Page:Theory and Practice of Handwriting.djvu/75

Rh Blank Copy Books as opposed to Headline Copy Books and to answer the query with which this chapter began viz. : "What kind of Copy Books shall be used?"

So far as can be gathered from external sources the chief if not the only reason urged for the adoption of Blank Books is that under existing conditions, where Headline Books are adopted, the temptation to neglect Blackboard instruction is too strong for the great body of overworked teachers, particularly assistant teachers, to resist. It is said that with Headline Books the teacher is too often satisfied with merely having the books distributed to the class and after starting the pupils to their work leaving them to their own devices and resources for the whole of the interval devoted to writing.

Assuming (for the purpose of argument) that these premises are true it is not certain that the conclusion is much to be deplored as thousands of teachers would not consider such a mode of teaching as an unmitigated or serious evil. It is asserted moreover that the only way to ensure faithful discharge of duty in teaching writing is to provide nothing but blank Copy Books for the scholars to write in. Assistants will then be compelled to utilize the Blackboard (at least so far as to set the copies) and thus children will have the immense advantage of seeing the writing actually produced, will observe the modes of junction and will also witness the tracing of the several complexities of formation which so painfully abound in our script alphabet (at any rate so far as they choose to attend to it). Other reasons for the proposed substitution of Blank Copying-Books are however to be found and will be fully discussed in the proper place. Meanwhile it will be advisable to look a little more closely into this proposed security against dereliction of duty on the part of the teacher, and into the incalculable (!) and otherwise unattainable benefit on the part of the scholar. It certainly would seem to the ordinary intelligence that if any given teacher were either too indifferent or too busy to use the Blackboard in class when enjoying the substantial aid of Headline Copy Books, it will be still more unlikely or still more impracticable for him when deprived of that aid and when