The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1900-09-10
ANNUAL SCh0Ul REPORT
OF PROF. J. H. PHILLIPS
CONTINUED From Sixth Page.)

of perception and promptness of execution.
No other exercise unites intimately
the elements OF knowledge, feeling and
Will. 1t serves a safety valve, provd-
Ing an avenue of escape for overfiowing
spirits, and secures that spiritual unity
into which all the diverse elements of the
school are merged. In character building
IL is an important element. "A school song
In the heart of a child" says Phillips
Brooks, will do as much for his character
as fact in his memory or a principle in
his intellect"
Drawing presents two distinct values. 1t
provides specific training for the artistic
sense and supplies the child with an addi-
tional means of expression-a distinct Ian
suage by which he may convey ideas that
can be adequately expressed often In no
otner way In this Industrial community
the teaching OF drawing systematically in
our schools cannot fail to bear important
results. AS a means of original expression
II is needed in nearly all lines of mechanic
cal and professional work The cartoon
OF today has become one of the most ex-
pressve phases of newspaper work in this
country, and in political campaign exer-
cises more telling influence than pages of
editorial. What the cartoon does for the
press drawing Will also do for the trades
an. the mechanical arts. So far from be-
Ing considered a. mere ornamental branch
OF study, drawing today holds a place in
the schools of this country as a practical
and valuable study. 1t trains the eye and
the hand to work together, and develops,
In addition, the love of the beautiful in ma
turo and in art
The greatest value of both vocal music
and drawing, however, will be found in
the emotional culture developed, the aes-
thetic training secured and the higher
Ideals OF life which they help to create.
Reading and Literature
To learn to read is not all of education,
though all education is conditioned by the
mastery of the printed form-the symbol
and the instrument of knowledge. No school
should be content with placing in the hands
OF child a keen instrument without teach
ing him how to use II with pleasure and
profit After the mastery Of the symbol, the
main object in teaching reading In our
schools is to arouse in the pupil sincere
and increasing love for the best and the
purest in our literature-not the best as
Judged by mature analysis and the higher
standards of criticism. but the best in its
power to appeal to the child's heart, and
to arouse that emotional responsiveness
which will give true enjoyment, and which
will develop pure and noble ideals of life
and duty. The enjoyment Of good reading
means the enrichment of the life for all
time to come. The best work Of the school
in reading and literature Is not that which
merely follows prescribed course, but that
which so develops the pupils taste and
ideals. that his entire after-school life may
be enriched and ennobled by the constant
reading of the best literature. 1t Is not
enough TO crowd the children's minds with
facts about literature: 1t Is not enough to
give them extended biogra phical sketches
about authors. minute descriptions of the
homes of men of letters or long encyclo-
pedic criticisms of books which the chill
dren have never seen. All this may be in
terestifg and very valuable, but II is not
teaching literature. II no more satisfies the
mind than a lecture on foods nourishes the
body.
give the children,Snot merely historical data
about literature, but the literature itself,
and the teachers strive to unfold for the
child its beauties and it's truths. In our
elementary schools. In addition to the num-
bered readers In use, the following supple
mentary books are In the hands of the chill
den from the first to the seventh grades:
Bass Nature Stories. Baldwins Fairy
Stories and Fables, Egslestons Stories Of
Great Americans, Eggleston's Stories Of
American Life Baldwfns Old Stories of the
East and Old Greek Stories. Thoreau's Sue
cession of Forest Trees, Kingsleys West
ward Hoi, Burroushs Birds and Bees,
Longfellow's Evangeline, Winters Snow
bound, Dickens Christmas Stories and Irv-
ings Alhambra.
In addition to these books appropriate
selections are made from the public library
and placed at the disposal of teachers and
pupils in the several schools. Each school
thus has the advantage of at least three
hundred well selected books during the
year. 49,
Good literature has thus become an i'm
portant factor in our elementary schools,
and, II l mistake not, gratifying results
have already been realised in developing
the habit of good reading. It is upneces,
sary to speak OF the extension of this wofk
in the high school, or to enlarge up6n the
character of the work accomplished In
this department. / am persuaded that few
high schools In the United States can show
record of better work in language ant
literature, or a body OF students with high
err ethical ideals.
school Room Decoration g,
The most notably successful movement
in the schools during the past year has
been that which had for Its object the de.
eoration of our school rooms. Hitherto
tpasmodic efforts had been made here and
there, chiefly ny Individual teachers who
felt the need OF cultivating the tastes OF
the children by surrounding them with
food pictures Little had been accomplish.
"a. however, until last year. BY the con.