Alamogordo news-advertiser. (Alamogordo, Otero County, N.M.) 1912-1914, 1913-02-22
SyPT. TIPTON ON
HOME READING
Makes Suggestions for Ad.
vancement of School Chill
dren of Otero County.


school life, than having work as
signed to be done at home that
should be done in the school room
under the supervision of the teach
er.
In the school room there is one
teacher and the same conditions sur
round each and every pupil. Once
the children are in their own homes
there are as many teachers and as
many different conditios sur
rounding them as there are homes.
They have even more teachers than
homes for the father teaches one
way, the mother another, and big
sister another. In many cases there
is no teacher at all, and the child
must work alone, which usually re-
suits in the child's becoming dis
couraged, giving up in despair and
returning to school the next day
with no lesson, a wounded pride,
distaste for school, or a feeling of
don't care.
The assigning of such work as
the child can do alone, such as
spelling, history, ETC., is recon-
mended by teachers who think that
the child should have some home
work to do. This is, of course, bet
ter than assigning grammar or
arithmetic, but it does not over
come this difficulty. After getting
home from school some children
must go to the field and work till
dark and then do their chores, and
by the time supper is over they
t fno ole for c3p
They sit around and nod for a
while and are soon off for bed.
Again, there are many homes in
which there is no opportunity for
study. Only one lamp-chimney-
less-for the entire family. This
the mother must have for the kitch-
en-, the remainder of the family
must be satisfied with the light of
the fire. 1t was all right for Lin
coin, in his day, to do with spade,
piece of charcoal, and fire light;
but with the advancement of this
age it is our duty to provide better
things for our children, or not ex-
pect them to keep pace with those
with better conyeniences. Just as
well ask one of our legislators to
walk from his district to the capitol
because Lincoln did. Just as well
expect the carpenter with very poor
tools to do as much and the same
work as the one with plenty of
good tools.
l once asked a teacher who is
. ambitious for professional certif-
lcate what she studied of evenings.
"O!" she replied. Il am so tired
when my days work is through in
! the school room that l can't study
. evenings. l read something that
| is not so heavy and retire early
If the child puts in the time as
, he should in the school room, he
! will be just as tired when evening
comes as is the teacher. The
, teacher thinks she does well If she
gets up and gets to school by $3.50
: while to my certain knowledge
: there are boys and girls in the
, country who are up and at work
[ for two hours before the teacher II
! up. We seem to forget that the
8 mind cannot work when the bod!
r is exhausted. We forget the thous
i. ands of steps some of these boy
8 and girls have to take outside o
!, school.
: But to my mind, the strong poin
!, in favor of doing away with hom'
/ study is to get the children Il
J. doing general reading. Reading
4; things that will put them in toucl
= with the world. Something that viii
!. widen their horizon. There is NOR
II education in getting the child il
= touch with the things OF the day,
knowledge of things as they exis
s now, instilling a love for reading
e teaching how to read and what u
4 read, than there Is, or ever can be
: In teaching the dry facts OF tn
n texts. Text book knowledge is wei
d enough in its place, but when VI
undertake to fill the child's mint
with such knowledge to the exclus
ion of a knowledge of the world a
> It exists at present, we are layin
: the foundation for a wasted life
= II Is useless to argue that tn
children will get this knowledg
A outside OF school. They will moi
! The present conditions is sufficien
! proof. In great many OF tn
. hon es visit the county paper
: the sum total OF the reading mat
IL ter of the entire family, and !
a some cases they do not even hav
% that. What greater educationi
q work can our rural school do tha
: to put plenty of good reading II
" to the homes and direct the reaC
ing of same. Let the reading ;
done under the direction OF th
teacher. OF course every one woul
not take advantage of the opportuI
A. ity. but the great majority woul'
ie This literature, once in a home wi
I'd be read by the family. and in tn
10 way will the school and the home
to brought in closer touch. Anoth'
is connecting link will have been su
g piled. School boards and patrol
nt will respond. II the matter is pr
e sented to them In an intellige'
r. way. They are hungering for som
d. thing more worth the while 4
IN their boys and girls. They can 3
on the lnefficiency Of our schools b
be are at a loss TO know how TO CO
rect things.