The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-12-08
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the letters. in the language az the pri.
mary teacher. what the letters say" and
IN this way the boys aud girls acquire the
means If spelling out for themselves the
new words that may be met in reading.
An objection that has been urged 10 the
word method is that it does not prepare
the child with this knowledge Of how t.
dig out the words FOR themselves. but dc.
pendence is placed solely on memorIzing
what are at first arbitrary signs, to build
up his vocal ulsry, The method by which
the sounds Of the letters stand for the
names Of the letters in the child's min /
facilitates this digging out of unknown
words rather more than the old-fashioued
spelling method. 10 this sound teaching
method the names of the letters come
along after the first four months SOU y
and are impressed on the child's mind by
degrees.
a visit to the primary department OF any
of the public schools will impress the oroi-
nary citizen with the fact tu8t things aIe
different from the time when he was D
his A. B, C's, or even when he had ad.
vanced to the proud position where MS
thumb rested on the page Of the old
blue backed spelling book where the a-D,
alb; at, at and the rest of the two-iettcr
words confronted his wondering eyes II
the visitor goes to the Woodlawu school on
Lexington avenue near SiXty-third stree,
tie fellows in their first year OF scno
work. In one Of these rooms are SKY
pupils and the number In the others are
nearly as great These explorers in the
pleasant and agreeable way than they
were prepared a generation ago.
To refer once more to the bIue-back spell,
ing book, which will only be remembered by
nj q MI ina fro
cover that thousands of boys have gazed
upon with admiration. That picture repre-
scented rocky hillside with a path Of IN
certain outline winding up it toward a
building supposed to represent the temple Of
knowledge. This temple was surmounted
by dome that supported a figure holding In
its hand a laurel wreath. Intended TO crown
the brows Of youth seen stumbling among
the rocks in the valley below should he ever
be so fortunate as to reach the top Of the
hill The rocky condition Of the roadway
and the fact that the youngster was repre-
scented with his eyes glued on the dazzling
figure way above his head when common
sense would have taught any boy thar ne
should have been looking where ne was
walking gave room for many disputes about
the chances of his ever getting further than
he first deep gully on the ghthand side
or the road and near the foot of the mn
TIE whole thing was supposed 20 be EN-
blematic Of the rocky ROAD that lay before
the searcher after knowledge and the toll
and priyatIon that was necessary 70 win
the secrets and the rewards Of the temple.
II was no unfit Introduction 70 the work NJ
the pupils Of those DAYS either lat
blue backed spelling book contained tood TOT
study and toll amply sufficient 20 engtosi
the attention of the most energetic boy for
several months
In the first place the hrst page was me
A. p. C's These were arranged IN long rows
extending from the top 10 the hotton N the
page the large letters first ana tue
Small ones" in the second row After these
in two other perpendicular columns we're
the large" and small script letters. Ine
latter, however, were not bothered win
during the first year and the boy or sltl
he or she had Learned" the alphabet. THIS