834 TriANSAcrioxs of the A3lerican Institute. 



this task lie has been spared during liis first steps ; now he is better 

 able to grapple with it, and even has the advantage of tliose who 

 have leai-ned in common print ; for he has acquired that cultivation 

 of the eye, and that proof-reader's and Latin scholar's habit of noticing 

 the minute peculiarities of words and letters, which will make all his 

 reading a most eftective spelling lesson : for, however useful and 

 needful the spelling-book may be, it is by observant reading that 

 good spelling is acquired. 



This system has been in actual use for al)out two years in St. Louis. 

 All those provincialisms, improper pronunciations and indistinct 

 articulations which are so prevalent in this section, especially among 

 cliildi-en whose parents are of foreign birth ; all those vices of speech 

 which cost the most persistent and long-continued drill to eradicate 

 in after years, seem to be filtered out. 



A good way to learn and teach the sounds is by such exercises as — 

 Miri ra m m me I sun nun not. 

 First say him ; then, without opening or moving the lips, repeat m 

 three times ; then say me. So, repeat 7*. three times without moving 

 the tongue. Do the same with the other sounds ; but for h d j g^ 

 2? t ch Ic, i oi ou w, er wh x, the lips or tongue must move. 



The sounds may be taught first in oral lessons, Avithout using the 

 letters ; but it seems better to use eye and ear together from the 

 veiy outset, and teach the sounds while pointing at the printed 

 letters. 



Do not practice sound lessons too long at a time, or in too loud a 

 voice. Make them brief and frequent. With moderately loud 

 tones, but a quick, lively, distinct utterance, the exact sounds will 

 be better distinguished and acquired, and the vocal organs of both 

 teacher and pupil will be, not strained, but strengthened and 

 improved. 



The words the, a, should never be pronounced alone, as separate 

 words, but should always be taken in connection with the words to 

 which they belong ; as, the mmi, a hoy, the ox. This will secure the 

 proper sound, the light, brief sound, of these vowels. Special forms 

 of letters are not needed for these, or the other brief, unaccented 

 sounds, as believe, rc^ceive, ability, capacity, separate, to be, to-day, 

 ^'clock, &c. 



Teach the pupil the difference between spelling by tlie names of 

 the letters, and spelling by sound, but let hiiu confine himself to the 

 latter while using this book. 



