WORD STUDY 



known, word building begins. The picture 01 a cat is shown, 

 and the word is placed upon the blackboard. The, sounds 

 are given, the children discovering almost immediately that 

 cat contains the same combination, at, with which they have 

 just been working. A hat is shown the children, the sounds 

 of the word are given, and the word is quickly classified with 

 cat and at. The accumulation of words now proceeds rap- 

 idly and pleasantly. The phonogram at being well known, 

 the drills are really to teach the children the consonant 

 sounds that precede in the various words, cat, rat, Nat, hat, 

 mat, bat. The children must become thoroughly familiar 

 with these consonants, for much depends upon the knowl- 

 edge now gained. 



New phonograms, as, it, et, ut, ot, follow. Every day's 

 lesson is introduced by a three or four minute drill on those 

 already learned, sets of cards being a convenient way of 

 conducting a rapid recitation. As lists of words are made 

 out, it is well to have the pupils define the words they give, 

 especially if there is any probability that they are giving 

 sounds in place of known words. Although the definitions 

 may be crude, the vocabularies will be strengthened by the 

 new familiarity with the words. 



After the study of the phonogram at, there are taken up 

 those formed with the vowels and b, as, ab, eb, ib, etc.; 

 then with d, as, ad, ed; with g, as, ag; with m, as, am; with n, 

 as, an, en. The pupils are now ready to study the long vow- 

 els. Many of the words already listed can be used, as, at, ate; 

 fat, fate; mat, mate; met, mete; pet, Pete; bit, bite; not, 

 note; cub, cube. Other sounds of the vowels can now fol- 

 low, and diphthongs begin to appear. 



In spelling, the children first learn to distinguish forms 



