The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1910-04-07
NO FADS IN SCHOOL
Two Thirds Of Students Time
Devoted to Three RS.
Cleveland Superintendent Publishes
Results Of a Study Of Work In
Fifty of Largest Cities In
United States.

Chicago.-There is no foundation In
fact for the cry that "fads and frills"
are overshadowing the fundamentals
in the curriculum of Americas city
schools. Almost two-thirds of the time
in the schools of SO leading American
cities is given to the three RS. and
with the time spent on history and
geography three-fourths of the school
day is occupied with fundamental sub
jects.
These are the conclusions reached by
Supt. William H. Elson of the Cleve-
land public schools after an investiga-
tion of the elementary school work of
the so largest cities in the United
States. The statistics gathered and
the results obtained are published in
the current issue of the Elementary
School Teacher.
While Supt. Elson found % different
subjects being taught in the schools,
the time devoted to most of them is
short. The subjects taught in the
schools of all the cities, according to
the investigation, are reading, SPELL
ing, language and composition, wri-
ting. arithmetic. geography, history.
music and drawing. Grammar, man
ual training, sewing, physical train
ing, physiology and hygiene are taught
in 38 or more of the cities, while Of
the remaining subjects cooking Is
taught in 80 cities, elementary school
science in 80, algebra and civics in 10,
bookkeeping in five, geometry in three
and typewriting in me-.
Few cities give place to geography
before the third grade, and this in
struction is confined largely to the
fifth, sixth and seventh years, and
though it is taught in the eighth
grade, there is a tendency to complete
the work in this branch in the sew
enth," said Prof. Elson. Despite the
attractiveness and educative value Of
historical materials, only here and
there is history taught before the fifth
grade, and Is taught by all the cities
in question in but one-the eighth.
LAS a rule, manual training is COM
bined during the first four years with
drawing, and Notwithstanding it is Civ
en- separate place in some cities in the
fifth and sixth, the real work in this
branch is confined largely to the sew
enth and eighth grades; so also with
cooking for girls, which takes the
place in these grades of the manual
training for boys; sewing, on the 9th
er hand, seemingly finds it's proper
place in the fifth, sixth and seventh,
yet where sewing is taught in the sew.
enth cooking is as a rule confined
solely to the eighth.
Though physical training and by
giene are practically taught in all the
grades in all the cities where they
have been introduced, physiology is
taken into account more generally in
the fourth and thereafter. Likewise,
with elementary science, where it is
given place, it is taught on the whole
in all grades"
In the time devoted to different sub
5ects Mr.. Elson found that reading
was given first place with arithmetic
second. language and composition
third and geography and history
fourth.
Next in emphasis come spelling,
writing, music, drawing, manual train.
ing, physical training, physiology
and hygiene, while grammar and ele.
mentary school science come last.
In discussing some of the facts
brought out, Mr. Elson says: Read
Ing, spelling, language and compost
ton, writing, music and drawing, are
the only studies that are actually or
practically taught in all the grades of
the schools of the SO cities under con-
s1deration. Though grammar finds
place in other grades, it is confined
In the main to the last three. With
regard to arithmetic there is a grow.
ing movement either to omit it alto.
gether or to make the work in it dur.
ing the first two years incidental, reg.
ular and systematic instruction begin.
ming only with the third"