The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-12-09
COURSES
ARE COMPLETED
Committee of Six Prominent
Educators Completes Work
of Revision.
FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
One Of the accommodation Is That
the Child's Sense of Humor
Should Be Developed.

Acting in accordance with a rcsolu-
tion passed by the county superiu-
tendents az the convention held i'm
salt Lake last April. a committee OF
six prominent educators. including A.
G. Nelson. state superintendent OF
schools. has just completed a revised
course of study for the public schools
OF Utah which has been issued in
pamphlet form from the Office Of Su-
perintendent Nelson. The revision ap-
plies to courses followed in all state
schools outside OF cities OF the first
and second class and county districts
Of the first class. BY IL more stress IS
60 be laid on manual training. cook
ing, sowing and general domestic
science courses. which the committee
believes should De introduced into the
elementary grades.
As prime move towards reducing
the grammar schools to as practical
basis as possible. the new course pro-
vidcs for short course in agriculture
20 be taught i'm all eighth grades in
connection with nature studies and
home geography. As a further step
90 more thoroughly unity and simplify
the curriculum i'm the elementary
schools. the committee recommends
the elimination Of all non-essentials
Bon each subject and the requirement
N more thorough and intensive work
on a minimum OF subject matter.
Sense of IIumor.
Taking up the various divisions OF
the elementary courses, the commit
tee makes many recommendation
Unique among these is one urging that
much attention should be paid to the
proper development OF the child's
sense OF humor. This preCarious task
should be undertaken in connection
with the literature and reading group
Of studies. In the selection OF reading
courses the greatest Of care should be
exercised To- secure nothing but the
best I'm literature. both ancient and
modern. recommends the committee.
and further 70 adds that the idea that
the choice gems Of the literary art be-
long entirely 90 the past should be
eliminated and the child introduced to
the modern productions or art.
Home studies.
In what g. terms the huuranistic
group of studies the committee pro-
poses To- include studies by which the
student shall first OF all come to know
the community in which he fives This
study should be- divided into two re-
lated phases. ono historical and the
other Institutional SAYS the report.
The first viii include local history. set
D
conclude with United States history.
I The second viii aCQuaint the child by
means OF contemporary observation
and excursions with the industries and
institutions Of the neighborhood
thereby paving the way for the more
advanced studies OF civics. economics
and political history.
/ Throughout the entire course the
committee makes numerous recon-
mendations calculated to modernize
the methods Of teaching i'm the ele-
meutary grades and 10 introduce prac-
I teal studies complete I'm themselves
l rather than combining the courses
/ wholly 70 a preparatory nature
The members Of the committee. as
appointed by superintendent Nelson
are. A. g.. Nelson. state superintend-
ent ~ schools; @. y. Child. superin-
tendent ~ the Utah county school,
7 tnow grammar grade supervisor fol
the salt Lake schools) d. G.. Wood.
ward. superintendent Emery count,
schools; r. V. Larson. superintendent
of Cache county schools. Joseph Fin.
hnsou. superintendent OF Millart
COUNTY schools. and Professor Mosiaf
3 Hall or the University of Utah