Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1906-08-09
MOST ADMIRABLE idea
A Work That COmmendS It.
self to Every North
CarOlinian.
The Wonder Is That Some One
Had Not Conceived the Idea
and Acted Upon II
Years Ago.

-1dS Just peIleclSdJ III COA1OiAa'AOh
with distinguished cc-labOrers in the
educational renaissance in NorthCar-
olina,a most admirable idea, and one
hat is calculated to meet with uni
versal approval and adoption in the
schools of The State.
We let the Greensboro Daily Rec
oed tell Of it as follows:
The evident desire OF North Carroll
nians in she5e days 10 care for their
own is being evidenced by the local
production Of text books for use III
the public schools, and Il ofthe best
and most practical Of these is a new
series OF copy books now presented
by North Carolina teachers.
For the past five years the public
school children Of this State have
beer forced to write Day in and day
out such master pieces Of literature
as the following: "Arabia produces
fine horses, F." ''Beavers eau cut down
trees,'' ..Cranberries grow in
swaInps," t'TriIliums have three
petals" ETC., that the SMALL boy may
learn to write. To any kind Of a
man sucn sentences, thrown here and
there, with absolutely 10 connection,
logical or pedagogical arrangement,
seems the nerest folly.
That there might be something Of
real merit offered the teaching profess
sion Of this State along The lines Of
a modern writing book, NJ. Edgar
D. BroadhUrst, formerly euperinten~
dent OF Greensboro schools, Miss
Mary I. Tinnin, at onetimea teacher
in the Lindsay Street school Of this
city, and present supe: inten9ent j.
A. Matheson, Durham schools, set
about to create a new series of writ
ing books known as the Old North
State Copies for exclusive use in the
public schools Of North Carolira.
Liz SC11pl OSCO CdUAS HULL liz pS1
Of Miss Tinnin, a recognized expert
with a pen, and at the same time a
skilled teacher. She prepared the
script after several years practical
experience in teaching writing and
study of the child mind. The script
as used in Old North State Copies
should be used in every State. That
is not the feature that localizes the
books. It is the substance of the cop
ies-their historical value to the child,
who has heretofore been taught the
history of the New England States
before the history of his OWL
The first aim of the book is to re-
wise the present methods of teaching
writing. Their second aid is to teach
the Carolina boy something of his
States historyinstead of down
him by the continual copying, dayin
and day out, the factthat "Trilliums
have three petals'' during his writ
ing lessons, and when bis history
lesson comes along have him read
about the first declaration ofindepen-
dence as a thing peculiarly the prop
erty of Philadelphia, when it is, now
a recognized fact that the Mecklen.
burg Declaration is a historical
verify beyond dispute. He is forced
to write silly sentences as copybook
work during the writing lesson and
then is taught to ignore his own
States history during the history
lesson. The second aim of the new
series of writing books by these
Carolina teachers is worthy of CON
sideratiop, because it goes back to the
beginning-to earliest days Of the
child, and there it begins quietly to
teach the young C~arolinian that his
State has q great histOry-One thathe
should know and be proud of.
For instance take Book Four ofthe
series. Instead Of finding acombina-
ton OF words that have to do with
"cranberries liking crabs, ""Arabia''
"beavers,n and 'EtrilIiums," is found
on pages II, Is and 10, the following
sentences, which are logically ar
ranged, and when put together for
review form a well established his
torical fact hat the book makers of
the North have tried to ignore:
F'The first declaration o~findepend-
- Noe rooIo Of Gbo rlo4to Mouth