The Oskaloosa herald., 1900-11-15
LEARNING TO SPELL.
old-Fashioned Methods Favored
by the Mothers.

"A very interesting anu AuhpoIAdhN
mothers meeting was held at Fourth
ward last Friday afternoon. IL was
presided over by Mrs R J, Burke,
with Mrs. @. w Abrams as secretary.
After little preliminary business the
program was opened by some very
good singing by the pupils of Seventh
grade, ~ Miss Jones' room. This fin
ished the children were excused and
the regular discussion of the question
of spelling In our public schools was
begun.
On the part of the teachers Miss
Mamie Bingaman opened the discus
sion. In her opinion one great cause
of the poor spelling in our schools is
the lack of time to prepare spelling
lessons. Courses of study are crowd
ed with other matter, and spelling is
not at its best an interesting study.
To spell well it is needful that the
proper form of the word be impressed
upon the mind This cannot be done
when too little time is spent upon the
study and when too little interest is
felt in the matter. Moreover, she
added, bad spelling seems to run in
families Ito be hereditary.
Miss Jones seconded Miss Binga-
mans sentiments and added some
original observations of her own.
Principal Stokes was next called
upon, and expressed himself as much
interested in the discussion, as be-
lieving in the old-fashioned contest
methods in order to secure interest
in spelling, but as fully understand
ing that the eye must be cultivated in
order to secure good results.
The patrons were then called upon.
Mrs Sterret made a most forcible
speech attacking the Pollard Speller
and declaring that at its door and at
the door of the Pollard methods gem
orally might be laid much of the bad
spelling in Oskaloosa. This was to
the point, and from the applause
which her talk ELECTED it was evident
that many were in sympathy with
her.
Mrs. Fred Romer sent to the presi
DENTS desk clipping from Chicago
paper telling of the poor spelling of
applicants for admission into the
Northwestern university. This
showed, Mrs. Romer said, that the
evil of poor spelling was wide spread
Mrs. R. J Burke believed the fact
that words were not Understood was
one reason for lack of ease in learn
ing to spell them,
Mrs. Abrams endorsed the objection
to the Pollard speller and called at
tention to the fact that children do
not know how to divide words into
syllables. This point was we'll taken
and brought out many remarks from
teachers.
MIR. Finley then talked, disclaiming
any interest in the Pollard system or
any great love for it. He, too, ap-
proved the old-fashioned spelling
school, but on the whole was rather
at sea on the "best way"
Mrs. Richard Burke then called the
attention of the mothers to an article
in a so,cailed educational journal"
which said that the present wide
spread criticism of poor spelling was
all nonsense, and demanded that ed
ucated people be allowed to spell as
they please. She said such sentiments
were not those of the mothers of the
Fourth ward, and that the opinion of
the meeting might crystalline into
something practical she moved that
a committee of i've be appointed TO
report a plan for the obtaining of bet
ter results in the matter. The mo-
ton carried, and after some further
discussion the president appointed
Mrs. w. r. Sterret, Mrs. F. Romer,
Miss BiDgamau, Miss Crafty and
Prof. Finley as members of that COM
mittee. They are to report at the
next meeting
The mothers Of Fourth ward are
very much in earnest in this matter,
and are determined it shall not be
for lack If effort on their part that
their children are poor spoilers.
AS it was almost dark the meeting
then adjourned.