Noah Webster, America's first lexicographer, was born on October 16, 1758. We remember Webster as the author of the first American dictionary, but he was also the first authority to advocate American English. His American Spelling Book, published in 1783 (later known as Webster's Elementary Spelling Book), was the first to Americanize the spelling of English words such as colour and labour by dropping the u. He also espoused American pronunciation and usage. In a very real sense, Webster gave us the language that Americans think of as English. An estimated 60 million copies of Webster's speller were sold during its first hundred years in print. In 1828, Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language was published, with 12,000 more words and about 40,000 more definitions than any previous English dictionary.
Thank you Mr. Webster for realizing the importance of spelling and speaking correctly. Even at the age of 25, you knew the relevance of reference and research. Now, 255 years after your birth, our illustrious legislators, with advice from those with little or no hands on experience, have deemed spelling irrelevant and basically a moot point in the grand scheme of 21st century teaching and learning.
Lots of "old" terms are less than flattering. "old man", "old lady (one of my least favorite ...ever), old hat, old days, old West, old age and even the good "old" boys...... One I'd really like to hear a little more about is OLD SCHOOL..... I understand things change...I've beaten that one within an inch of it's life lately but sometimes "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" makes real sense. A little tweak here (computers) and a little tweak there (shared knowledge) is acceptable. The basics should never be eliminated....without them, broader knowledge is basically unattainable. Let's not ever bench common sense for Common Core. What we may end up with is common chaos!
Thanks Mr. Webster.....we'll try to keep your foresight in view without sacrificing the basics of education.
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