GENERAL DIRECTIONS TO TEACHERS.
How the Teaching of Spelling May be Improved.—The teaching of spelling may be improved in three ways: first, by selecting a better list of words for the pupil to study; second, by placing before the pupils of each grade the words that are most appropriate for them; and third, by introducing economical procedures in learning. The first is the problem of the course of study; the second, the problem of grading; and the third, the problem of method.
The Vocabulary.—To solve the first problem one must insure that the pupils will study all words they are likely to use in life outside the school. One must also insure that the pupils' time will not be wasted through their being required to learn words which they will never use. This problem has been solved for you by the authors of the text. The vocabulary of the lessons is taken from a compilation which Doctor Horn has made of ten scientific investigations of the words used in writing letters. These investigations, taken together, represent the careful analysis of over three-quarters of a million running words of correspondence. If you will analyze one letter, you will see what a very great amount of work these investigations have required. It seems very unlikely that any word commonly and frequently used should have been overlooked in all of these investigations.
These ten studies contain all of the information which is available at the present time concerning what words are likely to be used in writing letters. Accordingly, there is no word in this speller which has not been reported in one or more of these investigations. In addition, this vocabulary has been carefully compared with all of the other types of reading and writing vocabularies.
Among these are the studies of children's themes, such as those by Jones, by the teachers of New Orleans, Kansas City, and Richmond, Virginia; the various studies of adult reading vocabularies, such as those by Eldridge and Knowles, aggregating over 140,000 running words; the studies of the vocabulary of school readers, such as those by Packer, Housh, and Miller, aggregating over one-half million running words. No word has been taken from these studies which did not occur in the investigations of the vocabulary of personal and business letters. On the other hand, these studies showed quite clearly that the words found as the result of the analysis of three-quarters of a million running words of correspondence are really basic in any writing vocabulary.
If you will examine the book, you will see that most of the lessons are numbered with arabic numerals. These lessons contain a minimum list of 3998 words found to be used most frequently. You will notice, also, that beginning with grade three there are in each grade supplementary lessons, marked S-1, S-2, etc. These lessons include 580 additional words which are somewhat less frequently used. The supplementary lessons are distributed by grades, so that pupils who finish the minimum work for any grade will have additional lessons to study for the remainder of the year. However, before undertaking these supplementary lessons, the teacher should make sure that her pupils have learned thoroughly the minimum list which contains the important words.
Plan of Review.—The provision for the complete elimination of spelling errors is particularly efficient and thoroughgoing. Not only are those words which most commonly give difficulty arranged for, but the method of testing insures that each pupil will eliminate his own peculiar errors. No pains have been spared to obtain this thoroughness without wasting the pupils' time in mere routine review.
During the week in which each lesson is taught for the first time, each pupil is tested three times on every word in the lesson. He spends his time in concentrated attack on the words which have given him difficulty. One month later this lesson is given as a test, and the words missed by each pupil re-learned by him. At the end of the week this lesson is again given as a test.
In addition, at the beginning of each grade above the first, the words which have been previously taught, but which according to Doctor Ashbaugh's investigation still give difficulty, are thoroughly reviewed. Finally, in the seventh grade, the words which are most frequently missed by grammar grade pupils are given additional review.
It must be kept in mind that these reviews are not haphazard, nor are they a matter of guesswork. Each review list is made up on the basis of the most careful scientific study of persistent errors.
Grading.—The lessons in each grade are those which the pupils in that grade may most profitably study. The words have been graded in the following manner: On the basis of Doctor Horn's compilation of correspondence vocabularies, all of the 4578 words were ranked according to the frequency with which they are used in correspondence. On the basis of Doctor Ashbaugh's study of the difficulty of these words in the various grades, the words were arranged in order of ease of spelling. With these two sources of data, the lessons are arranged so that in general the easiest words and those most commonly and frequently used are placed in the lower grades. In addition, on the basis of scientific analysis of the vocabulary of first, second, and third readers, the authors determined which words occurred most often in these readers. The words included in the lessons for the first three grades are not only easy and fairly common, but are found also in popular readers of the grades in which they are placed. For example, the word "and" was found 23,773 times in the letters analyzed in the various investigations upon which the book is based; and it is misspelled by but four second grade children out of a hundred. It also occurs in every one of ten commonly used first readers. Since it is one of the very commonest words, is easy to spell, and is found in all first readers, it is placed in the first list in the book. In a similar way every lesson in the first three grades has been a matter of computation. The lessons in grades above the third have been made in the same careful fashion, except that occurrences in readers were not taken into consideration. It is clear that the lessons increase gradually in difficulty in each successive grade, and that a pupil who is forced to leave school at the end of grade six or seven will have learned the words which he is most likely to need in writing.
Standard Scores.—By means of standard errors at the close of each lesson, the pupils and teachers may compare results with those of other grades and with those obtained in the country at large. These standards were taken from the Ashbaugh Scale and from a supplementary study conducted by Doctor Ashbaugh and Doctor Horn to determine the standards for words not included in the original scale. It must be kept in mind that these standard errors are high, being the result of the present unfavorable conditions of the teaching of spelling in the country at large. They are used merely for the purpose of comparison. The ideal to keep before your class is that they should learn their lessons so that they will not misspell a single word, but this ideal is intensified by the use of the standard errors.
How to Teach the Lesson.—Four points must be kept in mind as more important than any others:
1. The teacher must test her pupils on each lesson before they begin to study.
2. Each pupil should study only the words which he misspelled on the test.
3. He must be taught an economical method of study.
4. He must see clearly what progress he is making.
Detailed suggestions for teaching the lessons are given in the paragraphs which follow. These suggestions are based upon the investigations reviewed by Doctor Horn in the Eighteenth Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education. The method has been tried out thoroughly in public school classrooms, and has proved uniformly successful. Teachers are urged to follow it as closely as possible. If, however, the teacher prefers another method of study, she may use it. The book may be used with any method.
Getting Started Right.—The first few lessons may well be spent in systematizing class procedure and teaching pupils how to study a spelling lesson. Begin by pointing out the importance of spelling. Give cases, if possible, where people have been discredited because of spelling errors in letters. Discuss with the class how the words in this book were selected, how the standard errors at the close of each lesson were secured, and how the method of study was determined. The pupils may now be introduced to the procedure which will be used in conducting the spelling class, and to the method of study.
Teaching Pupils How to Work.—Many teachers have found the following procedure very satisfactory. Have the pupils open their books at the first lesson for their grade. Explain to them that a great many men have spent much time and money in finding out the best way to learn to spell, and that the method which is to be used is based on what these men have recommended. Have the class read the directions to pupils given on pages [xiv]–[xvi]. After the directions have been read, have several pupils summarize them. When you have made sure that the class has the main points clearly in mind, the actual work of habituating the method may be begun. The first few lessons in each term should consist of practice in the method of study. This practice should be continued until you are satisfied that the pupils understand thoroughly how to go about their work. Remember that even though teachers in the preceding grades are using the method, there may be pupils in your grade who are new to the system, as well as some who have forgotten how to study. From the nature of the method, it is easy to detect any child who is not using it. Insist that the correct method be used from the outset. As soon as the pupils have learned the method of study, the regular work of learning the lessons may begin.
How the Lessons Should be Taught.—The lessons are planned to be completed in a week. A week's work, therefore, consists of twenty new words and twenty review words except in grade one, where the week's work consists of ten new words and ten review words. The following schedule is recommended.
Monday.—The first step in teaching a lesson is an exercise in pronunciation. Have the pupils open their books at the advanced lesson. Pronounce each word, enunciating the syllables very distinctly. Each word which in your judgment is not understood by the class should be used in a sentence. All homonyms should be so used. Have the pupils pronounce each word after you in concert, enunciating the syllables very distinctly. Insist on careful pronunciation on the part of every pupil.
This exercise precedes the spelling test because of the importance of pronunciation in the method of study, and because of the probability that this initial attention to the correct form of the word is desirable. Since the pupils undoubtedly learn something as a result of this exercise, they may be expected to make somewhat better scores than those given in the book. These scores are the results of tests given without such a preliminary exercise in pronunciation.
After all the words have been pronounced, have the pupils close their texts and prepare papers for a written test. This test will include the new lesson. It may be written on any sort of paper, the words being written in columns of twenty to correspond to the arrangement of the words in the book. Pronounce each word once only. Pupils should write the words without hesitation. No alterations in the first attempt at spelling the word should be allowed.
After the words have all been dictated, have the pupils exchange papers for the purpose of correcting. Be sure that each pupil understands that he is marking his neighbor's paper, so that errors which have been made may be corrected. Instruct the class to mark a word wrong if it is misspelled, if it cannot be read, or if any change in the first attempt at spelling has been made. Be sure that each pupil understands that, until he is able to write a word correctly the first time, he has not sufficiently learned it.
The words may be corrected on the basis of the teacher's oral spelling or by the book. Each word found to be misspelled should be marked wrong by placing after it an X.
When the papers have been returned to the owners, each pupil should write the correct form of the words which he has misspelled. The words missed on the test will constitute his task for the week.
Tuesday.—On Tuesday the pupils study, each working on his own errors and using the method recommended under directions to pupils. Pupils who made no errors on the test may be excused from this study period, but not from the succeeding test. It frequently happens that a pupil will spell a word correctly on one test and misspell it on a following test.
The teacher should closely supervise the pupils' study in order to insure that proper methods of learning are used. She may also help to direct the work of those who, having made no errors on the preceding test, have been allowed to undertake some other task. The class should not be tested on this day.
Wednesday.—Test on the new and on the review lesson. This review lesson should consist of a lesson taught one month before. Since the first four lessons in each grade are made up of words taught in the preceding grade, these may well be used for the first month as review lessons. The words may be corrected and the errors recorded as on Monday. Compare the number of errors made on this test with those made on the preceding test. This comparison will show the pupil what progress he has made. The remainder of the period may be spent in studying the words missed on this test.
Thursday.—Study as on Tuesday.
Friday.—Test on the new and on the review lesson, correct the papers as on Monday, and spend the rest of the period studying the errors made on this final test. Compare the number of errors made on this test with the number made on the first and second tests. The comparison gives the child a measure of accomplishment for the week. The teacher should check this day's papers in order to have an accurate record of the status of the pupils at the close of the week's work. Many teachers have found it helpful to keep a chart of progress on the blackboard.
Individual Instruction.—It is clear from the preceding directions that the method of learning and the class administration are intended to insure that each pupil will learn those words which give him difficulty, and that he will, at the same time, progress at his own rate. With the possible exception of the fact that only the commonly used words are taught, this is the most important provision in the book.
The Spelling Notebook.—It has been found to be very helpful to have each pupil keep a notebook in which to record words missed in the various spelling tests or in papers written in connection with other subjects. This notebook tends to make the pupil more conscientious with regard to his spelling. It also gives him a record of his errors so that when he has time for review work he can utilize it properly.
The Problem of Interest.—Teachers who have used the method which is here recommended have been unanimous in reporting not only that the pupils learned more rapidly, but also that they worked with greater enthusiasm. This increased interest is secured without any use of soft pedagogy. It comes from several sources. First, the pupils know that the words in the book are those most commonly needed in writing. Second, the pupils quickly see the advantage of centering their efforts on words which they have actually missed. Third, by means of standard scores they are enabled to compare their spelling ability with that of children in other parts of the country. Fourth, they can see what they are accomplishing. Fifth, these provisions make possible the joy which comes from doing vigorously and thoroughly a clean-cut task that needs to be done. These are the interests which appeal to sensible men and women in life outside the school, and they have proved sufficient for children. Many attempts have been made to substitute devices for these wholesome and fundamental interests. Such attempts not only fail in their purpose, but actually distract the child's mind from the work he has to do. Sugar-coating inevitably destroys the child's appetite for healthy vigorous work.