River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-05-08
SPELLING.
lCONCLTDED.1


All primary study of spelling should
be by copying words. Let me repeat:
as drawing is the best method of
training sight, SO drawing words is the
most economical and practical meth
Cd OF teaching spelling. Trained
sight will take IN word-form at once
seeing, so that it can be correctly re-
produced with great ease.
Original mental representations or
pictures are the results of the repeat
ed action of the perceptive faculties
upon the same objects. They grow
into distinctness uery slowly indeed
thus the little child must hear the
same word hundreds, perhaps thou
sands, of times before it attempts to
utter it.
l. The first year lowest primary
should be spent in copying words,
with little or no reproduction without
copy. Language consists of reading
Crecalling ideas), and composition lex
pressing them). Reading and compo-
sition should he taught together as two
branches of language. Every word
and every sentence taught should be
copied from the blackboard on the
slate, and then read, from the slate.
No matter how crude and awkward the
first copylngs are, they should be COM
mended and the writer encouraged.
They are types of the child's crude per.
cepts. Perseverance will soon bring
order out of seeming chaos. The bet
ter the picture of the word the child
makes, the more distinct will the i'm
preston be upon the mind, therefore,
technical writing should be taught
from the first. The writing of words
and sentences helps reading essential
ly, and if it were done for no other
purpose, the time would be well spent,
time Which otherwise would be CIV
Ell 70 listlessness or tiresome idleness.
2. At the end of the first year, quite
a number of distinct mental word-pic-
lures will be stored in the mind, ready
for reproduction. Begin carefully; If
ter word has been copied from the
board, erase it, and have it reproduc-
ed without copy. Do the same with
Two words, then three, and so on.
Write sentence, erase part of it,
and then cause the Whole to be writ
ten. Meier hare one mord lcritten in
correctly. if you can possibly avoid it.
3. Teach those words only which
your pupils use in language. Thisrule
holds good throughout the course. By
language | mean words used in any
and all recibations. When a word is
misspelled, have it corrected immedi-
ately. Keep list of misspelled words
words, and teach no other words until
they are learned.
4. Teach the most-used words first,
words like is, are. acere, agas, been,
shall. l0iL. they, there, their, schich, etc.
5. Teach words separately, and ia
sentences. The best test of spelling
is writing from dictation.
6. No word should be taught until
it is the sign of distinct idea in the
mind of the learner. The first year,
the child should be trained to express
thought orally; the second year, to
talk Nth tie pencil, which involves the
reproduction continually of words
which he knows. Thus spelling is
made a minor branch of language
teaching taking very little extra time.
I. During the third year. oral spell
ing can be introduced as valuable
auxiliary. It viii be found in the
third year, if this method has been
faithfully followed. that children will
write correctly most new words. after
reading them once; this is grand pro-
duct OF trained sight
s. All study Of spelling should be
by copying words and sentences in the
best possible handwriting. The cop
led words should be marked and cor
reeted Just as carefully as any other
lesson. r w. PARKER,
II PrSmsHy Teacher.