2. The direction number eight must be adhered to strictly; any violation will be counted the same as a misspelled word. 3. If words are found unchecked, they should be marked with a cipher. 4. Every word which the student checks for himself will deduct one; every one checked with a cipher will deduct five; any correction whatever made in the column will deduct ten. Remarks. "The old adage, Eyes are better than ears', nowhere holds good with greater force than in learning to spell." Familiarity with words as written, such as will give the knowledge of all the letters and their proper position, is necessary to the power of writing them correctly. Such familiarity is obtained only from frequently seeing and writing them. The only way to produce words accurately is to make them familiar to the eye; hence the well-known fact that persons who read much, as compositors, or write much, as copyists, invariably spell correctly; hence also the common practice, when people are in doubt between two forms of words, to write them both, when the eye instantly decides on the right way. Discovery of mistakes. The detection of every mistake with least loss of time is of the first importance. Careful examination of each slate by the teacher is most likely to secure this, but it is open to the fatal objection that it occupies much time and leaves the class idle. In some schools monitors are appointed to examine the slates and to correct the mistakes. This, apart from the difficulty of getting properly qualified monitors, is objectionable, as yielding the monitors no adequate re turn for their long and irksome task, to which must be added the possibility of unfaithfulness. The plan of allowing the children to inspect each other's slates is open to serious objections, not the least of which is the distrust it seems to imply. Sometimes the children compare their slates with the lesson in the book, or written on the black-board; a plan which has the advantages of throwing the labor on the child, and of having the corrections made at the same time: all that is needed being a vigilant oversight, to see that it is faithfully done. But the method which to our mind is the best, is to dictate but one or two sentences, and then to have each sentence spelled through, either by the teacher or by the scholars in turn, every mistake being underlined. The correction of mistakes should appeal to the eye, not to the ear. Pains should be taken to ascertain the cause of any common defect. For this purpose the word should be written on the black-board, and alongside of it the correct form; the two should be compared and the cause of the mistake discovered. Often this will be a lesson on the structure of a class of words, and probably prevent similar mistakes afterwards. After this has been done, the whole class should write the word in its correct form, and then the words should be dictated afresh; if any now have mistakes, they should be required to write the words. three or six times, according to the degree of carelessness shown. Sometimes it may be well to direct the children themselves to write correctly the words they have underlined, this making them attentive while the words are being spelled. But, as a general thing, this is open to the objection that it appeals to the eye, and Corrections. that it does not occupy the children who have spelled it correctly. METHODS IN SPELLING I. Constructive Method The teacher should request the pupils:- (b) To construct with block or card letters. (e) To tell the silent letters. (f) To spell the words by the name of the letters. (g) To use each word correctly in a sentence. II. Objective Method The teacher should request the pupils : words. (a) To bring to school a number of objects of the same kind. (b) To examine them carefully. (c) To name the parts. (d) To spell and write words. (e) To tell the uses of the parts. (f) To introduce the word into a sentence. (h) To write a short composition, reproducing III. Definitive Method 1. Assign an object to every pupil. 2. Pupils find the meaning. 3. Pupils name the parts, qualities, uses, etc. 4. Pupils write a short composition, reproducing the words. IV. Composition Method 1. The teacher writes a certain number of words on the board, requiring the pupils to copy. 2. The pupils learn to define them. 3. The pupils use them in composition of a sentence. V. Geographical Method Require the pupils to spell the names of : (a) Countries. (b) States. (c) Counties. (d) Cities. (e) Towns. (f) Divisions of Land. (g) Divisions of Water. (h) Occupations. VI. Natural History Method Require the pupils to spell the names of (a) Animals, Minerals, etc. (b) Trees. (c) Fruits. (d) Flowers. (e) Vegetables. VII. Dictation Method 1. The teacher has Dictation Exercises once a week. 2. He dictates stories, descriptions, etc., to the pupils, who produce them exactly. Suggestions for the Above Exercise 1. Write your full name on the paper. 2. Number the sentences. 3. Construct every letter accurately. 4. Do not erase letters or words. 6. Do not write over letters or words. 11. The teacher or pupil writes the correct forms on the board. 12. Those who make mistakes in spelling, or in any of the directions, are required to correct them. 13. The teacher examines the papers; and 14. Finds the per cent. Remarks. These However thorough the drill in spelling may be from the lessons of the speller or reader, every teacher should have frequent and copious exercises in spelling words from other sources. should be words in common use, chosen as far as possible from the range of the pupil's observation, including the new words that arise in object lessons, in geography, arithmetic and grammar. The more difficult of these words should be written in columns on the board, and studied and reviewed with the same care as lessons from the speller and reader. Failures in spelling these words should be marked as errors, the same as failures in any other lessons. SUGGESTIVE METHODS IN SPELLING 1. Read a short sentence distinctly, and require every word to be spelled by the class,-the first pupil pronouncing and spelling the first word, the next pupil the second, and so on until all the words in the sentence |