Grand Rapids, thank Heaven
in opening the eyes Of some commun-
ity that persists in herding little chill
dren like cattle: ''To place sixty young
children in one room to be taught by
one teacher is crime, and when the
children are between the ages of FIVE
and seven, to crime is added vice and
sin. The laws of man, nature and God
are broken.'
DIa,c,n@ Exen;,or y1y;fl, G-,;+;,