Remarks and Principles. 1. Leave no step until it is mastered. 2. Have a regular and definite time for each drill. 3. Whatever your method of spelling, if a word commences with a capital have the pupil mention it. 4. To economize time, all words, sentences, etc., that are to be the subject of discussion should be put upon the board before the time of reciting. 5. That part which treats of composition is intended as a practical drill in punctuation and capitalization, and a means of cultivating in the pupil a power to express systematically the facts concerning any subject with which he is familiar; but at some future time we may continue the subject, showing how the other objects of composition may be attained. Loyal Oak, O., June, 1877. A. A. CROSIER. REVIEWS. "Not how much, but how well," has caused many a teacher to do thorough work, when the absence of the precept might have been an excuse for laxness. We once heard a county superintendent remark that, in his opinion, a pupil should master the contents of a text-book in his first course through it, and thought that so much reviewing as was prevalent showed inexcusable carelessness somewhere. We wanted to ask a question, but did not have the opportunity. We had in mind the subject, History, and wondered if any boy or girl could be induced to try to remember some of the most prominent facts in the past, recollect a few of the most. important dates, or even recall the order of events, in once passing over the subject, no matter how thoroughly. As long as a strong interest is manifested by the pupils, and surely as long as there is apparent a lack of essential thoroughness, reviews are in order. Sometimes, but seldom, pupils are kept too long on one subject. This happens only when a teacher is more interested in high per cents than in the welfare of his pupils. The object of a review is to test the pupil in what has been passed over in advance work, and above all to gain a more comprehensive view of a subject than can possibly be obtained in the first course. In review lessons a pupil is often heard to remark, "I never understood that point before." "But," says the teacher, "That part was fully illustrated when you first passed over it." The reply is, "I thought I understood it then, but now I see that I did not." Many teachers wait till pupils have finished the advance work in the text-book before requiring a single review. Is this the right way? Take, for example, the subject, Grammar. To us it seems that at the close of each and every division in this science there should be a grand summing up, and an arrangement of the newly-acquired particulars with what has been previously classified. If all the divisions are passed over before a review, the class often finds itself in “a mighty maze" without "the plan." If we expect the faculties to do their proper work we must regard that law of the human mind that requires a strict classification, in general and detail, of acquired knowledge. A class of teachers review by assigning topics many pages back, together with an advance lesson. If the review and advance topics are upon the same subject this would be correct, but we question its utility when the topics are at variance, for many pupils would fail to classify properly, even if they succeeded in committing and reciting the assigned lesson. At each recitation there should be such a review of the points in the previous lesson or lessons, as will lead the pupil to observe and preserve proper connections. It requires a live teacher to conduct a review properly. The plan of instruction the first time over will not do at all now. In the advance lesson the teacher prepared topics and taught his pupils how to study them rightly, in each recitation pointing out the difficulties of the succeeding one, adding brief explanations when and where necessary, and assisting the pupils in their tasks. In the review, however, the pupil does all this, the teacher's place being to criticise and preserve interest. In the language of another we say review, review, REVIEW. EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT. -THE meeting of the Ohio Teachers' Association at Put-in-Bay, July 3d, 4th, and 5th, was a grand success. Some of the teachers of the State travelled over four hundred miles to reach the place of meeting, more than half of this travel being by steamboat. All credit is due to Gallipolis teachers for their energy. It would be well if some of the teachers residing within fifty or sixty miles of Put-in-Bay should acquire some of the zeal so displayed. The attendance was large. The number of teachers who go to Put-in-Bay the latter part of the week preceding the one in which the Association meets, has increased from year to year. At all the meetings there except the last, we have gone on the Saturday preceding the meeting. This time we went on Friday, but found that several teachers had preceded us. An excursion of Iowa local city editors arrived from Toledo on Sunday afternoon, and on Monday at their meeting invited the teachers present to meet with them. Alternate speeches were made by teachers and editors. It was especially noticable that while the teachers were the best speakers the editors exhibited the most humor, although the Burlington-Hawkeye man, Mr. Burdette, failed to be present, having been detained at Toledo by an invalid wife. About one-third of the editors, it was found, had gone to Iowa from Ohio. The editors left Monday afternoon for Niagara Falls, by way of Toledo and the Canada Southern Railway, no doubt carrying with them pleasant recollections of their short sojourn at Put-in-Bay. On Tuesday the Superintendents' Section met in Beebe's Hall. Much to our regret the President of the Section, H. B. Furness, was not present. J. M. Goodspeed, of Athens, was appointed president pro tem. The discussion of the excellent paper of M. R. Andrews on Unclassified Schools, was opened by Geo. W. Welsh, of Lancaster, in place of H. M. James, who was absent. He was followed by other speakers; all spoke well and to the point. By invitation Prof. T. C. Mendenhall presented to the Section a discussion of the Metric System, and urged teachers to teach it in their schools without reference to our present units. One of the interesting features of the occasion was a large case full of metric measures, exhibited in the office of the Put-inBay House, by Mr. Twiss, of Columbus, in behalf of the Metric Bureau of Boston, which is selling measures and weights for half cost price, in order to educate the people in the use of the metric standards. Many were the metric tape measures seen tied in tasteful bow-knots (worthy to be called beau-knots) from the button holes of teachers' coats. In the afternoon M. S. Campbell, of Portsmouth, read a paper on Suspension from School, Alston Ellis being too ill to perform his part, although present on the island. The discussion of this paper was one of the most spirited that we have ever heard in the Association. Geo. W. Walker, of Lima, was elected President of the Section for the next year. Mr. Walker has been a regular attendant of the Association for more than twenty years, we believe in all that time being but twice unable to be present. The programme of the General Association on Wednesday and Thursday was followed to the letter, every person assigned to duty being present and performing his part. Although there was the usual amount of carriage riding, skiffing, yachting, tugging, bathing, bowling, etc., yet the attendance at the sessions of the Association was larger than ever before. The report of the Committee in favor of meeting at Put-inBay next year was loudly cheered. Prof. T. C. Mendenhall was elected President for next year. As soon as his name was announced the applause indicated the estimation in which he is held by the teachers of Ohio. The proceedings of the meeting will be published in the September number of the Monthly, which fact should be remembered by canvassers for the Monthly at the Institutes. New subscribers should order their subscriptions to begin with July, so as to include the quarter containing the September number. The addresses and papers were all excellent and the discussions pointed. -ON the evening of July 4th, at Put-in-Bay, the Declaration of Independence was read by Mrs. M. Josephine Warren, the elocutionist, and speeches were made by Prof. Col. D. F. De Wolf, of Western-Reserve College, E. E. Spalding, of Gallipolis, John Hancock (not the one that signed the Declaration, but the one who would have done so if he had had an opportunity), of Dayton, and a gentleman from Louisville, Ky. The occasion was enlivened and illuminated by rockets and other fireworks on the Bay, and in front of the Put-in-Bay House. -THE Spelling-Reform Question was ably presented by E. O. Vaile at the State Association. One by one the old arguments against the reform are losing their supposed force. Nearly a quarter of a century ago we read in Cincinnati a paper on the "Etymological Objection." Now there is not (nor was there then), so far as we know, an eminent etymologist or philologist, in America or Europe, that does not favor the reform. Even that pestiferous word-fancier, Richard Grant White, in his arguments against the reform does not venture to use the etymological objection. Mr. White in an article on "Every-day English," in the New-York Weekly Times of May 23d, asserts that "misspelling is the rarest of faults." This bold assertion will do much to destroy his efforts against the reform. Mr. White likes to criticise others, but when criticism is turned against him he claims the right to write as he pleases. In the Weekly Times of May 30th in answer to a critic he says: "For the method of writing which he recommends I have only contempt. He may choose to write in that way, and it may answer his purpose to do so; but I do not so choose, nor would it answer my purpose. My mother-tongue is mine by inheritance and by occupation, as it is also that of most of my readers, and I use, have used, and shall use it as if it belonged to me, and not as if I belonged to it, caring only to say what I mean in such a way as to impress it upon my readers, and with utter indifference to the rules of any grammarian or the dictum of any lexicographer. To such a position of independence I hope to bring others." This is strange talk for a man who published a whole volume on the abuse of words. On the other hand we believe that many of the advocates of Spelling Reform use arguments which will not stand the test of trial. There are, however, enough sound arguments left for it to stand upon. The chief difficulty in the way of the change is stolidity or the inertia of conservatism, which cannot be overcome without almost superhuman effort. We are not enthusiastic as to an early success in overcoming this inertia, although we believe that success is desirable. -THE economy epidemic has attacked nearly every school Board in the country. Teachers' wages were slow in coming up, not reaching their maximum until about five years after the close of the war. It is not strange that teachers feel like resisting so early a reduction. The situation however must be accepted. In our last issue we referred to a reduction in Cleveland of 10 and 5 per cent on salaries of $650 and less. A subsequent action resulted in letting these salaries stand and reducing to the amount of about $12,000 the higher salaries. The salary of the Principal of the Central High School was reduced from $3000 to $2600, and the salaries of the Principals of the other High Schools and of the Supervising Principals from $2500 to $2100. The salary of the Principal of the Normal School was reduced from $2500 to $2300, and the salaries of lady principals from $1200 to $1050. Reductions were also made in the salaries of the special teachers. Although the Cleveland teachers were willing to submit to a fair reduction, sixteen per cent was by some considered as a little too much. The teachers of Chicago, however, have suffered more. The salary of the Superintendent has been reduced to $3000, of the Assistant Superintendent to $2500, of the Principal of the High School to $2250, of the Principals of Division High Schools to $1875, of the Principals of Grammar Schools to $1000, and so on. We learn that reductions have been made in some of the higher salaries of Louisville, Ky. The worst case of reduction is that of the salary of the Principal of the Toledo High School, to $1000. -THE last few years has witnessed many cases of difficulty in the actions of Boards of Education, arising from an equal division of the Boards. This year we witness these troubles increased by the interference of outside parties by attempting to influence the Boards by petitions and a general clatter. When Boards are elected they should be left untramelled. If they misbehave, as they sometimes do, the people should drop them at the regular elections. "Too many cooks spoil the broth" in educational as well as in culinary cookery. -AMONG the visitors from other states at the last meeting of the Ohio Teachers' Association, were the Rev. Mr. Estabrook, Principal of the Normal School at Ypsilanti, Mr. Cyrus Smith and wife of Jackson, Mich., A. C. Shortridge of Indianapolis, former President of Purdue University, Abram Brown and wife of Chicago, formerly teachers in Columbus, Ohio, and J. J. Dinsmore formerly of Ohio, and Ely, both of Chicago. -IN the following partial list of persons in attendance at the Ohio Teachers' Association at Put-in-Bay, will be seen the names of many |