&#91LETTERS TO THE EDITOR&#93Give the kids a break in English class

I think Justin Short (May 20) may have lost his perspective. In his article, Mr. Short laughs at a child’s use of “yearning” in an essay. Essays for first-graders? Next, he says he wishes they would use the words he taught them in class, even though he called their usual results “drivel.” So where does the child go to make himself look better in his teacher’s eyes? The dictionary.
The article is not overly negative, but the final point is hypocritical. He uses his dictionary to scold kids who use theirs. “Exegesis,” he writes?
If Justin Short believes that a seven-year-old should not be using the verb “to yearn,” then I suggest he look around his classroom and tell me if that does not describe the looks in the students' eyes as they wait for his class to end.

by Christopher Ryan