The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-12-19
BAD sPELLERs.



Logan d. Howell. in New York Times,
Several papers last week were pub
fishing and commenting on an item OF
news from Northwestern University.
In an examination OF freshmen there
the authorities found what has been
termed 4 a disgraceful deficiency In
spelling. The newspapers. seem to
think the conditions at Northwestern
are typical of the rising generation
throughout the country. and the CUES.
tion Is asked: rs spelling no longer
taufiht3'
This question may not be serious.
being intended to imply that spelling
is poorly taught. But. to give ser
ious answer. II Is a fact that in most
schools nowadays beginners in re ID
ing. at the time when they ought to
be laying a foundation for spelling.
are not taught this subject at all.
on the contrary, the learner. IL
taught to try to read without regard
to the Individual letters of tho words
and a primer that contains the alpha
bet Is an exception. Consequently
teachers In higher schools find their
pupils not only poor spoilers, hut some
of them unable to use a dictionary by
reason of not knowing the order of
tht letters.
Instead OF the old fashioned way OF
HiSt ltdIUiuB tuC AApHADetf NAlCu WoEop
through their spelling, and last the
reading of sentences. progressive pri-
mary teachers now use one or more
of some new modern methods Chief
among these is the. Chinese method:
The teacher points out any word
whatevers and the child (wfo d9esn't
know B from a bulls FOOT Is told
to remember that word from Its gen.
eral appearance. just as Chinese child
y ~. =
language. which has no alphabet.
1t seems that the more Irregular
spelling Of the first words presented
| to the beginner the better II is for the
| Chinese method. One recent primary
| by a prominent advocate OF this way
| Of teaching has inseitst 1arst sen tendt
| 1--WE words containing the iletter and
| in each word o has q different sound
| The words are, OF. for. two, money
| bought. Observe also that has diff
ferent sound each time Ii occurs; that
| W is silent In two and that ough Is
an unusual combination for the aw
sound.
The ehud in. an old-fsshioned school
that could spell all, these, words cor
rectly by the end Of the term would
be doing well. But these words occur
In the very first lesson in the book
the pupil is not taught to spell these
OF any OIHeI WOTuSs ana InlS primer
Is but q type of many; they begin
with words like baby and mamma
with two sounds OF the letter a. and
pretty and little with e. and hav-
ing the same sound. and one ST.
lent)
Is 1t any wonder that children do
not spell well when not only 10 no
attempt made to teach them. but they
are thrown. at once into the iPregulari-
ties and inconsfstencies OF English
spelling? -
Another favorite method with lead :
ing modern teachers Is the Jump-and
run method. The children stand up on
the floor and jump, Then the teach
shows them the sentence: II Jump"
The fact that they have just Jumped
is expected to teach them that sen
tence so they will never forget It. In
the same way they learn the whole
primer: II run" "I play marbles
81 cate ha ball." ETC., by doing all
these things. Il do not know how
they would teach little girl to read
who could not catch hall or shoot
marblesH
There may be some old-time spell
ers who think that no such condition
can really exist In any school: that I
am exaggerating. For their beneflt I
will quote from the preface, or instruc-
lions to teachers, OF TWO OF the mos
up-to- date primers: One states that
the book 'is written from the stand
point of images. not words. II
the mind of the child Is conferred upon
the thought he will learn the writes
wor dunconscfously as he learns the
spoken word"
All modern primers pooh-pooh the
alphabet. and one authority gravely
declares:
am short time the pupils will ac-
quire the names OF the letters of tn
alphabet intuitively. and will then be-
prepared to go aheod without didlcult
and without help on the part of the
teacher"
1t is this attempt at learning with
out thought, by intuition, and with
out help on the part OF the teacher
hat has resulted In such conditions as
disclosed at Northwestern Univer.
stty.
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Genuine HaVnnaa made Mt fhn Has.