The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-08
A PLEA FOR SPELLING.
Modern Education, whatever Its Mer-
it's, Has One Defect.

Boston Transcript
When was the last spelling book pub
lished? Have our youth outgrown the use
of that once important textbook? 1t would
seem oftentimes. from their ignorance of
the rules of spelling and their arrangement
of the letters in words, that they disdained
the practice of good photography. 1t is all
very well TO talk about some people being
natural spoilers and some being poor SPELL
ers There are faults of ear, which are
hard to overcome; but eyes can be tfained
to correct those faults: and decent spelling
under all circumstances, at least from
every graduate of the grammar grade
should be demanded.
1t is a fact of observation. explain it how
you will. that pupils who have taken prizes
for scholarship in grammar shoots of good
standing cannot write a letter free of
plumbers in spelling; another fact. that
pupils in high schools, remarkably we'll
read for their years, are guilty of gross
errors in spelling; still another, that pupils
who have the wit and brains and style to
write charming letter, misspell abomina-
bly,; and yet another, that boys seeking
entrances to colleges of first rank, able to
pass examinations in mathematics and
science, spell after the fashion of witch. y
As to the common rules Of photography
the ignorance that there are any worth try
ing to understand and apply Is amazing
Is ii not mistake to allow a child to reach
his later teens unable 10 distinguish by
any sure method between such words as
tripping and stripping? Often he seems to
know what the final e's duty is in the word
stripe; but when that is dispensed with in
applying the suffix. he has no guide for
erentiation-"doubling the final con-
sonant. in monoSyllables, before suffiX be-
ginning with a vowel" is a new idea to
him. Why should he know the one diff
ferentiation and not the other, pray? Then
there are tricks for the memory, too. Those
lie words are troublesome always; take con-
ceive, for instance; the Importance OF the e
Is shown by the absence OF the | In con-
ception. which is spelled as 1t sounds-then
let the stand first. In believe, the case is
otherwise; deception is not constructable
and the is proved the more important.
Now there is something wrong some
where. Either the importance OF decent
spelling has not been borne in upon pupils.
else they have been allowed to follow
careless ways. or they have not been drilled
and trained at all. Teachers with large
grades 10 look after cannot do everything
IL papers are executed so that the required
per cent. can be given to three-quarterS OF
the class. why. IL is about all that they can
accomplish They cannot stop TO run after
this boy or that girl time and again. con-
corning poor spelling and particular words.
upon the blackboards lists of misspelled
words from compositions and examination
papers. or even writing lists on the papers
themselves. but I'm the majority of cases
the lists are not looked at-and. we'll. teach
ers cannot do everything. But somebody
must see TO IL; and the parents are quite as
much interested in the matter as the teach
ers. or they ought TO be. Really we cannot
afford TO leave the matter in the hands of
the schools entirely; our boys and girls
must be decent spoilers. TO say nothing of
being good spoilers and perfect spoilers.
IL VIII not do 10 rest upon the per cent.