Evening star., 1923-11-18
do YOU FEED YOUR MIND?
UNCLE SAM WILL AID YOU
Free Reading Courses Expected to Help
+ Preservation of Home and Educa-
tiOnal Standards.
I pom what do you feed your
mind?

IT Upon what do you feed you,
In these days, when we
hear so much about pure
foods. meat inspection. tuberculir
tests for dairy herds and safeguard
| ing the water supply. It is well also
| to consider how the American people
| may develop a sound mind in a sound
body.
| Uncle Sam is doing this through
the direction Of free reading courses
| with the ultimate purpose of pre-
serving the American home by get
ting the family together around the
| library table.
| There are now seventeen states CO.
| operating with the federal govern
| ments activities through the bureau
| readers are enrolled In one or more
of the twenty-five courses which have
been prepared by experts
| When we stop to consider that In
| the United States there are some
7S,000.000 persons over ten years OF
age who can read in our language
| or In their native tongue. and that a
| comparatively small proportion OF
| these can ever further their educa-
ton after they leave common school
! by attending institutions or by TAX
Ing advantage of correspondence
visions Of universities, II is obvious
| that vast field Of service has been
| entered.
| Home Education Work.
The home education division was
! established to take up this work in
1913 at the request of the National
| Congress of Mothers and Parent.
| teacher Associations and who for six
years supported the work. Then
! Congress ruled that special colIabo-
/ rators must not be connected with
! the federal service unless they are
| drawing their salaries from state
| and municipal funds. The federal
! government then took over the home
! education work, of which the read
| ing courses are the outstanding fea-
| ture. and has since given II financial
| support
This work is along two lines-first
helping the parents and others In the
home to further their own educa-
tfon. helping them in the care and
training of their little children be-
fore they are of school ago. helping
the boys and girls after they have
| left home to further their education;
second. promoting a closer co-ope ra- :
tfon between the home and the school
working through county superin
tendents of education, this federal
! aivlsio9 einn n has so developed an organiza-
tlon or 10000 men and women CO.
operators in all parts of the country
| who have spread the message to the
people generally and helped to>or-
| ganize reading circles.
Seventeen States Cooperate.
The seventeen states that are now
cooperating are: Arizona. Arkansas
Colorado. Hawaii, Indiana. Iowa
! Kentucky. louisiana. North Carolina
North Dakota. Oregon. South Caro-.
lima, South Dakota. Utah, Virginia
| Washington, Wisconsin and Okla.
| homa- The National Capital has not
yet organized for cooperation.
Miss Ellen c. Lombard, director o.
home education, who previous to un
dertaking this work, was a schoo
teacher In Boston. as superintendent
of practice in the kindergarten train
ing school, has Just returned from
a statewide tour of Michigan. durint
which she addressed six state teach
ers' association meetings, telling he
story of the reading courses and hov
they develop helpful cooperation be
tween the schools and the homes. A
funds are made available she viii
continue this work in other states.
In all but two of the states coop
Grating now the work is carried OF
through the extension divisions o
the state universities. In Oklahoma
the reading courses are conducted
through the library commission ant
In Louisiana through the State Nor
NAL College.
The idea is to turn the work bacl
to the states as soon as state or
PLANTATIONS are ready to cooperate
The federal bureau arouses interes
In the reading courses and any In
diyidual desiring to take them should
| apply to the Washington Office, which