(9) It is therefore advisable, in view of the economy of time, to rely upon the incidental teaching of spelling to produce a sufficiently high average result. (10) This average result is what can be and is attained, as shown by statistical evidence, by average pupils under teachers of average professional efficiency in classes of average size, i.e., in the elementary schools of this country as now organized. To remain strictly within the evidence gathered by this investigation, it must be admitted that there may be teachers of surpassing ability who can obtain more than average results by the method of the specific spelling drill, and other teachers of meaner ability who need the drill to bring their pupils up to the level of this average result. It is claimed, however, that there is no evidence (whatever may be the wealth of opinion) to prove that such teachers exist or to show where they may be found. Moreover, the evidence which has been presented in this paper makes their existence at least improbable. |