The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-09
PUBLIC SCHOOL PUPILS ARE POOR WRITERS SAYS
 INSTRUCTOR i. K. POST
Suggests New System to be Inauguaed by Himself Which
 School Committee is Considering Test Showed Poor Results in Many Schools

According to George K. Post, su- pervisor of writing in the public schools. Bridgeport public school chill dren do not show marked efficiency in handwriting. In a con1munica- ton read at the meeting of the Board q Education last evening MT. Post. offers explanations for these reasons. and suggests remedies. He desires to install his system under which he has been working for the past two years and quotes prices to the com rnissioners. The board after consid- erable discussion referred his com munfcation to the Committee on Schools with power to act.
 Mr. Posts communication follows:
 Bridseport conn, July T. 1912.
 supt- of Schools. City. N Dear Sir:
 have just completed an extensive examination of the writing of the pulp lie school pupils of Bridgeport
 The results of this examination as tabulated on the attached sheets, show that much more emphasis should be placed on the value of good penman- ship
 The tests were so simple that very little mental effort was required on, the | see no reason why every room should not have received a mark of 100 per cent.
 You will observe that only 34.9 per cent. of the total humber of rooms visited received a passing mark; that some rooms received as low as 35 per cent and 40 per cent; and that only three rooms received mark of 100 per cent You will also note that e-tf1ird of the number of schools visited received a passing mark for only 25- per cent. of the total number of rooms in the building. In one school 9i per cent of the rooms failed to receive passing mark
 After considering the causes which have developed such a deplorable con- dition, I find that they dissolve into two main factors.
 First a lack of appreciation. on the the value Of good writing; general feeling that good writing and good writing habits belong to the writing period only
 Second, a lack of proper equipment with. which to teach the subject
 I would respectfully suggest the fol- lowing plans: ..
 a. Call general teachers meeting. in September, at. which the superin- tendent can make plain the importance of good writing and the value of con- stant reference, during all written ex- ercises. to correct position, movement and form
 b. Install a plan for issuing certi- ficates to pupils of the public schools. These certificates could be given for a marked Improvement in the pupils writing.
 c. Supply a script model for each pupil, showing him how his copy should look when completed. This would in no way be a Copy Book as the term Is generally understood It would contain only the model to be copied. and not attached paper on which, to draw copies
 When first came to Bridgeport I attempted. to place board models be- fore each class. I found that this method was very impracticable for the following reasons:
 a. Too much valuable front board room was used for the copies.
 b. The work was frequently erased by mistake, leaving classes with no
 q The models suited in size to pu- pfis sitting ten feet away were not suited to pupils sitting thirty feet away.
 q. The time which should have been used in class criticism was used in writing board copies.
 At the present time it is impossible to write board models on account of the large increase in the number of rooms
 There is only one satisfactory meth cd of teaching writing and that meth cd demands the use of good copies before each pupil
 There are. at present, three or four good systems of writing on the mar ket- have received estimates from three of these, based on a purchase of 1z,000 copies; for all grades excepting Grade T. Grade I would not need copies for year or two.>
 Following are estimates, based on an initial purchase of 12,000 copies and not allowing for a future increase in the number of pupils needing books.
 THE PALMER METHOD. 2,Oo0 Copies of Grade II Cards.
 Rt 5c ---..-.....$ 10000 | 5anoo Copies of Grade III to