Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 114, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 September 1904 — COTTON ISSUES BULLETIN. [ARTICLE]

COTTON ISSUES BULLETIN.

Superintendent Urges Closer Attention to Three R’s. Bulletin No. 1. issued ‘monthly by Fassett A. Cotton, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, is in the hands of the printer apd will be sent to the schools throughout the state next wer k. This is the first of a sprits of bulletins to be issued monthly during the sobo.'l year by the superintendent. This bulletin lays special stress on the fundamentals learned by the child during the flrstj'three years of his school course. These years are regarded as the most important in the Guild’s school life, and the grounding in of the old fiashioned “Three R’s” the readin’ ritin’ and ’ rithmetio is urged in this bulletin. According to Mr. Cotton, too much attention has been devoted to subjects such as nature study, which should be treated merely as supplementary to t ie mo:e fundamental subject, Mr. Cotton says that t( sobers have allowed these “feds” to enter into the school work, to the detriment of the really basic sub jects, and in this bulletin he advocates a return to the close consideration by teacher and pupil of such subjects as reading, spelling, language, writing and aritnmetr, called “the elementary tools ot education.” In reference to poor spelling the bulletin says: ‘Doubtless the poor spelling we jYear so much about is due to the fact in the last decade or so less stress has been put on that subject than hitherto. Spelling cannot bo taught incidentally and no one can learn to spell too well, We have retuined to the old fashioned spelling, and the old fashioned and the ora! spelling match cn Friday after noons will be a profittble diversion ”