Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-07-17
No. attending
increase Between II W. or more.
over 1913 7.13 yrs. Public Private


In considering methods of teaching
children the language arts, the fact
continually presents itself that language
Is learned largely by imitation. Those
who are brought up where good English
Is used, use good English. As the forms
Oh expression gradually become fixed.
new thoughts are expressed in these
old forms. He that speaks in slang to-
| day Is unconsciously using it tomorrow.
he that reads with pleasure and COM
mlts to memory the chaste English of
the Bible, of Shakespeare and OF the
other masters soon finds his own Eng
lish naturally following these elegant
models. In coDversing with those whose
speech is correct, fluent and graceful,
our own ability in speaking is quickened
and enlarged.
In u cosmopolitan city like Wausau,
where so many tongues are spoken and
where the language of the playground
and OF the home is so often faulty. the
problem of how to secure good language
is a weighty one. When the language
OF the home is good, there is no diff
Guilty; but what substitute can be sup
piled by the school for those who
rarely hear good language outside of
its walls?
We have always tried to get teachers
whose command of language was good
These teachers have been requested to
be eternally vigilant in the cause of the
language arts. The reading books have
been chosen with care so that they
might prove an inspiration to good
speech. Compositions have been labor
iously worked out and as laboriously
corrected, but some thing has been mis-
sing. The correct forms did not become
part OF the child's mental equipment
ana as soon as he was out of school he
was at his old habits of careless speech.
1t is we'll known that after we have
once committed to memory selection,
our speech is inclined to run in the
same rhetorical forms used in that Sc
lection when we come TO express our
own thoughts. At the same time we
know that the grandest and noblest
thoughts have found expression ia the
works OF the masters. What pleasure.
What culture, what moral uplift it
would give child to commit to mem
DRY each year number of wisely chosen
literary gems to be repeated again and
again until they formed part of his
speech and his lifel
With this problem in mind, re-
quested in the school year of l89S-99. of
each teacher in the grades that he |
state in writing, what literary selec- |
tlons and how many could and should |
be learned by the pupils of his grade in |
a year. The teachers were also re- |
quested to submit suita BILE number of |
short quotations. This work was care |
FULLY and conscientiously done and filed |
in the office. At the beginning of the |
last year general committee of five
was appointed to take these papers. |
classify them by grades, aud submit |
them to subcommittee who were to Sc
Iect the best. The result of the work
OF these subcommittee was then
worked over by the general committee
and is ready for use for the coming
year.
In making this selection OF memory
gems these rules were kept in mind.
~ To admit only such selections as
are OF permanent value and worth while
earning by heart.
~ To choose for each grade such
selections as appeal to the children at
hat age, and TO limit the number TO
what could be easily learned in a wear.
81 To have each grade learn not
'nly the literary gems selected for its
grade, but TO keep reviewing the Sc
ectlons OF the grade below. Year nv
rear this literary treasure will grow.
% that a pupil in the Sth grade will
nave rich fund of literary expression
which viii be of value to him not only
n perfecting his speech, but also in en-
iching his soul life and beautifyinp
he world that lies around him.
4. To include selections from all |
he great writers, giving their names
nd nation, and also to touch the var
Gus phazes Of life, such as labcr, SER
ice, love of study, love of nature. of
aan. of country and of God.
LIZ would be of great assistance to our
eachers If the result of this work could |
e published. 1t could be done in con-
ection with new school catalog. as
be one printed in 1897 is exhausted
nd the number OF changes made since
hen in the course of study make it de-
rable to issue new one.
INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL
TRAINING.
The time has come when the high
shool should be more closely related
} the needs of our people. 1t should
2 so practical, so comprehensive. so
helpful that it will enlist the
and patronage of every con-
derable element In our population.
here should be a vital Relationship
atween il and the home. the store. the
ice and the factory. 1t should be an
stitntion to which every parent could /
Ok for some help in fitting his chill .
'en directly for the battle OF life, as
ell as for its culture and refinement.
hese ends can be largely met by put
ng in commercial and industrial train
&.
When We consider the educational !.
eeds ola city we see at once that there
e three groups OF workers. the pro- 7
ssional. the commercial and the in
istrlal We are giving the first group
e branches of study most needed at
e secondary stage OF education; we 2
e also doing little for the second