_I. Review Single and Blended Consonants, Digraphs, Short and Long
Vowels, and All Phonograms._
_II. Continue Pronouncing Exercises, Teaching New Phonograms._
Continue word study by the analytic-synthetic process. These phonic
drills will deal largely with the new words that occur in the daily
reading lessons.
_III. Syllabication._
In mastering the pronunciation of new words, pupils should acquire the
habit of analyzing them into syllables.
The ear must be trained to _hear_ syllables, they should be _separately
pronounced_, and _clearly imaged_. This makes for effective spelling
later. Most of the difficulties in spelling are removed when the habit
of breaking up a complex word into its elements is acquired.
re mem ber ther mom e ter
sep a rate in de pen dence
dan de lion mul ti pli ca tion
beau ti ful re frig er a tor
_IV. Teach the Long Vowel Sounds._
We have found that the short vowels predominate in the English language.
The long vowel sounds come next in frequency. When the child has
mastered the letters and combinations representing these two sounds, he
is able to recognize a large majority of the phonetic words in our
language.
Phonetic words follow definite rules of pronunciation. These rules are
not to be formally taught in the first and second years, but pointed out
by examples, so that the visual and auditory image may be associated.
To illustrate: When there are two or more vowels in a word of one
syllable, the first vowel is long, and the last silent, as: came, leaf,
coat, rain.
"When there is one vowel in the word and it is the last, it is long,"
as: me, he, fly.
All vowels are short unless modified by position.
Have the children notice the effect of final "e" upon some of their
short vowel words. These lists will furnish good pronunciation drills.
mat mate bit bite tap tape
pan pane rod rode fad fade
fat fate hat hate mad made
can cane pin pine rat rate
not note rob robe pet Pete
man mane din dine dim dime
cap cape fin fine spin spine
hid hide mop mope kit kite
hop hope plum plume rip ripe
tub tube cub cube
cut cute
tun tune
Call attention to the vowel digraphs in the same way: ea, ai, oa, ay.
deaf seat bean
neat leaves meat
heat peach lean
please eagle clean
eat seam teach
mean stream glean
read squeal wean
While there are exceptions, as in the words "head" and "bread," the
digraph "ea" has the sound of long "e" in nearly three-fourths of the
words in which it occurs and should be so taught. The visual image "ea"
should call up the auditory image of long "e." When the child meets the
exceptions the context must be relied on to aid him.
Likewise in the following list, the new fact to be taught is the digraph
"ai" having the long sound of "a." Blending the initial and final
consonants with this, the pupil pronounces the new list of words without
further aid.
rain chain faith daisy
wait main paint daily
nail brain faint plainly
pail drain snail waist
pain claim frail complain
pain train praise sailor
aim plain quail raise
maid braid sprain trail
The digraph "oa" and "ay" may be taught with equal ease the first year.
There is no reason for deferring them; they should be taught as soon as
the children have need for them.
coat toast roar
load goat roam
float road moan
toad roam throat
oar boat oat meal
croak soar foam
loaf soap coarse
loaves groan board
goal boast cloak
coach poach roast
say day may gay
hay play slay pray
lay clay dray gray
nay bray way stay
pay tray sway spray
ray stray jay stray