Alphabetical List

That the teacher may know just what words have been taught, an alphabetical list of all sight words is given at the end of the book.

Homophones

Words spelled differently but pronounced alike should be kept apart until the spelling of each has become fixed and the ability to use correctly in sentences, reasonably sure. Then only may they safely be brought together for comparison. When this is done, much care must be used that no confusion may exist in the child’s mind as to the proper use of each.

Order of Presentation

All children do not learn spelling equally well in the same way. Some are sense-organ learners, while others are largely motor-organ learners. Most children are both. In all cases the order of seeing words, hearing them pronounced, pronouncing them, spelling them aloud, and then writing them, will be found to be most effective. Appeal is thus made successively to the eye, the ear, the memory, and the hand.

Proper Names

In the first grade the child should be taught to spell his own name. In the second grade he should be taught the most common names of other children in the room, the name of the teacher, of the city or town, and of the state. He should be taught that these names always begin with a capital letter. Other local names of special importance may be presented at the discretion of the teacher.