Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-11
Creative Education" Takes Place
Of Old Diagrams and Dates

time and energy are likely to result
from the use of this Device
When grammar was taught as though
English were a dead language, pupils
were required, all the same, to make
pens and stockadeS for subjects and
predicates and long corrals for modi-
flying clauses.
When the child enters school," to
quote from this grammar syllabus, "he
has stock Of language forms acquired
through imitation of the language of
parents, brothers, sisters, playmates and
books. This equipment is the product
of the language life of the social group
to which he belongs"
Necessity of Grammar.
The necessity for teaching grammar
increases, especially in a city like New
York. as the language is corrupted by
foreign idioms and expressions. The
modern teacher is not content with
merely forcing the pupil to memorize
rules. He first arouses in him the idea
that it is necessary to enlarge his stock
OF language and to see that it Is in
correct form. He tries to give the
pupil sentence Sense"-the ability to
use sentences which begin and end.
which really have subjects and verbs
and correct lenses and connectives
Rules of syntaX are taught so that the
pupil will not initiate mere forms. but
Will determine the right form when he
has any doubt. In this way he builds
up an automatic language conscience.
Those who have toed the mark in the
spelling bees of the little red school
house" learned difficult and little used
words. now chiefly employed for cross
word puzzles. The words which engage
the attention of children today are
taken from the surroundings of his
everyday life-his observations, expert
ences, duties, privileges, his sports and
play, his outings and excursions and
from what vocations may begin to APP
peal to him. There can be no orig
inal!ty in spelling until one can afford
such luxury. so the ultimate aim of
teaching spelling is defined as the abili-
ty ito make automatic the accepted Sc
quence of letters in words most COM
monty needed for expression Of thought
in writing"
Trained in silent" Reading.
More latitude in reading appears
however, than in grammar and spelling.
For many of the older generation read
ing aloud was a dismal function In
real life, not many of us read aloud.
More stress is put now on silent read
ing" than on oral-the first being the
one more employed in dealing with
books and newspapers.
The primary purpose Of reading"
says the syllabus on the subject, lis to
get the thought as quickly as possible
from the printed page. The funda-
mental aim in the teaching of reading.
therefore, is not to get the child to
see and say, but to see and think"
Silent reading is much harder to
teach than the speaking of the printed
word, as the teacher must check up on
the pupils comprehension. Were the
pupil reading aloud, his lack of under
standing the sense might be detached
by his stumbling over unfamiliar words
So after a child has been assigned to
read something to himself, he is asked
certain questions based on the text
He may be required to act the part of
a character in story, or to make a
picture or model of some Object men,
tiored, or to white the sense of what
he has had in his own words. Reading
in this way is not pronouncing or seeing
a string of syllables; it is something
yerging en- creative thought.