Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1883-03-19
ou SHALL SPELLING BE
AZ" TAUGHT?

combinations of forty-four different
sounds, nineteen of which, the vo-
calls, are represented in, at least, one
hundred and forty different ways.
The ability to select instantaneously
the correct representative is neces-
sary qualification of the good speller.
Some of the subvocals and aspirates
are not invariably represented by the
same character, while in many words
one or more letters are silent.
Again, the ready spelling of a
word depends upon its correct pro-
nunciation. Should pupil mispro-
nounce words in preparing the les
SOD, he will fail to recognize them
when correctly pronounced by the
teacher; and this difficulty is in
creased by the careless pronunciation
which the pupils hear at their homes,
on the street. and sometimes even in
the school-room.
Thirdly, lack of sufficient time is
an almost insurmountable difficulty,
in ungraded schools.
Fourthly, an obstacle which may
present itself in some communities is
the prejudice of the people against
new methods.
Another obstacle which will be en-
countered in nearly every school is
the inadequate development of the
perceptive faculty of form on the
part of some of the pupils; while
others will lack that delicacy of hear
ing necessary to distinguish between
sounds closely allied.
There are three methods of teach
ing spelling which may be desig-
mated as oral, written, and phonetic
spelling. l will try to point out
some of the advantages and disad-
vantages of each.
In the oral method, IS generally
used, the teacher assigns as lesson a
list of words from the spelling book,
and the pupil is expected to commit
to memory the spelling of each word
and to reproduce it orally, which he
does with less or more success, ac-
cording to his ability to fasten them
in his mind. This places the entire
burden upon the memory. Since
each faculty is developed by use, this
tends to strengthen the memory an6
may be used advantageously witt
those pupils whose bump of form
Internationally speaking) is large
and who have a lively imagination
But with pupils who have these fac
ulties but slightly developed, throw
ing this great work on the memory
is positive injury, because the mem
DRY is overweight and becomes
weak and diseased, as physical or
gan would from the same cause.
teacher who would employ this meth
cd exclusively should not use tn
spelling book, but sentences selected
from reading lessons; and those wit
which the class are perfectly familia
should be learned and the consecu
tive words spelled by each pupil il
turn, without being pronounced b.
the teacher.
Written spelling has much in it
favor. First, spelling is of no prac
teal benefit except as we use it i
writing. Secondly, it gives the PIT
pll constant practice in penmanshiE
Thirdly, it gives large class an or
portunity to recite the entire lesso
without consuming more time tina
would be required for one to recite i
Fourthly, it may be a valuable assis
ant in the disciplinary methods of tt
school-room by keeping hands IN
eyes engaged in writing the lesso
on the slate.
And, lastly, the memory is assis
ed and relieved by that perceptil
sense which is the first awakent
and which plays the most importal
part in our life work-the sense
sight.
One disadvantage attending Il
exclusive use of this method is, th
in writing word the pupil has tin
to think it over and if called upt
without previous notice to spell ore
ly would hesitate more than one a
customed to the oral practice.
The phonetic method, if thoroug
ly taught, will do away with carele
and incorrect pronunciation, an
had we phonetic alphabet. see
reason why it might not superce
the other methods. But forty-fo
sounds represented by twenty-s
characters-with nineteen express
in one and forty ways-is an obst
Gle not to be surmounted by phone
spelling.
The most isfactory results m
be reached in the shortest time By
judicious combination and adap
ton of the three methods.
The written method should be
troduced first. AS soon as a ell
can recognize and pronounce sin
word he may be taught to write it
write, not print. 1t is time was
to teach printing; no one but
teacher needs to know how to pri
1t would be well to select, at first
word whose printed and written fo
correspond, as the word dog.
the printed form on the board "
the written form beneath. and. if
l. Al