The names of letters should not be formally taught until their sounds
are thoroly fixed in mind; otherwise the names and sounds will be
confused. Pupils who begin by "learning their letters" will be found
spelling out a word (naming over the letters) in order to arrive at the
pronunciation. Attention must be focused on the _sounds only_, at first.
When the consonant sounds are mastered by every member of the class, and
they have gained some proficiency in pronouncing words by blending these
with the short and long vowel sounds, the _names_ of the letters may be
taught, and the alphabet committed to memory in order.
While as a rule, most children learn the majority of the letters
incidentally by the end of the first year, it often happens that some
remain ignorant of the alphabetical order until they come to use the
dictionary, and are greatly handicapped.
_To Associate the Name of the Letter With Its Sound._
(1) The teacher names the letter as she points to it and the children
give the corresponding sound; (2) As the teacher sounds the letter,
pupils name the letter sounded. (3) Repeat with the letters erased from
the board.
Oral spelling may begin _after_ the sounds have first been mastered--and
as soon as the names of the letters are taught. Spell only the phonetic
words at first. The lists of families of words which have been written
from dictation may now be spelled orally.
The spelling recitation may be both oral and written, but written
spelling should predominate the first year. Unphonetic words should be
taught by visualizing--getting the form of the word as a whole. The
teacher writes the word on the board in free rapid hand, pupils observe
for a moment, getting a mental picture of the form; the word is erased
by the teacher, and reproduced on the board by the pupil.
While oral spelling aids the "ear-minded" pupil and gives variety in the
recitation, written spelling should predominate for the reasons that (1)
in practical life, spelling is used almost wholly in expressing thought
in writing; (2) the eye and hand should be trained equally with the ear.
It is often true that good oral spellers will fail in writing the same
words for want of practice. (3) In the written recitation each pupil can
spell a greater number of words and in less time than is possible in
oral spelling.