2. Consonant Sounds. The consonants limit and define sound. Of the twenty-five elementary consonant sounds, ten have no vocal quality whatever. They are commonly known as breath sounds—f, h, k, p, s, t, ch, sh, th, wh. With the exception of h, every one of these breath sounds has its corresponding vocal sound:
| f | vocalized | becomes | v | |
| p | " | " | b | |
| t | " | " | d | |
| th (thin) | " | " | th (then) | |
| wh | " | " | w | |
| k | " | " | g | |
| s | " | " | z | |
| ch | " | " | j | |
| sh | " | " | zh |
See p. 112 for a scientific arrangement of the consonant sounds.
3. Phonograms. In all the phonic lessons used in this Manual a phonogram is the symbol of a sound group, usually composed of a single vowel sound combined with a single consonant sound. For example, ing in s-ing is a phonogram, but in see-ing it is a syllable.
Diacritical Marks. Useless phonograms are a burden rather than a help; therefore the child should learn only those which he actually uses. For this reason it is not advisable to use diacritical marks during the earlier stages of learning to read. They make the symbol complex and cumbersome, and at the same time their need and great value do not become apparent until the child begins to use the dictionary, say, in the fourth school year. In the earlier stages of learning to read, symbols acquire meaning by being constantly associated with their respective sounds and thoughts. Habits of pronunciation are formed by always attaching the same sound values to letters and groups of letters. When a child forms an image of a word burdened with diacritical marks, he must later form an image of the word without these. When children are taught to look for diacritical marks their imaging power is centered upon the markings of the words instead of the thoughts for which these words stand; hence it takes longer to get the thought, and as a consequence they are apt to be slow readers. Rapid readers are usually thoughtful readers, because they have the power to grasp quickly a large number of words and to interpret them in mental pictures.
Phonic Drill. Phonic drill and reading are distinct processes and should be taught at different periods of the day during the first two years of school. The purpose of the elementary reading lesson is to associate permanently the thought and the symbols which represent it, so that the thought can be gained from the written or printed language. The purpose of the elementary phonic lesson is to associate permanently sounds and the characters which represent them, so that new words can be readily recognized. Both processes are necessary in teaching reading, but phonic lessons should be relegated to a subsidiary place so that they may not become an impediment to the main purpose.
Phonic Method. In the phonic method sight words are analyzed into their elements, which are then combined in new relations to form new words. These new combinations of familiar elements in new relations are recognized again and again, until the association grows permanent, and so new words are acquired. Consonant sounds are recognized as initial, final, and medial. Next the phonogram element is analyzed into its vowel and consonant sounds. By means of familiar symbols the child has the power to pronounce new words. A knowledge of individual symbols is the foundation upon which the sight recognition of words rests; hence the necessity of rapid and varied drills.
The method suggested in this Manual for phonic lessons is as follows:
1. Separate sight words into their consonant sounds and phonograms.
2. Separate phonograms into their consonant and vowel sounds.