The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1900-02-01
FREE TEXT BOOKS.

Do you believe in free text books?
Why! most certainly. Here are few
reasons which are so good that they
will stand any amount of hammer
ing.
1. Textbooks should be uniform in
every school. Free text books secure
such uniformity In many schools
there are two or three third reader
classes, for example, where there
should be but one. Most people think
that any book will do, so that it is a
book. Free books would reduce the
number of classes.
2. Facts and figures prove that free
books increase school attenda nee.
3. Many people are changing about
from one district to another. Such
people would always find the right
books awaiting them, greatly to the
interest of the children and the teach
ers.
a. Free text books enable a district
to take advantage of the great i'm
provements made in books. No far
1ner would think Of using a cradle in
grain cutting, or a single shovel pillow
in cu1tivating corn. There is just as
much improvement in school books as
: there is in farm machinery. Many
districts in this county use books as
much out of date as is a sickle or
bull tongue p1ow No farmer now
: threshes with fail. A good book is
: wonderful help to any teacher
perfect God-send to poor teacher.
: S. Free text books are very much
cheaper for the district. 1t is found
that there is all average saving of
thirty per cent.
y g. Free text books are in use in
. thousands of schools. No school has
a ever gone back to the old system. The
new plan is complete success.
n Z. Why not free text books just as
> well as free chalk, free fuel, free build
ings, free teachers? Reflect upon this
. statement.
8. Each district is free to furnish it's
L own books State and county uni
! formity are failures and ever will be.
We might as well have state uniform
Il ity of mowers. We are all in favor of
" local se1f-government.
District ownership of books is bound
. to come in the near by-and-by.
: DICTIONARIES.
S 1t is much better for Boards to buy
two Academic dictionaries; one for the
boys and one for the girls. These
c books will do for any district school,
+ are more easily handled and will last
|, much longer than the large dictionar-
S les. The two will cost three dollars.
}, The International costs about ten
. dollars.
). MATERIAL. FOR SEAT WORK.
It is a most excellent scheme for each
. district to buy two or three dollars
worth of material for seat work for
small children. Better that and free
text books, than to buy worthless
charts, out-of-date cyc1opedias and
other stuff at four or more times the
cost. These travelling fakirs are swim
ding few districts out of much good
money.
? GRADING CT THE COMMON SCHOOLS.
1 am aiming to bring about the grad
D ing of the schools according to plans
t set forth in the Wisconsin Manual.
: The teachers are readily and cheerfu11y
y doing their part of the work.
Y Can the common schools be graded
: into forms? Yes. 1t is done in other
counties. We are doing it in this
county. Many ask: What's the use?
, Here are a few reasons:
r 1. Such grading helps in making
r an equal advance in each of the studies
d composing a form. 1t gives both
d teacher and pupil knowledge of what
studies should go along with the third
e reader, for instance: If a pupil is read
). ing in that book what ought he to be
t doing in Arithmetic? in Geography?
:. in Language? The Manual will tell all
S about it. You have known boys and
:. girls who were able to do all the tough
e problems in certain arithmetic, but
), who, at the same time were unable to
t write decent letter. A teacher should
o manage to have all the useful studies
e carried along evenly. Classifying the
It schools helps this out.
e 2. If the pupil knows that he must
: finish the studies of one form, before
r he is promoted to the next; he will do