The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-06-13
PLEA FOR SIMPLER
SCHOOL METHODS
Correspondent of Gov. Spry
Offers Suggestions to
Help Pupils.
TEACHERS OFTEN DENSE
REFUSE AID WHEN 1T is REAL
LY NECESSARY.


a letter written to Governor William
spry by a friend in a nearDy town.
The letter received yesterday is &C
cOnpanied by postscript explaining
its purpose as follows:
In writing within / purpuscir re-
frain from addressing anyone or sign
Ing my name to the scribble. / am
not hunting nOtOriety. neither 90 l
wish TO be written down as a meddler
with ether peoples business. But il
any good shall ever grow out Of II
Tor the benefit of the youth Of Doth
sexes who have not. unfortunately, the
opportunity TO get the prescribed
amount of schooling between the ages
OF and is. / shall feel thankful. for
that is the chief object for when
write
4 could have written more Oh some
points, but. as a hint to the wise IS
sufficient and I was merely Trying
the wise. perhaps l have written
enough for the patience Of a busy bust
ness man"
The letter follows.
I sometimes think. Ny thoughts may
be either good or bad. but. 1 think.
During the last school year have
thought occasionally Of district school
masters. and will now Jot down some
Of those thoughts-thoughts that. per-
chance, may be food for much better
thoughts.
size of Lessons.
rs It not better to give moderate
sized lessons. guided. to some extent
by the ability OF the class to handle
them. and have them thoroughly
learned. than TO give lessons that are
too big. that discourage study. that
prompt truancy. dislike for teachers
and a tendency to avoid schooll
have noticed great longing for schod
year 10 end and a dread for IL to be-
gin. Should this feeling eXistl Not
much Of it.
Some two years ago a pupil was
studying a lesson in arithmetic. / Saw
n~H Of 10 %
problem it contained. which was this;
/ Divide sevcn-eighths Of eleven
twelfths Of four-fifths Of 20 by one
sixth Of nine-siNteentEs Of five-9txths
OF eleven-twenty-fourth Of thirty
two This pupil was in the foy- IN
grade and did not know the multipli-
cation table and did not know the
numcrator from the denominator hait
the time. IL may be said that this
touches the author, his arrangement
was at fault. Let IT touch him, but q
teacher should have better sense than
TO assign such problems to such pu-
pills. II f. necessary TO understand
fractions. but II is one hundred 10 one
~ the best clerk I'm salt Lake could
work such a problem IN year OF al
all. for that matter.
Should teachers help pupils! 1
heard Of a case in Utah In which
teacher absolutely refused to give In
formation OF help to a class IN dlfu-
Guilty. ] was told several years ago
by a father Of family Of BOYS who
he spoke 90 the teacher about the les
sons being too hard for the grade his
boys were In. They sat up great zeal
at night to get their aritnmeuc ah9
often failed. What were they TO doE
Dig II out was the reply. but there
were some things they could not ana
did not dig out. and the teacher uls
not help them. Now. do not want
to say much about the inclination apt =
ness or application OF people; but 1
I 4 Naa frrnfrfN IL
a little What is the teacher paid
for. n not TO teach the pupils2
Promotion and Graduation
should not promotion and gradua-
ton be made on the actual merits OF
the pupil? II crowding and coaNinE
are done to obtain promotion and
credit for progress OF class. for teach
or the latter to do his best for the
pupils. certainly; and not De suDJeSt
| "a block OF preparedness for gradua-
/ ton? And II a singular course -
I taken to secure graduation, what fol-
/ lows7 Poor scholars, and needing a
wear in each OF the seventh and eighth
| grades. TO bring them up to where
| they should have been when grad
There are too many who. for va
1 rious reasons do not attend school
/ after they are II years OLD tatneI
and mother have a numerous Ia lI.S,
and are I'm poor circumstances and need
the few added dollars the elder boys
and girls can earn TO supply the scanty
needs Of the family. Further. the boys
and girls may be orphans and have
no Alternative They must earn their
/ living. Many other causes may oper.
ate to ROB them OF the necessary school
| advantages. Here. then. we have the
/ - ,nd the loaf Of bread. BY going
| TO school he cannot get that Loaf OF
bread. by working for II he can get
I IT, Now. as he must have the orea9
| lives but he cannot attend school He
must add TO his knowledge later and
l in some other way
adooted and operated in the schools
I to give them a better chance 70 &C
quirc a greater degree Of knowledge
/ before they are II years Oh. / SUBMIT
I tive answer cannot be given without
some study.
pleads for simplicity.
81 cannot suggest the best way 70
accomplish this. but VII ten you
! what has been suggested TO my
mind. and Il may prompt a thought.
| II is impossible for principals OF
schools to tell who VIII quit attend ms;
I 10 arrange separate classes for them
but n may be possible to arrange TO
teach the initiatory Simplest principles
I Of all the studies In all the grades. OF
AN the classes. as they are advanced
to learn them. and getting this work
done by the time the pupils are about
] W wears OLD. anu mus [dANhALt6 NAA'oN
/ who may not attend after that age.
Then. the higher principles Of the diff
ferent studies TO the older ones VINO
continue in school. -, ,,,-.-..
The carpenters square viii Illustrate
the idea in regard TO all studies. Its
use az n rule-, OF a straight edge, 70
measure feet and inches and fractions
OF an inch and by which TO make a
right angle and the like These may
be taught and when pupils are more
advanced and more capable TO learn,
J they may be taught the higher prin-
cipies the square is designed to teach.
Wi,tch Is better-to let the 12-year-old
leave school with what he has learned.
say. or 70 give him a chance 10 get IN
addition some preliminary knowledge
OF other studiesG
'sSimplification is necessary. the OBJ
iect OF the text book is 70 teach. Why
partially defeat that object by lack Of
sImpIificatiOn7 The word subtract Is
early used in arithmetic. That needs
explaining That's to take from. says
the teacher Stin not fully under
stood Now for the Abacus. and n one
Z fwnf IL -