The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-06-10
SCHOOL MELANGE.

Inc following interesting items are
for the month of May: Whole number
taken from the report of Richie school
enrolled during the month, So. /. G., 43l
boys and i2i girls. Whole number en-
rolled during the year, 1047. /. e.. 52s
boys and $40 girls. This shows that
about 200 pupils have been enrolled
during the month OF May. This is ac
counted for in many ways, but too
many are away from school without n
good reason. We fear many are away
just because parental restraint IS NOT
strong enough to Keep him In school. Ii
is very sad that there are such cases.
but 1t is so. and the boys and girls will
regret 1t but once, when they get to be
men and women, and that will be all
the time. There were but slxty-two
tardy out OF the entire enrolment, while
there were only ol6 pupils who were
neither absent nor tardy. There were
torty.three visits paid during the
month, !. C., twelve by the supcrinten-
dent, three BY the local commissioners
and tweAty-eight by others. There have
been ~ visits during the year to date.
!. e., loo ny superintendent. eIghty-four
BY local commissioners. and 467 by 9TH
ers.
Mr.. Merriman, agent OF the Western
Publishing House. Chicago. has been
in the city for several days In the in
terest OF the Pollard Synthetic method
OF teaching reading. He spent two
hours at the main building. Richie
school. with class Of first year pupils
IN the presence Of the primary teach
crs- He was much pleased with the
progress the children had made during
the year. and he compllmented the
teacher Of the class. Miss Wilson, on
the thorough work she vas doing, as
he found the little folks able to do
many things he had not expected those
VINO had not been taught by the Pol
lard method. to do at all. Mr.. Merit
man surely understands his work and
anyone not prejudiced can see Mt
glance that there Is great good in the
system, II properly carried out |. e., Il
II mas the force and character Of the
true teacher behind 1t. It cannot fall
10 succeed. The system begins with the
souna ana through the sound the child
is enabled to learn new words and "a
not forced to depend on being told whnt
new word Is. By the word method
pure and simple the child learns tho
word. After learning many words in
this way 1t can read. The method used
in our city schools IL first to teach the
word, then the sounds and thirdly tho
names OF the letters. No one pretends
10 teach any one exclusive method to-
DAY. but the Pollard system appeals to
me good Judgment OF anyone not pre-
Jhnlccd. IN that II causes the child TO
ieei mat II Is doing the work and Is not
depending on the teacher for all II
learns. The writer Is not informed as
10 "nether our board Of education con-
templates making change In readers,
out u such thing Is contemplated II
would be well for the text book COM
mlt'ce 10 examine carefully the Pollard
system.
The writer has given the above he.
cause he believes that II Is the duty
not only Of the teacher. but the boards
OF education. ns well. to see to II that
our SCHOOLS get the very best that Is on
the market. in the way OF helps, when
we DO make change. Our primary
teachers ought to be thorough In the
clements OK our language, especially in
knowing how TO drill the child In the
elementary sounds. the very basic
principle OF good RECOMMENDATION. but Mt
Inc same time We must be forced 10
admit that no method, no set OF books,
no mechanical device, or anything else
ever yet contrivcd or invented. can
make n successful teacher OF poor
one. The clements OF SUCCESS must be
within the teacher herself. Talk as we
Will OF our educational advancement,
our we'll equipped school rooms. our
nne text books--nll these have some
thing, yes. much to do with the SUCCESS
OF our schools. still the teacher is the
great factor after all. and the sooner
our boards OF education awake to the
mi I'm To ,.,lt Ia