That stories have helped in other branches of the curriculum outside of spelling is a well-known fact. Up to the present, spelling has been so stereotyped, so humdrum, that stories have had little or no place in the spelling lesson. Spelling, however, is the result of forming right habits and these right habits can be stimulated and encouraged by the right kind of stories. At the beginning of the work of the third grade is told the story of “The King’s Rules.” This story should be told to the children along with other stories of the grade, dramatized, and every means used to fix the point of the story. During the year constant reference should be made to “The King’s Rules.” For example, in teaching Lesson 91 reference should be made to the king’s second rule. In Lessons 92 and 94 reference should be made to the king’s third rule. Whenever a pupil mispronounces a word his attention should be directed to the first two rules. Care should be exercised in referring to these three rules that the interest is quickened and not deadened by the constant repetition and reference to the same story.
Use of Pictures
Throughout the book illustrations are given. The words of a lesson will be found to be illustrated in the pictures connected with the lesson. Pupils may be asked to cover the words of a lesson and write all the words that they find connected with the picture.
Phonetic Words
The third grade work continues the work in phonics started in the first and second grades. The suggestions given on pages 28 and 36, for the first and second year’s work, apply equally well to the work of the third year.
Quotations
The sentences used in connection with the lessons may be used in a variety of ways:
(a) They are placed in the book primarily for the purpose of illustrating the use of the word.
(b) They have been very carefully selected from our best authors and many of them may wisely be memorized.
(c) They may be used as dictation exercises. In this case misspelled words should be counted as errors. All other mistakes should be corrected by referring to the book but should not be counted against the child as an error in spelling.