The bee., 1904-12-08

OF Tedull2 10 lIc ClllulCh vi lh~ N~Vi'
monwealth. To read we'll is abSo-
lutely essential to success in the studies
of the common school curriculum,
and to become well-informed and in
telligent.
This subject has been heretofore
very much neglected. Very few of
|, the pupils who attend the public
} schools can read we'll. The result is
they never take that interest in the
other studies that they should take.
Again, when it is an effort for the
pupils to read they never cultivate
and form the reading habit, and there
: fore become intelligent. Devote as
much time as possible to reading and
if you must neglect any branch of
study, let it not be reading. assert
} without fear of successful conlradic-
) ton that if all the pupils of the pres
ent generation were taught to read
well, we would have the most intelli-
gent citizenship of any state in the
Union.
In order to encourage teachers and
pupils to take more interest in this
most important subject, ! am having
some beautiful lithograph Rewards OF
Merit made, and will gladly furnish
them to all SuperintendentS who will
J induce their teachers to use them, and
incite their pupils to try harder to be-
come good readers. shall in a
few days send samples of these Re-
) wards of Merit to the SuperintendentS
5 and ask them to examine them and to
cooperate with me in an effort to
get the teachers to use. BY way OF
suggestion will say that the teachers
who will enter into this enterprise
can announce to their Glasses in read
5 ing that at the end of each month
/, they will have reading contest, and
' that the pupils in each class that has
: made the most progress during the
: month in reading shall be awarded
one of these beautiful Autographs,
. signed by the State Superintendent,
g the chairman of the Board of TruS-
? tees, the teacher and the County
Superintendent.
S believe that such step would be
! A great incentive to children to learn
to read we'll and thereby be OF incal-
culable benefit to them in every re-
Spect. appeal to the Superlntend-
ents to assist me in this work, and
thereby make our schools more eff
cient and our children more intelli-
gent and accomplished.
D Reading Circles.
| see that the Committee on the
Reading Circles have issued a pro-
: gram FOR reading by the teachers and
! pupils will avail themselves Of such
helps, and will read carefully the
books recommended. No one can
: be life successful teacher who does
) not read. He must have a large
fund of general information, from
: which he can constantly draw in or
E der to inspire his pupils with a desire
i to become informed and cultured.
. Many boys and girls have been in
> duced to cultivate the reading habit
by information given to them by the
> teacher outside of the text books.
u Teachers and pupils should try tc
j. keep we'll posted on current events,
7 and should read as much history anc
1 choice literature as possible.
To the County superintendent.
II wish your hearty cooperation II
+, everything that will tend to make thu
). common schools more efficient, anC
+. to have the terms extended to at leaS
II eight months per year. Any suggeS
,s tion YOU NAV make for the better
a ment of the schools will be utilized i
t. practicable and possible.
IS Talk to your people whenever yo'
;e can and arouse them to the import
9. ance of having longer and bette
e schools. No money is SO well Spen
as that which goes for the education
and elevation of our children. w
need to cultivate healthy publi
'n ca,,+;,,,a,,t ~, raoar1 IN Olir schools