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 Accession ^£4575 Class fcQij^ 
 
 *>*! 
 
THE 
 
 RATIONAL METHOD IN READING 
 
 AN ORIGINAL PRESENTATION OF SIGHT AND SOUND WORK 
 
 THAT LEADS RAPIDLY TO INDEPENDENT AND 
 
 INTELLIGENT READING 
 
 BY 
 
 EDWARD Gk WARD 
 
 Associate Superintendent of Public Instruction, Brooklyn, N.Y. 
 
 Manual of Instruction 
 
 FOR THE USE OF TEACHERS 
 
 SILVER, BURDETT & COMPANY 
 
 New York BOSTON Chicago 
 1900 
 
"*/t 
 
 THE 
 
 RATIONAL HETHOD IN READING 
 
 First 
 Year. 
 
 Second 
 Year. 
 
 Part I. 
 
 Part II. 
 
 Part I. 
 
 Part 
 
 PRIMER. 
 
 Material : Conversations. 
 Reading by the Word Method. * 
 
 Sight and Phonetic Reading Combined. 
 
 FIRST READER. 
 
 Material: Conversations and Stories. 
 
 Largely Review- 
 
 Sight and Phonetic Reading. 
 
 Exercises. 
 Sight and Phonetic Reading. 
 
 Advance Work. 
 
 SECOND READER. 
 
 Material: Stories and Poetry. Literary and Ethical. 
 
 Part I. — Sight and Phonetic Reading. Advance Work. 
 
 Part II. — Sight and Phonetic Reading. The Remaining 
 Phonograms. Reading with All the Phono- 
 grams. 
 
 THIRD READER. 
 
 Material: Stories, Poetry, etc., from History, Folk Lore, and 
 Standard Fiction. Literary and Ethical. 
 
 Parts I. and II. — Sight and Phonetic Reading. Diacriti- 
 cal Marks omitted from the easier and more 
 familiar Phonetic Words. 
 
 *- 
 
 MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 
 
 PHONETIC CARDS — 
 
 First Set. To Accompany the Primer. 
 Second Set. To Accompany the First Reader. 
 Third Set. To Accompany the Second Reader. 
 
 Other volumes forthcoming. 
 
 ~* 
 
 Copyright, 1894, 1895, 1896, by Silver, Bckdett & Company. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The method of teaching reading embodied in this book is an outgrowth of the 
 author's profound dissatisfaction with the results of the word method. 
 
 The latter method, while it possesses the undisputed merit of leading to facility 
 in thought gathering during the first stage of the work, proves slow and cumbrous 
 afterward, fails to excite the child to effort, furnishes him with but a scanty vocabu- 
 lary, and finally sends him out of school unprovided with a key by means of which, 
 without further assistance, he may gain access to the treasures of the language. 
 
 The Rational Method is a peculiar combination of the word and phonetic 
 methods. It utilizes each for that part of the work to which it is especially adapted. 
 The word method is used, first as principal, because of its value in developing a 
 habit of reading thoughtfully, and afterward as auxiliary, to remedy the short- 
 comings of the phonetic method, and increase the stock of word phonograms. The 
 phonetic method, which is introduced by easy stages during the ascendency of the 
 word method, finally becomes the principal means of growth and progress. It im- 
 parts power, while it supplies the key which the word method is inadequate to give. 
 
 The aims of the Rational Method are : — 
 
 1. To make the child not only independent in his reading, but generally self- 
 reliant. 
 
 2. To enable him to read a vastly greater amount than heretofore in a given 
 time, and thus acquire not only a fuller vocabulary, but greater maturity of mind. 
 
 3. To put him into possession, during the first year and a half of school life, of 
 a complete "key to the language, so that, no matter how soon thereafter his schooling 
 may cease, his ability to read will be assured. 
 
 The following are the leading features of the phonetic part of the work : — 
 i. The presentation of the sounds and their symbols (phonograms) in a rational 
 order ; that is, an order in which the easier precede the harder. The easiest sounds 
 to use in phonetic reading are those that may be indefinitely prolonged, and the 
 blending of which in words may therefore be most readily shown and perceived. 
 These sounds, the Rational Method deals with first. 
 
 -84575 
 
2 PREFACE. 
 
 2. The teaching of an Initial Stock of phonograms before any phonetic reading 
 is done. This makes provision whereby, when such reading has once been com- 
 menced, it may be carried on continuously and with sufficient wealth and variety of 
 material. 
 
 3. The training of the ear in the perception of phonetic blends, before phonetic 
 reading is begun. The teacher accomplishes this by pronouncing words sound by 
 sound, and requiring the children to determine, in each case, the word so pronounced. 
 
 4. An extensive and systematic use of word-phonograms and other compound 
 phonograms. The difficulty the child experiences in determining a new word, is, in 
 general, directly proportional to the number of parts he has to recognize in it. By 
 the use, then, of compound phonograms, which, being taught as wholes, are no 
 harder to recognize than simple ones, hundreds of long and hard words are practi- 
 cally transformed into short and easy ones. Thus, the word lightning, which the 
 child learning by this method reads, I ight n ing, he finds no more difficult than the 
 short word left, in which also he has to recognize and put together four separate 
 sounds. 
 
 5. A careful grading of the phonetic words introduced. The first phonetic 
 words presented contain but two phonograms each, the next but three, and so on. 
 
 6. The gradual introduction of phonetic words into the sentence reading. At 
 first but one such word is used to a sentence. This prevents the phonetic work 
 from offering any serious impediment to the thought getting. As the child's percep- 
 tion of the blend becomes quicker and clearer, the proportion of phonetic words is 
 constantly increased. Finally, when this perception has become automatic, or nearly 
 so, the reading is made almost wholly phonetic. 
 
 7. Separate daily drills in the recognition of the individual phonograms and 
 the reading of single phonetic words. The purpose of these is to cultivate expert- 
 ness. No other part of the work exceeds them in importance ; as without them, the 
 average child would never acquire sufficient facility in sound or word recognition, 
 to make successful phonetic reading a possibility. 
 
 Those who undertake this method will need : — 
 
 1. To follow implicitly the directions laid down in the Manual. 
 
 2. To do their work with great thoroughness. 
 
 3. To hold expectation in check for awhile, and exercise patience, — looking for 
 brilliant results only after the foundations have been laid broad and deep. In the 
 numerous schools that have already attracted public attention by their wonderful 
 success with this method, more ground has invariably been covered during the last 
 five weeks of the first term than during the preceding fifteen. 
 
 E. G. W. 
 
 Brooklyn, N.Y., June 1, 1894. 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 
 
 EXPLANATION OF TERMS EMPLOYED. 
 
 Phonogram. A written or printed representation of a sound, either simple 
 or compound. 
 
 Examples: f, S, 1, ing, ight. 
 
 Sight word. A word that has been taught as a whole, and is therefore 
 recognized by sight alone. 
 
 Phonetic word. A word to be read by means of its phonograms. 
 
 Sight reading. The reading of sight words either singly or in sentences. 
 
 Phonetic reading. The reading of phonetic words either singly or in sen- 
 tences. 
 
 Simple phonogram. A phonogram containing but one letter. 
 
 Examples : 8, 1, O. 
 
 (Excepting I, which represents a union of the sounds of a and e, the 
 simple phonograms stand for one sound each.) 
 
 Compound phonogram. A phonogram containing more than one letter. 
 
 Examples: ing, ight, ip, UI1, neSS. 
 
 (Every compound phonogram represents a compound sound, which, how- 
 ever, is taught as a unit.) 
 
 Word phonogram. A sight word used as a phonogram in the representation 
 of a longer word. 
 
 Examples: old in f old , ail in Sail, an in man. 
 
 3 
 
THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 (Word phonograms are really, of course, compound phonograms, but, 
 for the sake of convenience, the term " compound phonogram " is restricted 
 to combinations that are not words.) 
 
 Blend. The union or combination of sounds, simple, compound, or both, to 
 form words. 
 
 I. 
 
 FIRST HALF-YEAR'S WORK. — FIRST STAGE. 
 
 (TIME, ABOUT EIGHT WEEKS.*) 
 
 SIGHT-READING FROM THE BLACKBOARD AND PREPARATION FOR 
 PHONETIC READING. 
 
 Three lines of work are to be separately practiced every day : — 
 
 1. Sight-reading. 
 
 2. Drill on Phonograms. 
 
 3. Ear-training. 
 
 1. The Sight-reading. 
 
 Commence with the blackboard, using script characters only, and teach 
 the following list of sight-words comprising the full vocabulary for Part I. 
 of the Primer: — 
 
 a, again, ail, all, am, an, and, any, apple, are, at, boy, bread, can, come, 
 cow, day, do, does, dog, drink, eat, egg, for, Frank, fruit, full, girl, give, 
 go, good, has, have, he, her, here, him, home, how, I, ill, in, is, it, Jack, 
 let, like, look, make, me, milk, much, no, not, of, old, out, picture, play, 
 see, she, some, stay, take, tell, that, the, them, there, they, to, too, us, 
 want, water, we, well, what, where, will, with, yes, you. 
 
 ♦In Brooklyn, some teachers accomplish this stage of the work in six weeks, while a few 
 require as much as ten weeks. 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 5 
 
 Use the words in sentences from the very beginning. Construct your 
 own sentences and make plenty of them, but make them very short. As far 
 as possible, work them up in conversation or story style, several in succes- 
 sion relating to one topic. Do not use the sentences found in the book ; and, 
 the better to avoid doing so, work up the words in a somewhat different 
 order from that in which they are presented in the book. 
 
 Never let a single scholar read a sentence until he is ready to do so 
 without a break. At the very first symptom of hesitation or a halt, stop 
 the pupil, and tell him he must not read until he has his sentence all ready. 
 While he is getting it ready, he must have the privilege of asking (by num- 
 ber is the best way) for any word that he does not know. This mode of 
 procedure, involving, as it does, constant waiting, seems to the inexperienced 
 teacher most wasteful of time ; but those whose experience is riper, well 
 know that the facility it brings toward the latter part of the term makes up 
 many times over for the time apparently lost at the beginning. Do not fall 
 into the common error when the children show a disposition to hesitate, of 
 telling them to hurry. You do not wish them to hurry; you simply wish 
 them to read in a natural manner without breaks. 
 
 As to expression : — When a child reads without expression, draw it from 
 him if possible, by questions or remarks on the subject-matter of the sen- 
 tence. Failing in this, read the sentence properly for him, and require him 
 to read it after you. The statement of the theorists that if the child recog- 
 nizes the words readily, the expression will take care of itself, is arrant non- 
 sense, as every practical teacher of little ones knows. With a class that is 
 particularly unresponsive in this matter, it is often a good thing in the 
 models you set, to exaggerate somewhat in both emphasis and inflection. 
 
 The scholars should be taught to recognize the s and ing forms of the 
 words just as they do the simpler forms. This recognition may be easily 
 brought about in the following manner: — 
 
 When half-a-dozen singular nouns and three or four simple verbs have 
 been learned, write any convenient one of said words on the blackboard, and 
 have the pupils tell what it is. Then add to it an s, and tell them what it 
 now is. Next write another of the words, have it read as before, and add 
 the s; but now, instead of telling the scholars what the word has become, 
 ask them to tell you. Continue this process until they distinguish without 
 
6 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 difficulty between the simple and the s form of every familiar word. Then 
 teach them in the same manner to recognize the form that ends in ing and 
 afterward the one that ends in ings. 
 
 Avoid until near the end of the work words like goes, making, etc., in 
 which the change to the s or ing form involves the addition or the elision 
 of an e. 
 
 2. The Drill on Phonograms. 
 
 This is a preparation for phonetic reading. To be effective, it must be 
 thorough. The material used is the Initial Stock of phonograms, compris- 
 ing those employed in the first phonetic reading, which are /, I, m, n, r, s, — 
 a, e, b, — ing, ings, ight, and ights. That the preparation for the phonetic 
 reading may be adequate, the drill on this stock must begin when the first 
 blackboard work begins and continue without intermission until Part. I. of 
 the book has been read. 
 
 The following method is recommended : — 
 
 Begin with /. Write it on the blackboard, and tell the children what it 
 is. Give sound, not name. (No letter names are to be taught during the 
 first half-year.) Have them practice it a little while, then leave it. Many 
 times during the day, ask them unexpectedly what it is. Next day teach I 
 in the same manner. Now for two or three days, keep both characters on the 
 board, changing their relative positions from time to time, or writing a num- 
 ber of each and mixing them irregularly, and have frequent short drills on 
 them. Next teach m in the same manner, and drill similarly for a day or 
 two on all three. Continue in this way until you have taught from four to 
 six of the phonograms, and thereafter use Set I. of the phonetic cards (script 
 side only) for your drills, instead of the blackboard. 
 
 In using the cards, proceed as follows : — 
 
 Stand in one of the front corners of the room where every member of the 
 class can see distinctly, holding in your hand the cards for all the phono- 
 grams thus far learned. Taking the scholars in order, show each a phono- 
 gram. If he does not name it instantly (interpret this word literally), call 
 out tell, and have the others prompt him. This will cause every child to 
 study every phonogram, and will greatly increase the effectiveness of the 
 drill. If the proper rate of speed is maintained, you will "go round" a 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 7 
 
 class of fifty in two or three minutes. It will probably be sufficient to do 
 this two or three times each day. At first most of the scholars will miss. 
 Pay no attention to this. Above all, find no fault with it. In a few days 
 you will note a decided improvement. Finally, most of the scholars will be 
 able to name any of the single phonograms without hesitation. This is what 
 they must be able to do before they can read by means of these characters. 
 Aside from this, the ability to concentrate their attention quickly, which 
 this simple exercise, persevered in, will give your pupils, will be of great 
 value both to you and to them in more than one direction. 
 
 Three cautions are necessary to complete this part of the subject : First, 
 Never attempt to teach a phonogram until you are absolutely sure that you 
 know how to pronounce it yourself. (Directions for the pronunciation of 
 the more difficult phonograms in the Initial Stock will be found over Pho- 
 netic List No. 1.) Second, Never teach a new phonogram until all those 
 previously presented have been thoroughly learned. Third, Never accept 
 from your scholars anything but the exact pronunciation of any phonogram. 
 
 3. The Ear-training. 
 
 This, like the teaching of the phonograms, is a preparation for phonetic 
 reading. Like the latter, also, it should begin at the very commencement of 
 the term and be practiced daily. With brisk work, five minutes a day should 
 suffice for it. 
 
 Conduct the exercise as follows : — 
 
 Tell a little story introducing every here and there a word from Phonetic 
 List No. 1. Give the phonetic words by their sounds, not as wholes, uttering 
 the successive sounds rapidly but separately, thus : — 
 
 fold, nail sa/, so, etc. 
 
 Let the scholars, in every case, tell the word as soon as you have thus pro- 
 nounced it. Whenever they fail to recognize the word, repeat it for them, 
 this time running the sounds together, but greatly prolonging every sound 
 except the last, so that it may be distinctly heard. As a matter of economy, 
 you may, whenever your scholars are sufficiently interested to justify you 
 in so doing, dispense with the story -work in this exercise and use the single 
 phonetic words only. 
 
THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 II. 
 
 FIRST HALF-YEAR'S WORK. — SECOND STAGE. 
 
 (TIME, ABOUT THREE WEEKS.) 
 
 SIGHT READING FROM THE PRIMER, PART I., AND FURTHER 
 PREPARATION FOR PHONETIC READING. 
 
 Three lines of work are to be separately practiced every day : — 
 
 1. Sight-reading from the Primer, Part I. 
 
 2. Drill on the Phonograms. 
 
 3. Drill on the Blend. 
 
 1. The Book-reading. 
 
 The words in Part I. of the book having been thoroughly taught and read 
 in blackboard sentences, the book itself next comes into use. The book- 
 reading will now, of course, be the main reading-work of the day, the other 
 exercises being, as before, auxiliary and preparatory to the Phonetic Reading. 
 
 The transition from script to print will be found an easy one, very little 
 intermediate work being required. The following is perhaps as good a 
 method of bridging the gap between blackboard and book as any : — 
 
 The teacher begins by placing upon the blackboard, in both script and 
 print, a number of short sentences from the reader, the print under the 
 script, thus, — 
 
 Cy 4»ee isf-v-u. ^kz/o- tt&w dee P £2/ee me etz€. 
 
 I see you. Do you see? See me eat. 
 
 and requiring the children in the case of each sentence, to read first the 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 9 
 
 script and then the print. After they have done this, she erases the script 
 and requires them to read the print by itself. 
 
 When reasonable success has been attained in this way, she reverses the 
 process by placing sentences as before on the blackboard in both script and 
 print, the former now under the latter, thus, — 
 
 Do I see well? Look at me, Jack. 
 
 and requiring the children to read only the print, using the script for refer- 
 ence when necessary. 
 
 She next writes sentences as above, the script under the print, and, cov- 
 ering the script, requires the children to read the print, uncovering the script 
 only as it becomes necessary to do so. When the children have attained 
 such proficiency in reading the print that they seldom need to see the script, 
 they are ready for the book. 
 
 Another good method is the following: — 
 
 The teacher begins by placing upon the board, in print only, any conven- 
 ient short sentence, say, for instance, — 
 
 Do you see me? 
 
 She then writes, at some distance from the sentence, the word see, and, 
 after the scholars have pronounced it, requires them to find it in the sen- 
 tence. This having been done, she treats Do in the same way, then me, then 
 you; taking the words in an irregular order. When all the words have thus 
 been discovered, she requires some scholar to read the sentence as a whole. 
 
 This operation is repeated again and again with other sentences until the 
 scholars read blackboard print pretty well. 
 
 The teacher next directs the attention of the children to some convenient 
 sentence in the book, and writes its words one at a time on the blackboard, 
 having each pronounced as it is written, and then found in the book sen- 
 tence, which, when all of its words have been thus determined, is read as 
 a whole. 
 
 Either or both of the foregoing methods may be used to whatever extent 
 may be found necessary, not only as a preliminary to the first book reading, 
 
10 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 but as a preparation for successive book lessons after the first. If, however, 
 the sight words have been thoroughly taught in script, the scholars should 
 read print as freely as they do script, within a week of the commencement, 
 and should complete Part I. of the book within three or, at most, four weeks. 
 
 2. The Drill on the Phonograms, 
 
 This will proceed as before, the cards being the means employed ; but 
 now the print side will be used as well as the script side. As the knowl- 
 edge of the single phonograms is the foundation of all the phonetic reading, 
 and as the ability to utter the phonograms of a word in quick succession is 
 absolutely essential to perception of the blend, too much stress cannot be 
 laid upon the necessity of thoroughly following the directions already given 
 for this exercise. (See pages 8 and 9.) 
 
 3. The Drill on the Blend. 
 
 This consists in the reading of single phonetic words. It combines prac- 
 tice on the individual phonograms, with the ear-training prescribed for the 
 "First Stage" of the work, separate oral exercises for the latter, from this 
 point on, being no longer used. The material employed is found in Phonetic 
 List No. 1, which is arranged in sections according to the difficulty of the 
 words presented. Section B should not be used until the scholars can readily 
 read words from section A ; section C, until they can readily read words 
 from section B, and so on. 
 
 The following is the best method of procedure : — 
 
 The teacher at the beginning writes upon the blackboard some word from 
 section A, — let us say fat. She covers the at, and, pointing to the /, asks the 
 scholars to tell what it is (sound). She then covers the /and asks what the 
 at is. Finally she uncovers the whole word and asks the scholars to put the 
 two sounds together, and tell what word they make. If they cannot do this, 
 she herself tells, making the /, when she pronounces the word, long and 
 prominent. She then uses in the same way the other at words, — mat, Nat, 
 rat, and sat, — and then words of other series. 
 
 As soon as the scholars have acquired sufficient ability to read words in 
 this way, the teacher ceases to present them in series, but takes them hence- 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION F0R TEAgffiHBBSf 1 ±± 
 
 forth irregularly. She ceases, also, to assist the ^*4flg£SiJ8B^rig first one 
 phonogram and then the other. 
 
 After the first few days of blend-work, from thirty to fifty single words 
 from Phonetic List No. 1 should be read by the scholars from the blackboard 
 every day, until Part I. of the book is read through. Arid for the encourage- 
 ment of the weaker scholars, the first of these words, as well as every second 
 or third word thereafter, should be an extremely easy one that all who will try 
 can get. This is a very important point. A glimmer of light here and there 
 will keep the dull scholars trying; while persistent discouragement will 
 ultimately kill all desire to try. The teacher should ever keep it in mind 
 that the object is not to have the words memorized, but to give the scholars 
 ability to read them by their phonograms. As there are but about 220 
 words in all in Phonetic List No. 1, the words given after the first few 
 days will involve many repetitions of words previously given ; but, if the 
 words are always, as they should be, selected at random, there will be no 
 memorizing of them as wholes to speak of, and therefore no interference 
 with the phonetic reading. 
 
 No less work than the amount prescribed above will do. Perception of 
 the blend comes slowly to many scholars ; but when it does come, it comes 
 to stay. Practice will make them perfect ; notJiing else will. 
 
 The exercise must be so conducted that every scholar is constantly hop- 
 ing to get the next word. This will cause every one to attend closely through- 
 out, and get the full benefit of the lesson ; whereas a method that leads the 
 scholar to look for his turn, and nothing else, will, most likely, be barren of 
 results. 
 
 One most important direction remains to be given. If the phonograms 
 are well learned, there will be a strong tendency among the pupils, the 
 moment a phonetic word is presented, to whisper the sounds to themselves. 
 The buzzing thus produced must not be checked. It is not disorder. It is 
 the only means by which beginners of average ability can get at the words. 
 For several months they cannot carry the sounds mentally so as to get the 
 blend. They must actually hear them. The unwillingness, of teachers with 
 wrong ideas of discipline to permit this perfectly natural process to go on, 
 is one among several reasons why phonetic reading has hitherto generally 
 proved a failure. 
 
12 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 III. 
 
 FIRST HALF-YEAR'S WORK. — THIRD STAGE. 
 
 (TIME, ABOUT NINE WEEKS.) 
 
 COMBINED SIGHT AND PHONETIC READING, FROM THE PRIMER, 
 
 PART II, WITH AUXILIARY EXERCISES TO STRENGTHEN 
 
 AND PERFECT THE WORK. 
 
 Three lines of work are to be separately practiced every day : — 
 
 1. Reading from the Primer, Part II. 
 
 2. Drill on the Phonograms. 
 
 3. Drill on the Blend. 
 
 1. The Book-reading. 
 
 This differs from the reading in Part I. in this : That nearly every sen- 
 tence contains some phonetic reading. At first the quantity is small, but one, 
 or, at most, two phonetic words being used in a sentence. The reason for thus 
 limiting the phonetic work is that the children being yet somewhat slow in 
 perception of the blend, too many phonetic words would prove an obstruc- 
 tion to the thought-getting. New sight-words are added from time to time, 
 including some that may afterward be used as word-phonograms. New 
 phonograms are also taught, and, as a consequence, phonetic words differing 
 slightly in character from those previously used are constantly introduced ; 
 but in no case are new sight-words presented in the same lesson with a new 
 phonogram. 
 
 In this mixed sight and phonetic reading, as in the sight-reading on the 
 blackboard, used in Part I., no scholar must ever be allowed to read a sentence 
 until he is ready to do so without a halt or break. At the very first indica- 
 tion of a break, he must be stopped and told not to begin again until he is 
 ready ; but while he is getting ready, he must be permitted to tell (by num- 
 ber) which word he cannot get. If it be a sight-word, he must be told ; if a 
 phonetic word, he must be asked to give its sounds, and then, failing to 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 13 
 
 recognize the word, to give them faster. Finally, if he cannot get the word, 
 the other scholars must be called upon to tell him. 
 
 Special phonetic preparation should be made for every lesson in the book 
 as follows : — 
 
 Before the lesson is attacked by the class, all the phonetic words it con- 
 tains should be written (or printed) on the blackboard with the proper marks. 
 These words should then be read by the scholars several times as a blend 
 drill. Whenever this is done, the separate " Drills on the Blend " prescribed 
 below (3) may be reduced by the number of words thus practiced for the lesson. 
 
 2. The Drill on the Phonograms. 
 
 This must be continued daily throughout the course. No new phonogram 
 should be taught more than a day or two in advance of the reading lesson over 
 which it appears. Whenever a new phonogram is taught, the card that con- 
 tains it must be added to the number used in the daily drills. The knowl- 
 edge of the individual phonograms being the foundation upon which the 
 whole superstructure in phonetic reading rests, the daily repetition of all 
 thus far taught is in a certain sense a review of the entire subject, which 
 will do wonders in the way of bringing together, at the end of the term, 
 scholars whose previous training and opportunities for attending school have 
 been widely different. 
 
 3. The Drill on the Blend. 
 
 Perception of the blend comes rapidly to a favored few, but to the aver- 
 age scholar only as a result of careful training. The practice, therefore, in 
 phonetic reading afforded by sentences that contain but one or two phonetic 
 words each, is but a small portion of what is required that proficiency may 
 be attained. For this reason, you must give your scholars, on the black- 
 board, every day, at least thirty or forty single phonetic words to read. 
 The words are to be selected largely from the Phonetic List that accompanies 
 the phonogram last learned, but many words from lists previously used 
 should be mingled with them. Remember the directions previously given, 
 to have many extremely easy words distributed among the others for the 
 encouragement of the duller pupils, and remember that the "buzzing" 
 which the scholars make in trying to get at the words " under their breath," 
 being necessary, is not disorderly, and must not be suppressed. 
 
14 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 IV. 
 LATER WORK. 
 
 1. Second Half- Year. 
 
 The work of the second half-year does not differ essentially from that of 
 the " Third Stage " in the first half-year. New phonograms are, of course, 
 introduced from time to time, as well as new sight words; while the 
 subject-matter becomes less simple and the sentences grow longer. 
 
 During the first and second half-years, the use of supplementary readers 
 is not recommended; though many Brooklyn teachers employ them after 
 the first half-year very successfully. The author believes that the best 
 possible provision of additional matter, throughout the first year, is that which 
 every thoughtful teacher will make for herself, in the shape of blackboard 
 lessons in script, which will afford extra drill upon words and phonograms 
 already learned. Through these blackboard lessons, by teaching such new 
 sight words as may be found necessary, the teacher may bring the reading 
 into close correlation with animal and plant study, etc. 
 
 2. Third and Fourth Half-Years. 
 
 The last of the phonograms is taught about the middle of the third half- 
 year, and the time has then arrived for the free use of supplementary 
 readers. Otherwise, the work of this half-year differs from that of the 
 preceding one only in grade. 
 
 In the fourth half-year, the only important change made beside the pro- 
 vision of subject-matter of a higher grade, is the introduction of many 
 phonetic words without the diacritical marks to which the scholars have 
 been accustomed. During the third and fourth half-years, i.e. during the 
 second year, scholars that have been well taught, will, without difficulty, 
 complete from ten to fourteen supplementary readers, and their mental 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 15 
 
 horizon, if the books have been well chosen, will be correspondingly 
 extended. 
 
 3. Fifth and Sixth Half- Years. 
 
 In the fifth and sixth half-years, the latter of which completes the course, 
 still more advanced subject-matter is provided, and the diacritical marks 
 are entirely omitted from the text, though they are still used in blend drills, 
 one of which is given at the head of each lesson, as a preparation therefor. 
 
 Both of the mechanical drills are practised daily throughout the course of 
 three years to secure full development of power as well as to bring together 
 those scholars that have pursued the course from the outset and those that 
 have entered upon it at various times thereafter. 
 
 In the front part of each book above the Primer are given special direc- 
 tions for the teacher, which should be very carefully read. 
 
LISTS OF PHONETIC WORDS 
 
 FOR USE IN BLEND DRILLS AND IN BLACKBOARD 
 SENTENCE READING. 
 
 RULES FOR MARKING OBSERVED IN THESE LISTS. 
 
 1. Sight-words (words taught as wholes) unconibined with other words 
 should not be marked. 
 
 2. A sight-word found within another word and having there its usual 
 sound, should be set off as a single phonogram by an underdrawn horizontal 
 line. 
 
 Examples: ail in f ail , ails in f ails , an in an t. 
 
 3. A compound phonogram used as a part of a word should ordinarily be 
 set off as a single phonogram by an underdrawn horizontal line. 
 
 Examples: iglltS in fights, im in limp. ingS in W JngS . 
 
 pr in print, cl in clap. 
 
 4. When a compound phonogram or a word phonogram forms by itself 
 either the first or the last syllable of a word, it should not be marked, but 
 should be slightly separated from the rest of the word. 
 
 Examples: ing in le^p ing, er in miller, est in smallest, 
 un in un lik^, un do ing, be in be come. 
 
 Exception. — When the compound phonogram is immediately preceded 
 or succeeded by a silent (crossed-out) letter, no other separation than that 
 made by the silent letter should occur. 
 
 Examples: er in lo^er, un in unjfrio^n, ed in fitted. 
 
 16 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FO^T^AcS^SljFT j 17 
 
 5. When a compound phonogram which does not, by itself, form a syllable 
 is separated from the other phonetic elements of the word by a silent (crossed- 
 out) letter, an apostrophe, or a division of syllables, it need not be marked. 
 
 Examples: he in he^t, bl in gal)l^, end in fr/end, 
 
 she in she's. 
 
 6. Other phonograms should be marked in words as they are marked at 
 the heads of the following lists. 
 
 Examples : € and O in €0^1, a in Sap. 
 
 7. Silent letters and letters so slightly or obscurely sounded that their 
 omission will not involve the loss of a syllable, should be crossed out. 
 
 Examples: e in fin^, g in ^nat, O in leSS j/fcl or mut^Il. 
 
 =>XK< 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 1. 
 
 LENGTH LIMIT: THREE PHONOGRAMS. 
 
 Phonograms. — f, 1, m, n, r, s,— a, e, o,— ing, ings, ight, ights, 
 
 — and short sight-words from Part I. of the Primer. 
 
 To make the sound of I, place the tip of the tongue against the roof of the 
 mouth behind the front teeth, and holding it there say ull (latter part of full). 
 
 To make the sound of r, press the side edges of the tongue against the 
 upper side teeth, curling the tip up until it almost touches the roof of the 
 mouth. Then say ur, curling the r part well (but not trilling it) and making 
 precisely the same vowel sound that occurs in I. 
 
 The other phonograms in this list, it is believed, all teachers can sound 
 without special instruction. 
 
18 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 Note. — The directions at the tops of the lists are for the teacher only. Do not give 
 them to the scholars. Above all, do not have the scholars learn them. They should 
 acquire the power to give the sounds by listening and imitating. A few exceptions will 
 be noted as they occur. 
 
 A. 
 
 f ail f ails , f all fan, fat, fight, f ights , fill, fm, fit, fits, 
 fold, l and , l ight , l ights , lit, mail, mails, man, m any , mat, 
 Mat, meat, m eats , m ight , mill, mold, nail, n ails . Nan, 
 Nat, neat, n ight , n ights , rail r ails , r an , rat, right , rights , 
 rill, ring , rings , s ail , s ails , Sam, s and , sat, s eat , s eats , 
 s ight , s ights , sill, s ing , s ings , sit, sits, s old , swell s wells . 
 
 B. 
 
 Anji, ]£no^, oty, 6^, fus^, j^nat, ]£ne^, J£nit, J£nite, 
 lam#, mitjU, mus^, sno^. 
 
 c. 
 
 a^m, e^r, e^l, VI}, Fm, la/, Le^, lo^, ma/, Ma/, mo^, 
 ra/, Ra/, ro^, ro^, sa/, se^, so, so^, ^ ring , ^ rings . 
 
 r>. 
 
 eat^n, he^l, he^r, he^l, }frio^n, ^no^ing, me^l, me^n, 
 o^lr, o^dng, o^n, seem, seen, shelj, tool, wejin, we% 
 we'r^, you'lj, you'r^, you r. 
 
 cannot, failing, falling, fanning, f ight ing, filling, 
 folding, landing, l ight ing, mail ing. mold ing, nail ing. 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 19 
 
 railing, railings, ringing, sail ing. seating, seeming, 
 singing, s well ing, swellings, will o^, within, without. 
 
 F. 
 
 a/ming, fitting, fussing, healing, hearing, healing, 
 JfrntjKing, la/ing, losing, matting, meaning, moving, 
 mussing, owning, rowing, saving, sa/ings, sitting, 
 snoring, sowing, weaning. 
 
 G. 
 
 fallen, fat^n, fats, fe^r, fe^l, fo^m, for^, fo]ir, ^nats, 
 la^n, lam^, lan^, le^f, le^ln, Leo, l ight en, lrtjft^, lo^tf, 
 lo^in, man^, Mat's, mats, mrtjt^n, mo^n, mol^, Mo^r^, 
 mor^, mo^n, nam^, Nat's, ne^r, ra^n, ratjfl^, rins^, ro^m, 
 ro^r, rolj, saf^, sal^, sam^, satin, se^l, se^m, sol^, sor0, 
 ^rit^n 
 
 H. 
 
 flat, fle^, fl ing , fl ings , flo^, fre^, f right , slam, slat, 
 sl ight , sl ing , sl ings , slit, slits, slo^, small, snail, snails, 
 stool. 
 
20 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO 2. 
 
 LENGTH LIMIT: FOR WORDS ENDING WITH ENG, INGS, OR S, FOUR 
 PHONOGRAMS; FOR OTHER WORDS, THREE. 
 
 New Phonogram: s. 
 
 (Also a number of additional sight-words used in the Header before the intro- 
 duction of this phonogram.) 
 
 To make the sound of S place the organs of speech in position for s 
 and force the voice strongly, but not suddenly or explosively, through, pro- 
 ducing a decided buzzing sound. 
 
 a^ins, Anji's, another, another's, anyone, anyhow, 
 anyone's, anything, anyway, e^rs, efefa e^ls, falls, fans, 
 f atoning, fat^ns, fearing, fejtrg, feeling, feelings, fe^ls, 
 fills, fms, fle^s, fl ing ing, flowing, flo^s, forming, fo^ins, 
 folds, fo]irs, frjfend, friends, he^ls, he^rs, he^ls, he's, 
 however, Jftie^ling, ^ne^ls, ^ne^s, ]£no^s, lamtts, lamp's, 
 lam^s, laming, l and s, lan^s, l ate , la/s, leafing, le^fs, 
 leaning, le^ns, l end , l end ing, l ends , Leo's, loaning, 
 lo^ns, lo^s, man^s, man's, mate, mates, Ma/'s, me^ls, 
 meaning, me^ns, m end , mending, m ends , mills, mmyto^, 
 nutans, moaning, mo^ns, molds, mol^s, Mo^r^'s, m other , 
 m others , m other's , nam^s, naming, Nan's, n ever , nos^, 
 o^rs, onto, o^s, o\^ns, overdo, overdoes, overcome, 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 21 
 
 over eat, over eat^n, over eats, over look, over looks, 
 oversee, over seen, oversees, over s ight overtake, 
 overtakes, over take n, r ails , ra/ning, ra^ns, ra/s^, 
 raising, rate , ratjdl^s, rattl ing , ra/s, Ra/'s, rills, rinsing, 
 rinsings, rooming, ro^ms, roaring, ro^rs, ro^s, rolling, 
 roljs, ros^, Ros^, ro^s, Rover . Rover's, sal^s, Sam's, 
 sealing, se^ms, se^s, seems, s end , sending, s ends , 
 s ever al, she's, sills, slamifting. slams, slate, slats, 
 sl ing ing, slitting, sm other , snoring, snovfrs, sol^s, 
 soling, somehow, something, sor^s, so^s, stools, s up , 
 s up ping, sups, tools, upon, up right , we^ns, we^s^l, 
 will ows, you rs. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 3. 
 
 LENGTH LIMIT: SAME AS FOR LIST NO. 2. 
 
 New Phonograms : l and y. 
 
 $?h #NS> ^y in S> P$f fif ^ fIf ^ s > fifing, fity, fi% 
 
 filing, fin^, fir^, fir^s, firing, fly, fli^s, flying, fly's, 
 
 fry, fri^s, frying, fy, )£nif^, li^, li^s, lif^, lim^, lin^, 
 
 lin^s, lining, lying, mil^, mil^s, mln^, mir^, my, nin^, 
 
 nin^s, rls^, rising, ry^, sigji, siting, sigjig, si^n, 
 signing, si^ns, sly, ^ry. 
 
22 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 4. 
 
 LENGTH LIMIT: SAME AS FOR LIST NO. 2. 
 
 New Phonograms : k and t (as terminals) . 
 
 (Also a number of additional sight-words used in the Reader before the intro- 
 duction of these phonograms.) 
 
 ant, ants, be^k, be^ks, be^m, beaming, be^ms, be^n, 
 be^ns, be^t, beating, bedts, become, becomes, be^, be^s, 
 be^f, be^t, be^tl^, be^ts, being, didn't, e^st, fe^t, font, 
 he^t, heating, he^ts, lak^, lak^s, le^k, leaking, le^ks, 
 lift, mate, mates, me^t, meeting, me^ts, mint, mlt^, 
 mit^s, musk, must, not^, not^s, o^k, o^iks, o^t, o^ts, 
 rak^, rak^s, rak ing, rust, rust ing, rusts, sak^, sak^s, 
 seek, seek ing, seeks, she^t, sheeting, sheets, sift, silk, 
 silks, sle^k, snifjf, so^k, soaking, so^iks, swe^t, swe^t^n, 
 sweats, s wing , swinging, s wings , we^k, we^k^n, 
 we^lk^ning, we^k^ns, we^k, we^ks, wing ing, ^rit^, 
 ^rlt^s, Writing, ^rot^. 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 23 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 5. 
 
 LENGTH LIMIT: FOR WORDS ENDING WITH ER, ERS, ING, INGS, OR S, 
 FOUR PHONOGRAMS ; FOR OTHER WORDS, THREE. 
 
 New Phonograms: er and ers (as terminals). 
 
 (Also a number of additional sight-words used in the Reader be/ore the intro- 
 duction of these phonograms.) 
 
 Pronounce the above phonograms like ir and irs in sir and sirs. 
 
 answer, answering, answers, better, betters, be^tl^s, 
 Easter, eater, eaters, father, feeler, feelers, flfer, 
 f If ers, f ight er, f ight ers, finer, fitjter, fitters, fold er, 
 fold ers, flatter, flyer, flyers, friends, hearer, hearers, 
 inkier, kinder, ^nit)t!er, )£nitjt!ers, lamer, later, la/er, 
 lasers, leaner, lender, lenders, lifter, lifters, lifting, 
 lifts, l ight er, l ight ers, IrtjCer, littering, litters, lo^er, 
 lowering, lowers, maker, makers, manrier, manners, 
 matter, matters, meaner, m end er, m end ers, milker, 
 milkers, miller, millers, mold er, mold ers, mo^er, 
 movers, nearer, neater, older, o^ner, owners, raker, 
 rakers, ratjCer, ratters, r ing er, r ing ers, roller, rollers, 
 ro^er, rovers, safer, sailer, sailers, s end er, send ers, 
 
24 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 sifter, sifters, sifting, sifts, s ing er, s ing ers. slates, 
 sl ight er, slower, slyer, smaller, smothering, sm others , 
 sniffing, sniffs, sorer, so\^er, sobers, s up per, s up pers, 
 sweater, thinker, thinkers, Tipper, uppers, weaker, 
 wetter, ^ringer, W ring ers, ^riter, Writers. 
 
 3XX< 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 6. 
 
 LENGTH LIMIT FOR THIS AND ALL SUCCEEDING LISTS: 
 FOUR PHONOGRAMS. 
 
 New Phonograms : 6 and ck. 
 
 (Also a number of additional sight-words used in the Header before the intro- 
 duction of these phonograms.) 
 
 acorn, befor^, befriend, belief, belo^, corn er, 
 corn ering, corners , corning, dayl ight , fa;frit, fe^ist, flak^, 
 flamji, fle^t, flint, flo^t, flock, flo^r, flo^n, foljo^, fram^, 
 Friday, frock, horse-fly, }£nock, ^nocker, ^nockers, 
 ^nocking, ^nocks, }friot, knots, }£notjl!ing, le^st, lock, 
 locking, locks, los^, lost, lot, lots, minjio^s, mock, 
 mocker, mock ers, mocking, mocks, mor^o^, mos^, most, 
 oil of/end, Offer, offering, ofjfers, ofjtJ^n, of^ner, OtjUo, 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 25 
 
 Otjto's, rock, rocker, rockers, rocking, rocks. Koljo, 
 rot, rots, rotjt^n, rotting, sle^k, sle^t, slim^, sme^r, 
 smearing, smears, smil^, smok^, snak^, sne^k, snor^, 
 snoring, snores, sock, socks, soft, sofji^n, sor^o^C 7 , 
 s up jios^, uproar. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 7. 
 
 New Phonogram: p (as a terminal only). 
 
 ap^, he^p, helping, he^ps, lamp, lamps, le^p, le^per, 
 leaping, le^ps, lop, lopjiing, lops, mop, mopfiing, mops, 
 mop^, mop^s, moping, op^n, opener, openers, opening, 
 openings, op^ns, re^ip, reaper, reapers, reaping, re^ps, 
 rip^, rip^n, riper, romp, rop^, rop^s, roping, she^p, 
 sheep's, sle^p, slop, slop^, snip^, so^p, soaping, so^ps, 
 sop, sopping, sops, stoop, stooping, stoops, swe^p, 
 sweeper, sweepers, sweeping, sweeps, we^p, weeper, 
 weepers, weeping, we^ps. 
 
26 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 8. 
 
 p and t anywhere; also pi, pr, and tr. 
 
 (Also a number of additional sight-words from the Primer.) 
 
 Before the new compound phonograms, pi, pr, and tr, introduced in 
 this list, are memorized or used in words, their pronunciation should be 
 determined by the scholars themselves. 
 
 armpit, Butler, butjfer, butting, butjt^n, butjl^ns, 
 but]t!s, f arm , farmer, f arm ing, farms , hand le, hand les, 
 hand l ing , pail, p ails , pa/n, pa/ning, pa/ns, pa/nt, pal^, 
 paler, pan, pans, pan^l, pan^, pan^s paper, papers, 
 past^, pat, pats, patter, pattering, patjfers, patting, 
 pa/, pa/er, papers, pa/ing, pa/s, pe^, pe^s, pe^, pejfl, 
 peeler, peelers, peeling, pe^ls, pe^p, peeper, peepers, 
 peeping, pe^ps, pe^Spl^, pl^, pi^s, pil^, pil^s, piling, 
 pill, pills, pm, pm^ing, pins, pin^, pining, pin^s, pip^ ; 
 piper, pipers, plp^s, piping, pit, pits, pitting, pla^n, 
 plan, planning, plans, plan^, plant, plate, plates, platjfer, 
 platters, player, players, playing, pleat, pleat er, 
 pleat ers, pleating, pl eats , plot, pok^, poker, pokers, 
 pok^s, poking, pol^, pol^s, PolJ, Poljs, pop, popjier, 
 poppers, popping, pops, pork, post, pot, pother, pothers, 
 potjfmg, pots, po]lr poiiring, poylrs, pout, pouter, 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION F 
 
 pouters, pouting, pouts, pra^, ElWr4?Ji8^5, Pia/, 
 pra/er, pra/ers, pra/ing, prajfs, prop, pup, pups, sle^p, 
 span, spanning, spans, spat, spats, spatjfer, spatters, 
 spacing, spe^k, spe^r, spend, spending, sp ends , spi^s, 
 splk^, spill, spilling, spills, spilt, spin, spinier, spinners, 
 spinning, spins, splr^, spit, spits, spitting, spitjKl^, spit^, 
 spok^, spot, spout, spouting, spouts, spy, spying, sta^n, 
 stak^, stal^, stall, stalls, stamper, stampers, stamp, 
 stand, standing, st and s, sta/, staging, sta/s, st^ak, ste^l, 
 ste^m, ste^l, ste^r, stif^, stil^n, stiller, still, stiller, 
 stock ston^, stol^, stop, stor^, tail, t ails , taken, tal^, 
 tal^s, t all , taller, tam^, tamer, tamers, tam^s, taming, 
 t an , tanker, tanriers, tanking, tans, tap^, taper, tapers, 
 tap^s, tast^, tatjKer, tatjfers, tatjft^, te^, te^s, tefe$, 
 teasing, te^m, tenuis, te^r, te^rs, tend, tender, tending, 
 t ends , t^er, t^ers, tl^, tijfg, tight, tighten, tighter, till, 
 tim^, tim^s, tin, tinnier, tinkers, tinging, tins, tin0, 
 tln^s, tir^, tir^s, tiring, to^st, to^, toeing, to^s, told, 
 Tom, Tom's, ton^, ton^s, top, to|Jpl^, tops, tor^, torn, 
 tos^, tosher, tossing, tot, totjfer, totjfers, totjfil^, tra/n, 
 tmff ka/s, treat, trejJ, tre^s, trip^, trill, trilling, trills, 
 try, tri^s, trying, tus^W, twill, 'twill, twilling, t wills , 
 tying. 
 
28 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 9. 
 
 C and k anywhere; also cl and Cf. 
 
 (Also a number of additional sight-words from the Primer.) 
 
 Before the new compound phonograms, cl and cr, introduced in this 
 list, are memorized or used in words, their pronunciation should be determined 
 by the scholars themselves. 
 
 aeji^ acjl^s, acting, cak^, cak^s, call caller, callers, 
 calling, calls, cam^, camp, camp ing, camps, can, canning, 
 cans, cand id, c and les, can^, can^s, caning, cap^, caper, 
 capers, eap^s, eas^, cat, cats, cat's, cats', cat]t!l^, cla/m, 
 clam, clatter, clatters, da/, cle^n, cle^r, clim]zJ, cl ing , 
 cl ing ing, cl ings , clo^k, clock, clos^, clos^, cl over , co^l, 
 co^st, co^t, co^ts, coeo^, cof^e^, cofjfin, cok^, cold , cold er, 
 colds, colt, com]^, combing, com^s, comi/i^n, copper, 
 cor^, cor^s, coring, cost, cot, cots, cot^n, cram, 
 cramrfring. crams, cramp, cran^, Cran^, crate, cre^k, 
 cre^m, cre^k, cre^p, cro^k, crock, crop, cros^, cro^, 
 cro^er, cro^ers, crowing, cro^s, crust, Kate, Kate's, 
 ke^p, keeper, keepers, keeping, ke^ps, kill, killing, 
 kills, kit, kits, kit^n, krtjt^ns, kit^n's, krt^ns', oversaw, 
 overwork, p each , pr each , pr each er, pr each ing, r each , 
 r each ing, sawing, scal^, scamp, scant, scatter, scatters, 
 scold, scold er, scolders, scold ing, scolds, Scot)!!, see-saw, 
 skate, skiff, sldfjfs, skill, skm, skinning, skins, sky, 
 skl^s, t each , t each er, t each ing, whoever, who m, who's, 
 who s^. whosever, worker, workers, working, workman- 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 29 
 
 WRITING AND SPELLING. 
 
 The teaching of writing and spelling should begin almost simultaneously 
 with that of reading. Up to the time of the completion of the Primer, 
 there should be no attempt at oral spelling, and the calling of letters by their 
 names should be carefully avoided; for, until the scholars have become 
 strong in the use of the letters as phonograms, their names prove stumbling- 
 blocks in the reading. 
 
 The words used for writing and spelling should be presented, then, as 
 wholes; and when it becomes necessary to direct attention to a particular 
 letter, it should be designated as "this letter,'' "that letter," "the first 
 letter," "the last letter," "the second letter," etc. 
 
 The following plan for the teaching of written spelling (writing and spell- 
 ing), having produced most excellent results in connection with this method 
 of teaching reading, is heartily recommended. 
 
 The teacher selects for the first lesson some very short and easy sentence 
 that the children have already learned to read, — say, I see. 1 This she writes 
 upon the blackboard over and over again in the presence of the scholars 
 before she suffers them to copy it, calling attention each time to the place 
 at which she begins, the direction in which she makes her strokes, etc. ; so 
 that, before the scholars try, they know quite definitely what they are to do. 
 
 She next requires them to copy and recopy the sentence until she finds 
 by trial that they can reproduce it without copy. 
 
 She now sets them a new copy, containing the two words already used and 
 one other that they have already learned to read, — say, can, — making the 
 sentence, I can see. This they copy and recopy like the first sentence, until 
 it is found by trial that they can reproduce it unaided by a copy. Proceeding 
 in the same way, she gives them for their next copy, I see a man ; for their 
 next, See me, man; for their next, See me eat; and so on, until they have 
 acquired a writing vocabulary of from eight to twelve words. 
 
 i Other selections will do as well as those used here. 
 
30 RATIONAL, METHOD IN READING. 
 
 Before teaching any more words, she makes as many new declarative 
 and imperative sentences as possible with the words already acquired, no 
 sentence containing more than four words, and has the scholars write them 
 from dictation. 
 
 She then resumes the word-teaching process, using for her copies inter- 
 rogative as well as declarative and imperative sentences, and teaching, of 
 course, the use of the interrogation mark. Now, however, instead of pre- 
 senting one new word at a time, she presents two, but without increasing 
 sentence-lengths. For example, if, at this stage of the work, four words are 
 deemed a proper length for the sentence, the make-up should be two old 
 words with two new ones, not three old words and one new one : experience 
 having proved that the length of the sentence remaining the same, two new 
 words are acquired almost, if not quite, as quickly as one. 
 
 When a few additional new words (perhaps half-a-dozen) have been thus 
 acquired, word-teaching again ceases for a short time, and is replaced by 
 exercises in writing, from dictation, new sentences, both declarative and 
 interrogative, made up of the words thus far learned. 
 
 The sentences used during the first half-year, whether for copy or dicta- 
 tion, should never exceed six words in length, and should attain this dimen- 
 sion only toward the end of that period. 
 
 Dictated sentences should be read to the scholars clearly and deliberately, 
 no one being permitted to begin writing or even to look down at the slate 
 or paper until the teacher has ceased to speak, and should never be repeated 
 for inattentive or forgetful scholars. The only possible justification for 
 repetition is an interruption (such as loud noise or the entrance of a 
 stranger) that prevents attentive as well as inattentive scholars from catch- 
 ing the matter dictated. 
 
 In selecting material for the written work, good judgment will need to 
 be exercised. At first, whatever the nature of the words employed, they 
 should be composed of short letters only and should begin as far as possible 
 with letters that are alike in both the capital and small letter form. After 
 the first few weeks, however, no attempt should be made to grade the 
 written spelling work from the standpoint of penmanship. The faults in 
 the latter should be corrected by means of separate exercises or drills. 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 31 
 
 The words chosen for spelling should all be taken from matter previously- 
 read. That is, they should be words that the children already know by 
 sight. The main consideration in the choice of a word should be its useful- 
 ness, the most useful words being those from which the largest number of 
 sentences can be formed. These are not confined to any one or two parts 
 of speech, but have numerous representatives in every one. Among the 
 words selected a few of the homonyms should find places. No one of these 
 should ever be presented to the children except in such connection with 
 other words as will absolutely ensure the proper association of meaning with 
 form (spelling). On no account should both members of a pair of homo- 
 nyms be taught together. The scholars should be confirmed in the correct 
 use of one by weeks of practice before the other is presented. Above all to 
 be avoided, is the pernicious practice of using both members of a pair in 
 one and the same sentence : a practice that even with older scholars leads 
 to the most deplorable confusion. 
 
 The sentence method above described for written spelling is the only good 
 method for beginners. At first it is slow, and, unless the teacher is prepared 
 to be patient, discouraging. The teaching of the first little sentence will 
 consume much of her time and energy. The progress of the children, how- 
 ever, after they have gathered a little impetus, will compensate her many 
 times for her first trials. Many teachers in Brooklyn who formerly taught 
 written spelling by the use of single words, with but indifferent success, now 
 accomplish during the first half-year, upwards of a hundred and fifty words. 
 
32 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING-. 
 
 SECOND HALF-YEAR'S WORK. 
 
 COMBINED SIGHT AND PHONETIC READING FROM THE FIRST READER, 
 
 WITH AUXILIARY EXERCISES TO STRENGTHEN AND 
 
 PERFECT THE WORK. 
 
 Three lines of work are to be separately practiced every day : — 
 
 1. Reading from the First Reader. 
 
 2. Drill on the Phonograms. 
 
 3. Drill on the Blend. 
 
 1. The Book-reading. 
 
 The directions given for Book-reading in the "Third Stage" of the 
 * First Half-year's Work," apply to the second Half-year's Work through- 
 out. The following additions to them are valuable and should be carefully 
 observed. 
 
 In the special phonetic preparation (see p. 15) made for each lesson in the 
 First Reader, it will be sufficient to drill upon those phonetic words that con- 
 tain more than three phonograms each. These, however, should be read by 
 their phonograms, again and again, before the lesson itself is attacked. 
 
 The sight words introduced in the First Reader should, in the case of 
 every group presented, be taught in script on the blackboard, and read by 
 the scholars in many blackboard sentences, before the book lesson in which 
 they occur is taken up. 
 
 The oral reading of every book lesson that is at all difficult, should be 
 preceded by its silent reading, and this, to be made in the highest degree 
 effective, should be accompanied by questioning and comment by the teacher. 
 The questioning should not only deal directly with the text, but should also 
 call for inferences, etc., by the scholars. For example : — Teacher. Was 
 Jack a selfish or an unselfish boy ? Scholar. He was a selfish boy. Teacher. 
 How do you know ? Scholar. Why, the book says that he always let his 
 sister go for the milk. Here the teacher might appropriately make some 
 brief comment to increase the interest in the lesson and correspondingly 
 stimulate attention and effort. 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 33 
 
 Occasionally a lesson may strike the teacher as being very difficult for 
 the little ones to understand. In such a case she should read the lesson 
 aloud to the class in the most expressive manner possible, before the silent 
 reading is done. This course, beside providing the pupils with good models 
 of expression, will convey many a meaning to their minds that the mere 
 words of the lesson would fail to convey. 
 
 In the directions for oral reading previously given, much stress was laid 
 upon the necessity of never permitting a scholar to read a sentence until 
 he is ready to do so without a break. Without scrupulous attention to this 
 direction, you cannot hope to make your pupils thoughtful readers. The 
 child who reads his sentence aloud, one word at a time, will reach the end, 
 in many cases, without getting a vestige of the thought ; while the one that 
 reads to himself first, and then gives the sentence aloud without a break, 
 gets the thought at the end, if he does not before. To accomplish this result, 
 the best method is to have each scholar get his sentence ready, by reading 
 it first to himself, and then require him to let the hand that holds the book 
 drop to his side, and give the sentence aloud, without looking at the book. 
 After the children have been exercised in this manner a few times, the very 
 mistakes they make will attest the value of the method ; for these will con- 
 sist largely of substitutions for the words of the book of other words having 
 the same meaning. The conclusion that the matter read is understood, thus 
 becomes unavoidable. 
 
 The sentence lengths in the First Eeader have been arranged with special 
 reference to the employment of this method, the limit being only twelve 
 words, so as to bring it within the ability of the average child to carry any 
 sentence in the book. 
 
 2. The Drill on the Phonograms. 
 
 As already stated in a previous chapter, this must be continued daily 
 throughout the course, and cover all the phonograms thus far taught. The 
 necessity for keeping it up lies in the fact that while it is the foundation 
 of the greater part of the reading, a foundation that all the scholars must 
 have, there will be some in every class who, either from having been irregular 
 in attendance or from having previously attended a school in which the 
 Rational Method was not pursued, have not acquired a full knowledge of 
 the phonograms. 
 
34 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 When the whole number of phonograms thus far taught becomes too 
 great for use in any single drill exercise, half the cards may be employed 
 at one exercise and the other half at the next. 
 
 3. The Drill on the Blend. 
 
 The author has nothing to add here to the instructions given on page 15, 
 which the teacher responsible for the Second Half-year's Work should read 
 with great care. He would, however, say that the daily continuance of this 
 exercise is vital to success, inasmuch as the sentence-reading alone does not 
 afford half the phonetic practice required to produce the necessary expertness. 
 
 Note. —Directions for the teaching of Spelling during the second and third half-years, 
 will be found at the end of the book. 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 35 
 
 LISTS OF PHONETIC WORDS 
 
 FOR USE IN BLEND DRILLS IN CONNECTION WITH THE READING 
 DURING THE SECOND HALF-YEAR. 
 
 Thousands of phonetic words might be supplied for use during the second 
 half-year ; but the author has deemed it wise to restrict the number in each 
 list after No. 21, to fifty. Should this number in any case prove insufficient, 
 it may be largely increased by using in connection with the words given ; 
 any of the following suffixes for which the necessary phonograms have been 
 previously taught : ble, ed, el, en, er, ers, es, ful, gle, ing, ings, ish, le, less, ly, 
 ness. Suffixes, however, should in no case be employed when their use will 
 increase the length of the word beyond six phonograms. 
 
 In the lists following No. 21, the compound phonograms ck and sh having 
 become sufficiently familiar, are used without underscoring; and for the 
 same reason where a double consonant, as pp or ff, occurs in the middle of a 
 word, neither member is crossed out. A little care may be necessary in the 
 latter case to prevent the scholars from getting the notion that each of the 
 two members is to be sounded separately. 
 
36 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 10. 
 
 New Phonogram: a. 
 
 act, acting, acts, AlJ^n, Alan's, ar^o^, ai^o^s, aster, 
 asters, attack, attend, att ends , att end ing, cackl^, cap, 
 caps, easjH^, crack, fact, flap, lack, lacking, lacks, lap, 
 lapsing, laps, mar^o^, nap, napping, naps, naifo^, 
 pack, packing, packs, rack, racks, rap, rapping, raps, 
 sack, sacks, sap, slap, smack, snap, stack, tack, tacking, 
 tacks, taljo^, tap, tapping, taps, track, trap, ^rap, 
 ^rapjier, ^rap|ters, ^rapfSing, ^raps. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 11. 
 
 fie 
 
 New Phonograms: \ . i and ip. 
 
 (Also a number of additional sight-words used in the Reader before the intro- 
 duction of these phonograms.) 
 
 In presenting these phonograms, show that they begin alike, and that 
 the first is ic because it ends with (the sound) € or ck, and the other is ip 
 because it ends with (the sound) p. Before using them in words, drill the 
 scholars well in distinguishing between them. 
 
 at)l!ic, attics, click, clicking, clicks, colic, comic, 
 kick, kick er, kick ers, kicking, kicks, l ick , licking, licks. 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 37 
 
 mechanic, mice, nice, nick, nicking, nicks. Nick. Nick's, 
 nickel, pick, pick er. pick ers. picking, picks, pickl^. 
 pickles, pickl in g, picnic, price, prick, prick er. prick ers. 
 pricking, prickle, pricks, r ice , seller, sellers, selling, 
 shall ot, shall ower, s ick , sick er. sicken, sickly, slice, 
 snicker, snick ers, spice, stick, sticking, sticks, t ick , 
 tick er, tick ers, tick ing, ticks, tickle, tickler, t ick l ers , 
 tickl ing , tickles, trice, trick, trick ing. trickle, tricks, 
 whenever, wmdo^, wind ows, clip, clipper, clippers, 
 clipping, clips, crip^, lip, lips, nip, nipjier, nippers, 
 nipping, nips, pip, pips, pippin, pippins, rip, ripjiing, 
 rips, rip|tt0, rip^s, rippl ing , sip, sipping, skip, skipper, 
 skippers, skipping, skips, slip, slipper, slippers, slipping, 
 slips, snip, snipping, snips, Tip, Tip's, tip, tipper, tippers, 
 tipping, tips, tip-to^, trip, tripling, trips, triply 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 12. 
 
 New Phonograms: 1K1 and IS (not is). 
 
 Present by the method suggested at the head of List No. 11. 
 
 Teach the children to distinguish between the second phonogram (pro- 
 nounced iss) and the word is, by giving them to read a number of easy sen- 
 tences in which both occur. 
 
38 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 crimp, crimps, lim]^. limbs, limp, limping, limps, 
 mimic, mimicking, mimics, mistake, mistakes, 
 mis take n, pimply, prim er, primers, r im , rims. Sim. 
 Sim's, simpler, simply, skim, skimpfrer, skimmers, 
 skimming, skims, slice, slim, slimriier, spice, Tim, Tim's, 
 trice, trim, trimmer, trimrAers. trimming, trimmings, 
 trims. 
 
 Assist, crisp, fist, fists, frisk, insist, kis^, kisser, 
 kissers, kissing, lisp, lisping, lisps, list, lists, lis$n, 
 ligJfySn er, lis^n ers, lis$n ing, lis^ns, Mis^, mis^, missing, 
 mist, Mister, pistil, risk, risking, risks, sister, sisters, 
 sister's, sisters', yrist, prists. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 13. 
 
 New Phonogram : W. 
 
 (Also one additional sight-word used in the Reader before the introduction of 
 
 this phonogram.) 
 
 The real sound of this phonogram cannot be given alone. It is that 
 peculiar slide or twist that occurs between long oo and any other vowel 
 sound when we attempt to pass from one to the other without stopping. 
 Thus : OOet, OOa/, etc., etc. We therefore teach the children to call 
 it 00 and, in words, to smother or shorten the vowel part, to the point of 
 suppression. 
 
 jiour, Jiours, fl our , flouring, fl ours , s our , souring, s ours , 
 scour, scour ing, scours, swam, swift, swim, swimriier. 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 39 
 
 swmn/iers, swimming, swims, swln^, swor^, twice, twin, 
 twins, twin^, wafer, wafers, wail, wailing, wails, wa/t, 
 wa/ter, wa/ters, waiting, wa^ts, wa^st, wak^, wak^n, 
 wak^s, waking, wall, walls, wast^, wick, wicks, wicker, 
 wif^, wife's, wilt, wilting, wilts, win, winder, winders, 
 why/ling, windings, wins, win^, wln^s, winter, winters, 
 wlp^, wiper, wipers, wlp^s, wiping, wlr^, wlr^s, wiring, 
 wls^, wiser, wisp, wisps, wok^, wor^, worn. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 14. 
 
 New Phonograms: e, est, leSS, and neSS. 
 
 After teaching e, write est, less, and ness on the blackboard, mark them 
 thus : est, leSp, neSp, and have them read. Finally have them com- 
 mitted as wholes without marks. 
 
 armless, arrest, cap less, coldest, coldness, crest, 
 cresting, crests, earless, e^t, eejlo, ec|io^s, echoing, 
 Eljen, El Jen's, els^, endless, enter, Esther, fatness, 
 fatfest, fearless, felj, feljo^, felt, fester, festering, 
 f esters , finest, flattest, forest, freest, friendless, fret, 
 fusses, honest, illness, kenyi^l, kept, ketjlil^, kindest, 
 kindness, kisses, |£nelt, lameness, lamest, lateness. 
 
40 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 latest, lateness, leafless, leanest, leanness, le^nt, left, 
 lem^n, lent, Lent, less, lesser, lessen, l est , Lester, let, 
 letjfer, letting, lets, l ight est, l ight ness, lifeless, likeness, 
 lock less, lowest, lo^ness, meanest, meanness, me^nt, 
 mejlo^, mel^n, melt, men, men's, mes^, met, met^l, 
 misses, m other less, musses, nearest, nearness, neatest, 
 neatness, neck, necks, NelJ, NeljPs, nest, nesting, nesjt!l^, 
 nests, net, netting, nets, newest, newness, oldest, 
 pa/nless, palest, paleness, pan^less, p each es, peck, 
 pecking, pecks, pelt, pen, pens, peeper, peftpers, pest, 
 pester, pestering, pests, pet, pets, pett ing , pres^, Preston, 
 ra/nless, reach es, rest , resting, rests, rimless, ripest, 
 ripeness, safest, sapless, sj^ent, seamless, seat less, self, 
 selj, seller, sellers, selling, seljs, sens^, sent, set, setter, 
 setters, sett ing . setjKl^, sets, sickest, sickness, sl ight est, 
 slight ness, slimiest, slim ness, slowest, slowness, 
 slyest, slyness, small est, small ness. smelj, sorest, 
 soreness, sourest, sourness, speljf, stem, step, stifjfest, 
 stifjfness, stillest, stillness, swe^t, tallest, tamest, 
 tam^ness, teach es, tearless, teller, tellers, ten, tens, 
 tent, t est , testing, tests, t ight est, t ight ness, tireless, 
 treeless, trimmest, trim ness. weakest, weakness, went, 
 wept. West. Weston. wetjfest, wick less, wingless, wisest, 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERa 41 
 
 witness, ^ren, ^rens, ^ren's, ^reck, ^recking, greeks, 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 15. 
 
 New Phonogram: d (as a terminal only). 
 
 Teach effect, not separate sonnd. Put fill and filled on the black- 
 board, and call attention to the difference in appearance and the correspond- 
 ing difference in sound. Then write Call and called, and let the scholars 
 try to name the latter. Eepeat the process with other known words. 
 
 ail^d, ajfm^d, arm^d, butjfer^d, but^n^d, called, can^d 
 clad, eom^fSd, cor^d, corned, corn ered, crl^d, cro^d 
 e^s^d, ecjio^d, ^y^d, failed, fan^d, f arm ed, fe^d 
 fel^d, festered, ftljfd, filled, floured, flo^d, fo^m^d 
 fre^d, fri^d, frilled, hand led, he^d, ]£ne^d, kiU^d, la?d 
 lam^d, le^n^d, ll^d, lighted, Hsj^n^d, lo^n^d, lo^d 
 mad^, mailed, mlr^d, mo^n^d, mo^d, nailed, nam^d 
 one-arm^d, op^n^d, o^d, o^n^d, pa/d, pa^n^d, pe^d 
 pen^d, pestered, pll^d, pln^d, pm^d, played, po]ir^d 
 pra/^d, ra/n^d, ra/s^d, re^d, re^d, ro^m^d, ro^d 
 rod0, rol^d, ro^d, rusjUl^d, sailed, saw^d, scoured 
 se^d, se^m^d, seemed, sl$$d, si^n^d, simi^ei^d 
 sm^d, skimi^d, skm^d, sno^d, so^r^d, sol^d, sold 
 
42 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 soured, so^d, spilled, sta/d, s well ed, tam^d, tanri^d, 
 te^d, tickled, tl^d, tlr^d, titjter^d, to^d, t old , tolj^d, 
 trl^d, trilled, trimi^d, trod, wailed, walled, we^k^n^d, 
 we^n^d, winged, wlr^d. 
 
 fad^, find, insld^, kindest, lad, ladder, ladders, 
 le^d, le^d, leader, leaders, leading, le^ds, lo^d, 
 loading, lo^ds, mad, maddest, ma/d, ma/ds, maiden, 
 mild, mind, ne^d, pad, padding, pads, pad^, pla/d, 
 prld^, re^d, reader, readers, reading, re^ds, rld^, rider, 
 riders, rld^s, riding, rind, ro^ld, sad, saddest, sad^n, 
 sadder, sid^, spad^, spe^d, ste^d, s^ord, tld^, to^d, 
 tre^d, wad^, wader, waders, wad^s, wading, we^d, 
 welder, welders, weeding, we^ds, wedding, who'd, 
 wld^, wld^n, wider, widest, wild, wind. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 16. 
 
 New Phonogram : d. (Pronounced exactly like t.) 
 
 (Also a number of additional sight-words used in the Reader before the intro- 
 duction of this phonogram.) 
 
 ae^d, eak^d, €6ck^d, flf^d, fus^d, hadn't, he^p^d, 
 iced, kicked, kis^d, }£nock^d, lacked, lapj^d, le^k^d, 
 
v 
 MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TF^C^ERSf.-^&lTy ' 
 
 le^d, licked, lik^d, limped, locked, I5pj5^3|" 
 mimicked, mis^d, mocked, mop^d, mop^d, mus^d, 
 nip^d, overlooked, overworked, pack^, peck^, picked, 
 pok^d, pop^d, pr each ed, priced, rak^d, r&pj^d, r each ed, 
 re^p^d, rinsed, rip^d, rocked, sip^d, sliced, snif^d, 
 so^k^d, spiced, sup^d, tack^, tap^d, ticked, tip^d, 
 tos^d, 't would , wak^d, wip^d, worked, would n't. ^rap|Sed, 
 ^recked. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 17. 
 
 New Phonogram : ed. (Pronounced ed.) 
 
 (Also a number of additional sight-words used in the Reader before the intro- 
 duction of this phonogram.) 
 
 arrested, att end ed. butjfed, crested, Ed, ended, faded, 
 fed, fitjfed, fled, fold ed, Fred, handed, heated, home- 
 made, home-sick, |£notj(!ed, landed, led, lifted, l ight ed, 
 loaded, mated, matjfed, med^l, meddle, m end ed, mold ed. 
 Ned, needed, netted, padded, patted, ped^l, ped^il^, 
 petjfed, pitted, potted, pouted, red, red(ie n > redder, 
 reddest, rested, rotted, rusted, s and ed, scold ed, seated, 
 sided, sifted, sled, sped, t end ed, tilted, tested, tinted, 
 waded, waited, weeded, wedding, were n't, wicked, 
 wickedest, wilted, 
 
44 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 18. 
 
 New Phonogram: g. 
 
 ge^s0, ge^d, ge^less, ge^sing, Qegil, ge/1, gejft^d, 
 ge/ling, ge^lings, gejfls, gelj, geljs, gent, glder, Cyrus, 
 fag^, fag^d, faging, feng^, forg^, Iges, Iging, Igicl^, 
 lag^, lag^d, laging, mag^, ming^, ming^d, mmging, 
 nlger, nig est, nlg^ness, n^eg^, pag^, pag^d, pager, 
 pagers, paging, pe^, peng^, p/eg^, p^eg^d, paging, 
 pingers, prmg^, rag^, rag^d, rager, ragers, raging, smg^, 
 spag^, trag^, wmg0, winged, winging. 
 • 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 19. 
 
 New Phonograms : ii and un. 
 
 duck, criim^, cud, cuds, eiid$l^, euf^, eiif^d, eufjfing, 
 eiif^s, cut, eiitjter, ciitjters, cutting, cuttings, eut](!l^, fun , 
 funiM. ftir^o^, Knuckty luck, lump, mud, mtifjp, muf^l^, 
 muf^s, miifjfin, mutter, mut^n, num]zJ, numbing, 
 numbness, num^s, nut, nuts, nutting, pluck, plum, 
 pucker, puckers, pud^ll^, puf^, puf^d, pufjfing, pufjfs, 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 45 
 
 puls^, pump, rudder, ruffi^ run, runyter. runners, 
 running, runs, rum, scud, scuds, scudding, sciim, skulj, 
 smut, sniif;f, spun, stuck, stud, sttifjF, stun, stunyl^d. 
 stunriing, stuns, stunt, stick, sucked, sucking, sticks, 
 stid^n, suds, suffer, suffers, sum, sums, summer, 
 summers, s un , sun^d, sunning, sunless, suns, swtim, 
 tuck, tiick^d, tucker, Tucker, tucking, tucks, tunri^l, 
 tun^ls, unbe^n, unbut^n, un but^n^d, unending, 
 unfed, unfit, unkind, un kinder, unkind est, 
 un kindness, unlag^, unless, unload, un lock, unmad^, 
 un pack, unpaid, unpin, unpm^d, un pinning, unpins, 
 unrol^, unsaf^, un seen, unthinking, unti^, untied, 
 unties, until, untying, unwell. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 20. 
 New Phonograms: sh and ish. 
 
 ash, ashes, cash, clash, crash, crush, ^y^lash, finish, 
 finished, finishing, f ish , fished, fishes, fishing, Fish er, 
 Fisher's, flash, flesh, flush, fresh, Irish, lash, lashed, 
 lashing, mash, mashed, masher, mashers, mashing, 
 mush, pettish, plash, pliish, Pol ish, polish, punish, 
 
46 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 p unish ed, punishing, radish, rash, reddish, relish, rush, 
 riish^d, rushing, shad, shado^, shad^, shaded, shades, 
 shading, shad^less, shak^, shaken, shaker, shakers, 
 shakes, shaking, shalj, shall ot, sham, shamed, 
 shami/iing, shams, shap^, shaped, shapes, shaping, 
 shatter, shed, shedding, sheds, sheepish, shelf, shelj, 
 shelj^d, shelving, sheljs, shl^d, shield, shl^s, shift, 
 shifted, shifting, shifts, shin, shins, shln^, shiner, 
 shiners, shines, shining, ship, shipping, ships, sho^l, 
 shoals, shock, shocked, shocking, shocks, shod, shon^, 
 shop, shopj^d, shopper, shoppers, shopping, shops, 
 shor^, shores, shorn, shot, shots, sho^, sho\^d, shoeing, 
 sho^n, sho^s, shuck, shucks, shudder, shudders, shuffl^, 
 shun, shun^i^d, shunning, shuns, shut, shutting, shuts, 
 shutjter, shutters, shutjft^, shy, shyer, shyest, shying, 
 skittish, slush, Spanish, trash, wish, wished, wisher, 
 wishers, wishes, wishing. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 21. 
 
 New Phonogram: V. 
 
 Sound by placing the lower lip against the upper teeth and forcing the 
 voice strongly but not suddenly between. 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 47 
 
 — . 
 
 advig^, anvil, canvas, <>av^, <>avjM, <>av^s, saving, 
 clovjJ, crav^, e^s, Ev^, ev^n, evening, evenings, evil, 
 fever, fevers, flfft flvj% insid^, insist, invito Pv^, Ivjjg, 
 ^niv^s, 16^, le^s, leaving, leavings, lgvjfl, liv^, 
 liv^g, lo^s, ov^l, ov^ls, pav^, pav^d, pav^s, paving, 
 peevish, rav^l, rov^, rov^d, rov^s, roving, Rover, 
 Rover's, sav^, sav^d, saver, savers, sav^s, saving, 
 savings, sev^n, shav^, shaved, shaver, shavers, shaves, 
 shaving, shavings, sle^, stov^, uneven, vail, v ails , 
 va^n, van, vans, vanish, vas^, ve^l, vend, vending, 
 vender, vends, ves^l, vest, vm^, vin^s, vot^, voted, 
 voter, voters, vot^s, voting, wav^, wav^d, wav^s, 
 waving, wejlv^, weaver, weavers, wejiv^g, weaving, 
 we'v^, wiv^s, wov^, wov^n. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 22. 
 
 New Phonograms : l, y, ly. 
 
 To teach the sound represented by 1, write the word it on the blackboard 
 
 thus: i 1, and make sure that the scholars knows what it is. 
 
 Then require them to pronounce it as written, helping them by placing the 
 pointer on the i for them to begin, and sliding it slowly to the t, which they 
 are not to pronounce until the pointer reaches it. If necessary, show them 
 by doing the thing required, yourself. The long break between the two 
 sounds will cause the 1 to come out distinctly. 
 
48 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 Now require the scholars to try the sound without seeing the word it, 
 but instruct them that whenever they see the character 1, they must remem- 
 ber that it always stands for the first sound in that word. 
 
 The sound once mastered, there will be no trouble in teaching y as an 
 additional representative of it. 
 
 Teach ly by first presenting it marked thus: ly. Then put late and 
 lately (without marks) on the blackboard, and call attention to the difference 
 in appearance and the corresponding difference in sound. Write another 
 well-known word. Have it read. Add ly. Ask what it is now. Repeat 
 the process with other words. Insist always upon the ly being pronounced 
 very crisply and not drawled out into a prolonged le. 
 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 aetiv^, all^y, -carry, Qelery, gity, copy, down y, easily, 
 e^sy, ever y, family, friendly, frosty, funny. Ivy, kid, 
 kidnap, kindly, late ly. l ight ly, likely, lily, man ly. 
 merry, middl^, muddy, nearly, neatly, nicely, only, 
 pansy, penny, pony, puppy, piitty, rainy, river, s and y, 
 shiny, &i$v$, silly, skinny, sleepy, slimy, slowly, smoky, 
 softly, sorry, story, timid. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 23. 
 
 New Phonogram: ch. 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 approach, be^ch, be^ch, cajteh, cajfchup, chajfn, chap, 
 chapter. chasj£, che^p, cheat, checkers, che^k, che^s^, 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 49 
 
 cherry, chesjtniit, chick, chjef, child, chilly, chimney . 
 chin, Chines^, chip, chirrup, chop, chor^, chuckl^, <>o^ch ; 
 crunch, IjCch, kijfch^n, lajfch, majtich, mischief, nojCch, 
 ostrich, pajteh, pijtch, porch, punch, rich, Richi^, sandwich. 
 S^ojteh, scratch, stijfeh, switch, torch, t^uch. 
 
 *»ic 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 24. 
 
 d anywhere; also, dr. 
 
 Pronounce d, lid, placing the tip of the tongue against the roof of the 
 mouth before uttering the u, so as to compel the sound to come from the 
 throat. 
 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 Before the new compound phonogram dr, presented in this list, is memo- 
 rized or used in words, its pronunciation should be determined by the scholars 
 themselves. 
 
 can dy, Qlder, gmder, cradl^, cylinder, da/sy, de^d, de^r, 
 degid^, deck, de^p, de^r, del ight , dentist, deny, depojt!, 
 desk, dice. Dick, dl^, dim^, dimple, dip, dish, dismiss, 
 div^, divid^, domino, do^r, dos^, do]i^Ji, dre^m, dress, 
 drop, drov^, drum, dry, duck, dust, Idl^, kindly, lady, 
 lid, ne^dl^, ptiddl^, rudder, shoulder, solid, spider, 
 straddl^, study. 
 
50 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 25. 
 
 New Phonograms: b, bl, and bl\ 
 
 Pronounce b, "lib, making the u with the lips closed. 
 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 Before the new compound phonograms, bl and br, presented in this list, 
 are memorized or used in words, their pronunciation should be determined 
 by the scholars themselves. 
 
 abl^, baby, back, bad, ball, banner, bat, bed, bell, 
 belt, Ben, bench, b end , berry, best, bibl^, bigycl^, 
 bis€]iit, bit^, bitter, black, blad^, ble^d, blind, blister, 
 block, blo^, bo^t, bon^, bottl^, bo^l, brav^, br^ak, 
 brick, br ight , br ing , brok^, brush, biibbl^, buckl^, bud, 
 bunch, club, cobweb, d^iibl^, elbo^, nibbl^, nimble, 
 nobl^, number, pebbly, ra^nbo^, ribbon, rob, sob, 
 stabl^, tabl^, tr^lubl^, tumbl^. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 26. 
 
 New Phonograms : a e 1 U, — Obscure Vowels. 
 
 These are vowels which cannot be crossed out because their omission 
 would involve the loss of a syllable. Thus, re^l would read rel, ll^n 
 would read lin, etc. ; and yet they are so indistinctly pronounced that no 
 one can tell in any given case exactly what the sound is. On account of 
 their indistinctness they are represented by the faint or skeleton letters 
 shown above. 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 51 
 
 As good a way as any to teach the recognition of these letters is to 
 first tell the scholars that they sound more nearly like U than anything else, 
 but are far less distinct; and then allow them to determine the word pre- 
 sented in each case by giving u where the skeleton letter occurs, but 
 require them when the word is pronounced as a whole to soften the U to 
 the verge of extinction. Showing should, of course, accompany the telling. 
 With good teaching, one or two exercises should make the matter per- 
 fectly clear. 
 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 aboard, across, ado, afloat, afraid, al arm , al ight 
 alike, allv^, animal, ap/eg^, Arab, arls^, ashamed, 
 ashor^, asld^, asleep, awa/t, awak^, balang^, barrel, 
 cannon, caraway, carol, carrot, china, -CjArisjfaias, 
 gmnamon, coward, currant, errand, Inland, Ivory, lilac, 
 lion, melon, memory, necklag^, nowadays, palac^, 
 parrot, period, pilot, real, salad, s ever al stirrup, tenant, 
 water-melon. 
 
 >*•£ 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 27. 
 
 New Phonograms : th and til. 
 
 Pronounce the first of these with the breath only, but give the second 
 a strong vocal buzz. Tell the scholars that the cross line represents the buzz. 
 Practice each thoroughly before using in words. 
 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
52 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 bath^, be ne^th, black smith, both, both er, breath, 
 bre^th^, cloth, clothes, de^th, either, feather, fourth, 
 froth, he^th^n, lather, leather, moth, ne/ther, ninth, 
 panther, seventh, te^th, te^th^, tenth, thatch, theater, 
 thes^, thick, th/ef, thij^i, thimbl^, thin, thisjtl^, thorn, 
 thos^, thoji^ji, thrash, thread, thre^t^n, thre^, throat, 
 throng, thro^, thrush, thum]^, thump, thunder, thus 
 underneath, weather, ^re^th, ^re^ith^. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 28. 
 
 New Phonogram: n. 
 
 Sounded by forcing the voice through the nose, with the mouth open and 
 the fore part of the tongue kept down. 
 
 If you have difficulty in teaching your pupils this sound separately, 
 write an on the blackboard and have it pronounced. Then change the 
 form to an and tell the pupils that it is pronounced ang. Do the same 
 with en, in, on, and tin. Finally, mix all the forms an, an, en, 
 en, in, in, on, on, tin, and tin irregularly, and drill the scholars 
 in distinguishing them. 
 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 alon^, ankl^, ban^, bank, belong, Wink, btink, chink, 
 chunk, citing, crank, donkey, drank, drunk, Frank, gon^, 
 ink, length, link, lunj£, oblong, pink, plank, prank, piink, 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 53 
 
 ran^, san^, sank, sink, slink, son^, spank, sprang, 
 spunk, strength, strong, strung, stiin^, tank, thank, 
 tinker, tinkl^, ton^s, trunk, twinkl^, unel^, wink, 
 ^rinkl^, ^ron^. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 29. 
 
 New Phonograms: g, gl, and gr. 
 
 Pronounce g Ug, making the u in the throat with the mouth open. 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 agat^, agre^, angl^, angry, bangl^, begin, big, buggy, 
 dig, e^gl^, fig, finger, flag, flog, frog, gamji, garret, 
 gather, gas, gefafa gift, giggly gimlet, glad, gold, got, 
 gra/n, grandm other , grap^, gravy, graf, greedy, gre^n, 
 gro^, grumbl^, g]iess, gum, gun, gutter, log, mingl^, 
 mug, peg, pig, popgun, ragged, shaggy, shingly singly 
 stagger, tag, tangly, tiger, tingl^, together, tug, twig, 
 ugly, wagjto, ^riggl^. 
 
54 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 30. 
 
 New Phonograms: g and j. 
 
 Pronounce uj, placing the tip of the tongue against the roof of the 
 mouth before uttering the u so as to compel the sound to come from the 
 throat. 
 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 ag^, angel, arrang^, ba^g^, bri^g^, eabbag^, eag$, 
 eam^g^, chang^, eottag^, €0iirag^, danger, do(ig^, e(Jg^, 
 engm^, fring^, gem, geni^, gently, giant, ginger-bread, 
 giraff^, jail, Jan^, je^us, jelly, jest, jingl^, job, Jojin, 
 jok^, jos]T^, ju^, jtig, juggler, jump, just, magic, 
 oblig^, orang^, packag^, pag^, pig^n, porrifig^, postag^, 
 savag^, sle^ig^, stag^, stingy, Strang^, we(lg^. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 31. 
 
 New Phonograms: a and O. 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 almost, already, al ways, a]iger, a]itumyt, a^n ing, ba^l, 
 beea^s^, border, born, boji^it, bro^d, broji^t, ea^Jit, 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 55 
 
 cbajk, cla^, cord, cork, crawfish, cra^l, darter, da^dl^, 
 dra^, dwarf, fals^, fa]Aget, fa^llt, form, f6]i^lt, G^org^, 
 ^na^, ja^, naji^t, 6]A^t, pa^, ra^, reward, salt, sagger, 
 sa^lsag^, scald, sha^l, sh6rt, s6rt, st6rm, stra^-berry, 
 tajk, ta]i^jit, tha^, thojA^jlt, wajk, war, warm. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 32. 
 
 New Phonograms: h and wll. 
 
 Pronounce wh, IlOO, making the ll very strong. In words shorten 
 the 00 to the point of suppression. 
 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 awhil^, behav^, behind, buck wheat , hall, han^, happy, 
 hajtehet, hate, ha^k, ha^-loft, he^d, He^Lv^n, he^vy, hen, 
 hickory, hid^, hi^l, hill, hmg^, hlr^, hit, hold, hop, horn, 
 hot, hug, hum, hunter, hurry, hush, husjCl^, hut, hyena, 
 ke/hol^, whal^, wharf, wheat , whe^l, whe^l-barro^, 
 which, whll^, whimper, whin^, whip, whisk, whisper, 
 whistty whlt^, whittl^, ^hol^. 
 
56 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 33. 
 
 New Phonograms : OU and OW. 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 allow, around, blous^, b ouj £K, bounc^, brown, chowder, 
 cloud, clown, ^oudi, -eount, crowd, crown, crouch, drown, 
 drowsy, floung^, flounder, flower, fount^fri, fowl, ground, 
 growl, haimow, hot-hous^, hound, hous<i loud, mous^, 
 mouth, n ight- gown, oung^, plough poung^, pound, 
 powder, proud, prowl, round, shower, slouch, sound, 
 south, sunflower, thousand, towel, tower, trousers. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 34. 
 
 New Phonograms: q, U, and ew. 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 balloon, bo^t, brew, bro^m, Briiin, bru/s^, brunette 
 brut^, ^ano^, chew, cho^s^, eo0, cojztl, crew, cruel, drew, 
 fo^ld, foolish, goj^, grew, gruel, improv^, Jew, jewel, 
 movf!, moonl ight , po^dl^, pojfl, po^lr, prov^, prunes, ro^f, 
 ro^m, ro^t, ruby, rud^, rul^, Ruth, scjio^l, screw, sho^, 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 57 
 
 sho^t, slo^p, so^n, so]ip, spo^l, spo^n, sto^ip, strew, 
 threw, truant, tra^, truth, t^o. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 35. 
 
 New Phonograms: o, U, and ful. 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 a^ful, bashful, bo^k, bro^k, bullet, biijtlcher, eo^ky, 
 eo#l, crocked, €ucko#l, €ush^n, fals^horfd, fearful, 
 flr^wo^d, fishhook, fo^lt, hateful helpful, ho^d, ho^ik, 
 ho^p, mouthful, not^bo^k, pailful, pitiful, plateful, 
 playful, pudding, pull, pullet, pulley, pulpit, push, 
 puss, right ful, scrap bo^k, sho^k, sho^d, skillful, 
 spiteful, sto^d, thankful, th6]A#tful, to^ik, truthful, 
 willful, wolf, woman, woolen, worsted. 
 
58 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 THIRD HALF-YEAR'S WORK. 
 
 COMBINED SIGHT AND PHONETIC READING FROM THE SECOND READER 
 
 WITH AUXILIARY EXERCISES TO STRENGTHEN 
 
 AND PERFECT THE WORK. 
 
 Three lines of work are to be separately practiced every day : — 
 
 1. Reading from the Second Reader. 
 
 2. Drill on the Phonograms. 
 
 3. Drill on the Blend. 
 
 1. The Book-reading. 
 
 This will be done in accordance with the directions given for Book-reading 
 under the headings, "First Half-year's Work — Third Stage" (pp. 14 and 
 15), and " Second Half-year's Work " (p. 32). 
 
 It will be observed that, during the latter part of this half-year, the read- 
 ing, except for words already learned, becomes almost wholly phonetic, the 
 only new sight-words introduced being either words that cannot be phoneti- 
 cally marked, or words that contain six or more phonograms, and, as phonetic 
 words, are, therefore, too difficult for the average child at this stage of his 
 progress. 
 
 2. The Drill on the Phonograms. 
 
 This should be kept up not only during this half-year but through the 
 fourth, fifth, and sixth half-years ; and it should be the effort of the teacher, 
 in every case, to have all her scholars, whatever their previous preparation 
 (or lack of preparation) " well up in " the individual phonograms, before the 
 end of the first month of the term, that they may thereafter work together 
 without difficulty. 
 
 3. The Drill on the Blend. 
 
 This, also, should be kept up not only during this half-year, but through 
 the fourth, fifth, and sixth half-years. In general, the special phonetic prepa-> 
 ration already prescribed for each lesson, will cover the requirement under 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 59 
 
 this head; but whenever the number of phonetic words used in the said 
 preparation falls below thirty, the difference should be made up by the use 
 of additional phonetic words. 
 
 « »o>*;o* 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 36. 
 
 New Phonogram: a. 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 &}1, ark, ajlnt, barber, bargain, bark, barn, eajf, car, 
 card, cargo, carpet, cart, crowbar, dark, darn, far, father, 
 garter, hajf, hard, hark, harness, h^art, lard, hurra, 
 larg^, laundry, mamma, marbl^, march, market, papa, 
 park, parsley, parsnip, part, party, path, rhubarb, sear, 
 scarf, sear let, shark, sharp, smart, sparkl^, star, starch, 
 starl ight starv^, tardy, target, tart. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 37. 
 
 New Phonogram: a. 
 
 Like a, but less broad and pronounced more in the mouth. 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 advang^, after, alas, ask, banana, basket, bass, 
 Blanch^, blast, branch, brass, cask, caster, chaff, chang^, 
 clasp, class, dang^, draft, fasjt^n, flask, Frang^, gasp, 
 glang^, glass, grasp, hasp, lang^, lass, last, mask, mass, 
 mast, master, nasty, overcast, pant, pass, past, pasting, 
 plaster, raft, rasp, slant, staff, task, vast. 
 
60 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 38. 
 New Phonograms: ar, er, ear, Ir, Or, and tir. 1 
 
 Pronounce like ir in sir or girl. These six characters, representing 
 one and the same sound, may be taught almost as easily as one, if the atten- 
 tion of the scholars is called to the fact that every one begins with a wave- 
 marked (~) letter and ends with an r. 
 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 anchor, birth-day, burn, church, churn, Qircl^, glrcus, 
 concert, curly, deserv^, dirt, doctor, early, earn, earth, 
 first, furnag^, heard, hears^. hurt, j^urn^y, kernel, 
 lantern, learn. mSrtar, mustard, orchard, parlor, pattern, 
 pearl, perch, perfect, poplar, pur, purpl^, purs^, sail5r, 
 serv^, gellar, scholar, search, sir, skirt, stir, tail5r, third, 
 thirsty, thirteen, thirty, Thursday, toward, turkey, turn, 
 turnip, turtl^, word, w<Md, worm, worst, w5rth. 
 
 1 Most lexicographers maintain that the sound of u before r differs from that of i or e in 
 the same position. So far as the people of this country are concerned, the author respect- 
 fully dissents from that opinion. He has listened for years to the speech of cultivated 
 Americans, with the special object of deciding the point, and has found little or nothing 
 to support the claims of the lexicographers. Almost every one gives exactly the same 
 vowel sound in term, firm, and turn. In the use of any one of the combinations er, ir, 
 and ur, however, shades of difference occur. For instance, few persons give exactly the 
 same vowel sound in sir and girl. But these shades of difference it would be impossible 
 to represent by different marking. 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 61 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 39. 
 
 New Phonogram: 6. 
 
 Pronounced exactly like ii. 
 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 amon^, beloved, blo^d, color, comfort, compass, 
 cover, covet, discover, don^, dov^, flesh-color, flo^d, 
 flourish, front, glov^, gr and son, hon^y, hon^y-eom^, 
 lov^, lovely, Monday, mon^y, monkey, month, non0, 
 nothing, ov^n, pSrpo^, recover, shov^, shovel, 
 somerset, son, spong$, stepson, stomaeji, thoro^Jl, ton, 
 tonj^, turtl^dov^, uncover, undon^, won, wonder, 
 wonderful, worry. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 40. 
 
 New Phonograms: 01 and oy. 
 
 Pronounce ae, blending the two sounds closely. 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 ahoy, annoy, appoint, avoid, boil, boisterous, broil, 
 buoy, choi<^, coil, coin, destroy, doily, employ, enjoy, 
 gumboil, hoist, join, joint, jointed, joist, joy, joyful, 
 joyfully, loin, ldter, moist, nds^, noisily, noisy, oil, 
 
62 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 oily, overjoyed, oyster, parboil, point, pointer, poison, 
 poisonous, rejoi^, Roy, royal, sirloin, soil, spoil, tm-foil, 
 toilet, toil, toilsome, toy, uncoil, vdg^, voyag^. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 41. 
 
 New Phonograms: "Q, e"W, and ure. 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 abus^, acetis^, ainus^, argti^, avenu^, b^utiful, blew, 
 blu^> bugl0, eub^, cupola, cure, curious, de"w, dispute, 
 during, duty, endure. e"w^, failure, fe"w, figure, flut^, 
 funeral, glu^, hug^, January. July, Jun^, mew, mugilag^, 
 mtil^, museum, music, pasture. pe~wter, pe"w, picture, 
 plum^, procure, pupil, pure, refus^, salut^, statu^, ste"w, 
 stupid, sti^t, t6rture, ttib^, Tuesday, tulip, tun^, us^, 
 US0 f ul. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 42. 
 New Phonograms: &r, air, §ar, and &ir. 
 
 These four characters, representing one and the same sound, may be 
 taught almost as easily as one, if the attention of the scholars is called to 
 fact that every one begins with a caret (a) marked letter and ends with an r. 
 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR /TEACHERS. \ % 63 
 
 — — ; V 
 
 Sir, arm-cMir. b|i$, bSr^fo^t, b<|ar, be war^, bug-bear, 
 e^r^, e^r^f ul, eSr^f ul ly, eSr^less, ch&ir, d&i$, declSx^, f Ml, 
 fMiy, flk& fSr^well, flSr^, gl<k^, h&ir, h&ir-brush. 
 hardwSr^, hir^, Mi$-bell, horsehair, m|r$, ni ght m&r^. 
 out wear, pair, pir^, parent, p§ar, prepir^, r&r^, repair, 
 scSr<^, seirg^ly, se&i$, sh|i$, sn||i$, spSr^, sp&r^rib, 
 st&ir, st|k^, swear, tail-bearer, tear , their, thre?ldbi|r^, 
 unf&ir, wSar. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 43. 
 
 New Phonograms: X, ex, and ex. 
 
 x 
 
 Pronounced, respectively, ks, eks, and egZ. 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 apex, axl^, axl^-tre^, band-box, be^s-wax, betwixt, 
 box, calyx, co^x, exact, examin^, exampl^, except, 
 exchange exgit^, exctis^, exergis^, exert, exist, expect, 
 explain, explod^, expos^, express, fix, flax, fox, 
 hexagon, index, lynx, mix, mixture, next, onyx, ox, 
 ox^n, pickax, sextan, six, sixp^n<^, sixteen, sixth, sixty, 
 smallpox, snuff-box, tax, unfix, vex, vix^n, wax, 
 wax-work. 
 
64 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 44. 
 
 New Phonograms: q and qu. 
 
 Pronounced, respectively, k and koo. In using the latter in words, 
 shorten 00 to the point of suppression. 
 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 aif qu aftit, ai qu ir^. ac qu aint ed, acquit, bedquilt, 
 ban qu et, ^onq]ier, eoq]iett^, earthquake equal, inquiry 
 liquid, liquor, obllq^, opaq]i^, qu ack, quail, quart, 
 quarter, que^n, que^r, quench, quick, quickly, quiet, 
 quill, quilt, qum<^, quinin^, quir^, quit, qul t^. Stiver, 
 quoit, re quest , requir^, squa^, squeak, squeal, squint, 
 squirm, s qu irrel, squirt, unequal. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 45. 
 
 New Phonogram: Z. 
 
 Pronounce with a strong vocal buzz. 
 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 baptiz^, blaz^, brazen, bre^z^, bronz^, buzz, capsiz^, 
 crazy, dazzl^, dizzy, doz^, drizzly Eliza, fizz, fizzl^, 
 fre^, frizzly, froz^, frozen, fuzz, fuzzy, ga]iz^, gaz^, 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 65 
 
 glaz^S, graz^, grizzly, hazy, huzza, lizard, loz^ng^, ma/z^, 
 muzzl^, o^, piazza, priz^, piizzl^, razor, se^L-bre^, 
 se/z0, siz^, sne^, sno^z^, s^ue^, tweezers, whe^, 
 zebra, zero, zigzag, zine. 
 
 &Kc 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 46. 
 
 New Phonograms: y and 1. 
 
 The sound represented by these two phonograms cannot be given alone. 
 It is that peculiar slide or twist that occurs between long e and any other 
 vowel when we attempt to pass from the former to the latter without stop- 
 ping. We therefore teach the children to call it e, but in words to smother 
 or shorten the vowel part to the point of suppression. 
 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 anxious, beyond, bunion. -Gflristian, clothier, edrdial, 
 Daniel, glazier, hosier, Indian, lawyer, le^pye^r, minion, 
 onion, opinion, pavier, Bussian, SaviOr, senior, Spaniard, 
 spaniel, stallion, union, unyielding, unyok^, vermilion, 
 vineyard, Yanke^, yard, yarn, ya^n, ye, ye^r, yearly, 
 ye^st, yell, yello^, yet, yew, y^eld, yok^, yolk, yonder, 
 y^uii^, younger, youngest, y^iin^ster. 
 
66 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 47. 
 
 New Phonogram: a. 
 
 Pronounce exactly like o. 
 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 chaps, quality, quarrel, scallop, s qu ab, squab bl^ T 
 squall, s qu ander, s qu ash, squat, swab, swallo^, swamp, 
 swampy, swan, swap, wad, wadded, wadd ing , waddl^, 
 waffl^, wallet, wallop, walnut, walrus, wampum, wan, 
 wand, wander, warren, wash, washboard, washer, 
 washerwoman, wasp, wajfcch, wajteher, wajtehful, 
 watchman, whitewash, wigwam, ya#t. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 48. 
 
 New Phonogram: e. 
 
 Pronounce exactly like a. 
 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 bo^iq^e^, evnvef, croq]ie)t!, disobe/, fre^jit, gref, 
 greyhound, he/, ne^]i, ne^bor, ne^P>5rho0d, 
 ne/^bgrly, obef, outwej^i, pre^, re^n, re/n, re/nde^r, 
 skgfri, sle^Ji, veil, ve/n, we^Jl, we^Jit, we^ty, whe/. 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 67 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 49. 
 
 New Phonogram: i. 
 
 Pronounce exactly like e. 
 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 fat'ig^, magaz'in^, marm^, merino, poli'g^, trio, val'is^. 
 
 tf*K< 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 50. 
 
 New Phonograms: ph and gh. 
 
 Pronounce exactly like f. 
 
 See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 camphor, glpher, coyigh, dolphin, draught, enough, 
 hyphen, la]igh, laughter, nephew, orphan, pamphlet, 
 phaeton, phe^nt, Philip, phlegm, phlox, phonetic, 
 physic, roughly, spher^, sphinx, sulphur, tojigh, to]igh^n, 
 trough, typhoid, whoctp ing-co^gh. 
 
68 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 PHONETIC LIST NO. 51. 
 
 New Phonograms: (51, (5£, £1, Sfe, and tl. 
 
 Pronounce sh. See remark on the use of suffixes on page 35. 
 
 aetl^n, addition, affeefl^n, affliction, aiK5i^nt, attention, 
 a]ieti0n, ea^ti^n, *ea]itl^us, condition, delictus, 
 excursion, fero<5i0us, friction, grax510us, lii^(5ijzhis, martial, 
 mention, motion, musi(5i^n, nation, na]/ig£jkis, notion, 
 partial, 5(5S^n, omisgl^n, pasSl^n, pati^ng^, patient, 
 pension, permission, physilidn, portion, position, 
 pre6i^us, relation, spa(51^us, spe<51^1, station, suspM^n, 
 suspidi^us, vacation, vexation, vexatious, vi(5i^us. 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 69 
 
 SPELLING AND THE ALPHABET. 
 
 During the second and third half-years, spelling should be taught by two 
 methods, the sentence method already described (pp. 29-31), and a method 
 which, for want of a better name, may be called the series method. 
 
 The sentence method should deal with homonyms (see page 31) and all 
 other useful words that do not occur in phonetic series of three or more. 
 By its use, the scholars should learn to spell from a hundred to a hundred 
 and fifty words during the half-year. 
 
 The series method, which combines in a wonderfully effective way eye 
 perception with ear perception, should deal with all words (except homonyms) 
 that occur in phonetic series of three or more. A good teacher, after a little 
 experience, will easily teach by this method, during the second half-year, 
 at least two hundred words in addition to those she teaches by the other 
 method. 
 
 By a phonetic series of words is meant a series in which there is an ele- 
 ment, nearly always compound, common to all the words, but preceded in 
 each by a different consonant or combination of consonants. 
 
 Examples : — ill, bill, chill, drill, Jill, etc. ; — at, bat, cat, chat, fat, flat, 
 etc. ; — brine, dine, fine, line, mine, etc. ; — fun, gun, run, sun, shun, spun, etc. 
 
 The following is a description of the series method: — 
 
 The teacher first selects a complete series of words. From this series 
 she strikes out : — 1. All homonyms. 2. Every word containing any letter 
 which the scholars have not yet learned as a phonogram. 3. Every word 
 which the scholars would not understand in conversation. 
 
 She next teaches the names of all the letters found in the series when 
 thus revised. 
 
 The scholars being thus prepared for the work, the teacher writes upon 
 the blackboard the element common to the series, which may be either a 
 simple word like old or a meaningless combination like ine, and has the 
 scholars read it. In this presentation she uses diacritical marks if neces- 
 
70 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 sary ; but in case she does so, she erases the element as soon as it has been 
 read, and, immediately rewriting it unmarked, requires it to be read again. 
 The lesson then proceeds without marks in this fashion, the common element 
 being, let us say, ine : — 
 
 T. Now, children, what do you say this is ? 
 
 Cli. Ine. 
 
 T. Close your eyes. (Children obey.) Now those who remember how 
 ine looks, show hands. (Children obey.) Open your eyes and write ine 
 without looking at the blackboard. (As soon as the children have done this, 
 the teacher makes a rapid inspection of their slates or papers to make sure 
 that all have copied the element correctly, a right beginning being absolutely 
 essential to success. If she finds any that have not, she simply erases what 
 they have written, and tells them to look better and write again. No further 
 inspection is made until the end of the lesson.) 
 
 T. (Returning to blackboard) What is this on the blackboard ? 
 
 Cli. Ine. 
 
 T. (Prefixing an /) Now what have I made of it ? 
 
 Cli. Fine. 
 
 T. Close your eyes. (Children obey.) Those who remember how fine 
 looks, show hands. (Children obey.) Open your eyes and write fine without 
 looking at the blackboard. (While the children are writing the teacher 
 erases the /.) 
 
 T. What have I here now? 
 
 Ch. Ine. 
 
 T. (Prefixing an Z) And what now ? 
 
 Ch. Line. 
 
 T. Close your eyes. (Children obey.) Who remembers how line looks ? 
 (Children raise hands.) Open your eyes and write line without looking at 
 the blackboard. (While this is being done the teacher erases the I) 
 
 T. What do you now see on the blackboard? 
 
 Ch. Ine. 
 
 T. (Prefixing an m) And what now? 
 
 Ch. Mine. 
 
 T. Close your eyes. (Children obey.) Who remembers how mine looks ? 
 (Children show hands.) Open your eyes and write it without looking up, — 
 etc., etc., etc. 
 
MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 71 
 
 Having had the entire series, or as much of it as she deems sufficient for 
 a lesson, written in this way, the teacher next, as a drill upon letter names, 
 lets some scholar who has written all the words correctly, spell them aloud 
 from the slate or paper, while the others, listening, make a cross at the end 
 of each one they have spelled correctly. She then has the words erased 
 (if on a slate) or turned down (if on paper), and proceeds to test her work by 
 dictating them in a different order and without any blackboard accompani- 
 ment. 1 This generally closes the lesson, though some teachers will doubt- 
 less prefer to go a step farther and close with a quick exercise in the oral 
 spelling 2 of the words. 
 
 Of course, words taught in this way, like words taught in any other way, 
 that the knowledge may be retained, must be frequently reviewed. It fol- 
 lows also, that in sentences prepared for dictation to the class, these words 
 must have representation as well as the words taught by the sentence 
 method. 
 
 It must be evident to the least thoughtful, that the series method of 
 teaching spelling will strongly reinforce the work done in reading ; for the 
 common element that runs through a series of words, having been carefully 
 and repeatedly studied during the spelling exercise, will thereafter be readily 
 recognized by most of the pupils as a compound phonogram, and will there- 
 fore serve as an additional " short cut " to word recognition. 
 
 In teaching spelling by the series method, the work should be carefully 
 graded as regards the lengths of the words. A series in which the common 
 
 1 The author has lately given many lessons like the foregoing to Brooklyn classes in 
 their second half-year. In few cases where the first half-year's phonetic work had been 
 well done did the number of words misspelled on the test above mentioned, exceed one 
 or two per cent. 
 
 2 Observe that this is not oral spelling in the ordinary sense, where the exercise is 
 a drill in ear recollection exclusively. In this oral spelling, there having been no memo- 
 rizing by oral repetition of letters, the effort is to get at the letters by remembering how 
 the word looked. The exercise is therefore mainly, if not wholly, one in visual recollec- 
 tion. 
 
72 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 
 
 element contains three letters should on no account be used while there 
 remains as yet unused a series of equally useful words in which the common 
 element contains but two letters. 
 
 Toward the end of the third half-year after the scholars have learned all 
 the letters by name, they should be taught to say them in their alphabetical 
 order. The reasons for this are too obvious to require statement. 
 
 \ '-J. ft a fty 
 
 yShil v XKSITY 
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