Learning to Spell - A Manual for Teachers Using the Aldine Speller

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Title: Learning to Spell - A Manual for Teachers Using the Aldine Speller
Author: Bryce, Catherine T. (Catherine Turner), Kallom, Arthur W., Sherman, Frank J.
Language: English
As this book started as an ASCII text book there are no pictures available.

*** Start of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "Learning to Spell - A Manual for Teachers Using the Aldine Speller" ***

LEARNING TO SPELL
A Manual for Teachers Using the
ALDINE SPELLER

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

[Illustration]

NEW YORK
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:

Grade 2 521
Grade 3 908
Grade 4 1,235
Grade 5 1,489
Grade 6 1,710
Grade 7 1,926
Grade 8 2,135

_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:

Grade 2 1,927
Grade 3, new words added 469
Grade 4, new words added 442
Grade 5, new words added 432
Grade 6, new words added 425
Grade 7, new words added 419
Grade 8, new words added 418
—————
4,532

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

(All root words occurred in
the sixth grade minimum
list.)

abbreviate 78 abbreviates 75
absence 85 absences 75
accident 90 accidents 77
arrange 92 arranging 86
attack 94 attacked 87
attacking 94
boundary 87 boundaries 67
century 93 centuries 77
commence 85 commenced 81
commencing 74
conquer 89 conquered 80
deceive 80 deceiving 70
decide 87 decided 85
deciding 85
describe 82 describing 76
industry 96 industries 79
judge 98 judges 93
material 84 materials 75
mosquito 94 mosquitoes 59
recognize 87 recognized 85
return 98 returned 93
returning 95
salary 86 salaries 77
telegraph 98 telegraphed 90
telephone 98 telephoned 95
ventilate 87 ventilated 85
wharf 99 wharves 69

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,

spectacle
halo
legacy
gossamer
sluice
lurid
buoyant
linear
aggrieve
superlative
romantic
obstinate

while misspelling these:

[Illustration:

allways
gess
whitch
shur
wemen
offen
writting
esy
]

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, _s_un, _f_un, _b_un, _g_un,
_n_un.

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:

run me play fly and
fun be hay try band

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:

bar cross dine find
boss cloud did far
bid crust dust fine
bind fell
bell

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:

A. B C D
around bowl clean dash etc.
beside cash
bottom
bean

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.

(_c_) _Finding Words Easily._ Teacher says, “Who can find the word
_autumn_ first?” Pupils find it. Teacher asks the first pupil ready with
the word, “Where did you find it?” Pupil answers, “I found it among the
words beginning with _a_ at the beginning of the list.” Teacher calls
for more words from different parts of the list; as, _farm_, _yellow_,
_branch_, _taste_, _many_, etc. In every case pupils must determine
first, the initial letter of the word; second, the place in the
alphabetical list for words beginning with that letter.

Conclusion to be discovered and expressed: An alphabetical arrangement
of words makes it easier to find any given word in a given list.

3. Have the pupils arrange the hundred words on pages 41 and 42 in
alphabetical order, considering only the initial letter of each word.
This may be done by having each word copied on an oblong piece of paper,
or on oak tag cards, and these cards placed in alphabetical order, or by
having columns marked off, headed by letters alphabetically arranged;
as:

A B C D E F G

4. (_a_) Have the children list the words from sentences or short
stories in alphabetical order, as those in “The Golden Eggs,” page 17.

(_b_) After the list has been made (see _a_ above) have the pupils read
through the sentences again to make sure that every word in them has
been listed. The exercise emphasizes the value of alphabetical
arrangement. Example: Teacher says, “If you wish to make sure that you
have the word _the_ on your list, how can you find out easily and
quickly?” Pupil answers, “I will look near the end of my list among the
words beginning with _t_.”

(_c_) _Adding to an Alphabetical List of Words._ Teacher says, “I would
like to have the word _do_ added to the list. (See (_a_) above.) Where
should it be written?” Pupil answers, “Put it with _day_ because it
begins with _d_.” The teacher says, “There is no word beginning with _i_
in the list; if I wish to add the word _into_, where shall I place it?”
Pupil answers, “Place it after the words beginning with _h_ (or before
the words beginning with _j_) because that is the place of _i_ in the
alphabet.”

5. Have the pupils arrange themselves in a line in alphabetical order,
considering first the initial letter of their first names. Have the
pupils take their places as the teacher calls the letters. Thus, the
teacher calls _a_, and Alice, Andrew, and Anna step into line. At once
the question arises as to who shall stand first—all names begin with
_a_. Teacher writes the names on the board and says, “Look at the second
letter in each name.” The pupils study the second letter with the
teacher, and decide that as _l_, the second letter in Alice, comes
before _n_, the second letter in Anna and Andrew, Alice should have
first place. To fix the place of Andrew and Anna the third letters of
each name must be considered.

6. On page 29 is a lesson on arranging by the second letter. Following
this have the pupils arrange other lists of words in alphabetical order,
(_a_) considering the first two letters of the word; (_b_) considering
the first three letters.

7. Have the children give all the reasons that they can think of to
prove that the alphabetical arrangement of a list of words is a good
one.

SUGGESTIONS FOR FOURTH YEAR

HOW TO STUDY SPELLING

When the pupil enters the fourth grade he begins to learn to depend more
and more upon himself. He does more of his work by himself. This is as
it should be, but there is still need of a guiding hand. If the pupil is
to acquire a real _spelling consciousness_, and form a good habit which
is real and lasting, these helps must be plentiful, but at the same time
arise in such a way that they will be helpful in forming and
strengthening the good habits, and tend to break any bad habits which
may have been started.

The suggestions accompanying the lessons in the first three grades are
continued in the fourth, in such a way that, with the preparation which
the pupil has had in the early grades, he can apply the helps himself
with the minimum amount of care and watchfulness on the part of the
teacher.

As pointed out in Part I of the manual, page 18, the derived form in
most cases presents a new spelling problem even though the root word has
been taught. By focusing the attention on the part common to both the
root word and the derivative, and fixing the change by numerous
examples, the change from root to derivative is made with less trouble.
Lessons 4, 5, 15, 16, and 74 illustrate this point.

DICTIONARY WORK

During the previous three years the pupils have been prepared to use the
dictionary. They have been made thoroughly familiar with the alphabet,
and are familiar with the arrangement of words in alphabetical lists.
They have learned to arrange words in alphabetical lists, as well as to
find words easily in a short list which is alphabetically arranged. The
work of the fourth year is the teaching of the formal use of the
dictionary. The following story is presented as an interesting way of
approach. Let us attempt to vitalize our work in the dictionary. The
place to begin this vitalizing is in the fourth grade. A “story with a
hint in it” for fourth grade teachers is a suggestion along this line.

A “STORY WITH A HINT IN IT” FOR FOURTH GRADE TEACHERS

The Third Graders had been promoted into the Fourth Grade! They sat very
tall and behaved just like Fourth Graders as Miss Merlin, their new
teacher, said pleasantly: “This morning as I rode to school in the
street car, I read over the market advertisements. I found in one a word
that is new to me. I don’t know how to pronounce it, and I don’t know
what it means. I will write it on the board. Perhaps some one may know
the word and tell me how to pronounce it and what it means.”

Miss Merlin wrote the word on the board—_broccoli_—then turned to the
pupils and said, “Can any one pronounce this word?”

Alice stood by her desk ready to speak. “Have you seen this word before,
Alice?” asked Miss Merlin.

“No,” answered Alice, “but I think I can guess how it is pronounced.”

“Oh!” said Miss Merlin, “I don’t want any guessing. You might guess
wrong. If I hear the word incorrectly pronounced for the first time, I
am afraid I shall find it harder to learn the correct pronunciation. Two
reasons why so many words are pronounced incorrectly are: people guess a
wrong pronunciation instead of finding the correct one; and people hear
the incorrect pronunciation instead of the right one. I want the correct
pronunciation for the word on the board. If you cannot give it to me,
perhaps you can tell me where I can get it.”

John jumped to his feet. “Go ask the market man,” he said.

“I might,” answered Miss Merlin, “but there are reasons why I would
rather not.”

“It’s too far to the market,” “It would take too long,” “You can’t go
until after school and by then the market may be closed,” were some of
the objections made by the pupils.

“Those are all good reasons,” answered Miss Merlin, “but if there were
no other way to learn the correct pronunciation of the word I might
manage somehow to make a trip to the market. And I really need not take
the trouble. I can find out all I want to know about that word right
here in our own schoolroom.”

The pupils looked at one another with troubled faces. In the third grade
they had always gone to their teacher with bothersome words, and here
was Miss Merlin bringing hard words to them and expecting them to help
her to learn the pronunciation and the meaning. Never had they felt so
helpless. Suddenly John cried out, “Oh, I know! The dictionary!” and
running to the front of the room, he placed his hand on a great, heavy
book that lay on the small table near Miss Merlin’s desk. “My father has
a dictionary like this,” he continued, “and he often looks up words in
it.”

“Good, John!” said Miss Merlin, “you have shown me the best place to go
for the help I need. This book contains 400,000 words. My word is one of
those 400,000. How can I find my one word among so many?”

“I know,” answered John. “My father showed me. The words are arranged
like the alphabet, first the _a_’s, then, the _b_’s, and then the _c_’s,
and so on.”

“John is right,” said Miss Merlin. “If you will all come forward and
stand near the table I will show you just as John’s father showed him.”

The pupils came forward and Miss Merlin showed them that the dictionary
words were arranged in alphabetical order. “Now where shall I look for
my word?” she asked.

The pupils glanced at the word on the board and answered, “Look among
the words beginning with _b_.”

Miss Merlin opened the dictionary and held all the pages containing
words beginning with _b_ between her two hands. “If I begin with the
first word beginning with _b_ and read each one, it will take me hours,”
she said, “but the maker of the dictionary has so arranged the words
that I can find the word I want in a few seconds. Let us see if we can
discover just how the words have been arranged to help us find any one
quickly. We have seen that the words are arranged alphabetically
according to the first letter in each. Now let us look at the second
letter in the word beginning with _b_.”

The pupils watched as the pages were turned over and discovered that the
words were grouped in alphabetical order according to the second letter
in each.

“Then,” said Miss Merlin, “if I want to find a word beginning _ba_ where
in the list of words beginning with _b_ shall I look?”

“Look near the beginning,” was the answer.

“If I want one beginning _bl_ where shall I look?” asked Miss Merlin.

“Look towards the middle of the list,” answered the pupils.

“But I want to find one beginning with _br_,” said Miss Merlin, pointing
to the word on the board.

“Look near the end of the list,” said Alice.

Miss Merlin found the first word beginning with _br_. “Shall I find my
word near the beginning of the _br_ list?” she asked, holding the page
toward the pupils.

They looked at the page and answered, “No, all the words on this page
begin _bra_ and you want a word beginning _bro_.”

“How shall I find my word?” asked Miss Merlin.

John turned over the pages slowly while the other pupils looked on.
“Oh,” cried Alice, “the words are arranged in alphabetical order for the
third letter, so you must look beyond the middle of the list!”

Miss Merlin asked Alice to find the first word beginning with _bro_.
When it was found the children discovered that the alphabetical
arrangement of letters extended to the fourth and fifth letters and even
unto the end.

“Some job!” said John, moved by the efficiency of the arrangement as
well as by the bigness of the task. “Now I know how I can find any word
in the dictionary—just trail the alphabet from the first to the last
letter of the word you are looking for.”

Miss Merlin laughed. “I don’t believe that I’ll try to improve upon your
rule, John,” she said. “The Alphabet Trail is a pretty good one to
follow in tracking any word to its dictionary den.”

Following John’s rule, the word sought—_broccoli_—was soon found. “So
that you may all see exactly how the dictionary helps us pronounce this
word, I will copy on the blackboard exactly what I find written here.”

Stepping to the board, Miss Merlin copied the word, divided
into syllables and marked exactly as it appeared in the
dictionary—(brǒk´ō-lǐ).

Some of the pupils understood the diacritical marks for the short sounds
of _o_ and _i_; others did not. None knew the meaning of the mark above
the _o_ of the second syllable.

“Well,” said Miss Merlin, “let us see how the dictionary is ready to
help us. Look at the words written at the bottom of the page. They are
all little words that you know. What letter is marked in the first eight
words?”

The pupils near enough the dictionary to read replied, “The letter _a_.”
“And,” added Mary, “each _a_ is marked in a different way.”

“Read the words with the marked _a_’s and see if you can discover the
reason why each _a_ has a different mark,” said Miss Merlin.

Mary read the words, pronouncing each clearly and distinctly. When she
had finished every child was ready to answer; but Miss Merlin smiled at
Mary, who said, “The _a_ in each word has a sound different from all the
other _a_’s.”

In the same way the pupils discovered the different sounds of _e_, _i_,
_o_, and _u_. “Those are all the vowel sounds,” said Alice.

“Yes,” added John, “and the dictionary man has arranged them in
alphabetical order. Didn’t he stick close to the alphabet though!”

“These little words at the bottom of the page are called key words,”
said Miss Merlin. “Can any one tell why?”

The pupils thought for a moment. Then Tom said, “I know. Because they
unlock the pronunciation of the new word.”

“Good,” said Miss Merlin, “pronounce the first syllable in our new word
on the board, Tom, using the key word.”

Tom looked at the mark over the _o_ in the first syllable, found the
same mark over the _o_ in _odd_, the key word at the bottom of the page,
and said, “Odd—ǒ—brǒk.”

“Good!” said Miss Merlin. “That’s the way. Now, Jack, pronounce the
second syllable.”

Jack looked at the mark over _o_, the only letter in the second
syllable, found the same mark over the _o_ in the key word _obey_ at the
bottom of the page, and said, “Obey—ō.”

In the same way Alice studied the last syllable, finding a mark like the
one used over the _i_ in the key word _ill_ at the bottom of the page
and said very clearly, “Ill—ĭ—lĭ.”

“Fine!” said Miss Merlin. “John, you may pronounce the whole word.” John
did so, sounding the letters correctly but placing the accent on the
second syllable, thus, “Brok-o´-li.”

“Not quite right,” said Miss Merlin. “I am going to pronounce the word
correctly. As I speak it notice which syllable I accent or emphasize.”
She then repeated the word, placing the accent correctly.

“You accented the first syllable,” said Alice.

“Yes,” answered Miss Merlin, “I did. Now look at the word as I have
copied it on the board from the dictionary and see if you can discover
anything that tells me which syllable should be accented.”

“Oh, I know,” cried John. “There is a little mark something like a
slanting exclamation mark after the first syllable! Is that why you read
it like an exclamation, Miss Merlin?”

Miss Merlin laughed and answered, “Well, we call the mark an accent. But
it is something like an exclamation mark in looks, and an accented
syllable sounds not unlike an exclamation, John. Now pronounce the word
correctly.”

John did so, and then other pupils repeated it after him.

“Now I know how to pronounce the new word but I don’t know what it
means,” said Miss Merlin. “The meaning of the word is written right
after the correct pronunciation. Mary, will you read what is written?”

Mary looked at the printed page for a moment, then read aloud,
“Broccoli. A hardy cauliflower.”

“How many know what a cauliflower is?” asked Miss Merlin. She looked at
the upraised hands and added, “I see that you all know, but if any one
didn’t know how could he find out from the dictionary?”

Eagerly the pupils told Miss Merlin how to find the word—“track it
down,” John said—in the dictionary; how to learn to pronounce it; and
how to find the meaning.

“Good,” said Miss Merlin. “What have you learned in this lesson?”

“I have learned that I can find the pronunciation and meaning of any new
word in the dictionary,” said Alice.

“I have learned how to find any word I want,” said Tom.

“I have learned how to unlock the pronunciation of any word with the
keys at the bottom of the page,” said Jack.

“I have learned how to accent the right syllable,” said Mary.

“I have learned where to look for the meaning of a word,” said Henry.

“Then you have learned almost all that is necessary for a helpful use of
the dictionary,” said Miss Merlin. “Tomorrow we will have some
dictionary practice.”

The teacher may read the above story to her pupils or make a similar
introductory study of the dictionary with any word she may select.

SUGGESTIONS FOR FIFTH YEAR

USE OF STORY

At the beginning of Part II, the story of “The King’s Rules” was given
to the children. This story should be reviewed for it emphasizes three
important factors in learning to spell.

1. To _listen_ carefully when the word is spoken.

2. To _say_ it correctly when you speak it.

3. To _look_ at the word thoughtfully to get an exact picture of it in
your mind.

The work of the fifth and sixth grades opens with another story to
emphasize the same three points in a different way. The story of “The
Two Scouts” emphasizes the fact that a good speller is a good speller
because he

_Sees_ exactly
_Hears_ exactly
_Pronounces_ exactly

It is hoped that fifth and sixth grade teachers will continually
emphasize these three fundamental principles.

DICTIONARY WORK

The new work of grade IV consisted in the presentation of the formal use
of the dictionary. Many drill lessons were given in connection with
language, reading, and spelling lessons. A good habit has been started.
The children, however, have not become sufficiently familiar with the
dictionary to make the finding of words easy. Much practice in searching
for words needs to be given so that such searching becomes more or less
automatic. They have little need outside of school to use the
dictionary, and there are many matters which the fourth grade teacher
did not have the time to teach, even if the children had been prepared
for it. To give all the drill that is necessary without the work
becoming a burden which the children will approach with little or no
interest will tax the best ingenuity of the teacher.

The fifth grade teacher, therefore, must continue the good work begun in
the fourth grade. She must attempt to make the habit more automatic.
Children must be taught that they have a real need for the dictionary.
The fourth grade was taught the use of the long and the short vowels in
the word. The fifth grade completes this work by presenting the other
sounds of the vowels and the use of the key at the bottom of the page in
every dictionary. This work is presented in Lesson 7. Accompanying this
lesson is a list of words which present some difficulty in
pronunciation. Pupils are asked to look up the pronunciation in the
dictionary. _This should be done under the immediate supervision of the
teacher._ Directions are given the pupil as an aid in fixing this phase
of the work in the memory, _not as a substitute for the teaching_.

Toward the latter part of the year a further phase of the use of the
dictionary is presented. Lesson 145 deals with the subject of finding
the spelling of a word of which the pupil is not quite sure.

Steps in finding the spelling of a word:

1. Think carefully how the word might be spelled.

(_a_) Note the syllables.

(_b_) Note the sound of vowels and consonants in each syllable.

(_c_) Note the possibilities to represent each sound.

2. Find the word in the dictionary.

(_a_) Call attention to the fact that the first two or three
letters will approximately locate a short word.

(_b_) The first four or five letters will approximately locate
nearly every word.

(_c_) Every word in the dictionary is arranged in exact
alphabetical order.

Words in Lessons 3, 17, 39, and 40 illustrate a third phase with the
development of root words and derivatives which will be taught formally
in the seventh grade. These lessons bring together words which have a
common root. The teacher should be continually on the watch for these
common roots and call the attention of the children to them. In
undertaking to develop a spelling consciousness there is probably
nothing that will help so much as this phase of the work. In _agree_,
_agreeable_, _disagreeable_, and _agreement_, _agree_ is the common
part. Children do not always recognize this, as shown by the fact that
children spell the derivative with a lower degree of accuracy than they
spell the root word. (See page 19 of this manual.)

ENUNCIATION

Along with the teaching of the various sounds of the vowels and
consonants should come at this time a strong effort to impress the need
of clear enunciation. Great care should be taken that a vowel is given
its true value, that all sounds are given, that silent letters are not
sounded, and that the syllabication is correct.

Poor enunciation is a common source of error. Do not permit “in” for
“ing,” final “ed” to be sounded like “t,” or “body” to be pronounced
“buddy.” Remember that _a word correctly pronounced is half spelled_.

TEACHING OF RULES

In the text of the earlier grades, emphasis has been frequently directed
toward the changes in words in forming plurals and adding suffixes and
prefixes. Very little has been said when the only change has been the
adding of “_s_.” This regular form causes no great trouble.

During the fifth year a few simple rules are presented. These have been
frequently illustrated in earlier grades. The rules presented are those
for which there is frequent use.

On pages 14, 17, and 19 the rule for writing derivatives of words ending
in _y_ preceded by a consonant is given with many illustrations.
Throughout the year’s work, however, these words are occurring. Such
words will be found in Lessons 20, 32, 34, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42, 50, 59,
91, 114, 115, 156. On page 28 the rule for writing the plurals of nouns
ending in _f_ or _fe_ is given with illustrations. After these rules are
taught the teacher should take every advantage offered for fixing the
rules.

SPELLING DEMONS

Spelling demons have been described as words which give trouble and need
to be attacked as the knights of old attacked and overcame dragons and
demons that brought trouble to mankind.

In Lessons 64 to 75 the hundred words described by Dr. Jones as the
Hundred Demons of the English Language are given. Each of these words
has been previously taught, some of them as early as the second grade.
It is very probable, therefore, that for some children only a few of the
words are “demons,” for a demon conquered is a demon no longer.

These lessons, therefore, should be used as a test to find out which
children need further drill or new presentations of these difficult
words. These words should have been fixed in previous grades, but if any
pupil has _not_ mastered the word now is the time to attempt to master
it. However, it is individual work, _not class work_, which is needed.

On page 42 have been collected 132 of the 1,000 commonest words as
selected by Ayres. This list should be used in a similar way. All of
these words have been taught. The method to follow, then, is to test
first to see what words, if any, need to be taught again _to the class_,
and then what words should be emphasized with individuals.

SUGGESTIONS FOR SIXTH YEAR

WORDS USED IN THE SCHOOLROOM

In many courses of study the formal teaching of history begins in the
sixth grade. The spelling work of this grade gives many lessons
directly, or indirectly, connected with the teaching of history. Lessons
1 to 17, and 104 to 109, have for their foundation lessons on the flag
and government.

However, there are always special words in various subjects of the
curriculum which should be learned because of their use in the school
work of the year, rather than for their general use in the world at
large. These words are not included in the spelling book and should be
taught as supplementary words as occasion requires. This is also true of
local and proper names. Proper names, with very few exceptions, are not
taught in this text. The teacher should make up a list of such local
names as her pupils need to know, and _teach_ the spelling of any that
have spelling difficulty.

DICTIONARY WORK

The dictionary work of the sixth year aims to establish the dictionary
habit. Lesson 30 is the beginning of the use of the synonym, although
this word is not used in the pupil’s text at this point. This lesson
should be worked out very carefully under the immediate supervision of
the teacher. The formal work on synonyms is presented in the seventh
grade, but this preliminary work is of very great importance.

The rule for forming the plurals of nouns ending in _o_ is given in
Lesson 35, and for nouns ending in _s_, _sh_, _ch_, and _x_, is given in
Lesson 36.

On pages 63 and 64 are presented lessons consisting of words having _i_
before _e_, or _e_ before _i_. After teaching Lessons 45 to 50
inclusive, the words of these lessons should be reviewed as a whole.
Other reviews of them should be frequent enough to be sure that the rule
is fixed in the child’s mind and is being followed. There is no greater
cause for misspelling than the confusion existing because of these two
combinations of letters. Careful teaching at this point means much.
Lessons 51 to 54, inclusive, are exceptions to the rule and should be
carefully noted.

Individual words are constantly occurring which well illustrate the
rules that have been taught. Teachers should not fail to take advantage
of these opportunities in the teaching part of the lesson.

BUILDING A VOCABULARY

Throughout the book every possible opportunity to present root words and
derivatives together has been taken. Lessons 6, 8, 9, 13, 20, 30, 55,
67, and many others illustrate this feature. It was not possible to
present derivatives in all cases, or to present all that might well be
discussed with each root word. A great opportunity for splendid word
building exists in connection with the spelling lesson. The resourceful
teacher will supply additional words of this class at every opportunity,
calling especial attention to any changes of form because of the
formation of the derivative. This will mean not only a larger spelling
vocabulary but a larger speaking vocabulary.

Teaching synonyms also furnishes a chance to greatly increase the
speaking vocabulary.

DEMON AND REVIEW WORDS

On page 65 is given another list of “demons” prepared by the authors.
The sixth grade teacher should hold herself responsible for this list.
Keep on urging and testing until each child has mastered _his particular
demons_. Remember that they are an individual affair and that no two
pupils have the same difficulties.

A special review list of common words is also given on pages 84 and 85.
This list should be tested from time to time, and a very high percentage
of accuracy may reasonably be expected.

VOCABULARY

The vocabulary at the end of the work for the grade serves four
purposes:

1. It shows the teacher all the words which are in the text.

2. It enables the pupil to find the word which has occurred in the
year’s work.

3. The asterisk shows which words have been previously taught.

4. It gives a list of words with which to test the pupils at the end of
the year’s work.

SUGGESTIONS FOR SEVENTH YEAR

THE STORY

The work of each book begins with a story intended to impress the
children with the importance of _seeing_ the word exactly, _hearing_ the
word correctly, and _pronouncing_ the word accurately. “The Efficient
Guide” emphasizes these points together with the necessity of learning
to spell the word correctly the first time. The right use of the story
will help to impress upon the children the fact that in spelling, as in
the industrial world, there is no second chance. A thing is right or it
is wrong.

ROOTS AND DERIVATIVES

The ALDINE SPELLER has emphasized throughout its text the importance of
developing a “spelling consciousness.” A simple list of words is
inadequate to accomplish this. The work of the seventh grade continues
this development by emphasizing the importance of roots and derivatives.
Teachers have been repeatedly urged to present all derivatives whenever
the root word has been given. The formal study of roots and derivatives
is a large part of the work of the seventh grade. Emphasis should always
be given to the part which is already familiar, at the same time calling
attention to any changes in the vowel or in the consonant through the
formation of the derivative.

TROUBLESOME ENDINGS

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.

PROPER NAMES

In the class work in Geography and History the pupil is confronted with
a great many proper names. Fortunately most of these are spelled as they
sound. For a pupil who has been properly taught such words present no
difficulties. The important point is to see that they are correctly
pronounced when first used. There are, however, many proper names that
have spelling peculiarities. The great importance of impressing these
upon the pupil’s mind is quite obvious. This should be done in
connection with the regular class work as they have occasion to use the
names. The seventh grade teacher should be especially vigilant and see
that all proper names are correctly spelled, particularly with regard to
the capital letter.

VOCABULARY

The alphabetical vocabulary may be used for review lessons and for
looking up words. Its use helps to encourage the dictionary habit.

SUGGESTIONS FOR EIGHTH YEAR

REVIEW

The eighth grade teacher should read carefully the directions for the
seventh grade. She should know what has been done and what has been left
undone. In many schools she completes the teaching of spelling. While
wasting no time in unnecessary reviews, she may wisely give a careful
test at the beginning and learn her problems. The work in word building,
by means of synonyms and derivatives, should be continued.

PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES

The work of the eighth grade continues the work of the seventh grade in
word building by a careful study of prefixes and suffixes. The addition
of a prefix or a suffix makes a longer word and, because it is longer,
the word becomes harder to visualize as a whole. It is highly important
that the root part of the word should be pointed out, and it will be
found that in most cases it is a familiar word. When this is true the
prefix or the suffix becomes the part which needs to be drilled upon and
emphasized. On pages 48 to 54 are given a list of words having
troublesome endings. On pages 48, 49, and 50, for example, are words
ending in _ent_, _ant_, _ence_, and _ance_. These should be taught by
groups and, after the whole page has been carefully taught and studied,
drill lessons and reviews should be given until the pupil has the
endings learned. These reviews will tax the ingenuity of the teacher
that they may be interesting and not merely a mechanical word drill.
Attention may well be called to the fact that the plural of nouns ending
in _ant_ and _ent_ have the same pronunciation as the corresponding
words ending in _ance_ and _ence_. If given in a sentence the meaning
will clearly show him which one is meant. Care must be used that
confusion does not result. Thoughtful teaching is important.

REVIEW OF RULES

During the work of the preceding grades the important rules for spelling
have been developed. On pages 54, 56, and 57, they are given for review
with many illustrations. In addition, Lessons 30, 38, and 39, give some
exceptions to these rules. These lessons should be thoroughly reviewed
until the correct spelling is established.

WORDS HAVING TWO PRONUNCIATIONS

At the close of the year’s work is given a list of 28 words spelled
alike but accented differently. The difference in meaning should be
emphasized, each word used in a sentence to impress the correct
pronunciation, and the pupils taught to discriminate as to the form that
should be used.

VOCABULARY

As in previous grades much use may be made of the alphabetical
vocabulary for purposes of review and reference.

APPENDIX

Following the vocabulary the teacher will find some special lists,
placed there for reference. They will provide some very interesting
supplementary lessons. They are:

1. A list of words used in medicine, and the names of diseases. Many of
these present difficulties. Their teaching is optional with the teacher.

2. A list of words having more than one correct spelling. The simpler
spelling is usually the one to be preferred.

3. A list of words frequently mispronounced. The teacher should know
this list and by it check the pupil’s pronunciation.

4. A list of foreign words which have come into more or less frequent
use in our language. The correct pronunciation should be noted.

5. Two lists of foreign words and phrases, chiefly from the French and
Latin. Though only a small percentage of the pupils will use these in
writing they occur with such frequency in the books which they will read
that it is desirable that they shall have access to them.

6. A list of common abbreviations. These need to be learned since their
use is frequent.

[Illustration]

------------------------------------------------------------------------

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

1. Silently corrected typographical errors and variations in spelling.
2. Archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings retained as printed.
3. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.

*** End of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "Learning to Spell - A Manual for Teachers Using the Aldine Speller" ***

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