The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1899-12-22
Educational Column.
BY Superintendent d. D.. Cowan.
lContiued.]
A GRAVE ERROR.

A A ERROR.
Do not have pupils reading in advanc-
ed readers who do not know the name
ana value OF the punctuation marks;
they are given and explained In the pri-
mary readers. II l could not get q boy
IN the second reader to learn anything,
then ia resign again and go to sewing or
splitting rails. Merely going through q
book and into q higher one. does not sig
nifty anything.
am IN earnest Give us good readers
and h We'll march on. What can WI
learn till he has first learned to read. 1t
opens up untold mines of knowledge. 1t
Is an accomplishment superior to playing
well on a musical instrument. 1t takes
years and years Of practice to make a
good performer on a piano., and can we
expect our boys or girls to eyer read well
without great pains. Let as insist on
good readers, and other accomplish
ments will naturally fellow Under
stand me? l do rot mean IL. neglect the
other studies, but l do insist thatif read
ing Is properly taught in our schools i'm
prOvement will be noticed Will the
teachers OF Jackson county respond to
this appeal, or will you drag along, put
up with inattention, monotone, slurring ;
do most of the work yourselves for pu-
pills IN order to get through the recita-
ton and continue TO have poor readers.
CRITICIsING.
Never, under any circumstances, al
low pupils to correct each other. This
Is the teachers prerOgative. Most chill
! dren resent criticism by other children,
and children, L. permitted or invited,
will abuse this privilege most shame.
fully. When q word is mlsprOnounced
or . pause d~isregarded, then Is the time
for the teacher to insist on having Il
right. You will forget yourself by the
time. the paragraph is finished, and the
pupils, II allowed to criticise, will hatch
up mistakes. | haven't space here To
discuss diacritics, but a teacher who
does not teach these is neglecting some.
thing for which he should he held &C.
countable, and III welcome the day
when no n Is allowed to teach school
who does not know the sounds Of the
letters rs marked, or who cannot prove
to his pupils that bade withea marked
short does not rhyme with made, and
that doth with q dot over 0 does moi
ryme with both. 4
Teachers, you cannot afford to neglect
this, and ii you do not know them, have
never been taught them, it might be well
to buy a speller and learn these marks
tits very importantthat you know them
and 1t Is not too late to learn them. Yor
neednot tell your pupils that You do no
know them, but If you do not learn
them your pupils, or l whatsoever OF
later know it.
Please pardon me, but l want to take
advantage Of this opportunity<tO thank
the trustees and patrons who are taking
interest in their schools, and say agaiI
that the success of your school depends
on this interest. l met n trustee to-day
who informed me with much relish tina
they had = fine school now had ceilet
the house, made new desks and seats anl
other improvements. l was delighted
and l know the teacher is encouraged
and will give better service. Let tn
good work go on. Ns
In conclusion, l would like to tell how
well l am treated by the h%ospitable PEG
pie during my visits through the county
but | have said enough this time. l hav,
"boiied down" in order to keep in my
column. More anon. sH@ * h