The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1915-02-13
(The Reveille.)

principals of Louisiana on December
10, gave his views as to the teaching
of English in the high schools. His
views are embodied in a bulletin pub
lished in January, under the title,
English in the High School," DR.. Reed
asserts that all the rhetoric that is
of practical use can be given within
twenty-five pages. He says that a
large per cent of the material contain
ed in textbooks and taught the chill
dren is useless.
st should be supplanted by useful
material" stated DR.. Reed. eve re-
quire children to spell 10000 words
found in the spelling books, $4,000 of
which are never used in written
communication, and are therefore of
| no value am inclined to believe that
the percentage of dead timber in most
of the other subjects is fully as high" "
Dr. Reed went On to say that we are
attempting to teach much that is Of
little practical value, wasting our en-
ergies, as well as those of our pupils,
in tiresome and useless repetition of
subject-matter. The aims in compost
ton and rhetoric are to give the pupil
further training in the mechanics, to
give him increasing power in oral and
written speech, to help him to think
more clearly and accurately, to develop
in him a fuller appreciation of good
literature and increasing interest in
the world in which he lives.
Under the mechanics of writing we
may include a neatness and legibility
of manuscript" continued DR.. Reed,
correct spelling and punctuation, cor
rect use of language, proper placing
of the material on the page-in word,
all outward means of making the
thought quickly and easily understood.
This part of the work is highly i'm
portant the work, moreover, has a
decided practical value, because eff
cheney in it is the first and often the
only requirement made of boys and
girls in the business world. Pupils
should be drilled in the mechanics of
writing until they habitually write legi-
bly, and neatly, spell and punctuate
correctly, avoid the common errors of
speech, and place their work to the
best advantage on the written page.
To do this work effectively the teacher
should require of his pupils short but
frequent compositions; he should read
these papers carefully and indicate on
the margins or elsewhere the mechani-
cal errors; and he should require his
pupils to rewrite their papers and to
correct the. mistakes which he has in
dictated. The high school teacher can
not drill his pupils too much or too
carefully on the mechanics of writing.
This work should be thoroughly done,
not only because of the emphasis which
business men place upon it, but be-
cause the pupil must master this work
now or never. If student does not
habitually write neatly and spell cor
rectly when he enters college or goes
out into life, he will, in all probability
never write neatly and spell correctly;
his habits have been formed and can
not easily be changed.
"The successful teacher of compost
ton does not stop with drilling pupils
in the mechanics of writing. His con
slant aim is to give them greater
power in oral and written speech The
power to express ones self clearly
accurately, and easily is the result Of
clear and accurate thinking. 1t is sug
gested to develop in the pupil fuller
appreciation of good literature and in
creasing appreciation of the fullness
of life.
What are the aims in teaching lit
erature? First of all, the aim is to givt
the pupil an understanding and appre
citation of some of the masterpieces O.
the language The teacher may hope
to realize this aim, not by rhapsodiz
ing about the beauty of literature, o.
by Analysing it's technique, or by trac
ing the history of its literary forms
and movements; he can realize it onl.
by making the student see and appre
ciate the meaning of the masterpiece
"a broader and saner view of life,
heightened sense of the demands o
life, and higher and nobler ideals o
living. The aim is to develop, through
the mental images and emotional ar