GIFT OF 
 
 8061 '12 W ' 
 'A 'X ' 
 
orrr 
 OCT a 
 
 STATE OF NEW JERSEY 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 
 
 TRENTON 
 
 The Teaching 
 of Spelling 
 
 June 1912 
 
STATE OF .N.EW JERSEY 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 
 
 TRENTON 
 
 The Teaching of 
 Spelling 
 
 June 1912 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Pages. 
 
 Foreword 3-4 
 
 Two Types of Spelling Lessons 5 
 
 Word Study 6 
 
 Pronunciation 6 
 
 Syllabication 6 
 
 Phonograms 7 
 
 Accent : T 
 
 Diacritical Marks T 
 
 Meaning of Words 8 
 
 Synonyms 8 
 
 Dictation 8 
 
 U -e in Sentences 8 
 
 The Teaching of Spelling Q 
 
 Interest 10 
 
 Selection of Material 11 
 
 Spelling Books 12 
 
 Methods of Study with Pupils 12 
 
 Assignment or Study with the Teacher 12 
 
 Two Lesson Plans 13 
 
 Independent Study by Pupils 15 
 
 Home Study 15 
 
 Testing 15 
 
 Carelessness J 6 
 
 Length of Lesson 16 
 
 Reviews 16 
 
 D'Fering Authorities, Use of Dictionary 17 
 
 Rules for Spelling 17 
 
 Spelling in Grammar Grades 19 
 
 Spelling in the Eighth Grade 23 
 
 Spelling in Primary Grades 26 
 
 Spelling in Ungraded Schools 30 
 
Foreword 
 
 The statutes of the state require, and the public demands, 
 that spelling be taught in the public schools. 
 
 Intelligent persons realize that the faultless spelling of Eng- 
 lish words is an art difficult to attain, much more so for some per- 
 sons than for others. Nevertheless, failure to spell correctly is 
 'ommonly regarded as a sign of illiteracy. 
 
 The purpose of this monograph is to offer constructive sugges- 
 tions to teachers concerning the teaching of a subject in which 
 there is so much popular interest. It is believed that good 
 teaching not merely hearing lessons will bring about good re- 
 sults in this, as well as in the other activities of the school. 
 
 Good teaching is dependent upon the size of classes, upon the 
 number of words taught, upon the judicious selection of words, 
 upon the manner of presentation to the class, or the plan of 
 study with the teacher, upon the pupils' independent methods of 
 study, and upon the method of testing or conducting a recita- 
 tion; but above all, it is dependent upon the interest which is 
 aroused. 
 
 Good teaching also involves the ability of the pupils to recog- 
 nize symbols. Many pupils are poor spellers because they do 
 not clearly see the forms of the words. Defective eye-sight, may 
 be the cause of this. 
 
 Spelling is sometimes taught in a perfunctory, mechanical 
 way, with little variety or life in the instruction. Often the 
 lesson is aimless and tediously monotonous. Such teaching is 
 partly responsible for poor spelling. To arouse interest in spell- 
 ing, to create a desire to excel, to relieve it of monotony, to 
 make the instruction a real teaching process, and to bring variety 
 into the exercises, should be the aim of the teacher. 
 
 This pamphlet is not a course of study, neither is it a plan 
 for a teacher to follow closely in her daily work. It is a 
 statement of general method in the field of spelling for the 
 elementary grades. 
 
 292944 
 
Spelling is treated as one of the factors in word study. The 
 way or method of teaching spelling is considered of greater 
 importance than the number of words spelled, for good meth- 
 ods of teaching will assist the learner in the formation of good 
 habits of thinking, with the result that what is learned will be 
 the more intelligently and permanently possessed. 
 
 In the preparation of this monograph, grateful acknowledg- 
 ment is made to Drs. Suzzallo and Pearson, of Teachers College, 
 Columbia University, for permission to use the extracts from 
 the Teachers College Record; to David B. Corson, Assistant Su- 
 perintendent of Schools, Newark; to Miss Rachel Van Syckel, 
 <j}so of the Newark Schools, and to Miss Myra Billings, Super- 
 visor of Kindergarten and Primary Schools, Atlantic City, for the 
 articles which appear over their respective signatures. Valuable 
 suggestions have also been made by members of the faculties 
 of the two Normal Schools, and by various city and county su- 
 perintendents. 
 
 CALVIN N. KENDALL, 
 
 Commissioner of Education. 
 
The Teaching of Spelling. 
 
 The following concerning two types of spelling lessons is 
 from Dr. Henry Suzzallo's report in the Teachers College Rec- 
 ord for November, 191 1 : 
 
 Testing Type of "A quarter of a century ago the spelling 
 
 Spelling Lessons. period was given over to the mere hearing of 
 spelling lessons. The teacher heard the children spell the words 
 that had been assigned for mastery, and made the corrections 
 as the errors occurred. More often the children wrote the 
 words in lists as the teacher pronounced them. An oral spelling 
 by the teachers afforded the basis for marking misspelled words. 
 A new list of words was then assigned for the next day's lesson 
 without much anticipation or preparation for special difficulties. 
 Correction on the part of the erring child consisted in writing 
 the misspelled words a specified number of times under scant 
 supervision after school or during a study period. The so-called 
 class lesson in spelling was really a daily examination in spell- 
 ing. Under such a system the learning of spelling was a matter 
 for home assignment and individual study. The class exercise 
 was purely for the purpose of testing the child's knowledge." 
 
 Instruction Type of "Today, the use of the class exercises in 
 Spelling Lessons. spelling is vastly different in most places. 
 The teacher spends his time carefully presenting a few words, 
 rather than in examining on the child's ability in many. New 
 work is a matter of class study, where words are presented with 
 unusual artfulness in order to suggest their meaning naturally 
 through circumstances or context. Every effort is made to safe-: 
 guard the child against a wrong first impression and an incor- 
 rect learning of the word. If a home lesson is assigned it is 
 not a mere mapping out of the number of words to be learned; 
 the assignment is an exercise in which the teacher uses all his 
 foresight in anticipating the various kinds of troubles the child 
 will meet, focusing the attention on special difficulties and sug- 
 
gesting modes of self-instruction. The modern spelling exer- 
 cise may test the child's knowledge, but its primary function is 
 to instruct rather than to examine." 
 
 Of these two types of spelling lessons so clearly described by 
 Dr. Suzzallo, the second only, has a place in the school of today, 
 whether it be the "ungraded school" of the rural district or the 
 highly differentiated school of the city. 
 
 Spelling is one of the four elements of 
 word study. A word is not known until its 
 pronunciation, meaning, use and spelling are known. 
 
 Teaching is necessary in each of these fields. Children do not 
 know instinctively how to study in any field. They need the 
 teacher not only to assign them definite lessons, and to test 
 the results of their study, but much more to teach them how 
 to study and to supplement their limited knowledge by her own 
 fuller knowledge. 
 
 Correct pronunciation is the first step in 
 Pronunciation. ., .. A , , . T 
 
 the process that leads to correct spelling. In- 
 asmuch, however, as the pronunciation is only suggestive of cor- 
 rect spelling, and often is not even suggestive (as in the words 
 "thorough," "freight," etc.,) the word should be seen, as well 
 as heard and pronounced. It is unquestionably the best plan 
 for the teacher to write the words on the board singly and in 
 the presence of the class, even if they are already in the spelling 
 book. 
 
 While making proper use of the pupils' knowledge of phonics, 
 and while developing their proper courage and initiative in at- 
 tacking words, teachers should not hesitate to assist by giving 
 the correct pronunciation when pupils cannot easily discover it. 
 Children have learned language from the beginning, largely by 
 imitation, and teachers should make use in the spelling lesson of 
 this most important means of instruction. In the case of words 
 pronounced differently by different authorities, any pronuncia- 
 tion which has the sanction of one of these authorities should 
 be accepted by the teacher. 
 
 Emphasize in oral spelling the form of a 
 Syllabication. , . ,, . ,. , , Tj , . ^ . 
 
 word by syllabication, (a) It helps in fixing 
 
 the word in the mind; (b) it is a great aid in "making out" new 
 words in reading; (c) it assists in properly dividing the word 
 
at the end of a line; (d) it promotes clear enunciation; (e) it 
 may assist in revealing the meaning of a word. 
 
 Words should not be divided into syllables in written spelling, 
 except as a special exercise. It is doubtless best to indicate the 
 syllables of words in some way that does not destroy the word 
 fcrm, i. e., as|so|ci ajtion or association. An extreme separa- 
 tion of a word into syllables while it is being studied often 
 gives an appearance to the word quite different from what it 
 has in connected composition. This may lend an added diffi- 
 culty in using and recognizing the word. 
 
 Children will gradually learn that there are significant prefix 
 and suffix syllables and a few root syllables that may be recog- 
 nized, but apart from the fact that a syllable must contain a 
 vowel, there is no need of insisting on absolute uniformity in 
 syllabication dictionaries themselves are not uniform. 
 
 The phonogram is a different sound *:nit 
 from the syllable In the words, face, pace, 
 lace, etc., "ace" is a phonogram. When two words are brought 
 together as one, i. e., playfully, membership, etc., each word may 
 be thought of as a sound unit or phonogram. There is a large 
 class of words whose pronunciation and spelling are more easily 
 and more permanently learned by the phonogram division than 
 by the syllabic or individual letter division. 
 
 An essential part of correct pronunciation 
 is accent. Special drills, class and individual, 
 should be given where needed in all grades, to the end that each 
 pupil may be able to put stress on whatever syllable is to be ac- 
 cented. Some long words have two accents, one of which is 
 heavier than the other. 
 
 It is not advisable to spend a large part of 
 Diacritical Marks. . . . , , , . - ~V , 
 
 a spelling lesson with the marking of the let- 
 ters of the words studied, but it is desirable to have pupils in all 
 grades familiar with the half-dozen diacritical marks that in- 
 dicate the most common vowel and consonant sounds, i. e., the 
 long and short sounds of the vowels, the hard and soft sounds 
 of c and g. 
 
8 
 
 The Meaning of ^ word may have several meanings. Its 
 
 Words. use determines the meaning. Pronunciation, 
 
 use and meaning are three closely related elements of word 
 study, and it is hardly possible to separate them in the teaching 
 process. 
 
 The meaning may be developed by the use 
 
 Synonyms. - r^, 
 
 of synonyms. This is a very common and 
 
 economical method, but should always be supplemented by the 
 use of illustrative sentences or by the study of a text selection 
 in which the word is used. Such a study should precede the 
 study of the word for its spelling. 
 
 The dictation of a selection in which spell- 
 Dictation. 
 
 mg words are used is properly a test 
 
 of the pupils' command of the word and naturally follows the 
 study of the words for their spelling, unless the exercise is used 
 to disclose to the pupils the words that they cannot spell. In 
 this case the exercise should of course precede the study. The 
 selection should not be too long, af*d its meaning should be un- 
 derstood before it is dictated. 
 
 Children should not be asked to learn the 
 
 Use in Sentences. ,,. ,. , ,. . - , , . 
 
 spelling of words the meaning of which is 
 
 not clear to them. This can only be tested by asking the child- 
 ren to use the word in sentences that will clearly exhibit its 
 meaning. These sentences should be short and interesting, and 
 the thought expressed worth while. Geography, history, litera- 
 ture, current events, useful information, will furnish material. 
 For instance: Columbus made a triumphal entrance into Bar- 
 celona. A hint to the wise is sufficient. Snowbirds lack suffi- 
 cient food for winter. Russian peasants earn barely enough for 
 their subsistence. The glacial ice that once covered North 
 America is not now in existence. The interiors of English cathe- 
 drals are beautiful. 
 
 Time may be wasted, however, in asking children to put com- 
 mon words in sentences when the meaning of such words is well 
 known. The words, plate, apple and doctor are sufficiently well 
 known to children without taking valuable time to compose sen- 
 tences containing them. 
 
Teaching of The psychology and the pedagogy of spell- 
 
 Spelling, ing have been given considerable attention 
 
 during recent years. The results of these studies, although they 
 may be largely suggestive, should be known to the teacher and 
 she should be guided by them. 
 
 It has been found that all people do not learn equally well in 
 the same way. In the field of spelling, in which the mind fixes 
 for itself the word form, i. e., the proper letter sequences, child- 
 ren are 
 
 1. Sense organ learners (a) eye learners 
 
 (b) ear learners 
 
 2. Muscle learners (c) vocal organ learners 
 
 (d) hand learners. 
 
 It is doubtless true that each normal person belongs to all four 
 classes, but it also appears to be true that each one belongs more 
 decidedly to one class than to another. 
 
 Tests seem to show that a combination of seeing words and 
 of hearing words, of spelling them aloud and of writing them, 
 produces the best results in spelling. 
 
 Before spelling, a succession of letters in a list of meaningless 
 words as "gemalask," "hetlimgil," etc., was read to a class 
 (auditory), then the list was written plainly on cardboard and 
 shown to the class (visual), and finally the children both saw 
 and pronounced the words (combination of auditory, motor and 
 visual). In the last named exercise the pupils gained the high- 
 est per cent in correct spelling. The three percentages were 
 forty-five, sixty-six and seventy-four, respectively. It appears 
 that the more sense organs brought into use the more lasting 
 will be the impression. 
 
 In another school some twenty nonsense words were shown 
 to children and the request made that the lips be kept closed or 
 fixed while looking at the combinations. Most of the children, 
 however, soon lapsed into the use of their lips. At another 
 time, while keeping the lips closed, it was noticed that the fin- 
 gers and hands were unconsciously moved as if to tell off the 
 letters silently. So strong does this tendency appear to be that 
 the motor accompaniment seems of use in learning to spell. The 
 motor apparatus used in speech should be used to a large extent 
 in teaching spelling. 
 
10 
 
 Dr. J. W. Baird of Clark University states in his study of The 
 Psychology of Spelling "It has been found that the more sense- 
 departments the teacher appeals to in his presentations, and the 
 more sorts of imagery the pupil employs in his learning, the 
 more effective is the memorization. In a series of experiments 
 with upwards of seven hundred children, between the ages of 
 six and twelve years, various modes of presenting words re- 
 sulted in the following relative numbers of erroneous reproduc- 
 tions (misspelled words) : 
 
 Mode of Presentation Per Ct. of Error 
 
 Words heard 6.48 
 
 Words heard and spelled aloud by pupil 4.66 
 
 Words seen 2.60 
 
 Words seen and spelled aloud by pupil 2.27 
 
 Words seen, spelled aloud, and written by pupil. ... 1.00 
 The study of psychology has revealed two other facts most 
 significant for the teacher of spelling, namely, first, that the 
 mind does not interest itself in and does not retain easily un- 
 related impressions ; second, that the mind retains most easily 
 and permanently those impressions in which it is most interested. 
 If therefore the teacher has in mind the fixing in the mind 
 of her pupil the correct spelling of a list of words, she will 
 study to 
 
 (a) arouse an interest in each word, 
 
 (b) relate each word to pronunciation, meaning and ex- 
 
 perience, 
 
 (c) devise methods of study and drill that call into play 
 
 the eye, the ear, the vocal organs and the hand 
 muscles. 
 
 Interest in the spelling lessons may be 
 
 Interest. aroused and maintained in an almost number- 
 
 less variety of ways. A person is always most interested in car- 
 rying out plans which he has helped to make. It will be found 
 that children, if given the opportunity, will make valuable sug- 
 gestions by which this school study may become more vital. 
 
 The class may help to determine the words that need most at- 
 tention. 
 
 The class may help determine the kind of special attention 
 each word needs spelling, meaning, syllable analysis, phono- 
 gram analysis. 
 
11 
 
 The class may have charge through appointed agents of the 
 making of special lists, and of drilling devices and exercises. 
 Those lists may be built up around the pupils' interests, home 
 lists, kitchen, dining-room, barn, field, ball-field, etc., etc., sign 
 boards, bill boards, etc. There is danger that unusual words 
 may be included in these special lists. This danger should be 
 watched for and avoided. 
 
 The class may write a paragraph in which a number of words 
 is to be used. The paragraph best in thought, expression and 
 punctuation, may be used as a dictation exercise. (The para- 
 graph to be used may be selected by a small committee of the 
 class. One member of this committee may be one of the poorer 
 spellers). 
 
 Attention has already been called to the fact that the spelling 
 of a word whose pronunciation, meaning and use are not un- 
 derstood has little value, and that the spelling is not likely to 
 be retained in the mind. 
 
 Selection of Words should be selected from the vo- 
 
 Material. cabulary of the ordinary affairs of life rather 
 
 than from the school-room vocabulary. It is not necessary that 
 a pupil should know how to spell a word which he may seldom 
 have occasion to use in writing. It is sufficient that he should 
 recognize it readily in reading. The spelling of unimportant 
 geographical names, many names in fiction, in history and in 
 mythology, should be omitted. When it is necessary to use 
 these words in written or in regular composition work they may 
 be written on the board or looked up in the dictionary. 
 
 Teach only the common words. Few people have occasion to 
 spell except when they write. The words believe, receive, pic- 
 tures, knives, cousin, lead-pencil, libraries, villain, village, ab- 
 sence, nuisance, portion, calendar, diptheria, hydrant, column, 
 color, cities, planning, collar, ought, aunt, echo, neighbor, are 
 common words. Such words as celestial, abhorrence, syllogism, 
 decalogue, convalescence, apportion and hypocrisy are not com- 
 mon words. 
 
 The teacher will usually find her material in (a) the words 
 misspelled by the pupils in their written work; (b) the spelling 
 book. 
 
12 
 
 The teacher and pupils may at times with profit be conscious- 
 ly increasing their vocabulary by the use in speech and writing 
 of common words which have been selected for study. 
 
 Makers of spelling books have of late years 
 Spelling Books. , ...... . J 
 
 been more discriminating in the selection of 
 
 words, but it should not be forgotton that spelling books are 
 made for general use, while the profitable spelling lesson is for 
 particular children. One school may profitably study the entire 
 grade assignment of words in a spelling book, although such 
 a school would be rare, while another school in the same town 
 might not be able to study profitably more than half such as- 
 signment. 
 
 A spelling book should be used with judgment, and it should 
 not take the place of the individual and class lists drawn from 
 the oral and written vocabulary of the children. 
 
 Reliable authorities state that the common vocabulary of 
 well educated persons does not extend beyond four thousand 
 words. It is this vocabulary of everyday use that it is important 
 to master. 
 
 There should be three distinct features in 
 Methods of Study. ir 
 
 spelling exercises: 
 
 (a) The period of assignment or study with the teacher. 
 
 (b) The period of independent study, which may be done 
 
 at home. 
 These periods, while distinct, may at times be combined. 
 
 (c) The period of testing. 
 
 Assignment or In assigning lists of words to be studied, 
 
 Study with the 1t .. , . rr 1A 
 
 Teacher. ca ^ attention to the difficult words and more 
 
 particularly to difficult points in certain words. The teacher 
 should use the blackboard in this lesson assignment. She 
 could also use with profit colored crayon to emphasize the a 
 in separate, the a in Delaware, the or in forty, etc. Each child 
 needs his attention called in a special manner to the words he 
 cannot spell. There is an enormous waste going on because the 
 children study mechanically and monotonously the words they 
 already know. Imagine an adult doing this ! Have the pupils 
 decide which word demands the greatest effort in its mastery; 
 which point in the word is difficult, etc. "What is hard about 
 this word?" Here is a chance for the ingenuity of the teacher. 
 
13 
 
 For example, take the word describe; the special difficulty is 
 the vowel of the first syllable. The pupils should discover this 
 if possible. If the pupils do not easily discover the difficulty 
 the teacher may write the word on the board. After writing 
 the first letter she says, "Notice that the next letter is e." 
 The teacher and pupils then complete the word. Pupils may 
 "think" of the form of the first syllable, all remaining silent 
 and not looking at the board. The teacher might hold up 
 one hand with outstretched fingers and pupils follow her signs 
 by oral spelling. Interest the pupil in the facts of the word. 
 Attention follows interest and knowledge follows attention. 
 
 Quick visualizing of words is a valuable aid in the study of 
 spelling. Care should be taken to find out whether or not the 
 pupil's eyesight is good. After a word is written on the board 
 and erased, the teacher may ask for the third letter, next to the 
 last letter, the second syllable, etc. No pupil can answer unless 
 he has formed a distinct mental image of the arrangement of the 
 letters in the word. The teacher may ask a pupil to turn to page 
 seventy-eight of his reader (or geography) and look at the last 
 word on the page, or the last three words, and then spell or 
 write. 
 
 Two plans are here given which were fol- 
 ns< lowed at Teachers College, Columbia Univer- 
 sity, and reported by Principal Henry Carr Pearson in the 
 Teachers College Record, January, 1912. 
 Plan I Class Study. 
 
 Time limit twenty minutes. 
 
 1. Write one of the words on the blackboard and teach it 
 in accordance with the following plan. Then write the 
 next word, teaching it in the same way, and so on, with 
 the rest of the words. 
 
 (a) While writing the word, pronounce it distinctly. 
 
 (b) Develop the meaning orally, either by calling for a 
 sentence using the word or by giving its definition. 
 
 (c) Indicate the syllables. Call on pupils to spell orally, 
 by syllables. Have them indicate what part of the word 
 presents difficulties, or whether the word contains 
 parts they already know. 
 
14 
 
 (d) Have pupils write the word, pronouncing it softly as 
 they write. It would be well to have a new sentence 
 given, using the word, before they do this. This is to 
 emphasize strongly the meaning of the word again just 
 before the child writes it. 
 
 (e) Allow the class a moment in which to look at the 
 word again and then have them close eyes and try 
 to visualize it, or use any other device of a similar na- 
 ture. Have considerable repetition, both oral and writ- 
 ten. 
 
 2. After the various words of the day's lesson have been 
 studied in this way, allow a few moments for studying again 
 the whole list, suggesting that each pupil emphasize the words 
 he thinks he doesn't know. This time should be limited so that 
 every pupil will attend vigorously and intensively. Call upon 
 pupils individually and in concert to spell the whole list without 
 looking at the board. Refer them to the board again if they 
 hesitate. 
 
 3. Then erase all words from blackboard and dictate the 
 words to the class, using each word in a sentence first. 
 
 Plan II. Class Study. 
 
 Time limit fifteen minutes, including the dictation. 
 
 1. The first word was written on the board in the presence 
 of the class, and then studied as follows: 
 
 (a) Its meaning was given, and used in a sentence. 
 
 (b) It was spelled aloud in concert, and individually by the 
 poor spellers. 
 
 (c) Its peculiarities, such as silent letter, 01 and ie combin- 
 ations, etc., were pointed out. 
 
 (d) The word was written once, twice or three times by 
 the pupils who spelled silently as they wrote. 
 
 2. Each word in turn was written on the board and studied 
 in the same way. 
 
 3. Next the whole colymn was reviewed orally, the children 
 first spelling each word from the board and then turning from 
 the board, spelling again (either silently or aloud) and verify- 
 ing results by consulting the board. 
 
 4. The words were then erased from the board, papers out 
 of sight, and the work dictated. 
 
15 
 
 Independent Study The teacher ought to train pupils to dis- 
 by Pupils. criminate between the easy and the difficult 
 
 words, and to concentrate effort on the latter. The pupil should 
 put the "emphasis of his mind" upon the weak points which he 
 has been taught to discover. Suppose the names of the days 
 of the week are the lesson. The pupils should be taught to se- 
 lect Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday as the 
 difficult words, and they should recognize that Wednesday 
 probably needs more attention than the other six words to- 
 gether. Pupils should, therefore, be taught how to study the 
 lessons. This study should imitate both the method and the 
 spirit of the preceding study with the teacher. The endeavor 
 should be to give the child the power to do by himself what 
 he does when the teacher studies with him. The children 
 may test each other at the close of a study period. It is a 
 mistake to ask pupils to write the lessons a number of times, 
 simply copying the words. One method is to teach them 
 after they have carefully looked over the words and sen- 
 tences in the book or on the board, to write as many of them 
 as they can from memory. They can then compare what 
 they have written with the book or blackboard list in order 
 to find which words they have failed to spell correctly. Pu- 
 pils should not, however, be taught to commit lists of unre- 
 lated words to memory. 
 
 Spelling is one of the subjects in which 
 
 the parent can render efficient aid. The 
 children who take home lists of words to spell can first be 
 tested by the paient, both orally and in writing, to see how 
 many they know, the others being noted for further study. 
 After the latter have been thoroughly studied the test can be 
 given again until all are recited correctly. Word games, ana- 
 grams, etc., may be brought to the attention of the pupils 
 by having them" tried in the schoolroom. Many children will 
 secure the necessary material and plaj" the games at home, 
 while all poor spellers should be urged to do so. The words 
 assigned for home study should be first studied with the 
 teacher in school. 
 
 Tests in spelling should be tests in word 
 
 study, in the method of learning and the 
 mental habits formed. A teacher's work should be judged 
 
16 
 
 even more by the spirit and quality of her spelling lessons 
 than by the success or failure of her pupils in a chance test 
 on a list of miscellaneous words unless those words are se- 
 lected from the lists on which the class has been working. 
 
 Generally the testing should be a written test, and in the 
 higher grades it should be on the day following the as- 
 signment or study. By this delay, time is allowed for the 
 fixing of the words in mind and the exercise becomes a re- 
 view as well as a test. In the higher grades the children 
 should usually exchange papers and mark the spelling on 
 their neighbor's paper. While this saves the teacher much 
 labor, it serves a far more valuable purpose in cultivating in 
 each child the habit of looking critically at words. 
 
 The marking of papers by pupils needs careful supervision. 
 The teacher herself may profitably mark a few papers every 
 day and should examine the work of each pupil often enough 
 to be familiar with his strength and weakness. 
 
 Occasionally oral tests or recitations should be introduced, 
 for the sake of variety. 
 
 A large part of poor spelling comes from 
 carelessness. If all teachers insist that every 
 paper or note-book be correct as regards spelling, much of this 
 carelessness would be avoided and the pupil trained in habits 
 of carefulness and accuracy. Let us create, if possible, the 
 spelling conscience. 
 
 Number of Words For such stud y as is here outlined 
 
 in a Lesson. doubtless not more than four or five words 
 
 could be considered at one time in the primary grades, one or 
 two words more than this in the intermediate grades, and in 
 the grammar grades not more than ten. If such a lesson were 
 given but three times per week, in the course of six years the 
 working vocabulary of a well-educated adult would be studied 
 and ample time would be left for reviews. 
 
 There should be frequent reviews. Repe- 
 Reviews. .... j j -n 1 
 
 tition and drill and practice are necessary. 
 
 Few spelling books provide enough review lessons of difficult 
 common zvords. The wise teacher will keep a list of words 
 which the children have misspelled, both in written work and in 
 the ordinary spelling lessons. The words which are very com- 
 
17 
 
 monly misspelled should be kept before the schools in all grades 
 constantly and these should receive special drill. Examples of 
 these words are: to, too; there, their; hear, here; any, which, 
 many, such, much, those, does, until. 
 
 Differing In tne case * WOI *ds which are spelled 
 
 Authorities. differently by different writers, any spelling 
 
 which has the sanction of authority should be accepted by the 
 teacher as correct. But it is desirable that the pupil should 
 adopt one form of spelling for such words and use it exclus- 
 ively. 
 
 The dictionary is the universal "tool" for the study of words, 
 and before pupils leave the grammar grades they should have 
 some skill in its use as an authority in spelling, and also for 
 definition, derivation, syllabication, accent and diacritical mark- 
 ing. Care should be taken not to ask the pupil to consult the 
 dictionary for a word not known to be there explained in a 
 manner intelligible to the child. 
 
 This use may begin as early as the fourth grade, and probably 
 ought not to be delayed beyond the fifth grade. Again, it can- 
 not be over-emphasized that the proper use of the dictionary 
 must be taught. Not until pupils have been using the dictionary 
 for two or three years under the guidance of the teacher should 
 much be expected in the way of absolutely independent use. 
 
 In view of the fact mentioned before, that the ordinary vocab- 
 ulary of a well-educated person consists of probably not more 
 than 4,000 words, it would appear that a dictionary containing 
 between 20,000 and 25,000 well-selected words would be suffi- 
 cient for the general use of a pupil in the elementary grades. A 
 dictionary containing 30,000 to 40,000 words should meet the 
 needs of elementary school children for general consultation 
 purposes. Two or three such dictionaries in each upper grade 
 room would do.i* t'ess be much more useful than one unabridged 
 dictionary, but an unabridged dictionary in a building for occa- 
 sional reference is desirable. 
 
 Rules for spelling English words are of 
 Rules for Spelling. ,.,,, ,. , ^ T . f i_ r 1 
 
 little direct value. Yet a few may be of value 
 
 in that they call the attention of pupils to the very parts of words 
 which they would be likely to misspell. The pupils should be 
 led to formulate these rules inductively by having them observe 
 
18 
 
 the pronunciation or spelling of a number of words entirely 
 familiar to them. Before the rules are taught, the difference 
 between vowels and consonants should be made clear to the 
 pupils, and they should be required to memorize the vowels. As 
 much drill as possible should be given in spelling words illustrat- 
 ing the rule before any exceptions are given. In giving excep- 
 tions to a rule, only such words should be given as pupils will 
 have occasion to use in practical life; and of those only such as 
 they would be likely to misspell because of the rule. 
 
 1. Final y, when preceded by a consonant, 
 Suggested Rules . .. Jt / 
 
 to be Taught is generally changed to le when a letter or 
 
 Inductively. syllable is added. Ex. Lady, ladies; berry, 
 
 berries; fly, flies; dry, dries; bury, buries; mercy, mercies; 
 hurry, hurries. Final y is retained before a syllable beginning 
 with i f to prevent the doubling of the i. Ex. Dying, trying, 
 flying. 
 
 2. Final y, preceded by a vowel, generally remains unchanged 
 when a letter or syllable is added. Ex. : Day, days ; lay, lays ; 
 key, keys; chimney, chimneys; valley, valleys; essay, essays. 
 
 3. Words of one syllable, ending in a consonant preceded by 
 a single vowel, double the consonant before a suffix beginning 
 with a vowel. Ex. : Big, bigger ; wit, witty ; rob, robber ; clan, 
 clannish. 
 
 4. Words of more than one syllable, accented on the last, and 
 ending in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel, double 
 the final consonant when a syllable is added. Ex. : Permit, 
 permitting; begin, beginning; infer, inferring, defer, deferring. 
 
 The special teaching of these rules may best be distributed 
 throughout the grades. 
 
Spelling in Grammar Grades. 
 
 The method of procedure in teaching spelling in the lower 
 grammar grades should differ from that of the upper grammar 
 grades. The aim, of course, is the same in both the acquisition 
 of skill in recalling the correct sequence of letters in words. 
 The ability of normal pupils as they rise in the grades is better 
 developed, and this fact makes the suggested difference advis- 
 able. The children who are less able must be helped more, so 
 that the associations may be stronger. The habit of observa- 
 tion should be formed in the lower grades, and this cannot be 
 done merely by assigning a spelling lesson that will later be 
 heard. The lesson should be taught, after which it may be 
 studied. The higher grade children may be allowed to study by 
 themselves often without previous class preparation, for less 
 instruction is necessary. The demand for correct and highly 
 meritorious results is a large factor in achieving success. 
 
 I have found the following a good method: Write in solid 
 form the word, as "description," upon the board. The advan- 
 tage in this, instead of having the children look in the book, 
 is that the teacher thus insures attention to the given word 
 only. She requests the children to look at the word, thus pho- 
 tographing it, as it were, upon the retina. The teacher, after 
 a short interval, pronounces the word correctly, with distinct 
 enunciation and careful articulation. She then asks individuals 
 to pronounce, syllabicate, and spell. A number of children in 
 succession say : de-scrip-tion, d-e-de-s-c-r-i-p-scrip-t-i-o-n-tion, 
 description. All write the word in solid form on practice paper; 
 again, a few spell it orally as before; all write it again on an- 
 other part of the paper. All spell it orally together quietly, with 
 correct syllabication and clear enunciation. The teacher then 
 calls attention to the peculiarities of the word, as "tion" is 
 "shun" and "c" follows "s," the first syllable is "de" and not 
 "des." The meaning of the word is then developed or explained, 
 and several children use the word, each in a sentence. All the 
 
 19 
 
20 
 
 words of the lesson are thus taught, the oral preparation re- 
 ceiving the more emphasis. After this study, the words are 
 dictated either by the teacher or by the different pupils, each 
 suggesting a word. The writing is done on a different piece of 
 paper from the practice sheet. Papers are exchanged, exam- 
 ined and results announced. The aim is one hundred per cent 
 correct. Commendation and appreciation should be given when 
 it is achieved. It should be the expected result. 
 
 In grammar grades ten words are enough for a lesson, and 
 the recitation should not be longer than twenty minutes. As 
 the class becomes accustomed to the work, fifteen minutes will 
 be found ample time, with the exception of the use of words in 
 sentences. This may form a separate exercise at any opportune 
 time during the day. At the end of the week all the words are 
 studied by the pupils, without help, for a review . Before be- 
 ginning the dictation, or the spelling match, the teacher should 
 call attention again by way of reminder to particular difficulties 
 in the spelling of specific words. At the end of two weeks the 
 more difficult words of the first week may be included in the 
 week's review. Some words, such as "separate" and "business," 
 may be dictated every week until the habit of spelling them 
 correctly is formed by every member of the class; other words 
 of like kind may be substituted as rapidly as advisable. 
 
 These words should be taken from the spelling book and from 
 the supplementary list which every teacher should make for her 
 own class. This latter includes words from the various sub- 
 jects and the words which the teacher discovers it is well to 
 insist shall be spelled correctly. The same method may be used 
 with the dictation of prose or poetical selections as with a col- 
 umn of words. 
 
 Some excellencies of this method are : 
 
 1. The ear, the motor apparatus which operates in speech, and 
 the eye contribute each its share in making the associations 
 which are necessary. This may be called the audo-motor- visual 
 preparation, the important parts of which are the auditory and 
 the motor. 
 
 2. The children learn to enunciate and to articulate clearly. 
 
 3. The children are taught to notice words. 
 
 4. A spelling sense is developed. No harm, but much good 
 in the development of this sense, will result from spelling some 
 
21 
 
 words that may not become a part of the speaking vocabulary 
 of the child. 
 
 5. A spelling conscience is developed. The constant demand 
 for a high degree of attainment is the largest factor in the de- 
 velopment of the spelling conscience. 
 
 When a high per cent, is not achieved, the method should be 
 adapted to meet the condition in the room wh\ v L --r-ents it. 
 This will be due to the fact that individuals differ in ijyj ability 
 to remember. The class may be composed largely of eye-minded 
 children, or of ear-minded children, or of motor-minded chil- 
 dren. The emphasis may be changed, but the general principle 
 of the method remains the same. The adjustment needed will 
 become apparent by a study of the results, and experiments to 
 discover which phase to emphasize. The teacher must remember, 
 however, that no method of presentation, however excellent, can 
 be a substitute for the efforts of the pupil to learn. He must 
 exert himself; that is, use his powers of observation and mem- 
 ory. A good method insures the right appeal, strong associa- 
 tions, and the full use of the student's powers. 
 
 In the higher grammar grades fifteen to twenty words may 
 be assigned for independent study. These words may be found 
 in the spelling book or taken from the class list. In dwelling 
 upon the specific difficulties and peculiarities of words, I have 
 always found the rules for spelling very helpful. It is my 
 opinion that they should be taught. "Surprise tests" may be 
 given of words selected from newspapers or from the various 
 branches of study, no preparation having been made. This 
 plan will give the teacher a clue as to important words to be 
 taught. A teacher who possesses the ability to arouse the spell- 
 ing conscience and to develop the spelling sense will ordinarily 
 succeeed in teaching all children to spell, except the constitution- 
 ally bad spellers, and to use the dictionary. The teacher in dic- 
 tating must be particular about enunciation and articulation, as 
 well as pronunciation. After the words are written, papers are 
 exchanged and examined as the teacher spells, syllabicating each 
 word, commenting upon its specific difficulties. Papers are re- 
 turned to the owners, and the incorrect words are studied. Lists 
 of misspelled words are kept, and these words constitute the 
 review for Friday. The words each day are discussed, used in 
 sentences, incorrect words spelled orally always in syllables. 
 
22 
 
 Particularly difficult words may be taught and written upon the 
 blackboard, to remain there for a time. Care should be used 
 to make a judicious combination of written and oral spelling 
 and of columns of words and of the dictation of selections. 
 Some scheme, differing with different teachers, must be devised 
 to make pupils feel responsibility for correct spelling. They 
 must realize that incorrect spelling will not be allowed. Such a 
 course, followed by a determined teacher, helps greatly. She 
 must know, too, that interest and desire to excel on the part of 
 pupils are pre-requisites for the successful teaching of English 
 spelling. 
 
 DAVID B. CORSON, 
 Assistant City Superintendent, 
 
 Newark, New Jersey. 
 
Spelling in the Eighth Grade 
 
 Many children leaving the grammar school go to work. No 
 one will thereafter teach them spelling. They must rely upon 
 themselves and the dictionary. The others, who go to high 
 school, must be independent in their study. Hence the eighth 
 grade is the time when the teaching of spelling should have for 
 its aim, awakening and cultivating a spelling conscience. Up to 
 this time spelling has been taught. Now the pupils should be 
 trained, each one to know his peculiar errors and to watch out 
 for them, to stop guessing bad spelling is merely bad guessing 
 to consult the dictionary for words he does not know, and to 
 observe the new words he meets with in reading. 
 
 Much wrong spelling is due to bad habits, to carelessness, and 
 to a wrong concept of the form of the word. In the lower grades, 
 where much written work is done, the multiplicity of papers 
 makes it impossible to prevent some bad spelling habits. 
 
 In every eighth grade class that has come to me I have found 
 some pupils writing "an" for "and," "the" for "they," omitting 
 "ed" in regular verb forms, omitting the apostrophe in posses- 
 sive nouns and often giving it to the pronoun "its," confusing 
 Common homonyms, and confusing words that resemble each other 
 in form ; as, quite and quiet, respectfully and respectively. Such 
 errors are not peculiar to one school, but common to all classes 
 that I have ever known. Few pupils are guilty of all, but nearly 
 all are sometimes guilty of one or more. Call the child's atten- 
 tion to his error, and he will generally say, "I meant it so-and- 
 so." He will immediately correct it, telling why; and the next 
 hour he will make the same error. Somewhere the habit was 
 formed, and Habit is master. 
 
 Words are phonograms as well as ideo-grams. Careless enun- 
 ciation at home and abroad gave the child a wrong concept of 
 syllables and words. Hence, "would have" is sometimes "would 
 of," and "modifier" becomes "moderfier," etc. Careless enun- 
 ciation and pronunciation have a baleful influence on the best 
 taught spelling. 
 
 23 
 
24 
 
 I have found no easy way to break up bad spelling habits. It 
 requires constant vigilance on the part of the teacher. Every 
 written word and sentence must be examined by the teacher 
 till a lively spelling conscience has been developed, and the abil- 
 ity and desire to find and correct one's own errors have been 
 acquired. I have found publicity and a tangible reward in the 
 form of per cents helpful in awakening a lively spelling interest. 
 On a blackboard in my classroom is an alphabetical list of my 
 pupils' names. Every written word or sentence on blackboard 
 or on paper is a Spelling Test; and for every error, whether 
 due to ignorance, to carelessness, or bad spelling habits, a mark 
 is placed after the pupil's name, each mark taking one from the 
 desired one hundred per cent. The first month the lines are long, 
 and the number of pupils attaining above ninety per cent per- 
 fect is small. But children take pride in a clean score and de- 
 light in seeing their names listed with those attaining ninety per 
 cent, so as the marks decrease the per cents increase. The list 
 serves as a bulletin board to remind each child that he is in the 
 game, and it is watched with no little interest. 
 
 Children forget much that they are taught, so do grown-ups 
 forget much; therefore, there is need of reviewing as well as of 
 learning new words. Here a good spelling-book is indispensable. 
 From its long lists of words each pupil must learn to discover 
 the words he does not know and to study them. In the ad- 
 vanced lists there are words that the child should make his own. 
 They should be selected by the teacher for special study. The 
 book's lists also contain words for which the pupils have no im- 
 mediate use, and whose meaning, if learned to-day, would be 
 forgotten to-morrow. Time is not wasted in spelling such 
 words. Their arrangement of letters and syllables lodge in the 
 sub-conscious memory, and when the words are needed their 
 letters fall in right order. The homonyms to be mastered should 
 be used in sentences, sometimes dictated by the teacher and at 
 other times in sentences constructed by the pupil. 
 
 Dictation is an important factor. The words that might be 
 misspelled are placed upon the board for visualization, and any 
 new words among them are taught, all being erased before dic- 
 tating. 
 
 Every lesson is to some extent a spelling lesson. In gram- 
 mar we review nouns and teach verbs. Here we emphasize the 
 
25 
 
 rules for words ending in y, f, and fe, and for doubling a final 
 consonant. In history, in reading indeed, in every subject, 
 new words must be interpreted. The spelling of the new word 
 is most easily learned then, and the habit of noticing the form 
 of a new word is acquired. When feasible, other words having 
 the same prefix, stem, or suffix, should be taught simultaneously 
 e. g., transposition, transpire, translate, transatlantic, etc. 
 
 I find much written work on the board helpful. Children 
 are keen at finding on the board such errors as they themselves 
 make. Here, too, is a chance to enlarge the vocabulary and 
 teach synonyms ; e. g., one pupil wrote, "Benedict Arnold was 
 wounded and sent to Philadelphia to live." A few questions 
 soon brought from the class "get well," "recover," "recuperate," 
 "convalesce." 
 
 To secure the correction of all errors, each pupil fastens in 
 his spelling book blank pages, on which he writes correctly every 
 word he misspells, studies it, and recites it orally at any con- 
 venient time. Not many words will appear twice on the same 
 page. 
 
 As a result of emphasizing spelling at all times, of constant 
 vigilance, of publicity, and of keeping lists of corrected errors, 
 I have found in all my classes the little dictionary each pupil 
 has one more and more in use as the weeks go by, and careless 
 errors much less frequent, evidences of an aroused spelling- 
 conscience, which, when once wide-awake, will keep its owner 
 in the right ways of spelling. 
 
 RACHEL VAN SYCKEL, 
 South Market Street School, 
 Newark, New Jersey. 
 
Spelling in Primary Grades 
 
 Formal spelling in the first grade usually begins after the 
 Christmas holidays. As the child's available material for spell- 
 ing is in his reading lessons, the time to enter upon the study 
 of spelling words depends on the mental maturity of the class. 
 When the class is ready for it, spelling lessons should begin. 
 
 To receive impressions the child must listen; must visualize. 
 To make the impressions permanent he must pronounce, articu- 
 late, enunciate, record over and over, until each motor apparatus 
 for hearing, seeing, speaking and writing operates accurately, 
 and the correct memorized form of words is fixed. 
 
 Simple breathing exercises, whispering rhymes, singing of the 
 alphabet old-fashioned, but effective impart freedom and 
 strength to the speaking apparatus ; help mould the thought into 
 words; open the channel for the voice. 
 
 Beginning with the first rhymes or sentences of the early 
 reading books, the pupils study aloud with the teacher each 
 word, looking at it carefully, pronouncing it distinctly, listening 
 to the sound, and spelling it orally. 
 
 Each pupil chooses any word he pleases on his card or from 
 a selected part of his reader and studies it by himself. Pupils 
 may stand in groups or separately, but each individual pro- 
 nounces and spells aloud the word he has studied. If a child 
 fails, he studies until the others have spelled, then he may try 
 again. 
 
 From the card or a selected portion of the reader words are 
 dictated to be spelled orally. A child missing a word finds it 
 and studies it until he is sure he can spell it. 
 
 When the children are able to write, the same material is used 
 for written spelling. The preparation for this takes from two 
 to three days by a plan similar to the following: oral work 
 with teacher; selecting, studying, testing orally by pupils; pu- 
 pils test themselves by writing at board from memory, etc. This 
 preparation needs to be accurate and thorough, standardized by 
 
 26 
 
27 
 
 perfection before writing, that the child may be shot through 
 with the understanding that he is responsible for retaining that 
 which he is taught. Perfection is the standard for beginners in 
 spelling; the teacher must not be too eager "for early yield" on 
 paper. Spell orally ! orally ! ! orally ! ! ! 
 
 Let the perfect paper express its own excellence without the 
 red or blue pencil mark or gilt star to mar it. Simplicity is the 
 keynote of correct work. If incorrect work is recorded, cor- 
 rect it at once, impressively but simply. 
 
 To intensify the correct notion of words before the children 
 are advanced to writing, supply them with scissors and paper, 
 on which has been written in bold type the word or words to be 
 cut out. Teach them how to do this before permitting them to 
 work alone. 
 
 Spelling by series requires each child to image distinctly 
 the family motif, ee, ow, then he has only to think of the 
 initial part of the word, as s, in see ; sn, in snow. Work with 
 phonics begins early in the year, correlating with the reading. 
 This is very essential in these early years; later it may become 
 something of a hindrance if used without explanation and too 
 frequently. 
 
 The words an, be, should, seen, etc., are treated as accessory 
 words calling for drill in phrase form, such as could see, have 
 seen, has done. 
 
 Habited by success in studying and spelling under the super- 
 vision of the teacher, the children ask to spell the names of ob- 
 jects at home, such as lilac, sponge; verbs such as improve, 
 select. Work with very simple synonyms begins now that the 
 intelligent thought back of the idea may be properly interpreted. 
 
 Spelling for the first grade naturally evolves from the read- 
 ing experience; spelling in the second grade expands into spell- 
 ing words from daily experience as well as words selected from 
 school subjects, synonyms and easy homonyms. 
 
 That the child may increase the habit of testing his power of 
 spelling whatever he finds to spell, a little child stands in front 
 of the class while each pupil spells the name of the things he 
 on or about the child, hair-ribbon, apron, shoes, nose, lips, 
 
28 
 
 blouse, navy, stockings, sweater, etc. Recently, in fifteen min- 
 utes, a second grade spelled orally, without studying, forty-two 
 words, names of things selected from two little girls placed be- 
 fore the class. 
 
 Seasonal spelling, such as Easter bunnie, Easter handker- 
 chief, Easter hat, was a lesson furnished by the children. 
 
 Each child having a picture, or drawing one, makes a list of 
 things he sees in the picture. After playing a game, perhaps 
 "Going to Grandfather's at Thanksgiving," orally spell the 
 words, the phrases, or sentences the game suggests, wagon, 
 pump, sleigh, galloping horses, mince pie; a jolly ride; Grand- 
 mother roasted the turkey, explaining why Grandmother be- 
 gins with a capital and why the sentence closes with a period. 
 
 The third grade advances to spelling books, but they do not 
 "live, move and have their being" in them. The child's ex- 
 periences continue to be the principal source of supply for 
 words for spelling study. Responsibility for what he has learned 
 in former classes permeates silently and relentlessly the demands 
 ior correct, applied, spelling in dictation and written work. 
 
 In this class he learns that words are pronounced with one or 
 two or more pushes of the voice; that a part of a word may be 
 pushed more forcibly than another part. He is called on to 
 think of a list of five grocery articles, then to spell them with- 
 out further study. In this way vinegar, soap, etc., are brought 
 under subjection to memory; names of things in the room and 
 facts relating to the room, radiator, teacher's desk, electric 
 light, cheerful room, narrow aisle. A poster furnishes words, 
 phrases, sentences. 
 
 Dictionary work begins in the fourth grade. Each child is 
 supplied with one. At times it seems overworked, but an estab- 
 lished dictionary habit does not interfere with the habit of suc- 
 cess. As the child is learning to spell, so is he storing up an 
 enriched vocabulary. 
 
 Not more than two new words are assigned for a lesson, but 
 these become close friends, and subordinate words vary in num- 
 ber from three to twenty. 
 
 An additional step in this grade leads to the study of easy 
 prefixes and suffixes. The vocabulary of school interests, such 
 as Field Day exercises, abound with concrete experience spell- 
 ing. Spelling by elimination helps to retain the evasive letters 
 
29 
 
 and the right order of them. Ask as follows: "What are the 
 last two letters of column?" "Think of two more words with 
 the same ending." "Give second syllable of valentine; eighth 
 letter of same word; the third letter; the fifth." 
 
 The successful teaching of spelling banishes fear of test and 
 prepares the pupil to be always ready. For instance, if a child 
 spells Lincoln's, he is asked to spell apostrophe ; sixty-three, he 
 is asked to spell hyphen. Should he mention indentation, he is 
 asked to spell it or to spell parts of it. 
 
 In these classes, as in the first grade, written spelling is not 
 required every day; however, every day finds pupils working, 
 developing, studying, testing, consulting with their teacher in 
 this subject, thereby economizing time and thought by creating 
 perfect models "to keep and to hold." 
 
 Concentrate effort to make vivid the mental picture of the 
 word or phrase being studied. This involves both the auditory 
 and visual notions of the word, for in proportion as the child 
 gains the true image through the first vividness, his capacity 
 for spelling is enlarged. 
 
 MYRA I. BILLINGS, 
 Supervisor of Kindergarten and Primary Schools, 
 
 Atlantic City, New Jersey. 
 
Spelling in Ungraded Schools 
 
 SUGGESTIONS FOR THE UNION OF CLASSES IN SCHOOLS OF Two 
 OR MORE GRADES FOR THE STUDY OF SPELLING. 
 
 In schools of two grades, assuming that the grades are se- 
 quential, the entire school may be taken together in spelling. 
 
 In schools of three and four grades the school should be 
 divided into two classes for the study of spelling. This division 
 should be made on the basis of spelling ability, rather than on 
 the basis of grades. The division made up of the better spellers 
 may be larger than the other division, and it should be given 
 more work and more opportunity for independent study. It 
 might be made a special honor to be passed from the lower to 
 the higher division. The divisions might be remade each month. 
 
 In schools where there are two classes in spelling there may 
 be planned a study lesson, with the teacher for each class on 
 alternate days. The written lesson, which is really a review, 
 may be given to both classes at once, the teacher or a pupil pro- 
 nouncing a word for one division, and then for the other while 
 the first division is writing. 
 
 In schools where there are six or eight grades, the spelling of 
 grades I-III should be a definite part of the reading and lan- 
 guage lessons, both the study of words with the teacher and 
 the independent study. Pupils of grades IV-VIII may be as- 
 signed to two spelling classes, as before suggested. A teacher 
 will find no difficulty in conducting written exercises with two 
 or three different classes at the same time. The teacher may 
 pronounce a word to the first division, then to the second and 
 to the third, returning to the first division by the time the pupils 
 are ready for the next word. The pupils may pronounce the 
 words instead of the teacher. 
 
 The divisions that are made should have the approval of the 
 superintendent, supervisor or principal, and the spelling book 
 assignment should be determined by the need of each division. 
 
 In schools having four to eight grades each pupil has more 
 time for individual effort than is assigned in the school of one 
 
 30 
 
31 
 
 or two grades. This may not be a disadvantage in the grammar 
 grades, provided the pupil has learned how to study. It is 
 therefore particularly necessary that the teacher in such a school 
 put the pupils in command of proper methods of study. An 
 attempt has been made to indicate some of these methods in 
 the body of this pamphlet. The results of the independent study 
 should show clearly that the pupil has been really putting dis- 
 criminating thought into his work. 
 
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 
 
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