AND SPELLING GUIDE: A School Manual, EXHIBITING THE SPELLING, PRONUNCIATION, MEANING, AND deri- IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. WITH COPIOUS EXERCISES FOR EXAMINATION AND DICTATION. BY - GEORGE COUTIE. A. M., ENGLISH MASTER OF LIVERPOOL HIGH SCHOOL, LIVERPOOL INSTITUTE. LONDON: T. NELSON AND SONS, PATERNOSTER ROW; EDINBURGH; AND NEW YORK. MDCCCLXII. 570. a. 153. Preface. THE object of Part I. of this volume is to supply such exercises on the orthography of peculiar and difficult words as are adapted for training up the pupil to spell correctly in writing; which every teacher knows is a very different acquirement from spelling accurately in viva voce examinations. Verbal distinctions are illustrated, by the application of the words liable to be confounded, in simple and concise sentences; which is believed to be a more effectual way of making this class of words intelligible to young persons than by definitions. These sentences may be very profitably used as dictation exercises. It is hoped that Part II., embracing Derivation, will be found sufficiently comprehensive for a work of this character. The exercises in it carry the learner forward in the art of spelling, while they lay the foundation of an etymological knowledge which will enable him to prosecute successfully the study of more extensive treatises on the subject. In Part III. is presented an entirely new classification of several thousands of the most important words in the language. The principle of association is the basis of this arrangement. Terms of specific signification are grouped under, as it were, generic heads, with a view to simplify examinations on the meaning of important words, especially such as are of relative signification; and also to assist the memory, as well as to excite the curiosity of the pupil. With all its imperfections it will be found an improvement upon the usual arrangements according to the initial letters or the number of syllables; neither of which can, in any conceivable manner, afford artificial assistance to the memory or the understanding. The exercises to be prepared in writing, present facilities to the teacher of prescribing lessons on sections that have been previously gone over; which may be executed privately, and, at the same time, secure all the advantages of writing from his immediate dictation. Numerous directions are given as to the best methods of teaching particular sections. For the experienced and intelligent teacher these were not required;-to others, of more limited acquaintance with the improved modes of tuition, it is hoped they will prove of important service. It is by no means necessary that teachers confine their instructions to the order in which the parts, or even the sections of the parts, are arranged. It will, indeed, be desirable to give lessons, to the more advanced classes, in all three parts at the same time. October, 1861. G. C. SUGGESTIONS AS TO THE BEST MODES OF TEACHING THE SPELLING AND MEANING OF WORDS. In the local examinations of the Oxford and Cambridge Universities, almost as many candidates fail to satisfy the examiners in Orthography as in any other of those subjects that come under the head of their preliminary examinations. The evil, too, appears to be on the increase. In the Oxford examination of 1859, fifty-eight were returned as having failed in this subject alone; whereas in 1860, out of a similar number of candidates, there were no fewer than one hundred and four. If the returns of these examiners may be taken as a fair criterion of the state of education in our middle-class schools, we must conclude that either a sufficient amount of attention is not given to this subject, or that the methods generally adopted of teaching it are so defective as to fail to produce results that are easily attainable by an average amount of time and care systematically devoted to its study. In fact, in most schools, orthography gets more than its due share of time in the division of the school business; but the modes of teaching it are perhaps more desultory and ill-devised than those employed for any other equally important subject. It is too often handed over by the head teacher to his assistants, as not requiring his immediate oversight. The futile custom, also, of giving as lessons, from day to day, long lists of unconnected words, accompanied with, to a school child, almost unintelligible definitions, has not yet disappeared in many quarters, as is evident from the multitudes of books designed for this mode of instruction that are continually issuing from the press. It is surprising that a practice which so rarely produces satisfactory results, should be carried on for a length of time in any school without its serious imperfections becoming apparent to the most lukewarm teacher. It wants even the usual recommendation to old and established customs, that it is a pleasing task to the pupils, and an easy and convenient method of conveying instruction for the teacher. Children have their favourite lessons, and it is of the utmost importance to turn their predilections to account. Almost every school child will admit a preference for some particular subject of study. Geography, arithmetic, languages will be mentioned; but seldom, if ever, his lessons in spelling. Nor can a teacher ever feel satisfaction in trying to force the attention of his pupils to a lesson disliked by them. Their |