The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1919-04-18
How HaWaii'S Schools
Might Be Improved
Some interesting And Sensible Suggestions
BY a MAUI TEACHER

retell them to her. (The STORY Hour"
is a very good suggestion given by
Mr.. Wells.) Much of the geography
could be given in the supplementary
readers.
6. A Collection OF The Stories For
The Primary Grades:
A collection of the stories for the
primary grades should be made so
that each teacher can have
right at hand the stories for her
grade. New teachers coming from the
coast would be able to work far more
effectively with some such help and
all young teachers would appreciate
such a booklet. If more of such
equipment were provided, a teacher
would not so often feel disappointed
when it was necessary to transfer her
from one grade to another. 1t takes
considerable time to collect and ar
range equipment for a new class. The
stories might be given in form for the
teacher to tell, in one, two and three
syllable words for the class to tell
and write, and in a form for dramat-
%ization. The successful teachers of
story work in the Islands should
send in their suggestions and manu-
scripts of stories in the forms proven
most useful. Methods of presenting
the stories and of illustrating them
might well be included.
2. The Need OF Strong Teachers,
Preferably Island-Trained, In Our
First Grades:
The first grade is the hardest for a
teacher fresh from the mainland to
teach. A large percentage of our pu-
! rs1@ rr, -, Al, Gnct 1roIa T1,a nir1c
who have grown up here should un-
derstand and be more in sympathy
with the children of Hawaii than the
teachers recently from the coast.
They should be peculiarly adapted to
that most important part of our
work-teaching the first grade.
Would it not be possible for our
Normal School to build up a strong
department to thoroughly train local
girls to take the first grade classes?
These teachers should have a know
ledge of and practice in the use of
the best modern methods suited to
our first grades. The Normal School
should be in a position to discover
students naturally fitted for primary
work and to encourage them to take
special training for it.
a HlSHtI SdldIy lOI uISI 81 duc
teachers might well be offered as an
inducement to students to take such
a course. 1t is customary in some
parts of the mainland for the first
teachers to be shown in this way an
appreciation on the part of the public
of the importance of their work.
With such well trained teachers we
should expect to get much better re-
suits, i. e., a larger percentage OF
pupils would be promoted after n
year in the first grade.
Could not these teachers be given
special instruction in the use of the
phonetic method of teaching reading?
There seems to be a real need of this.
The Japanese children find it very diff
tcult to learn our language. Proper
instruction in phonics would furnish
them with a key which would be of
great help in their reading.
8. The Normal School Might Get
Out Some Helpful Bulletins On
Various Topics:
For instance we should like to have
a list of typical errors in English
that the children make and sugges-
tons of drills and devices for getting
rid of these bad habits. The Normal
School should lead in such work.
9. The First Grade Examinations
Should Be In Reading, Spelling,
Writing And Language:
In the present system no examina-
ton is igven in reading and there are
examinations in geography and n.y.
giene.
10. Rulers Marked Off Into Inch,
Half-Inch And Quarterback lengths
Should Be Provided For The
Primary Grades:
Many marks on the rulers are con-
fusing to young pupils.
II. Teachers Might Occasionally Be
Released From Regular Classroom
Work For Short Periods Of A Few
Weeks To Prepare Outlines Or Bull
Ietins For The Use OF All The Teach
ers In Hawaii.
~. Miss Felker's Manuscript:
Possibly the manuscript of the book
Miss Felker, a former teacher in Ho-
nOlulu, was working on could be sec
ured and material of great use acquir-
ed thereby.