Newport daily independent., 1905-05-31
THE INDEPENDENT
 ' ERCY Ii. VANDYKE,
 Publisher and Editor. NEWPORT. ARKANSAS.
COMMITTEE MAKES
 CREDITABLE REPORT. Ladies Visit Public School in the Different Grades and Find
 Excellent Work Done.

 were at the school every day during the week of examinations, and were much pleased with the work in the several grades.
 In the first grade, taught by Mrs. Ella Box, children who were entered in September showed remarkable progress. To those familiar with the old meth ods, the slow and painful pro- cess of spending the first four or five months learning to spell and being required to go as far as "baker" in the old Blue Back Spelling Book" (much rever- enced and hated by the children of an older generation). The modern way seems very wonder full and very delightful.
 In this first grade we found children of seven and eight doing the three ''R's" with great facil- ity. It was surprising to see tiny tots who entered as late as March deciphering upon the board words of three and four sylla- bles, and those in the first di- vision of the grade mastering combinations of numbers up to seven. But best of all in this room, as we'll as in all the others, was the evidence that the ideal of teaching was not simply learn ing lessons, more or less imper- fectly memorized from a text book, but that the intelligence was continually appealed to and in every way developed.
 In the second and third grades, taught by Miss Beattie, we found an atmosphere and spirit that would have even the approval of Froebel or any other lover of children. There were more pupils in this room than in any other, but perfect order pre- vailed without any apparent con- straint, and a close and loving sympathy between the teachers and children was very evident.
 In reading they were required to give the right infection, ar- ticulation and emphasis, and the slightest inaccuracy betokening carelessness was immediately corrected by the class. From time to time different ones were called upon to relate in their own words the substance of the pass age read, or to give an opinion concerning some fact related. In spelling they showed famil- iarity with sounds of the letters and the elementary rules of or thography. In arithmetic their careful and painstaking analysis and their aptness showed excel lent training. The drawing of some of the little ones evidenced talent, and the writing, too, was good. The walls were decorated with pictures and graceful de- signs in colored chalk, drawn upon the boards, and dainty de- vices cut from colored paper and pasted upon cardboard, showing that the artistic sense was not ignored, and eye and hand were being trained, while at the same time pleasant relaxation was af- forded.
 In this room, as in the first grade, the large store of charm ing little songs and verses recited proved that due attention was given to the training of memory.
 If the committee have seemed to emphasize too strongly the de- tails of work in these first three grades it is not that they would make any invidious comparison with the more advanced classes, but simply to show their surprise and pleasure that so many things may be learned and done by very young children, and we think many mothers might gain valu-
 l.