SUGGESTIONS FOR FOURTH YEAR
How to Study Spelling
When the pupil enters the fourth grade he begins to learn to depend more and more upon himself. He does more of his work by himself. This is as it should be, but there is still need of a guiding hand. If the pupil is to acquire a real spelling consciousness, and form a good habit which is real and lasting, these helps must be plentiful, but at the same time arise in such a way that they will be helpful in forming and strengthening the good habits, and tend to break any bad habits which may have been started.
The suggestions accompanying the lessons in the first three grades are continued in the fourth, in such a way that, with the preparation which the pupil has had in the early grades, he can apply the helps himself with the minimum amount of care and watchfulness on the part of the teacher.
As pointed out in Part I of the manual, page [18], the derived form in most cases presents a new spelling problem even though the root word has been taught. By focusing the attention on the part common to both the root word and the derivative, and fixing the change by numerous examples, the change from root to derivative is made with less trouble. Lessons 4, 5, 15, 16, and 74 illustrate this point.
Dictionary Work
During the previous three years the pupils have been prepared to use the dictionary. They have been made thoroughly familiar with the alphabet, and are familiar with the arrangement of words in alphabetical lists. They have learned to arrange words in alphabetical lists, as well as to find words easily in a short list which is alphabetically arranged. The work of the fourth year is the teaching of the formal use of the dictionary. The following story is presented as an interesting way of approach. Let us attempt to vitalize our work in the dictionary. The place to begin this vitalizing is in the fourth grade. A “story with a hint in it” for fourth grade teachers is a suggestion along this line.
A “Story with a Hint in It” for Fourth Grade Teachers
The Third Graders had been promoted into the Fourth Grade! They sat very tall and behaved just like Fourth Graders as Miss Merlin, their new teacher, said pleasantly: “This morning as I rode to school in the street car, I read over the market advertisements. I found in one a word that is new to me. I don’t know how to pronounce it, and I don’t know what it means. I will write it on the board. Perhaps some one may know the word and tell me how to pronounce it and what it means.”
Miss Merlin wrote the word on the board—broccoli—then turned to the pupils and said, “Can any one pronounce this word?”