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LEARNING TO SPELL
A Manual for Teachers Using the
ALDINE SPELLER

BY

CATHERINE T. BRYCE

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION YALE UNIVERSITY

FRANK J. SHERMAN

FORMERLY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS DANVERS, MASSACHUSETTS

AND

ARTHUR W. KALLOM

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATIONAL INVESTIGATION AND MEASUREMENTS, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

NEW YORK

NEWSON & COMPANY

Copyright, 1921, by

NEWSON & COMPANY

All rights reserved.

LEARNING TO SPELL

Are we spelling as well in our schools today as our forefathers did in the little red schoolhouse? This is the question that has been asked many times but no one has been able to answer it in any convincing way. There have been advocates of both sides of the question. The fact remains that no one knows. We do not know how well children could spell fifty, or even twenty-five, years ago. As time goes by there is a glamour thrown over the past and we see only the high lights. We remember that in spelling a match there was a certain boy, or girl, who spelled down the entire school time after time, or possibly had a reputation for being the best speller in the entire county. When a spelling match was announced it was a foregone conclusion that the victory lay between two or three pupils. How many children of the eighth grade could spell the following list of words?

phthisicky

ichthyology

abstemious

demoniacal

magisterial

convalesce

calligraphy

saccharin

We remember the pupils who were able to spell these difficult words, and we forget those who were unable to spell them. We remember the good spellers and forget how many poor ones there were.

The question is not whether one or two could spell, or learn to spell such words, but could nearly every pupil in the school spell such words? If they could, what use did they make of their knowledge? The corollary to the proposition is, how many were unable to spell “which,” “there,” “writing,” “guess,” and a thousand other common words? The question then is fairly before us; viz., What is the object of teaching spelling?

Object of Teaching Spelling

Ever since the school of early days spelling has accompanied “reading, ’riting, and ’rithmetic” as a part of the curriculum. The day when reading was taught by the “spelling method,” so called, is not far back in the past. “How can one learn to read if one does not know his letters, that he may be able to spell out the words that he meets in his reading?” Not until recently has the question been asked, “Why do we study spelling at all?” Do we need it in our reading? Modern methods have shown us that we do not. We need to know how to spell only when we wish to write. How often does the average person write “phthisicky,” “magisterial,” “ichthyology,” “convalesce,” and other equally uncommon words? Not often, perhaps never. Then why spend the time of our overcrowded school day in having children try to learn these words, when numerous recent investigations show positively that children are constantly misspelling “which,” “there,” “their,” and many other common, everyday words?

Teaching versus Testing

For many years the spelling lesson has been, with many teachers, a means of obtaining a breathing space in the day’s work. It was comparatively easy to say to the children “Take the next twenty words.” The study of these words took some time, and it was easy work to dictate the lesson at the end of fifteen or twenty minutes, have the pupils exchange papers, and correct the words. What was the net result at the end of the year? No one knew. Had they tested the right words for the given grade? No one knew. They had tested the words that were given in the spelling book adopted by the city, town, or state. Most of the books contained from 10,000 to 12,000 words. That the children did not use many of these words in their written work made little or no difference. In some cases at least, the author of a spelling book took the dictionary and started with the a’s and proceeded through the alphabet, deciding that the children ought to know how to spell this word, and that word, and so on through the dictionary, No attempt was made to find out whether the pupil used the words or not, and no attempt was made to place the words according to their use in the proper grade.

Was it possible for a teacher using such a book to test the right words? Probably not. She tested all she could. She assigned ten words a day for about 150 days during the year, or if she dared, or the course of study called for it, twenty, or twenty-five words were given in the upper grades. The teacher was compelled to do so in order to finish the speller. Did she teach the words? How could she teach even the ten words in the short time allowed? In order that spelling words might be taught some teachers suggested that five new words a day would be sufficient to meet the needs of the pupil. The answer of many teachers, following ancient traditions, shows that they think that this would be unwise. Not to teach “which,” “there,” “their,” and such words until the upper grades certainly would be even more unwise.

Teachers have had the mistaken idea that children learn to spell many words because of constant use, and that there is no need of teaching them. Recent studies have shown that this is not true except with respect to occasional children who have already developed what has been called a spelling consciousness. In the vast majority of cases this spelling consciousness needs to be developed. To accomplish this words have to be selected, and carefully and systematically taught, to most children. The selection of words, therefore, is an important work of the author of a spelling book.

Thanks to recent investigations the day has come when two important questions are being asked:

1. What words ought we to teach? 2. How shall these selected words be taught?

Selection of a Vocabulary

In the past teachers have had little or nothing to do with the selection of the widely differing vocabularies which they have had to teach. The best of our teachers have attempted to select a reasonable list from the spelling book which has been provided. That selection, however, has been limited by the spelling book in use, the vocabulary of which has already been selected, and may or may not be a reasonable one. The question may even be raised, “To what extent can teachers intelligently select the vocabulary which should be taught?” In 1914 teachers of the city of Boston chosen from all the elementary grades, were asked to make a selection of words fitted for their respective grades. The significant thing in their report was that the second grade teachers chose not only words which should be taught in the second grade, but also words which eventually should be taught in each later grade; and many teachers of the eighth grade selected words which should have been taught in a previous grade. “Always,” for example, was in the list of one or more teachers of every grade, I to VIII inclusive. Many other words were in the lists of teachers of several grades.

In 1916 Jones’s “Hundred Demons” (see page 22, Part III) were given to forty-five second grade teachers for them to select the words which should be retained in the second grade. Seventy-nine of these words are among Ayres’s “Thousand Commonest Words in the English Language.” Every word was voted to be retained by one, or more than one, second grade teacher as suitable to be taught to second grade pupils.

A group of twenty-eight prospective Boston teachers, who had had some experience in the grades as practice teachers, and much experience in observation, was asked to arrange the following list of words in the order of their difficulty:

ache

enough

direction

company

business

hoped

ocean

muscle

sentence

whether

The directions given were to place the easiest word, in so far as its spelling difficulty was concerned, first, and the most difficult word last, the others to be arranged according to the difficulty of each. After the several lists were collected it was found that each of the ten words had been classed as most difficult by some one, and each of the ten words had been classed as least difficult by some one.

Thus all the investigations tend to show that teachers are not able to select words according to their difficulty. The difficulty can only be found by experimenting with thousands of children and by laboriously correcting and tabulating the results. Fortunately we have a number of such investigations, so that the assignment of words to a certain grade need not be wholly dependent upon the judgment of an individual teacher, but upon the results obtained from testing thousands of children by a number of different skilled investigators.

Selection of a Vocabulary through Investigation

A most important investigation of the vocabularies of children has been made by Dr. W. Franklin Jones of the University of South Dakota. Dr. Jones studied 75,000 themes written by children of all grades from the second to the eighth inclusive, gathered from three different states, and averaging a little less than 190 words each. The number of themes per student ranged from 56 to 105. The total number of words amounted to nearly 15,000,000.

Among the important results of this investigation the following stand out significantly:

1. Out of the 15,000,000 words used there were only 4,532 different words used by more than 2% of the pupils. (5,000 carefully selected words are, therefore, probably sufficient for pupils to learn in the first eight years of school.)

2. The number of words listed per pupil ranged from 431, the smallest vocabulary in the second grade, to 2,812 for the largest vocabulary of an eighth grade pupil. This does not necessarily mean that 3,000 words are sufficient for the spelling vocabulary of children in our schools. The fact that the various investigators disagree to some extent in the vocabularies which they find, is enough to prove this point. There are many factors, such as home conditions, nationality, and locality, which may affect the number of words that will be used. However, when the number is increased to approximately twice the largest single vocabulary found, all of the common words of the best investigations will have been included.

3. The average number of words in the written vocabulary of each grade is as follows:

Jones shows that the writing vocabulary of children is comparatively small. This narrows our spelling problem within correspondingly small limits.

4. Of the 4,532 different words the number used by at least 2% of the pupils in the respective grades was as follows:

When Should Spelling Be Taught

The scientific teaching of spelling requires that words shall be taught in the grade in which they are first used. When the child first enters school his speaking vocabulary is comparatively large. His reading vocabulary varies from nothing to one fairly large, depending, in part, on the home from which the child comes. His writing vocabulary is very limited, even under the best of conditions. This latter increases very rapidly during the first three years. The teaching of nearly 2,000 words in the second grade becomes, of course, a gigantic, even an impossible, task. The Aldine Speller obviates this in two ways:

(a) By postponing the teaching of the words least likely to be used in the second grade until a later grade.

(b) Many of the words which should be taught in the early grades have basic parts which have been called phonograms. By use of these phonogram groups, or “families,” the number of words taught in the first and second grades can be very greatly increased, and the best possible foundation given for the development of a spelling sense. The Aldine Speller makes full use of this principle, and a very complete list of phonic “families” will be found at the close of the work of the second year. (See page 65, Part I.) Attention is also called to suggestions for teaching such words on page [28] of this manual.

Other Investigations

In 1911 Mr. R. C. Eldridge published the results of a study of 250 different newspaper articles occurring in four issues of a Buffalo Sunday paper. Of the 43,098 words tabulated there were only 6,002 different words. This again shows that the writing vocabulary even of adults is comparatively small.

Cook and O’Shea studied the correspondence of thirteen adults, tabulating 200,000 words, and found only 5,200 different words.

There is one underlying characteristic of each of these three studies; viz., the writing, and therefore the spelling, vocabulary of individuals is much smaller than we formerly considered it, and consists of approximately 5,000 words. (The Aldine vocabulary contains approximately 5,000 carefully selected words which should form the basis of the writing vocabulary of an eighth grade pupil.)

The Construction of a Spelling Scale

In 1915 Dr. Leonard P. Ayres of the Russell Sage Foundation tabulated some of the lists of words then available and made a selection of the 1,000 commonest words. This list of 1,000 words was then divided into 50 lists of 20 words each and given in the middle of the year to the children of two consecutive grades in a number of cities. As a check, words were taken from each of the fifty lists and recombined into new sets of twenty words each, then sent out as tests in each of four consecutive grades in different cities. The whole number of children thus tested was 70,000 in 84 cities in grades II to VIII inclusive. On the basis of this testing the Ayres Spelling Scale was organized.

The significant features of the scale are: (1) It contains only the commonest words. (2) It gives approximately what one ought to expect from any given grade when spelling words that are listed as equal in spelling difficulty. (3) The determination of the difficulty of any word was not dependent on the judgment of any one person, or group of persons, but on the ability of a large group of children to spell those words by writing them.

In giving the tests for the purpose of this scale it was not previously known whether the words had been studied or not. It has been found that testing these words after they have been carefully taught yields from 5% to 20% higher accuracy. Because they are the most common words in our language (Ayres found that these words comprise approximately 90% of our writing vocabulary) they are the words which ought to be taught carefully and thoroughly. All of these words occur in the Aldine Vocabulary.

The Boston List

The Boston Minimum List consists of words selected from lists that had been sent in by the teachers of the different grades as the words which, in their opinion, should be taught in their respective classes. Two hundred and thirty-seven teachers sent in lists of approximately thirty-five words each. These words were then arranged in alphabetical order together with the number of teachers reporting each word. All words were then arranged in two lists, a minimum list composed of words which it was considered desirable for every child to know, and a supplementary list, including all the other words which had been reported. The words were at the same time assigned to the grades in which they were to be taught on the following basis:

1. Only those words that were reported by at least five teachers were placed in the minimum list.

2. Any given word was placed in the grade in which it was reported by the largest number of teachers.

3. If the spelling of any word depended on a particular rule or suggestion the word was placed in the grade in which such a rule or suggestion was given in the course of study then in force.

After a year’s work on the words they were assigned a value determined by the percentage of children who were able to spell the word correctly in a carefully controlled test. This provided a definite problem for the teacher because it pointed out the easy and the difficult words. A word with a high percentage of accuracy was considered an easy word. A word with a low percentage of accuracy was considered a difficult word.

Other Lists

From time to time during the last few years other lists of words have been organized, all with the view of conserving the time given to spelling by requiring the pupil to learn to spell only those words for which he has an immediate or a probable future use. There has also been an attempt on the part of a few of the organizers to determine the difficulty of the lists as was done in Boston. Such lists have been organized in St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri, and in other places, notably in the state of Iowa.

The Construction of the Aldine Speller

The vocabulary of the Aldine Speller has been selected with great care. All the important lists were tabulated in such a way as to show the recurrence of the words and the grade distribution. Careful testing and study were given where there were significant variations in order to determine the correct selection and gradation. In addition to this the vocabularies of several of the best known textbooks were tabulated to ascertain the basis, if any, of their selection of words. These vocabularies varied so largely as to be of little value except to show the defects of unscientific selection.

Approximately 5,000 words were finally chosen. These include the words in common use and such words in the upper grades as are necessary to teach the varying vocabulary of life by the development of desirable forms. Without this attention to derivatives, difficult endings, the error producing problems of ie or ei, and the doubling of the final consonant, no course in learning to spell is complete or fully effective.

After the selection of the words a series of illustrative sentences was gathered from many sources. Many of these sentences are quotations from our best authors, are within the grasp of the children, and will be found invaluable for memorizing, as dictation exercises, or used simply to illustrate the use of the words taught in the previous lessons.

Finally, at the end of the work for each grade, will be found an alphabetically arranged list of all the words taught in that grade, with the exception of the phonic words taught in the first and second grades which are not alphabetically arranged. The latter will be found, with others of the same “family,” or series, at the end of Part I.

Types of Learning

In the past the method of giving the spelling lesson was to assign a list of words for pupils to study. After a period of time the lesson was “recited.” The “recitation” consisted largely of testing the pupils, either orally or through written work, to see if they had learned what had been assigned to them.

This method of learning spelling appealed to only one type of pupil, i.e., the pupil who learned by seeing. However, we know now that, although most children depend largely upon vision for what they learn, there are those who learn best by hearing the word spoken, while there are others who learn best by going through the motions of making the letters, either with the throat or the hand, and a large majority learn best by using all four processes.

To obtain the best results teachers are urged to give the pupils a chance to use all four processes, not for the purpose of testing their ability to spell, but as a method of learning. In this way appeal is made successively to the eye, the ear, the vocal organs, and the hand. All these taken together form associations which will be of great help in enabling the pupil to retain the correct spelling of the word. It gives the pupil a mental picture of the word through the sense that is best suited to him, besides giving all pupils the help of all the senses in fixing the word.

If the sense of hearing holds an important place in learning to spell then oral spelling becomes an important factor in the teaching and learning to spell. Oral spelling should always precede written spelling.

Written Spelling

Ability to spell a word means the carrying out of certain habits which have already been formed. If these habits are right then the word is spelled correctly. If children have not formed the right set of habits, if their pronunciation is wrong, if their mental picture is distorted, if imperfect vision causes them to see the word indistinctly, if their hearing is not normal, or if the coördination of the muscles is poor, any or all of these things will lead to the misspelling of a word. It is highly important, therefore, that the first impression which the pupil gets of the word shall be a correct one. That first impressions are lasting must be continually kept in mind. The method of teaching will help or hinder the getting of this correct impression.

Pronunciation and Enunciation

Assuming that every word in the spelling lesson is already long since in the child’s speaking vocabulary there should be no word in it that he cannot and does not pronounce correctly. However, there are some very common words too often mispronounced. The teacher should watch for these words and secure a correct pronunciation.

There is little chance for a boy to spell “kept” correctly, if he pronounces the word as though it were spelled “k-e-p.” In words of more than one syllable the form should be emphasized by syllabication, thus making certain that each syllable is pronounced. Of 155 pupils who misspelled “boundary,” 100, or 64.5% spelled the word they heard, namely “boundry.” This spelling was certainly caused by poor pronunciation. Syllabication makes the spelling more obvious, promotes clear enunciation, and assists in making a clear mental picture of the word. If the word is composed of two words, as “somewhere,” he sees more readily that the long word is only made up of the two short words with which he is already familiar. Throughout the book all words of more than one syllable are so syllabicated when first taught. It is unwise to require children to divide such words in a written spelling lesson.

Much time and much thought may wisely be given to the enunciation of children. Clear and accurate enunciation should always be demanded. Children strongly tend to spell as they speak. Slovenly enunciation will give inaccurate spelling.

Root Words and Derived Words

There is abundant material throughout the book illustrating the changes in root words when derivatives are formed. This does not mean, however, that there is nothing for the teacher to do. The teacher must keep constantly in mind that it is not necessarily true that because the child can spell “health,” he can spell “healthy.” Below is given a list of twenty-three words and one or more derivatives which were given to approximately 1,000 children in the sixth grade. It was known beforehand that the root word had been taught either during the year or in the fifth grade. The number following each word indicates the percentage of accuracy with which each word was spelled. It will be noted that in each case the root word was spelled with from 5% to 40% higher accuracy than the derivatives.

Comparison of Roots and Derivatives

In every case but one (attacking) the derivative proved itself a harder word to spell even though it, too, had been taught. Since it is important that children should know how to spell such common words as “judges,” “mosquitoes,” etc., as well as the root word, many derived forms must be considered as presenting new spelling problems and taught as such. Since it is impossible to teach all derivatives and the needs of the pupils are varied, careful training in the formation of derivatives must be given.

Homophones or Homonyms

Homophones, or as they are more commonly called, homonyms, are words spelled differently but pronounced alike. Throughout the text of this book they have been purposely kept apart. Investigation strongly points to the conclusion that they should be kept apart until the correct spelling has become a fixed habit, and the ability to use them correctly in sentences reasonably sure. In order that no confusion as to the proper use of a homophone may arise in the child’s mind, it should be presented in a phrase, or still better in a complete sentence. In dictating words it should never be taken for granted that the child knows which one of a pair of homophones is meant. A sentence should be given to show which one is required. Spelling there correctly in a column of words does not necessarily mean that the word would be spelled correctly in a sentence. If the child always hears it in its proper setting there will be a tendency always to see it in this setting with the correct spelling naturally following.

Proper Names

The proper names that should be taught vary with the community and the school. The teacher should herself select those that need to be taught to her class. 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 should be taught at the discretion of the teacher. In later grades the names that are needed in Geography and History should be taught in connection with those subjects.

Use of the Dictionary

The “dictionary habit” is a most desirable one. Those children are fortunate who have instant access to a dictionary when they begin the work in the fourth grade. However, children must be taught how to use the dictionary. Suggestions for teaching the use of it may be found in the suggestions for each grade. (See pages 37, 42, 46, 55, etc.) Do not deaden the interest by requiring the pupils to look up every word in the lesson, but rather have them look up all words whose spelling or pronunciation is uncertain. Such work may be used very profitably as a language lesson rather than as a part of the spelling lesson. Many interesting and helpful lessons may be given in forming plurals, adding prefixes and suffixes, selecting derivatives, and finding synonyms other than those given in the book. No lesson should be assigned in the dictionary before the children have been taught how to use it. The lessons in this book suggest how to teach its use and give some practical experience in consulting it for the pronunciation of words. The resourceful teacher will find opportunity for much additional practice.

Rules and their Uses

The Aldine Speller aims to develop a few general rules for spelling. These are carefully developed throughout the grades but appear as formal rules only in the later grades. The foundation of some of the rules is laid in Part I, and the development continues throughout the succeeding grades. (See lesson 57, grade III, lesson 74, grade IV, etc.)

Review Lists

Throughout the book, review lists are common. The time usually allotted to the spelling lesson is short and, therefore, only those words which have been shown by investigation to need reviewing occur in these review lists. Words presenting the most difficulty are often repeated in the same and succeeding grades. The words which are recurring constantly in the written vocabulary of children are the words which they need to be sure that they have mastered. Including only such words for review will enable both teacher and pupil to conserve the time of the school day. The lessons are short and it is expected that each word is to be carefully taught the first time. If this is done and the pupil’s list of the misspelled words is kept, the need of long reviews will be minimized.

Other lists in the form of reviews consist of groups of words especially alluded to by other authors. For example, at the close of the work of the third grade will be found the hundred commonest words in the English language. Ayres points out that these words with their repetitions constitute about one-half of all the words we write. There is no question about the need of thoroughly mastering them early. On pages 42 and 43 of the fifth year work and pages 84 and 85 of the sixth year will be found lists of words taken from the 1,000 commonest words of the English language. At the end of other grades will be found lists of known trouble makers which should be carefully reviewed.

Use of Vocabulary

At the end of the work for each grade, the list of the words taught in the grade is given. If the word is taught in any previous grade an asterisk is placed before the word. For example, which appears in the vocabulary of grade VI in this manner: * which. This shows that which has been taught in a previous grade but does not tell in what grades, nor how many times it occurs in each grade. It is given in the vocabulary of grade V in the same manner. In grade III it occurs without the asterisk, showing that this word occurs for the first time in grade III.

These vocabularies should be of great value to both teacher and pupil as they will enable both to determine at once the words which have been taught in the respective grades. If the word has been taught in a previous grade the teacher will know it and govern herself accordingly. If the word has been presented in that grade the pupil has a chance to find out the spelling without consulting the teacher, thus saving the teacher’s time.

Phonetic Words

Many of the words in this book are grouped into phonetic lists. The object of this is strongly to impress the basic part of these words upon the child. The repeated sight, sound, and spelling of this common combination of letters makes it possible to learn the words in a list easily and in a short time.

An Effective Method

1. Write one of the words on the blackboard. While writing the word pronounce it very distinctly by syllables, being clear in enunciation.

2. Have the word pronounced in concert by the class and individually by poor spellers, particularly those whose enunciation is naturally poor.

3. Develop the meaning orally by using the word in a sentence, or defining it.

4. Rewrite the word dividing it into syllables either by a slight break or a line. Call on pupils to spell orally by syllables, as: i-n—d-e—p-e-n-d—e-n-t—independent.

5. Have pupils indicate familiar parts or phonograms in the words. Have them point out peculiarities, non-phonetic elements, silent letters, double consonants, etc. Call attention to any that they do not observe.

6. Have pupils write the word at least two or three times, pronouncing it softly by syllables, or spelling it silently as they write.

7. After the words of the lesson have been studied in this way, allow pupils to study the words silently, laying stress on words which have seemed most difficult to them.

8. Bear in mind the following:

(a) A single lesson should consist of a small number of words. The Aldine Speller plans for two or three new sight words (or five to seven words in a phonic series) for a lesson in the lower grades, gradually increasing until five or six new words may be used in a lesson in the upper grades.

(b) Errors should be anticipated and prevented as far as possible. Create a strong impression of the word at the beginning.

(c) Correct pronunciation, and above all clear enunciation, should be insisted on at all times.

(d) Writing the word on the board or on paper immediately after the oral discussion of it gives the “muscle feel” of the word that is of great importance.

(e) The ancient custom of requiring the writing of words a number of times as a punishment is a crime.

(f) A weekly test should be given. This should consist of words taught during the week, of words previously misspelled by the pupils, of words from the “Demon Books,” or personal lists of the pupils.

Correction of a Word

In the past teachers “corrected” spelling papers solely for the purpose of determining which words were spelled incorrectly. The better thought is to examine spelling papers for the purpose of finding which words are wrong in order to determine why they are misspelled. This helps the teacher because it enables her to place the emphasis on the part of the word which is difficult and tends to prevent further misspelling. Prevent the misspelling of a word at the beginning. Form right habits of spelling rather than attempt to correct bad habits of spelling, should be the slogan of every teacher.

In correcting spelling it should be borne in mind that some words have more than one correct spelling. The child’s spelling should not be called incorrect if it is an approved form. Call his attention to the preferred form, telling him why it is preferred.

Pupil Lists

One method of bringing about this formation of good habits is to have each pupil keep a list of his own “demons.” Each pupil’s list will be different, for many words are “demons” for one pupil but not for another. This list may include root words and derivatives, or only derivative words. Each pupil should be required to keep his own list on which he, personally, may be tested from time to time to see if he has mastered the words that have proved difficult for him to learn. This list should not include the words that have been misspelled accidentally.

Writing misspelled lists as a punishment should be absolutely forbidden.

The Futility of Some of the Spelling Grind

Evidence that simple and necessary words are neglected.

Attempting to learn these,

while misspelling these:

spectacle

halo

legacy

gossamer

sluice

lurid

buoyant

linear

aggrieve

superlative

romantic

obstinate

SUGGESTIONS FOR FIRST YEAR

The Alphabet

Often the spelling of words is forced upon the child before he has properly mastered the alphabet. This is the cause of much poor spelling, much guessing in the primary grades. Before a child is allowed to spell orally he should be absolutely sure of the name of every letter, and he should be able to recognize and name it at sight. Before he is allowed to write one word in a dictated spelling lesson, the pupil should be able to write any letter of the alphabet from dictation. This means that the real study of spelling should not be undertaken until the middle of the first year or later.

Be sure that your pupils know their letters before beginning spelling. Following are some suggestions for alphabet drills. Use any that you think helpful.

Alphabet Drills

1. Have pupils read the alphabet in order, pointing to each letter as it is named.

2. Have pupils point to the letters in any order as you call them.

In this drill teach them the approximate place of the letters, that is, to look for a, d, c, f, near the beginning; j, n, k, o, near the middle; t, v, w, near the end.

3. Ask such questions as, “What letter comes after m? n? d? t?”

4. Consonant Drills.

(a) Call a letter and have pupils give the sound.

(b) Sound a letter and have pupils give the name.

5. Written Work.

(a) Have pupils copy the alphabet in script from print.

(b) Have pupils write the alphabet from memory.

(c) Dictate the letters in any order and require the pupils to write them. Time the children in this exercise, encouraging them to write as rapidly as possible.

6. The Typewriter Game.

Call the alphabet on page 7 of the child’s book the keys of a typewriter. Have the children spell words, touching the letters as the letter keys. Dictate as follows: “Write at on your typewriter.” The pupils touch a and t as they spell aloud. Then dictate cat, bat, hat. Use phonetic words or words made of letters near together in the alphabet. The object of the exercise is to find quickly the place of each letter in the alphabet, as well as to give the ability to quickly recognize the letters.

A Phonetic List

Lesson 1, Page 8

As may be seen at a glance, this lesson contains five words using the phonogram un.

The directions and suggestions given below for the study of this particular lesson apply to all similar phonetic lessons in the book.

1. Pronounce each word distinctly, giving its meaning or using it in a sentence, as, “sun—The sun is shining brightly.” You thus give the children the word properly used and leave in no pupil’s mind the idea that you meant son. “Fun—Did you have fun at recess time, Tom?” Tom’s recollection of the recess games will associate the word and its meaning. “Gun—Who has seen a gun? What is its use? Bun—The baker puts currants in the bun.” By the variety of ways in which you give or suggest the meaning of the word, try to arouse the pupil’s interest in the word itself. Never require a pupil to study the spelling of a word until he has heard it properly pronounced and knows the meaning.

2. Have the pupils read the words, pronouncing each correctly. The children may give original sentences, using the new words.

3. Pupils pronounce and spell each word orally.

4. Ask what letters are found in every word. Teach the children to call the common part the “family name” of the word and to spell it as a unit, as, “sun—spell, s-un.”

5. Tell the children to look at the list of words and choose the hardest. They may look at the word for a moment, then spell it without looking at the book. In some such way arouse interest in the spelling of each word in the lesson, as, “Who can find and spell the word that is the name of something that makes a great noise?” “The one we all enjoy at recess?” “The one that opens the flowers?” “The one we like to eat?”

6. Pronounce each word, give the family, and spell the word thus, sun, -un, s-u-n. Have pupils emphasize the first letter—the part of each word that is not common to the series—as, sun, fun, bun, gun, nun.

7. Children place their books face down on their desks, while the teacher dictates the words. Children spell orally. If a word is missed, do not pass it to another child. The one who missed turns over his book and studies the correct spelling while the teacher continues to dictate words to the other pupils. After all the children have spelled, those who missed have a chance to spell their words correctly. From the beginning every child must feel a responsibility for every word dictated to him. He must spell it correctly before the lesson is ended for him.

In all oral spelling, save time by having the children respond in turn without being called upon by name. Perhaps the best way is to go up and down the rows.

Copying a Spelling Lesson

Spell the first word very softly and write it on the blackboard as you pronounce each letter. The children look at the written form on the board, and copy the word, saying to themselves each letter as they write. Do the same with other words.

It is not necessary to copy each word more than once. The common part or family name—the combination of letters that requires special drill—is repeated in each word.

As pupils gain facility in written letter forms, they should copy their lessons once in script from the printed lesson in the book. For the first ten lessons, however, the teacher may well take the time to have the work copied from the board.

Dictating a Spelling Lesson

The teacher who truly means to make her children realize the importance of accurate spelling and neat writing will see that each child has a notebook in which to keep his spelling lessons. She will show him just how the work should be arranged in his book. (The child’s spelling book shows a good arrangement.) She will insist that he follow the arrangement and that his penmanship be neat. If the teacher cannot provide regular blank books for spelling, the children may make their own of regular writing paper, fastening the requisite number of sheets together with two Magill fasteners, or sewing them with thread or raffia.

In dictating, pronounce each word clearly and distinctly. Have the children repeat, then write the word. This habit of correct pronunciation of the words cannot be overemphasized. It has been said, and the saying is true, “A word correctly pronounced is half spelled.”

Marking and Correcting Papers

When a lesson is perfect, mark it. Mark it perfect. That is the mark primary children like best. Mark it in colored pencil. If the child has made a special effort in writing or in neatness, show your appreciation and observation by affixing a star or some other symbol to his paper. Encourage him, make him proud of his spelling, proud of his writing, proud of his book, proud of himself.

Give no spelling mark but the mark for perfect work.

When a child makes a mistake in spelling, call his attention to it. If it is only a careless mistake, he will spell the word orally. The teacher then erases the mistake, and the child corrects it. If, however, the child has not mastered the correct spelling, he should be referred to his book. When he can spell the word, the teacher erases the incorrectly spelled word, and the child writes it correctly.

The correcting of the lesson should follow as soon as possible the writing of the lesson. In order that this may be done in the same period, the lessons are kept very short. In order that there may be few mistakes the lessons are very simple. If the lessons are studied as suggested, there should be very few errors to correct. If the work is corrected as definitely as outlined, the pupils will soon learn what is required of them, and will take pride in having a perfect, attractive book. The arousing of such pride, and the cultivation of habits of correctness and neatness are of incalculable value.

1. By thoughtful, intelligent study, prevent errors.

2. When mistakes are made, have the pupils correct them immediately as an important duty.

Sight Words

Lesson 3, Page 8

The children have had two series or families in past lessons. In the new lesson ask them to look for words that belong to these families. They will find run in the un family, and me, the, tree, in the e (ee) family. These words should be distinctly pronounced and spelled orally.

The remaining word is to. It belongs to no family that the children have studied. Have the children pronounce it, use it in a number of simple sentences, and spell it.

Give each child a small piece of paper. Tell the children to look at to and spell it silently. Then without looking at the book have them write the word on paper. Each word in the lesson may be studied and written in the same way.

Writing Sentences

No new spelling words occur in this lesson. It is a review, an application of some of the words learned.

The first lesson, and perhaps a few others of the same kind, should be taught from the board, although it is better that each child should have a book before him.

A child reads the first sentence from the book. “Run to me.”

The teacher says, “I will write it on the board if you will spell the words. The children in the first row stand.”

Without waiting to be called upon by name the children spell the words in turn.

The teacher says, “Run begins with a capital letter because it is the first word in a sentence. Spell it, capital R-u-n.”

When all the words in the sentence have been spelled and written on the board, the teacher places the period at the end, saying, “There is a period at the end of this sentence.”

The second sentence is to be spelled by the children and written on the board by the teacher in the same way.

The children may now copy the sentences from the blackboard.

The two things to be taught in this lesson are the capital to begin the first word, and the period at the end of the sentence.

Reviews of Phonetic Words

Phonetic reviews are given frequently throughout the book. Each lesson contains one word of the series taught. These words are numbered.

Have the children open their books to the review lesson, as that on page 12.

Let the children read the words and the families, as, run-un, me-e, play-ay, fly-y. Then have each word spelled orally.

Now dictate other words from the same families, as, sun, see, gay, cry, sand. If a pupil misspells a word, give him the number of the family in which the word occurs. Let him look in his book, study his word, and be ready to spell it when you have finished dictating other words to the rest of the class. Thus you may dictate the word say. The child hesitates or misspells the word. Give him number 3. He looks in his book, finds 3 and the well-known word play after the number. He knows the word say is in the same family, and he studies out the word while you are hearing the rest of the class spell words in the other families. When you return to him and ask, “What is your word?” he answers, “Say—s-a-y.”

Never pass a word to a second child. Each child must spell, with help if necessary, every word that is dictated to him.

For written review, dictate any words from the series represented in the review lesson. Return again and again to these review lessons.

Seat Work

Have the children copy the words and under each write one or more words in the same family. Thus:

Reviews of Sight Words

Use these reviews for oral spelling matches and for written tests. Keep records of these written tests. There are 36 sight words assigned to the first year. Arouse the child’s interest and ambition to master these words by encouragement and all good incentives.

Additional Seat Work

1. Make the words or sentences in each lesson with “word builder” letters. This work should be carefully examined to see that it is correct and that it follows the arrangement given in the book.

2. Copy in script the lesson from the book.

SUGGESTIONS FOR SECOND YEAR

Review

The work of the second grade is a continuation of the work begun in the first grade. It will be well, therefore, for the second grade teacher to read carefully the suggestions given for the work of the first grade. Although some of the words that have already been taught in the first grade occur in the second grade, the first work of the second grade teacher will be to carefully review the phonograms and sight words already taught. This will help to sift out the words which need special emphasis and will form the beginning of the word lists which the children are urged to keep.

Phonograms

The phonograms are continued in the second grade and the same emphasis on the common part as outlined in the suggestions for the first grade should be continued. (See page 28.)

Quotations

Lesson 23, Page 29

Have the children copy these sentences, telling them that the quotation marks are put around “Where are my baby stars?” because these are the words of the moon. If omitted in dictation lessons, have the children open the book and put them in, but do not count the omission as an error.

Capital Letters

Lesson 50, Page 38

In addition to teaching the use of a capital at the beginning of a sentence, the names of five of the months of the year are given in Lesson 50, and a proper name is introduced into Lesson 56. Here is a chance to emphasize that the names of the months, and the names of people, always begin with a capital letter no matter where they occur in the sentence.

Dictionary Preparation

1. The order of the letters should be thoroughly familiar at this time. If not, it must be made so. (See suggestions for drill on page [27].)

2. Have the pupils read clearly and distinctly the words in any lesson,—as, for example, Lesson 1, page 25,—telling the first letter in each, saying, “The first letter in moon is m; the first letter in soon is s; the first letter in noon is n; the first letter in spoon is s.”

3. Have the pupils group words that begin with the same letter, as, Lessons 1, 2, and 3. Teacher says, “Find all the words in these three lessons that begin with s.”

Teacher: Find the words that begin with b.

Pupils: Bid and bar begin with b.

Later the pupils may make a list of all the words on a page beginning with the same letter.

4. Have the pupils copy in a column all the words in a lesson, or in several lessons, or on a page, that begin with the same letter. This should be done under definite direction of the teacher, as, “Make a list of all the words on page 25 that begin with b; with c; with d; with f.” Pupils write as follows:

5. Turn to the vocabulary of second year words (page 63). Have the pupils observe that they are arranged in alphabetical order.

(a) Pupils find the place in the list of words beginning with any given letter, thus:

Teacher: Where must we look for words beginning with a?

Pupils: At the beginning, for a is the first letter in the alphabet.

Teacher: Where must we look for words beginning with w?

Pupils: Near the end, for w is near the end of the alphabet.

Teacher: Where must we look for words beginning with m?

Pupils: Near the middle, for m is near the middle of the alphabet.

(b) Pupils find any word called for in the list. Teacher asks, “Where shall I find barn?”

Pupils answer, “With words beginning with b, near the beginning.” Pupils find the word and touch it. In the same way the teacher calls for other words. In each case the pupils decide where in the list to look for it according to the initial letter, then find and touch it.

(c) Let the pupils go through the list to see if every letter in the alphabet has been used as an initial letter. They will find that there are no words listed beginning with q, x, and z.

(d) Have the pupils write the alphabet in vertical columns omitting q, x, and z, and opposite each letter copy a word beginning with that letter from their lists on pages 63 and 64, thus:

a—after

b—baby

c—children

d—dog

Initial Words of Phonetic Series

On pages 61 and 62, the teacher will find a list of initial words of the phonetic series that have been taught in the first two grades in the order in which they have been taught. This list will provide a means for the teacher to learn whether a series has been taught, and the relative position of the series in the work of the first two grades.

Vocabulary

The vocabulary on pages 63 and 64 gives a complete list of all the sight words which have been taught in the first and second grades. It will furnish the teacher the means:

1. For finding if any given word is to be found in the text of the first two grades.

2. For excellent drill in preparation for the use of the dictionary.

3. For a review list at the end of the year’s work.

Phonic Series

The phonic series used in this book are presented first in the text as short lists. On page 65, Part I, will be found more complete lists for supplementary drill, if desired. These are numbered in the same order and are similar to those found on the Aldine Phonic Chart. If one of these charts is available, it will be found of great assistance in the teaching of spelling in these early grades. Drills on these complete series may well be given whenever a review or an additional lesson is possible. The pupil may study from his book, quick drills may be given from the chart, and then a selected list may be dictated by the teacher. Too much intelligent drill on these phonic series cannot be given.

SUGGESTIONS FOR THIRD YEAR

Use of Stories

That stories have helped in other branches of the curriculum outside of spelling is a well-known fact. Up to the present, spelling has been so stereotyped, so humdrum, that stories have had little or no place in the spelling lesson. Spelling, however, is the result of forming right habits and these right habits can be stimulated and encouraged by the right kind of stories. At the beginning of the work of the third grade is told the story of “The King’s Rules.” This story should be told to the children along with other stories of the grade, dramatized, and every means used to fix the point of the story. During the year constant reference should be made to “The King’s Rules.” For example, in teaching Lesson 91 reference should be made to the king’s second rule. In Lessons 92 and 94 reference should be made to the king’s third rule. Whenever a pupil mispronounces a word his attention should be directed to the first two rules. Care should be exercised in referring to these three rules that the interest is quickened and not deadened by the constant repetition and reference to the same story.

Use of Pictures

Throughout the book illustrations are given. The words of a lesson will be found to be illustrated in the pictures connected with the lesson. Pupils may be asked to cover the words of a lesson and write all the words that they find connected with the picture.

Phonetic Words

The third grade work continues the work in phonics started in the first and second grades. The suggestions given on pages 28 and 36, for the first and second year’s work, apply equally well to the work of the third year.

Quotations

The sentences used in connection with the lessons may be used in a variety of ways:

(a) They are placed in the book primarily for the purpose of illustrating the use of the word.

(b) They have been very carefully selected from our best authors and many of them may wisely be memorized.

(c) They may be used as dictation exercises. In this case misspelled words should be counted as errors. All other mistakes should be corrected by referring to the book but should not be counted against the child as an error in spelling.

Suggestions for Study

At the end of many lessons, or groups of lessons, will be found suggestions for the pupils to use in their study. The teacher should call attention to these. They will be of great help to the pupil if he has been taught how to use them. They are, however, incomplete owing to the lack of space, and the wise teacher will find other suggestions to give the pupils as she finds, through the correcting of papers, other difficulties which arise in the spelling of particular words.

Abbreviations

The use of the capital letter has been presented in connection with the beginning of the sentence, and the spelling of the names of the months and of proper names. In the third grade the names of the days have been added, and a few abbreviations. (See Lessons 100, 101, 114, 115, 124, etc.) These should be thoroughly taught with emphasis on the use of the period.

Preparation for Dictionary Work

1. Early in the year have the pupils arrange the words in any lesson, lessons, or on a page, in alphabetical order; as, Lessons 22–25, page 15. Pupils write as follows:

2. Have the pupils turn to the third grade vocabulary, page 43.

(a) Have them make an alphabetical list of words from the vocabulary; as, able, beam, cage, daily, etc.

(b) Finding Words Quickly. Teacher says, “Read this list of words until you find the word cane.” After the pupils have complied the teacher says, “Count all the words you read before you found the word cane.” Pupils count and answer, “Seventy-one.” Teacher asks, “How could I have saved time in finding this word?” The pupils easily discover the fact that they can save time by looking for the word among the words beginning with the same letter. The teacher tests and proves this to be true by calling for other words; as, “With what letter does face begin? Where shall we find it?” Pupils answer, “Face begins with f; we shall find it with the words beginning with f.” They do so. Teacher asks, “How many words did you have to read before finding the word face? How many do you think you would have to read if you counted from the beginning?” Conclusion to be discovered and expressed by the pupils: An alphabetical arrangement of words saves time in finding any particular word.