Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-07-13
PLEADS FOR SIMPLE SPElLER
Teach Child Words He Doesn't
Know, Says Com. Hillegas.
Union Superintendents Omit Afternoon
Acknowledgement Reception Last
Nigbt-vicws to he shown
Again Tonight.

Use a spelling book made up of unfa-
miliar but not unusual words: This was
one of several pieces of advice which DIR.
Milo 3. IIillegas, State commissioner OF
education, presented to the union superin
tendents who attended yesterday morn
ing's session in the Williams Science hall
of the University. The subjects of spelling ,
and arithmetic were again under discus
sion, and vocabularies generally and the |
spelling book In particular came under |
the fire of criticism and examination.
DR.. llilegas told of n spelling book used ,
In Pennsylvania town where the "nrst |
families" were Pennsylvania Dutch" !
most of the population in fact. Sauer- !
kraut was a word familiar to almost every |
tnhabitant and the smallest child could
| spell it, but that word and many |
others similarly familiar were in the old
| speller used as a text book. Dr. Hillegas
told OF another school which happened to
be located next door TO a theological semi
nary For that reason and no other the
children were able to spell the compare
lively difficult word Theological"
The commissioner told Free Press man
that 1t was the rule almost everywhere to
employ a speller containing words which
night be merely peculiar to tho particular
community or section.
On the other hand it was the idea of DR..
| Hillegas, not to teach children first of all
long, complicated and uncommon words,
but short, simple ones, words in everyday
use
The commissioner condemned the speler
which contained in parallel columns words
of like sound but utterly different mean
ing. He limited that this method Of dis
tnguishng between words Theoretically
alike was very unwise.
1t is his view that not enough Importance
Is ascribed in spelling in the ordinary pub
lie school curriculum.
| Even more Of the first period given
up to a consideration Of arithmetic than
of spelling. DR. Hillegas. in order to find
out how the teachers method of visualz-
ing number differed from the child's had
several superintendent describe how they
conceived It. Graphs of simple character.
consisting mostly of straight or broken
lines, were ued TO represent various i'm
ages upon the blackboard. 1t came out in
this way that the teachers visual concep-
ton was more complex and elaborate than
the child's.
DR.. Hillegas said the child found trou.
bic in considering a group as unit if it
was large, and in sorting out objects in
the distance. For example a child would
be able to count and tell you without
trouble the number OF conveyances in the
; street a block or two Off buff you asked
him to classify them, and tell you how
many motors or buggies or two-seaters,
etc, there were. he would hesitate and
might find himself at a loss 10 answer.
; Methods of teaching arithmetic were
; not gone into but the tacit lesson conveyed
was that the child's way of imaging num-
Der must be understood by the teacher.
The second period of the morning SEES
sion was given up to a meeting OF the dis
trict superintendents' association. Con
2 trary to expectation there was no election
3 Of officers, but the report Of the commit
Q tee selected to choose delegates to repre-
g.. sent the association at the dinner Of the
. Greater Vermont association, which took
place yesterday in Montpelier, was read.
The committee picked out some Is super
intendents to represent the organization,
and these together with Commissioner
n TIillegas and R. G. Reynolds, chief clerk
Of the State board Of education, left at
about noon for Montpelier.
Among the features of the meetings
to-day is a junior senior high school
:, conference at which DIR. Hillegas will
=. again speak To-days program will
. comprise two sessions again, the same
. as Tuesdays. Yesterdays afternoon
a session was omitted
r GENERAL RECEPTION.
II 1t was too late to postpone the gen
II eral reception SO that it would not
n conflict with the Greater Vermont as
g. ISOLATION doings in Montpelier and the
u affair held as planned in the Bill
!. lings library from eight o'clock on
u Those in the receiving line were Pres
T. ident Guy Potter benton and Mrs Ben
= tom Prof. ]. f. Messenger. who is il
Il charge of the summer school, anc
Mrs. Messenger: and Mrs. e. L. ingalls,
- wife of the president OF the Stat
- Teachers association. Mr.. ingalls, hat
made arrangements to attend tn
Greater Vermont association events. 1
l. is understood, and could not be pres
- ent. Prof w b. Aspinwall. head o
- the State normal school at Worcester
: Mass. was one of the educators from
), outside the state present.
- About 100 colored pictures on glass
"a mounted in the fashion employed fl
T museums with lights behind so as Z
If give them the effect of being trans
- pa rencies." We're on exhibition for tn
If entertainment of the teachers AM
Of union superintendent present Man
4 of the townspeople and some of tn
e. professors and their wives also at
H. tended the reception. The rooms o
I'd the building We're comfortably filled.
Prof. IT. F.. Perkins. to whom and t
10, whose friend. F.. v Hoyt of Brookly
x and Burlington, the pictures belone
S: announces that the pictures will b
J.. shown at the library again to-nigh
e. for the benoit of those who could no
'r be present last night. The views in
a. cluded some of the most strikin
H. scenes in Colorado. especially tn
or neigh borhood OF Colorado Springs. an
te of California, as Well as Yellowston
s. Park, and also Mrs Seward Webb
~ Italian gardens MT Shelburne Falls.
" UNCLAIMED LETTERS.
List of unclaimed letters In tho Bur
lppton DOstoffiCe for the week endin