The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1907-08-22
ARTICLE WRITTEN
BY Mr.. BURDETTE
Giving His Ideas of Written worI, in
the Elementary Is An
Able One.

CITY superintendent +. u. Bur
dette, ably discussing in the current
number OF The Educator, Written
Work in the Elementary" ends the
article as follows;
Since written composition in con
nection with English is to constitute
the bulk OF written work for the
Elementary school according to thi
scheme, l shall present brief OUT
line OF that work gathered from my
observation of some authority who
has put it In practice. even at the
risk Of being tedious and uninterest-
ing This is intended only as a
outline Of written work, and suple-
ments the larger amount of oral
work.
Third Year Simple marathon
should be rleied upon, as the basis
Of written work; the material of a
single paragraph should be written;
sentences in simple form then com
bined; Observance of the slfpler
conventlonallties
Fourth Year-Imitatlon OF model
compositions; short reproductions;
dictations and letter writing; inyen
tional composition; further deyel-
opment of the paragraph; English
conventionalities
Fifth Complete compost
ton required for the first time i'm
itation of simple narration and
stories; the simple paragraph fully
developed; Intentional composition
introduced; letter writing and con-
ventionalities continued
Sixth Year-Practice in simple in
vention; complete composition in
volving several paragraphs business
forms and letters; principles Of good.
form: correspondence,
Seventh Year Compositions, and
their beginning.m iddle and end:
orderly arrangements and sequence
of events; tn eprincipal and subordi-
nate paragraph taught; relation Of
paragraphs to whole theme outline
of compositions presented in class.
Eighth Yea Stress on the unity
of the composition; proper arrange
ment of materials principal and su-
coordinate matters; reports Of out
side events; proper observance OF
all conventionalities close scrutiny
and criticism.
In concluding this paper word
should be added on the practical
phase of written work. Aside from
the training II gives in facility and
accuracy of thought and expression,
1t has an immediate value in daily
use. The trend OF this discussion
has been to emphasize the points
needing especial. stress in school
work. and to suggest remedy for
some practices that render written
work too burdensome. But IT is
not claimed that 1t should he cast
aside at any point in the school, nor
that 1t is other than essential art IN
daily practice through life. 1t is
essential to the school room In de-
veloping all subjects and correlating
them into one whole. 1t becomes
so useful IN the later years Of the
school that it is a fair bases for de-
terminfng real progress In menta;
growth and power In the business
world 1t is an art that renders the
daily task easy and efficient In mat
tiers Of clerical detail. In the field
of literature ii is chief instrument
of enjoyment and happiness. To
many it becomes means of daily
employment. to all 1t is the source
of daily supply in the newspaper,
periodical, magazine, and book. An
the people must write some. and TO
some the power of writing is given
as to a master and leader.