ENGLISH IN THE SCHOOL

Taranaki Daily News, 17 August 1935, Page 9

ENGLISH IN THE SCHOOL

SENIOR INSPECTOR’S IDEA METHODS OF LEARNING SPELLING. MECHANICAL SCHEME OPPOSED. RELATIONSHIPS IN CLASSROOM. Asked to address a meeting of - the South Taranaki branch of the Educational Institute at Stratford last night on aspects of the teaching of English, Mr. C. N. Haslam, senior inspector for Taranaki, not only gave a lucid explanation of precepts to be followed but, referring to instruction in spelling, he challenged the efficiency of the mechanical method based on lists of words and gave to teachers the theory that accuracy in spelling could best be achieved by presenting the work to be learned in the natural background of the sentence rather than in the isolation of a list. Considering the weather conditions the attendance was excellent. Mr. G. H. Percy (Hawera) presided. As Mr. Haslam covered his subject in clear-cut sections there was opportunity for questions during as well as at the end of the address. At the outset Mr. Haslam referred to the proposed system of accrediting by which a pupil might be awarded proficiency without sitting the examination. It was the head teacher’s responsibility to see that the whole school treated the syllabus in accordance with modern conceptions of education.

The success of a school was not measured by the percentage of proficiencies nor by yardstick methods. The Press practically throughout New Zealand agreed not to publish proficiency-results to obviate invidious comparisons between schools. There were still people who preferred to stay in their “dreams”-~that is those teachers who would prefer to have a strict syllabus and adhere to it Inspectors did not want to fetter teachers or to see them adhering strictly to a set syllabus. Subjects that did not lend themselves to written examination required careful attention. In reply to Mr. G. C. Harre, Ngaere, Mr. Haslam pointed out that the whole onus of allotting the accrediting system was thrown on the inspectorate but there was no suggestion that the system should be confined to town schools. Only a moderate demand was made for proficiency and he was surprised that so many teachers narrowed their teaching so much. It was not a difficult matter with a child of average intelligence to educate him to pass proficiency and also to give him a broader education than the examination actually required. So many were rigidly attached to timetables. Those children who were not accredited would sit the proficiency examination, he told Mr. L. B. Galbraith. EXPERT GUIDANCE NEEDED. Dealing with composition, Mr. Haslam considered that the children should be shown the unifying principle of a story. Left alone the bulk of children would wander from the point and weave the story together in a manner almost incomprehensible to the adult mind. It was foolish to assume that children could catch the humour and pathos of a story without expert guidance, which should train the child to seize on the essentials and appreciate the atmosphere or tone. The hardest work had to be done in oral preparation, a branch of work that was often given insufficient attention. It was then that the teacher could help the children in the collection and assimilation of ideas and, if the teacher was careful in his mode of expression, the children. - would gain incalculable benefit. Leading authorities on the subject agreed that if the written work were to be successful there must be careful oral preparation. The composition period was not limited only to that part of the timetable labelled “English” and care should be taken to see that expression at all times was accurate and well constructed. The silent reading period should never be permitted to appear to the child to be a task for as soon as the child felt he was being set a task touch of the value of the period would be lost. He asked teachers to add to all teaching training in the art of listening. Complete understanding must be ensured; they could get nowhere without it. There should be a free relationship in the classroom between teacher and children. If a child had to hold his hand up for a period in order to attract attention he might tire or forget the point he wished to make. It was possible to ease restrictions of that type without permitting undesirable laxity. A boy who said "Please, sir, would you explain that again,” without first raising his hand was probably eager to understand and should be enlightened. “You will get very little from a child unless he has words with which to clothe his thoughts,” Mr. Haslam said. “When you place before children a model piece of literature is it not fair to select one couched in modem language?” he asked. MORE ATTENTION TO MODERNS. Modern poets, he considered, received too little attention. Emphasis should be placed on modern aspects and similarly with history. Concentration should be made on the more modern history. It was very nice to know the history of Julius Caesar’s period but to-day they had not time to give too much attention to that era when so many important developments had occurred during comparatively recent times. Despite the time that was given. to spelling he was not satisfied with the results. Spelling was part of composition for till a person began to write nobody knew whether 'he could spell or not. The proper background for a word was a sentence because in isolation a word often meant nothing to a child. Steep the child in the use of the word, because once a child could be brought to use a word he could be brought to see the need for spelling it correctly. When children came to meet the words in a natural background they could see the import and use of the words. Adherence to mechanical lists led to .concentration in the higher standards on the words of seven or eight letters and the smaller ones were neglected on the basis that the child had been through the lower standards and should know them. If, on the other hand, spelling of words was taught by using the natural background of the words, the standard 6 boy was continually being brought into contact not only with the words that it was desirable he should learn as a standard 6 boy, but also with those of previous years’ instruction. The primary school could begin literary appreciation in a small way and start the pupil on the way to understanding the masterpieces of literature. In some cases instruction in vocabulary could lead to -the use of florid expressions but -there was no need ruthlessly to stop that use; a child could be brought to use the simpler forms by a comparison between his florid usages and the simple statements of the accomplished writer.

. A .vote of thanks to Mr. Haslam and supper concluded the meeting.