Page:State manual and course of study.djvu/23

 dog, etc. The pupils should be taught to pronounce these groups as one word, pro- nouncing “ a-boy ” as if it were a word of two syllables like “about.” Next teach several adjectives, as a black dog, a white cat, etc. When the above words are learned thoroughly, a few short sentences should be taught; as I see, we see, you see, etc.

Teach the phrases, I have, you have, he has, she has; also pupils’ names with has, — Mary has, Henry has, etc. In teaching the names of objects use the objects, if possible, letting pupils handle them in various ways; e. g., tell Mary to get what you write upon the board, writing “A red ball,” “A white doll,” “A black book,” etc.

In teaching action-words, suit the action to the word. Write upon the board “Tom jumps,” “Henry runs,” “Mary sings,” “Charles throws,” etc., letting pupils illustrate with appropriate action. This will vitalize every word and make what is taught a living thing. Arrange the words taught into as many different sentences as possible.

If, by wrestling with some story or sentence containing it, the child can possibly make out a new word, do not teach it by itself, but in the sentence. Do not go too fast; avoid getting on hand a large number of partially learned words. Words should be repeated often enough to insure that a couple of days disuse will not cause their loss from memory.

Elementary Sounds: —

The foundation for drill upon sounds should be laid now, the teacher pronouncing words by sound and requiring pupils to think them out and pronounce in the ordinary way; but “spelling by sound ” should not yet be attempted.

After the child has learned from fifteen to twenty words, put the letter s upon the board. Teach its sound; then pointing to this letter in various words, let the pupil give its sound until, whenever seen, the hissing sound comes to the inind. Then annex it to the word cat, letting child add the sound, making cats ; erase and annex until pupils instantly recognize and pronounce the word correctly, either with or without s. Then use this letter after other words and also prefix it to words already taught; as cff, s-at; old, s-old; in, s-in, etc. When 8 is thoroughly learned, teach r in the same way, building r-at, r-an, r-ing, etc. Continue teaching the sounds of consonants in connection with reading, using them to form new words from those already taught. Have daily exercises in sight reading.

Many difficult sounds are easily taught by the following plan:

Call m the “ mother-sound ” and have pupils pronounce the word mother with you, drawing out the m-sound more and more until you “forget to say the rest of the word;” then tell pupils that m means that sound and build such words as m-at, m-an, m-old, etc. Teach / as the “ father-sound.” Also practice dropping letters, as m from man, h from hat, f from Jim, letting pupils determine what the word is that remains. When the sound of a letter has been taught, drill upon the same until seeing the letter instantly suggests its sound, and use the letter in forming a number of words before trying to teach another sound. Each new word formed should be used in sentences until the eye knows it instantly.

As soon as the required number of words has been taught in this way and read by pupils from (hart or from words made by the teacher on the board, the child should take the book. If he has been properly taught from the chart and board, he is now able to read several i>ages of the reader at sight. From the start try to have him