II.
a (long).
Final e causes the preceding vowel to take its name instead of its sound. Do not teach the rule, but its application. No diacritical marks are necessary to indicate the short and long vowel sounds. (Children quickly discover that the final e changes the preceding vowel from the sound to the name. This is true of almost all words. When there is a phonetic exception it should be taught as a sight word.)
1. Write at on the blackboard and have it pronounced. Write ate beside it and have it pronounced. (The teacher may do this first and have the children learn the force of e by observation and imitation.) Ex.: at ate.
2. Combine different consonants and phonograms to illustrate this principle.
| at | ate | an | ane |
| f at | f ate | p an | p ane |
| am | ame | ap | ape | ad | ade | ||
| S am | s ame | t ap | t ape | m ad | m ade |
There are a few exceptions to this rule. Ex.: have. Teach this word to the child just as the name of any new sight word is told him.
3. Analyze the following words, making prominent a (long): came, name, take, same, taste, bake, cake, wake, spade.
III.