The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1893-02-09
EDUCATIONAL
Department Devoted to the
Teachers of Cobb.
MISS FAW'S ARTICLE CONCLUDED,
Primary Reading is Important, But
Hard Work ON the Part of the
Teacher Alone Insures Success.

We have the word, the sentence,
and the phonic methods. l have
used them all, and beyond doubt,
there is good in all, but think the
best results are obtained from the
method used in our LIST Grade which
is combination of the word and
phonic methods, to begin with, fol-
lowed by practice ON the sentence.
method, later on, after the child has
acquired the ability to recognize the
words readily.
If you use the word method alone,
you regard the wGrd as whole, and
teach the child to recognize it at
sight. For example, we use the
word Scat" Call attention to it :
this word is cat. Is this word cat !?
Is that? Well, here is one that
looks like the first one I showed you
is it cat T.? Is that? Find cat.
And so on with other words - It
will be necessary to give separate
drill in every word the child learns.
By this method, the pupil learns to
read, from the start, and the child
is pleased and the parent is pleased
with the appearance Of rapid pro
gress.
But this alone, IS not sufficient.
The child knows those words which
you have taught him, and nothing
more, He can read in his little first
reader, But nowhere else. He lacks
the power to End out new words tor
himself.
If you teach the phonic method
exclusively, you analize each word
into its elementary sounds. Take
the same word for example-cat.
Pronounce it slowly-more slowly
still, and notice the sounds. What
is the first sound? The next? The
last ? Well, look at the word. It
has three parts-this part Co stands
for the first sound-See, you can re
member that-it looks like broken
ring. What was the first sound ?
This letter stands for it. 1t says
SC" And this ca stands for the
second sound-It says a. Now say
cat again. What was the last sound?
1t. Yes, this letter with the cross
mark on it,. stands for t. Now, we
viii name these sounds, and listen
tothem while we say them. Sound
them quickly one after the other.
What word did it say? Cat. And
solve teach other words, drilling
them on putting the sounds together
to make words, and Analysing words
into their sounds.
If you attempt to use the sentence
method alone, and use 1t from the
first, you show the child short
sentence-tell him what it says
then let him tell you. Show him
other sentences, made up largely, of
the same words require him to give
the whole sentence in breath. Do
not let him begin to read aloud, un
til he can read it all. This is some
times called, the "see and say moth
ing" method. 1t has its advantages;
you will observe that the child looks
at every word but says nothing until
he can say them all. In this exer-
else, he acquires the habit of study
ing. By giving the whole sentence
at one time, he grasps the thought
of the sentence, and having compre-
hended the thought, he will read il.
with the correct expression. But l
do not think it wise to attempt to
use this method at the first, with
beginners. 1t is TOO much like
teaching a child to run before he
can walk. l have had the best re-
suits from the word and phonic
methods combined. This is the
shortest step from the known to the
unknown. 1t makes the pupil in
dependent sooner than any other.
, ] use to some extent all three Of
the methods | have mentioned, and