HARRINGTON'S GRADED SPELLING-BOOK-PART L A GRADED SPELLING-BOOK BEING A COMPLETE COURSE IN SPELLING FOR IN TWO PARTS BY H. F. HARRINGTON SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS, NEW BEDFORD, MASS NEW YORK: CINCINNATI CHICAGO AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY PREFACE. THE old-style spelling-books have fallen into merited dis repute. It is felt to be irrational and wasteful of time to drill children on words of whose meaning they have no idea, and a large number of which they will never have occasion to use. The substitutes thus far provided are not satisfactory; for they merely reproduce, in modified forms, the artificial framework of the old-time books, or else are so unmethodical that the instruction they afford is irregular and incomplete. Our pupils must have a spelling-book; but it must be made on right principles. It must be clearly illustrative of the natural laws of intellectual progress, and its pages, therefore, be attractive to the learner. This "Graded Spelling-Book" claims attention because constructed on this rational basis. It possesses the following distinguishing characteristics: I. It is grounded on the laws which govern the growth of a child's intelligence and his acquisition of an available vocabulary. This basis demands, first, that the words prescribed for study shall be selected, not according to the number of their syllables, or to any other artificial arrangement, but according to the order in which, as the child advances in knowledge, they may be apprehended and used; second, that every word that is to be spelled shall first be presented in intelligible connection with other words, so as to give a clear conception of its meaning. II. Since the usefulness of knowing how to spell is limited mainly to connection with what one writes, it is plain that correctness must be determined by the eye rather than by the ear. This demands that the orthography of such words as are in most familiar use, and such as apply to familiar things-which are therefore most likely to be employed in letters to friends and other common forms of written composition-should receive especial attention, and be permanently impressed on the memory. Oral spelling is comparatively of little worth. This treatise has been thoughtfully and conscientiously prepared with a view to the fulfilment of these requirements. III. Furthermore, it 18 hoped that the usefulness of the work will not be limited to its service as a spelling-book. It is believed that the exercises will be found interesting and instructive, as well as varied and progressive, and that they cannot fail, if faithfully practised, to give the pupil an unusual and correct command of language, both in speaking and writing, and to put him in possession of a vocabulary that will enable him to read intelligently the newspaper, the magazine, and the best of other current literature. August, 1880. H. F. H. SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS. ACCORDING to the design of this book, the pupil who begins it is supposed to have some knowledge of writing. Spelling has mainly to do with written work. The first contact of a pupil with a word to be spelled should be when writing it in intelligent connection with other words. The impression of its form will thus be made far more effective and abiding. The proper way in which the lessons should be learned is as follows: The sentences of a lesson are first to be copied by the pupil from the book, so that both eye and hand shall have fair command of the forms of the words. The special words to be spelled are then to be copied, in a disconnected list, and studied. At recitation, if the pupils are sufficiently advanced for such an exercise, the teacher may first dictate the sentences to be written out by the pupils their own books being closed-and then require the words to be spelled orally from the written copies. This will closely associate oral with written work. Special directions for the elliptical and other peculiar forms of lessons will be found in the body of the book. If, under any circumstances, it should be inconvenient to pursue this method of study, the teacher can simply read the sentences of a lesson to the class, and require only the special words for spelling to be written. But it is strongly recommended that the whole method as explained be carried out. The book begins with sentences printed in script form, while the words to be spelled are in both print and script forms. This is for the purpose of enabling the beginner to associate the two, and finally to substitute the one for the other at will. It is a waste of time to require a pupil, however young, to reproduce print forms. |