Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-11-07

1t r. not Often tndt cHi'" VIZ " :
careful reader and who possesses
fairly good memory is found to be de-
ficient in spelling. Parents and teach
ers should encourage pupils to read the
best literature, both in connection with
these studies and apart from school
work: and see that they form mental pic
lures of what they read. Children IKE
to tell about books which they nave
read BY reading a thought carefuiiy
and then trying to produce 1t exactiv
in writing, not only aids the memory
but it helps also to associate the words
with the thought expressed. A report
of the daily news will create an in
terest in current events and If guided
arirhtly. the children will be taught
to discriminate as to what they should
read.
A good speller must depend largely
on observation, sound and memory,
therefore what will develop these will
help the child, whether 1t be drawing,
music or memory gems.
Secondly. Right teaching in the first
wears of the pupils school life. A
greater part of the teaching of SOUNDS
or phonics naturally comes in the
primary grades and it is then when all
accurate foundation in these must be
begun and a continued drill kept up
through all grades.
Our schools should not be so large
that the child cannot have time to do
much individual work. Each new
word in the first three years OF school
should be spelled by sound, those
1atf DrODerIX
marked and the words grouped which
contain similar sounds; to Illustrate
eight, freight. weight. bought, Drought
fought. down, gown, brown. In classes
like the above, certain letters Always
have the same sound and the chiidreh
should be made to see this. ana VIII
readily extend the list if asked. Then
it will be easy to continue the drlll
and time will not be taken in higher
classes which should be devoted TO
more difficult work.
Sometimes parents will tell the teach-
er that their children are NOT learhihs'
because they cannot spell readlly'usihs
letters, but like the little girl VINO en-
tered school this fall in one or our
primary grades, they do not realize
how much more important the sounds
are than the letters some of which have
several sounds.
This little girls mother asked her
what she had learned when she came
in from school at noon, and the childs
reply was, "Oh, just nofin, we sang All
the time fore recess and then the
teacher stood us up in row ana all
we said was cat, cat cat' Dut az
this teacher makes use OF phonlcs ana
has good readers in her class, pre-
sumo she may have told the prlsn'
little miss that in the word cat, the
letter says c, a says a ana says |.
Both the name of the letter ana its
sound may thus be taught. 100 hluc!'
care cannot be taken to have all carry
errors corrected and all new WoruS
thoroughly learned.
We will now consider third help' a
dictionary should be pupil constant
companion in school as soon as ne can
read and has learned the diacritlcal
marks. He will then be able to pro-
rounce most words for himself ana Is
likely to form a correct picture OF the
word. If but one book can be supplied
il would be my choice to discard the
CDplIer ana USE ltiC ui'ti'ii'>'
birher grades. 1t is interesting to
children to know the derivation Oh
many words-the days of the week OF
months of the year for instance
Fourth-A few of the important rules
of spelling should be taught.
Fifth-The child should learn 'hoSc
words nrst, which he would be most
likely to use. and be able to ada All
new words to his vocabulary.
Is there any more reason for teach
ing a young pupil a word IKE pseu-
donym or syllogism which VIII De ol
no immediate use, than there Is III MS
studying geometry before he under
stands arithmetic?
1t is necessary then for teacher 10
exercise care in having all new words
we'll defined or used correctly in sem
fences, and see that those words are
ADAPTED to the child's need.
Give small children plenty of copy
ing. The colored letters for word
building are useful as busy work in
urinary grades In some schools each
child has box of these letters fur
nished with other supplies. In written
words, stories or reproductions it is
well 10 nave dli IiiiSSlNiiCN VIVA w
rccted and passed back to the teacher;
or some teachers may prefer having
the entire production rewritten neatly
in book kept for the purpose.
There are so many ways to vary
lesson in spelling. A written list OBJ
jects seen in a certain place or on Il
certain day may be called for. When
words could be separated into syllables
and all accent words added. If the
mistakes made are many, the work
should be done a second time.
Call attention to the difficult parts
OF words. In the word secretary, ASK
what the third syllable is, how many
rs in difference or what letter is 81
lent in the word knives?
The reading lesson always affords an
excellent opportunity in method. All
new words in the lesson can be placed
on the board and pronounced in con-
cert or a written list of all words in
the selection containing more than
six letters may be called for.
There is no lesson which will afford
a better chance for acquiring neatness
and honesty than the spelling lesson.
Scholars should not be allowed to hand
in words which have been erased and
rewritten.
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