Hamilton continues to teach children with fun and games

Dr. Seuss is quoted as saying "Remember me and smile, for it's better to forget than remember me and cry." Brewton's Philippa Hamilton could have just as easily uttered those words.

Ms. Hamilton died on Dec. 13, 2009, but like Dr. Seuss, she still lives in the minds of children. Both had a gift to educate and entertain young people at the same time.

Their gift was really to teach children without the children really knowing they were being taught. They did it through fun. Like Dr. Seuss, people who knew Philippa remember her with a smile.

Ms. Hamilton received her bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Alabama and began her teaching career at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church's pre-school program in Brewton.

She eventually moved to Brewton Elementary School and was always trying to find better and more fun ways for children to learn.

The days teaching second graders at Brewton Elementary School were followed by nights with her making materials to take back into the classroom.

Her venture began with making puzzles and other games that would energize and excite her students in reading and other skills.

She said in an article published in the Brewton Standard in the 1980s that her main goal was to make learning fun for students. She wanted to keep the students' interest by making it fun, and it seemed like the perfect way to do so.

She started off with simple math, reading and grammar papers which always included using a crayon to make something colorful.

Students loved it, parents loved it and with the encouragement of friends and family she decided to have her ideas published.

It began with her book, 'Learning Centers' teaching reading and language skills to students in grades one through four. Her books included a number of drawings from her sister, Peyton Carmichael, that taught learning through games and puzzles for children.

"It was a big decision for me but I feel I made the right choice," Ms. Hamilton is quoted in the Brewton Standard article as she ventured away from her 8-by-10 copies for her students to a book. "I feel like I made the right choice. Each of my Learning Center projects is designed to reinforce all educational skills for elementary age children and I am glad to be associated with something that can help aid students all around."

Her venture began by developing a newspaper of her own, entitled 'Folder Fun For One' that contained her learning skills.

The response she received, and again with encouragement from friends and family, she took her ideas to the National Reading Association Convention in Denver, Colorado. Her ideas were quickly picked up by the McMillan Book Club and she soon had her first 'Learning Center' project published and available for sale.

She also insisted that her book as well as later books were 'reproducible' so teachers could make additional copies and not have to buy additional books.

"It is amazing and very exciting to see your ideas published," she said in the Brewton Standard article. "Many hours have gone into these projects and I'm proud to know that they are being enjoyed by students all around."

In the previous article, Ms. Hamilton said she used her granddaughters Philippa and Ivy as 'guinea pigs' early on to see if what she was trying to do was working with young children.

"I like to refer to them as my guinea pigs," Ms. Hamilton is quoted as saying in the Brewton Standard article when the girls were 8 and 12. "They are really two special girls and I know that they will tell me the truth about my work. It is really perfect to have them at that age because that is the age my 'Learning Center' puzzles and games are geared."

She went on to publish other books that taught beginning consonant sounds, final consonant sounds, blends, vowels, teaching dictionary skills, commas, complete and incomplete sentences and on to more advanced books that focused on handwriting, rhyming words and number words. Her book entitled 'Gameboard Centers Book I, goes into teaching graphs, antonyms, synonyms and counting money. The second book in the series teaches math facts, classifying, the alphabet and compound words.

For several years the Brewton Standard reproduced quarter pages of Ms. Hamilton's work for students to work on at home.

With the spread of the COVID-19 virus and so many children out of school Ms. Hamilton's works have hopefully come back around to give children a fun way to learn, even if they don't know they are learning.

Her daughter, Peyton Bethea, provided the Tri-City Ledger with a copy of her mother's 'Learning Centers' – Reading and Language Skills book. Copies of that book can still be purchased on Amazon.

For a sample of what you will see in the book, see Page 12A.