tion, were broken up; and to render further additions and improvements more practicable, the type will in future be kept standing. This little work will, therefore, be more worthy of the favour which has been shown to it by the public; and as it will continue to be sold at the same price as heretofore, it will, it is expected, drive out of the market those spurious editions of it, which have been printed and stereotyped in Canada without the permission of the author. Some of the Canadian Publishers seem not to know that there is such an Act on the Statute Book, as the 5 & 6 Vict., cap. 45. R. S. Dublin, June, 1851. CONTENTS. Page English Verbal Distinctions-Class I.-Words pronounced Class III.-Words frequently confounded by incorrect speakers, though differing in Pronunciation, Spelling, and Meaning, . Sentences for Dictation-Words for Exercise, Class IV.-Words similarly Spelled, but differently Pronounced Class V.-Words Spelled and Pronounced alike, but differing Exercises in Orthography-Irregular Sounds--Silent Letters- 87 Sentences for Dictation-Words erroneously Spelled, A Collection of Words of Unsettled Orthography, Orthoepy, or the Correct Pronunciation of Words-Extract from "Boswell's Life of Johnson," Practical Rules for Pronunciation, A Collection of the most Difficult Words in the Language, so arranged as to afford a Practical Exercise in Pronunciation Latin Roots traced through their English Derivatives, A Collection of the Latin and Greek Roots which have enriched French and Foreign Phrases pronounced and explained, Directions for Addressing Persons of every Rank, both in INTRODUCTORY OBSERVATIONS ON THE NEW AND IMPROVED METHOD OF TEACHING ORTHOGRAPHY. THE attention of Teachers and Parents is requested to the following OBSERVATIONS:-- ORTHOGRAPHY. Teachers, instead of occupying the time of their pupils in the useless drudgery of committing to memory the uninteresting and endless columns of a dictionary or spelling-book, are strongly recommended to adopt the improved method of teaching ORTHOGRAPHY, namely by DICTATION. It is simply this the teacher reads a sentence from a book, or dictates one composed by himself, to the pupils, who either write it down verbatim, or merely spell the words as they occur, as if they were writing them down. This PRACTICAL PLAN of teaching orthography, does not, however, entirely supersede the use of spelling-books. There should at least be a TEXT-BOOK on the subject, which the pupil may be made to consult, when necessary, and to which even the teacher may occasionally refer with advantage. This text-book should contain either in columns, or in sentences formed for DICTATION, all the words in the language which are liable to be misspelled,' such as: 1. Words similarly pronounced, but differently spelled. 2. Words similarly spelled, but differently pronounced and applied. 3. Words spelled and pronounced alike, but differing in signification. 4. Words liable to be misspelled, either from the silence or unusual sound of one or more letters. 5. All words of unsettled orthography. 6. Practical rules for spelling. THESE WORDS, or SENTENCES in which they occur, should be dictated to the pupils, who should either spell, or, if they are competent, write down the entire sentence on their slates. The latter mode is preferable, as it is only by WRITING that a practical and perfect knowledge of orthography can be attained. In the absence of a text-book, containing the difficulties of orthography, the teacher must have recourse to the reading books. Let him make his pupils spell and explain the words at the head of each lesson, before commencing to read it; and 1 Such a text-book has since been supplied by the writer, namely, "The Spelling-book Superseded," which has already passed through twenty-two large editions. ? And even in connexion with such a text-book this plan should be used. |