The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-26

| in the phonics, mechanics and psychol-
ogy of reading. Her audience thus re-
eeived in a few moments instruction
that would occupy class of first grade
children one or two school years.
Mrs. Gordon began by saying: There
are 26 letters in our alphabet. He
who has mastered the mystery of their
meaning is indeed fortunate. His book
is window, through which he sees
into strange lands; door, leading to
the riches of all ages"
From this beginning she proved the
advantages of her system of instruc-
ton, which she explained, embraced
the advantages of several other sys-
TENS, without their 'encumbrances.
in the process of learning to read
there are two factors. There is the ex-
preston and development of thought
by imagination, and the association of
ideas and there is the mechanics of
reading.
Reading in the case of an ordinary
child, taught by the word method is a
school room task. Phonics gives him
the power to see and hear. By thor
ough culture in phonics he is given
power to interpret the printed form
through the spoken sound. But his
initiation into the mechanics Of read
ing must be free from confusion.
why not combine the essential
truth of all methods into one single
method? The comprehensive method
presents the mechanics of reading in
simple way.
Poor pronunciation arises from i'm
perfect sound perception. There mus
| be vocal training to obtain distinct ar
| ticulation, free from provincialism
| This Is accompanied with a drill or
| phonograms for sight recognition. AS
soon as the blending of one sound with
| another is attained, long step to.
ward word reading has been taken
In this system there are 81 phono,
| grams. Thirteen are taught in the
first month, II in the second, 5 in the
third, 4 in the fourth, in the fifth
| and 20 in the last four months "Tht
| drill in phonics is illustrated by pict
ures and simple illustrations that pre-.
sent themselves to the mind of the
teacher.
"A card, on which is a phonogram, i!
presented, and the class is required t.
vocalize 1T. Blending begins as soor
as two Of these cards are brought to
gether. will ask the teachers t.
take fireplace of the class"
For the next few moments it seemed
to the ordinary person as if he haC
| lLG UidGG OI
| when oral expression had not passed
beyond the stage known say to tn,
| anthropoid ape. But when two Of
more cards were brought togethe
a word appeared, and the process wal
transparent.
This practice" continued Mrs. Cor
don, gives the timid voice courage t
speak out. Lessons take the form o
games, and advantage is taken of tn
childs active and concentrated interes
in play. 1t teaches the child to fee
and what child teelss he knows. Wha
he is taught, he forgets.
Then we blend an initial with a fam
lily name, in the phonic group, and a
r. approaches at the child says.
| know, we caught a rat the other da.
in our cellar
drill is given from the phonic cards
making use of all sounds. The drill /
given softly. but not usually so softl.
as here"
This was a mild sarcasm, because tn
teachers were not putting much fore
into the vocalization of the phonogram
which Mrs. Gordon was presenting witt
| rapidity. And 1t made them smile an,
do better.
THE child soon attains power to rec
ogniZe monosyllabic and two par
words. In the second month a sentence
is presented and thought gatherins
from sentences begins.
The teacher who gtves her elias!
! such a sentence as Good boys love t
go to school has herself to blame Il
the children are doubtful about the
sound Of o..