Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-07-02
TEACH GRAMMAR
BY ONE STANDARD
Newark Paroehial School Su-
perintendent Says There Are
Too Many Methods.
TOO MANY BOOKS, TELLS
CATHOLIC EDUCATORS
Another Speaker Deplores Lack
of Religious Teaching in
the School.

special 70 the Evening star.
ATLANTIC CITY. July 2.-Ad-
dressing the parish school body of the
/ Catholic Educational Association. in
session here, Rev. John A. Dillon. Of
Newark, superintendent Of the paro-
ehial schools in that diocese. today
said that a standard is needed Il
teaching grammar
Everymonth. he said. brings
new textbook on the market. and
every instructor has his own way Of
teaching the subject The result *
maze Of bewilderment.
We nave arrived al that stage Of
progress III the teaching Of grammar
when the prospect of 4 deanife ana
eifclent plan while imperative Il
bright and encouraging. In gram
mar. as IN other subjects, views have
undergone change. and Correspond
ing methods followed in their wake.
historically we may distinguish
/ three periods in the teaching ~
grammar: the period Of teehnfcaI
grammar. the period Of reaction. and
the period Of counteraction.
Men today who have studied the
question closely are unsatisfIed as to
the results and divided in their ogin-
Ions All seem to agree that n fha
nrst period technical grammar was
oVer-emp hasized. Not few claim
that IN the second period it is greatly
under-emphasized The peuduh1r,S.
they say, has swung to the other -x-
IRENE. If the object has not been ar
tanned IN the first period, neither has
i been attained in the second. IN adj
dltion, they point to the confusion
that exists because Of the multiplicity
I n re 1.n4.s
There is not a month but new text
book Is in the field with a number OF
lucid, but heretofore unused terms.
| Where do We stand2 In a maze Of
/ bewilderment? In q Tower Of Babel
i IN the midst Of confusion Of tongues
What is the object of grammar
teaching It is not as those claimed
who first found fault with the teach
ing of technical grammar merely to
teach the correct use of speech; but
| according TO those WHOSE authority
is Of the greatest weight in the mat
| ter. 1t is the reflective study OF Ian
guage for a variety of purposes OF
which correctness in writing Is only
one, and secondary or Subordinate
one-by no means unimportaut--bfat
best attained when sought Indirectly.
Accepting this as true, II seems to
me to follow that technical Grammar
curriculum. and that place should
not be too early. but when the
child's reasoning faculties are some
what developed, which is about the
/ fifth grade. Every language has
technical grammar as a distinct SUBJ
ject-then why should the English
language be an exception to the gem
erai rule?
"A multiplicity Of grammatical
terms makes for obscurity and ineffi-
cheney, a no-standard, II is foun-
dation of shifting sand. Is there No
way Of bringing this variety of opin-
/ ion into harmony7
ITO enter into the details OF .
remedy for this confusion and TO
elaborate a practical scheme cannot
be attempted in the time allotted to
me. But this condition, nevertheless.
makes It worth while, II not impera-
tive, to determine in a general way
how far we can proceed to bring
about uniformity in the use OF terms
1T is too important to risk making
an error of judgment. The methods
introduced into the classroom ought
to be one that every teacher APP
proves Of and is willing to stand by.
I would suggest, then, that the ques-
ton be threshed out by those who are
most interested in It. and most COM
petent to solve it. Who are theyT
LET US not forget that teaching is
at once a science and an art. There
fore I deem it best that educators.
and / use the term advisediy. and
by il l mean those who have taught
successfully in our parish schools
should be given an opportunity TO
discuss or express an opinion upon
what is largely their own affair. on
this most important and far-reach-
ing question. / will add that to my
mind this question ought to be de-
cided only in the light of those who
are chiefly concerned--in the best in
terests of the children Of the elemen-
tary schools.
The urgent need of the Bible In the
parochial schools was emphasized by
Rev. c. J. Holland, of St Mary's Coll
lege, Pawtucket. R !. He declared
that the school was the proper place
TO inculcate the fundamentals OF re-
ligion and that there was a woeful
neglect in this direction.
The importance OF truth and. be-
ing was related by the Rev. E, H.
Tierney. one Of the editors of the as
ISOLATION.