How to Teach Phonics | Page 8

(2) the eye and hand should be trained equally with the ear. It is often true that good oral spellers will fail in writing the same words for want of practice. (3) In the written recitation each pupil can spell a greater number of words and in less time than is possible in oral spelling.

SEAT WORK
1. Distribute pages from magazines or old readers and let pupils underline words beginning with a certain consonant (the one being taught). If different colored pencils are used, the same pages can be used a number of times. When the "m" sound is being taught let all words beginning with that sound be marked with black; at another seat work period, words beginning with "b" are marked with "green;" and again, words beginning with "f" sound are marked with blue pencils, etc.
Underline digraphs, blended consonants, and phonograms.
2. The teacher writes a phonogram on the board and below it all the consonant sounds from which words may be built. Pupils write the entire words.
3. Phonograms are written on the board; pupils supply consonants and write out the words.
4. Have a number of phonograms and three or four sets of consonants in envelopes. Give an envelope to each child and let him build the words on his desk. Duplicate copies can be made on a hectograph, one set for each lesson; then if one envelope from each set is preserved, those miscellaneous lessons can be used in review for a long time, each child using a different set each time.
5. Write on the board lists of words ending in various phonograms and let the children re-write them, arranging in columns according to phonograms.
6. Write families from memory.

GENERAL SUGGESTIONS
1. At least two daily periods should be given to phonics. The first lessons will be short, but after some advance has been made, ten to fifteen minutes should be given.
2. As far as possible let the words for phonic drill be those that will occur in the new reading lessons.
3. Constantly review all familiar sounds, phonograms, digraphs, blends, etc., when met in new words, and so teach pupils to apply their knowledge of phonics.
4. Teaching them to "pantomime" the sounds--representing them mutely by movement of the lips, tongue and palate, will aid them in silent study at their seats.
5. By the end of the first year the pupil's phonetic knowledge, combined with his vocabulary of sight words and his power to discover a new word, either phonetically or by the context, ought to enable him to read independently any primer, and to read during the year from eight to twelve or more primers and first readers.
6. In reading, pupils should be taught to get the meaning chiefly by context--by the parts which precede or follow the difficult word and are so associated with it as to throw light upon its meaning.
7. When a word cannot be pronounced phonetically, the teacher should assist by giving the sound needed, but the pupil will soon discover that by using his wits in phonics as in other things, he can get the new word for himself by the sense of what he is reading, e.g., in the sentence, "The farmer came into the field" he meets the new word "field." Naturally a second year pupil, who has learned the reasons for sounding will apply the long sound of "i;"--as he reads it does not make sense, so he tries short "i." Still the sentence is meaningless, so he tries again with "e" and reads a sentence which satisfies him, because the meaning is clear.
If the first year pupil pronounces the word "coat" as co-at (recognizing the last combination as a member of the "at" family) the teacher will underline and call his attention to the digraph "oa" which he has already learned to pronounce as long "o." Most pupils however, meeting the word in a sentence--as, "The caterpillar's coat is green"--would, if reading thotfully recognize the word by the context.
8. Drill on obscure sounds should be omitted the first year. Unphonetic words should be taught as sight words: as: one, many, been, said, they, ought, eight.
9. Begin to combine words and syllables into longer words as soon as possible: door-step, in-deed, hand-some, be-fore, ham-mer-ing, in-no-cent, for-get-ful, car-pen-ter, side-walk, mis-take.
10. Give time increasingly to analytic-synthetic word study, e.g.--"eight" and "rain" are taught as sight words.
eigh t r ain Analysis: eigh ain w eigh p ain w eight pl ain Synthesis: n eigh com plain n eigh bor com plain ing

ARTICULATION
Exercises to correct faulty articulation and secure flexibility should be given frequently. Constant vigilance is necessary in overcoming the common errors shown in the following examples.
"I will eat you," said the troll. (not "e-chew") Dear little baby, close your eye. (not "clo-zhure eye") "I will then," said Red Hen, and she did. (not "an' she