On page 15 will be found a group of words ending in or, er, and ar. These should be taught in groups until they are thoroughly fixed. Mnemonics may help to establish the correct form. Remind the pupil of the spelling and pronunciation of authority and he will remember that author ends in or. Likewise factory, inventory, oratory, similarity, etc., help to show him the correct spelling of the shorter word. Following this drill review the entire page.
Synonyms
Much of the work of the seventh grade consists of a careful study of synonyms. Spelling is closely correlated with language and one of the results of good spelling teaching should be not only an ability to spell common words correctly, but a normal and continuous growth in the written and spoken vocabularies of the children. This growth can be increased very materially by the study of derivatives and synonyms. This study also furnishes the very best exercises in the use of the dictionary for which the pupils have been prepared in preceding grades.
Dictionary Work
Not only does the work in synonyms in this grade provide excellent dictionary work, but there are still other opportunities for the teacher to give the right kind of practice in the use of that book. No lessons on antonyms have been given, but it is an excellent practice to have pupils look up antonyms as well as synonyms. Many additional paragraphs may be dictated by the teacher and the pupils required to look up both synonyms and antonyms.
Nothing more wooden or deadening can be conceived than the practice of requiring the pupils to look up every word in the dictionary and to write a definition for each and every one. This monotonous practice should never be followed. Put life and interest into the lesson by variety, and let the children see that the building up of a vocabulary can be an exciting game.
The Teacher’s Opportunity
Perhaps with no class has the seventh grade teacher a greater opportunity for a fine and helpful influence than she has with the spelling class. Her pupils will be judged, in later years, by their speech. She may, by careful teaching, expand their vocabularies so that they have a broad range, and she may likewise secure an accuracy in enunciation which will reflect great credit on her teaching. However, this training must carry over into all other class work in the grade to attain its greatest effectiveness.
Reviews
A review of many troublesome words previously taught is given at the beginning. Many reviews should be given during the year. These should be determined by the teacher and should emphasize all words that have presented difficulty to the class or to individuals.