The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-04-10
SLANG FOR CHILDREN.
President of Clark University Advo-
Gates It's Use.

Chicago. April 10-Dr. C. Stanley Hall,
president of Clark university, Worcester,
Mass, whose theories of education, adj
vanced at the school of psychology now
meeting in Handel hall, have aroused I'M
limited discussion, approval and disappro-
baton. added two or three more sensa-
lions to the list Saturday. He advocated
the use OF slang as medium OF express
sion, declared geography now taught
was an aponlla lloIl, ana ihaue pea
for return to the MINISTRIES art OF story
telling.
These startling enunciations were made
IN the course of an address on From
Fundamental to Accessory in Education
so far gathered in the school. College
presidents from nearby cities, superintend-
teachers and kindergartners from out of
town as well as in the city, made up the
many of his radical utterances, particular
ly that relating to the inutlity of geogra-
echo in the hearts of the educators pres
ent. although DR.. William T. Harris took
clared unequivocally for the study as use
ful and necessary.
MENT.
DIR. Hall began his address by saying
that mental development had side by side
with it physical development of muscles
and nervous system. He said of this de-
before adolescence from the ages of s
to Y there is a great Increase of power
muscles-those which work the face. throat
and fingers-and there is great danger of
early before they have ACQUIRED maturity.
II TINS were properly understood, writing
years later than at present. This period
piayed by dhiidren "i it is fhe fme wb aF9
piano playing should be taken up ard for
eign languages should be learned. Some
say that correct pronunciation and an
idiomatic use of foreign languages cannot
be acquired after the age of u Is passed"
DR.. Hall then spoke of the dangers of
the fearful results of fatiguing boys and
the
ent system of education in the elementary
airy schools. 1t was here that he proposed
young women. expressing the hope that
some of his hearers would take the mat
ter seriously and citing several examples
among his acquaintance This came up
in connection with demand that children
be given the standard and classic tales
ADVOCATES THE USE OF SLANG;
advocated the use of slang, saying:
Slang expresses many things. Children
quent if allowed to use slang The pur-
pose of education is to cultivate express
Alas for the child who writes a really good
theme and who has nothing to say IN that
has a right to speak or write unless he
has something to say"
Coming to the matter of classics. he
said:
all classic things early in simple and radi-
cally changed form. The essence of all
masterpieces Is ethical. Children have
right to this Inheritance Of the standard
classic stories. ] plead for the ord art
of storytelling. Children ought to make
first acquaintance with the myths and
legends through the and not the eye.
There is a great future for the bright
young women who will take up this art
and carry it to perfection
BIOGRAPHIES OUT OF DATE
Later on DR.. Hail said of geography:
I am convinced that the greatest OBJ
stacle in the way of studying modern
sciences is geography as it is taught. To
call it a vital subject is a mistake as gross
as to say that sausage is a fish. 1t is
partly survival of the old cosmogra phy
1t is the remains in the schools Of an
amorphous relic of bygone days. 1t is
the chief enemy in the way of right in
struction of nature. The modern geogra-
plies were made by men who We're not
very great educators. and the time given
to it should be lessened to one-fourth or
one-tenth. 1t is the publishers pet and
the pedagogues' abomination.'