HAMILTON COUNTY.-The meeting of the county teachers' association held in the Council Chamber, Cincinnati, March 12, was attended by about 140 teachers. Essays were read by C. B. Ruffin, of Springdale, and Mr. Tibbetts, of Cumminsville, and a racy journal, entitled "The Millcreek Township Salmagundi ", was read by Supt. Turrill, of Cumminsville. Prof. J. C. Talbott gave an able criticism of the linguistic errors common to even the better class of teachers. The next meeting will be held the second Saturday of April.

ASHTABULA COUNTY.-This county has five well-established academies, viz: Orwell Normal Institute, Grand River Institute, Kingsville Academy, Conneaut Academy, and Pierpont Academy-all of which are doing an important work in the preparation of teachers for the common schools. Their aggregate enrollment the past winter term was over 500. The Orwell Normal Institute gives considerable prominence to the normal feature. It is in charge of Mr. H. U. Johnson, a live, progressive educator.

MIAMI COUNTY.-In several townships in this county, the teachers have formed associations auxiliary to the county association. The meetings in Monroe township are held monthly, and are very interesting and profitable.The schools of Tippecanoe City are making fine progress.

A MEETING of the Central Ohio Teachers' Association will be held in the High School Building, Columbus, Saturday, April 2, opening at 9 A.M.

WEST VIRGINIA ITEMS.

WEST VIRGINIA.-The annual school report for 1869 shows that the free-school system is making steady progress toward that success which it has attained in the older States. It will take a few years longer to build the necessary number of suitable school houses, and time is also necessary for the disappearance of the old opposition. The reports of the County Superintendents show very clearly how indispensable this office is to the system. The report of the State Superintendent, the late H. A. G. Ziegler, consists of but little more than memoranda, written during his illness, and cut short by his death. He is succeeded by Hon. A. D. Williams, an educator of experience, formerly superintendent of the schools of Lawrence, Mass., and recently president of West Virginia College.

STATE ASSOCIATION.-There was at one time a State Association of teachers in West Virginia. But it has had no meetings for some time. Supt. Williams has issued a circular, suggesting, among other things, a meeting of the County Superintendents and of the teachers of the State, sometime in April or May, and has received already quite a considerable number of favorable responses. It seems probable that such a meeting will be held, and a State Association put in running order. The teachers of that young and vigorous State should, by all means, keep up such an organization.

NEW NORMAL SCHOOL.-The Legislature of West Virginia, at its late session, made an appropriation to establish a third State Normal School, at West Liberty, in Ohio county, about a dozen miles from the city of Wheeling. The Board of Regents has resolved to open the school, if practicable, on the 25th of April, and have advertised for a principal.

AFTER the first of this month, the office of the General Superintendent of Free Schools for West Virginia, will be at Charleston, in Kanawha county, the new capital, instead of at Wheeling.

Writing should be taught in the first year of a child's education. The slate and a long pencil should be used; also, the blackboard. Printing should be continued only until the child has learned the alphabet; after that the script hand should be used. Before the copy-book is introduced-in the third year-much and good writing may be done, in a somewhat systematic way, without the use, however, of technical terms, except a few of the most simple. During these first two years, portions of lessons should be written, sentences copied, and thoughts expressed in writing by the child, especially in connection with conversational lessons. Here, already, taste may be cultivated, skill developed, and proficiency secured in the important art of writing. Much may also be done here to secure proper position and movement. Of course, form is the first thing with small children; and therefore they must write slowly until, through practice, freedom of movement comes.

I encourage children to copy business forms and write letters at this early age, and am highly gratified with the result.

In the copy-book we begin with science, with straight lines and curves. Nature and art must precede this step, and the copy-book, throughout, serve only as a guide and a means to

* Supt. of Schools, Springfield, Ohio.

systematize penmanship. Imitation alone can never make a good penman, in the true sense. Where the copy-book is relied upon entirely, children write poorly out of it. Imitation and construction must then be early combined. All children have ideals of form, size, relations, proportions, even if they are not born penmen; and these elements of drawing and writing must be early developed, not only by placing copies before them, but also by appealing to their ability to construct and re-arrange, their capacity to modify given forms in the light of their own creative genius, if it be as yet small in development. Where drawing and writing are combined, as they should be, the latter is not so apt to degenerate into mere imitation; and where children are under the direction of a teacher who has a knowledge of and love for the beautiful in nature and art, they too may early experience an inspiration that is of no small value in the art of penmanship.

I will not further indicate what may be done in writing and drawing before children use the copy-book, except to say, that daily and systematic exercises should be conducted, including drawing lines, angles, and forms, writing from copies on blackboard and slate, writing letters and sentences, and engaging in movement practice. Let form and movement receive equal attention at every step, so that both accuracy and facility of execution may be secured. So conduct these exercises that interest may be excited and judgment and taste cultivated, as well as the eye and hand trained. I know that much of our subsequent success in this part of school work depends upon the attention writing receives in the primary department.

Movement practice must be continued, at every step, after the copy-book has been commenced. At first, every thing else must be subordinated to the proper position of the body, the correct holding of the pen, and the free and easy use of hand and arm. When once accuracy of form and rapidity of execution are secured, without any infringement upon these prerequisites, the true ends of penmanship are permanently attained. Any skillful teacher can provide his own movement exercises from letters and their elements and principles. Take first the easy, and then the more complicated movements, practicing largely upon those in which pupils are liable to be deficient. For this purpose additional paper must constantly be on hand, to be used in persistent practice on difficult forms and movements. It is not correct practice to use copy-books alone for this purpose. We need

much additional paper; and then use the copy-book to record results secured by this additional practice.

It is usually recommended that copy-book No. 1, be written with lead-pencil, especially in using that number for the first time. This is good advice, in the main; and yet, where the preparatory work, already alluded to, is well performed, there may not be any such necessity, as the pupils are already prepared to use pen and ink with success. It is always profitable to trace the copy with dry pen, before commencing to write it. Between. the tracing and the writing may be a proper place for the teacher to conduct a short and instructive conversation in regard to the copy as given on the blackboard. Every teacher should be able to do this, writing at least a respectable hand on the blackboard, acquainted thoroughly with the principles, and capable of pointing out and correcting the faults committed.

Dictation and counting, in conducting writing exercises, are also useful for drill purposes, if not employed too largely. Good judgment must determine the methods to be employed here. The terms "right", "left", "up", "down", or figures simply, may be used; and the manner of numbering the strokes must be determined by the character of the copy. No precisely uniform method will do for all copies. This expedient secures attention, order, precision, uniformity of copy and movement, and opportunity for criticism. But But it is liable to be abused in the hands of an unskillful teacher, or one who relies too much upon its use. Even the younger pupils should be allowed to write one-half the lines of each lesson without counting the strokes in concert, and the older pupils a larger proportion. As part of this method, the lines only at times are called out, and not the strokes. We must not aim to secure, in the end, the same degree of rapidity for all the pupils. Besides, we must remember that this is a merely mechanical drill exercise which, its ends secured, must again give way to a natural and more practical process.

The opening and closing of a writing exercise should be conducted in an orderly way, without too much machinery, however. Some teachers spend too much time here. Among other methods, I like the following: One monitor places on right-hand front desk, right side, the books belonging to the desks extending across the width of room, so arranged that, at every signal for passing, the lowest one is left at its proper place, in passing them across the desks laterally. The same deposit is made with each desk back of the one mentioned, with same arrangement.

Where there are four double tiers of desks, it is obvious tha seven signals for passing books are required. The pupils, by single tiers, pass the books, as the signals are given. The pens may be quietly distributed in the mean time by another monitor. Several signals for commencing to write are sufficient: supposing the pupils to be in order, and the books in place, No. 1, Open books; No. 2, Open ink-wells; No. 3, Take pens; No. 4, Trace copy; No. 5, Write. For closing: No. 1, Wipe pens; No. 2, Close ink-wells; No. 3, Close books. The reverse process for returning the books is obvious, and needs no explanation.

Criticism and correction occupy an important place in teaching penmanship; and here the free use of the blackboard is required. There the copy is to be written, directions in reference to it to be given, cautions and corrections to be made, and movement exercises to be conducted by the teacher, in concert with the Care must be taken to know when and pupils at their desks. how much this is to be done, and to secure the undivided attention of the pupils at the time. The best opportunity for this, is usually at the commencement of the exercise; and further occasion arises when a common fault is committed. No teacher can attend to anything else during the writing exercise. What time he does not spend at the board, is needed at the desk, to observe carefully, give directions, and occasionally, when greatly needed, write some in the pupil's copy-book. While no serious fault should be passed, at any time, without correction, it is well to make special correction of faults, one by one, in successive exercises, so that by persistent practice each in turn may be remedied. Corrections should be made in such a manner as will exercise the judgment and taste of the pupils. Let comparisons be made, on the blackboard, between correct and incorrect forms and movements. With older pupils comparisons may further be instituted between the beautiful in nature and what is demanded in penmanship. Thus penmanship gradually becomes to them a science as well as an art.

What attention shall be given to the analysis of letters? Some teachers ignore altogether this part of instruction; while others doubtless make too much of it, especially with younger pupils. Even in the first few books, it is necessary to call attention to slant, hight, width, shape, and other obvious items, and to use such terms as "oblique straight line", "right curve", "left curve", "oral", "loop", "stem ", and others, both for the sake As pupils advance into the of convenience and instruction.