American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1913-10-30


The High School department con
tlnued the discuss on. that the high
; hool should prepare for life and
taat In making this preparation for
lfe we should train the child for
some particular work In life. not
just vaguely prepare him for life.
II was SAID the workers OF the
United States are divided into six
different classes professional,
the trsde. the domestic, manufact-
ufing, and The women In the home.
Taking up the proportionate num-
Der Of people in each class, II was
found that there are about two mil-
lions OF people In the professional
class. five In trades. five u six In
domestic service, seven in manufac-
turing. eleven In agriculture, and
twenty TO twenty-five million women
In the home. This being true, should
our high schools go On. as they have
IN past years. simply training for
the professional class, or should
they not rather give a preparation
or training along all lines? Consid-
ering this as a basis the vari-
Gus elements OF the curriculum were
discussed, as TO their value in the
preparation for life work. 1t was
suggested that English alone be
made a requirement for the high
school course. and that the other
units necessary for graduation be
made a matter OF choice. the stu
dent 20 be aided from time
to time in his cho'ce by his In
structor, who would endeavor TO
help him discover himself. Thus the
old traditional high school training
would have to give place to the de-
mands of real life upon II and not
be simply a professional training
school.
sTeaching of Agriculture"
Was the subject for discussion in
the sectional meeting OF teachers OF
rural schools. Mr.. J. II. Miller said
that agriculture should be taught be
cause OF it's economic Importance. be
cause of its humanizing influence
The teaching OF agriculture digni-
flies II In the minds of the pupils
and the public. and viii result in its
own Improvement
Agriculture should be taught In
the lower grades as nature subjects.
in the seventh and eighth grades
and in the high school as a regu-
lar subject.
THE teacher should study local
conditions and local crops and get
the farmers In the community to CO.
operate with him. BY correlatine
the work in agriculture In the
school with the local life. the local
agricultural standard may be raised
Immensely"
Grammar Grades.
For the first half hour Prof.
briggs. OF the Utah Normal. spoke
TO the teachers on the importance OF
the teaching OF English. The teacher
should be a good story-teller and
reader. In order TO inculcafe in the
pupils a love for highest literature,
she must very often read 20 them
selections OF choice literature IN her
best manner. many of which might
appeal to the children merely
through their beauty OF sound
Prof. briggs made his talks concrete
by reading In a beautiful manner
some Of the poems in which he con-
sidered especially appealing to child
nature.
The second period in the after
noon was used by Mr.. Reed OF the
Academy OF Idaho in giving data
he had gained from letters in re-
Spouse to questions he had put to
different high school teachers as to
the preparation in English received
IA the grades. All agreed hat chill
dren are deficient in the ability to
read for thought TO spell, and to
express their thoughts orally and in
writing.
SuporintendeDts and Principals
Section.
Dr. Merriam emphasized the fact
that in his school reading in the
first year is begun in the third
month. The material for this work
S obtained from the spontaneous ex-
p~ressions OF the children, as. 20.
we had a fine game"
Through the second and third
year the work is based on the
child's observation. In the fourth
year the work Is based on his
observations and experiences OBJ
IA ned by visiting the grocery. meat
markets. and other home industries
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