LB ■i OUTLINES IN DICTIONARY STUDY ANNA L.RICE ■;_ ; -I ^B ': Class J_L£i^:jL(

n 5 (k)piglitlJ"_. l^-^ COPYRIGHT DEPOSm OUTLINES IN DICTIONARY STUDY FOR Fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh grades, BY ANNA L. RICE PRINCIPAL OF LINCOLN SCHOOL SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS m THE GREGG PUBLISHING COMPANY NEW YORK CHICAGO BOSTON SAN FRANCISCO LIVERPOOL COPYRIGHT, 1920, BY THE GREGG PUBLISHING COMPANY D 5a ©GI.A570470 PREFACE These outlines have been prepared for the use of teachers in grades four to seven inclusive, and cover as much of the subject of dictionary study as can profitably be taught to pupils of these grades. It has been demonstrated that fourth-grade pupils can do the work here outlined not only with an intelligent understanding of the subject, but with keen enjoy- ment of it. In this grade, therefore, it seems wise to lay the necessary foundation for more advanced work, and begin the actual study of the dictionary. It has also been demonstrated that if this work be carried on as outlined through these four grades, pupils not only acquire ability to use the dictionary, but develop a strong inclination to use it. Thus the dictionary habit is formed early in the child's life, a habit which is of great value to him while he remains in school, and of even greater value to him when school days are over. The work as here outlined has been tested in actual practice for some years. It has been found to be perfectly possible to do what is outlined for each grade in the time designated, as soon as pupils 3 4 PREFACE of the fifth, sixth, and seventh grades are prepared to start on their own outHnes. More time will be re- quired the first year in these grades, as the work of the preceding grade or grades will have to be done also. But the older the children are the more rap- idly the ground can be covered. Teachers of these grades, using these outlines for the first time, are advised to follow their own outlines as far as possible, incorporating in the work outlined for them under each topic the work of the preceding grade or grades under the same topic; and making sure that no topic anywhere in the course is omitted. The teacher using any one of these outlines should make herself familiar with them all. It would be hardly possible to do the work of any grade well with- out having the whole plan clearly in mind. In studying these outlines teachers will observe that special emphasis is placed upon the following points : 1. Importance of Ear Training In teaching the sounds of vowels, syllabication, accent, and pronunciation, the child's sense of hear- ing must be trained. Imperfect pronunciation is fre- quently due to imperfect auditory impressions. A child must first of all hear correctly. It is sometimes necessary to speak or whisper a word very distinctly into a child's ear three or four times — as you would a PREFACE 5 note in music — in order to make him hear it right. When he gets the right sounds in his mind he will pronounce the word correctly. Indistinct hearing is often the cause of incorrect spelhng, also. When a child writes ''supprise" for the word ^^ surprise" you may be quite sure that he has always heard and pronounced the word as he spells it. 2. Effective Method of Teaching Sounds If the vowel and consonant sounds to be taught are placed in words, and if the words needing drill are placed in sentences, the pronunciation of each will be more easily acquired and remembered. This method should be followed not only in the lower grades, but throughout the course. The pronuncia- tion of isolated sounds and of unrelated words is of little educational value to the young, although as a means of rapid review in pronouncing words previ- ously taught, and for practice in using the dictionary, drill in pronouncing lists or columns of words has its place. 3. Intensive Study of the Dictionary Intensive study of the dictionary for a definite period of time each year has been found to give better results than are secured by giving infrequent lessons throughout the year, or even throughout a semester. 6 PREFACE Interest and enthusiasm are easily aroused and maintained when work moves rapidly, but not when it lags. 4. Daily Use of the Dictionary It is essential that the dictionary be used daily, if but for three or four minutes. During the period of intensive study it will of course be used to some ex- tent in each lesson. During the remainder of the year pupils should be required to make daily use of it in the composition and in the study periods. This they will do with far greater pleasure and profit because of the interest which intensive study has aroused. 5. Constant Reviewing In each grade, the work of the preceding grade should be skillfully incorporated by the teacher in the new work outlined. This is especially important in a study of this kind, where the formation of habit — not the mere acquisition of knowledge — is our aim. It is not intended that a whole lesson period should be spent on any one of the topics outlined for the grade. The teacher who adopts quite a different plan, and works along two or three lines in each lesson (always, however, making some use of the dictionary before it ends), will give the more in- teresting, and therefore the more profitable, lesson. PREFACE 7 Since everything pertaining to the dictionary and its use cannot be taught in the time given to this course, some forty-eight hours in all, teachers will have to guard against too many digressions. If, however, the work outlined for each grade is thor- oughly done, pupils completing the seventh grade will be able to use the dictionary and other books of reference with a considerable degree of ease and intelligence. For valuable suggestions and criticisms relative to this work, grateful acknowledgment is hereby made to Dr. Thomas M. Balliet, Dean of the School of Pedagogy, New York University. To the Teachers of Lincoln School, whose able cooperation made possible the testing of these out- lines at all points in actual class work, and whose professional interest in the development of the sub- ject has been both a help and an inspiration, the author hereby expresses her deep indebtedness. Anna L. Rice. GENERAL SUGGESTIONS 1. Before completing the work of any grade teachers should take special pains to make sure that pupils know where to find in their dictionaries ma- terial which may not occur in the dictionary proper, such as abbreviations, signs used in writing and printing, geographical names, etc.. to which they may have occasion to refer in the work of that particular grade. 2. Teachers should call the attention of their pupils to the illustrations which occur so frequently on the pages of both the small and the large dic- tionary, and should show them how the illustrations help to make clear the definitions. 3. Attention should be called to words which may be spelled in either one of two ways, such as theater, traveler, and indorse, and pupils should know that the form given first is in all cases the preferred form. 4. Pupils should also know that when two pro- nunciations of a word are recognized, preference is 8 GENERAL SUGGESTIONS 9 given to the first. This form is the one which they should be taught to use, especially in such simple everyday words as either, neither, been, cement, depot, rather, and the like. 5. With regard to the rules for spelling and syllabication included in these outlines, teachers are asked to keep in mind that it is the formulating of these rules, not the memorizing of them, that is important. The rules will have no educational value unless they are thought out by the children under the guidance of the teacher. 6. It is of great importance that the correct pro- nunciation of words should be taught without allud- ing to ways in which these words are mispronounced. The sound pedagogical principle which deters us from placing before children ungrammatical expres- sions, or words which are incorrectly spelled, applies equally to pronunciation. Children should never be asked whether this or that pronunciation of a word is correct, but rather: ''What is the correct pro- nunciation of this word?'' INTRODUCTORY NOTE This booklet on teaching the use of the dictionary in elementary schools has been prepared by the author, who is the principal of one of the best ele- mentary schools in the city of Springfield, Massa- chusetts. It has not only been carefully thought out, but bears the marks at every point of having been subjected to the practical tests of the classroom. As a matter of fact, it has grown out of the actual instruction given in this subject in her own school for a series of years. It seems to me to be decidedly superior to any other outline of such work now in print, and teachers generally will find it a very prac- tical, helpful guide. Thomas M. Balliet School of Pedagogy, New York University, New York. June 28, 1919. 10 OUTLINES IN DICTIONARY STUDY GRADE FOUR Minimum time required, one and one-half hours a week for eight weeks. Total, twelve hours. Note: The sound symbols used in this book to indicate pronunciation are those of the New International Dictionary. The Alphabet 1. Order of letters to be perfectly memorized by each pupil Fourth-grade children should learn to repeat the alphabet without hesitation or error, and to repeat it rapidly. Starting with any letter, they should be able to name one, two, or all of the letters following it without conscious effort. Most of this work should be individual. Before beginning this work teachers should write the alphabet on the blackboard, using the script form of the small letters, and writing them all on one line. A few strips of cardboard, on which the alpha- bet is written in the same way, should be provided for the use of pupils who for any reason may be unable to see the blackboard distinctly. 11 12 DICTIONARY OUTLINES These copies should be kept before the children in all the alphabet drills, and also when teaching the use of the dictionary, as long as any members of the class have need of them. As a rule, the visual memory is stronger than the auditory memory, but neither should be trained to the exclusion of the other. Since pupils can be tested individually by having them look away from the blackboard, there is no good reason why the alphabet should not re- main on it throughout the year. Indeed, this plan is commended to all teachers of fourth grade. 2. All script forms, both capitals and small letters, to he memorized also, so that they can he written without a copy As many penmanship lessons as are necessary should be devoted to practice in writing the alphabet. Observe what letters require most practice, and drill upon them. Q, X, and Z, both the capitals and the small letters, always require considerable practice, because they are so infrequently used in ordinary writing. These troublesome letters should be prac- ticed in words as well as by themselves. Vowels 1. Memorize the vowels in alphabetical order: a, e, i, 0, u. (Make no mention of w or y.) GRADE FOUR 13 2. Recall the long and the short sounds of each, using the diacritical marks. 3. Teach, in words, the sounds represented by these symbols: a, e, 6, oo, do. Do not present these sounds as something new. Recall the child's knowledge of phonics. Lead him to see that the only new thing is the mark over the letter or letters. Drill on lists of words containing these sounds, and use the words in sentences. Use the diacritical marks in all this work, in order that the mark and the sound it represents may become strongly associated in the child's mind. Spend a few minutes daily for a week on one of these sound symbols before teaching the next. When all the symbols have been thus taught they should be reviewed as often as necessary. Consonants 1. Recall the two sounds of c, of g, and of s. Explain respelling. Let pupils find in their dic- tionaries such words as cat, gem, and has, and dis- cover that the k sound of c, the j sound of g, and the z sound of s are all indicated by the respelling. Give them quite a number of short words in which these sounds occur; have them find the words in their dictionaries, observe the respelling, and pronounce them. 14 DICTIONARY OUTLINES 2. Have pupils also find in their dictionaries simple words containing ph, wh, qu, and x, and ob- serve the respelling. They will find that ph equals /, wh equals hw, qu equals kw, and x equals ks or gz. (Review of phonics.) Let them find in their dictionaries a number of short words like phiaL phantom, phonic, phlox, seraph, wheat, whey, whistle, quake, quench, quinsy, extra, convex, exist, and axle, words containing no new vowel symbols, and pronounce them as indi- cated by the respelling. Note: At this stage of the work, children cannot be expected to find words in their dictionaries without some help from the teacher. Our object in finding these words being merely to illustrate sounds, teachers should save time by naming the page and column where each of the words will be found. Syllabication For the present a syllable may be called ^'one of the parts of a word.'' 1. Teach pupils to recognize the number of syllables in the spoken word. Pronounce slowly and distinctly words of two, three, or four syllables, at first separating the syllables a little, but later pro- nouncing them in the usual manner, until they can readily determine the number of syllables in any ordinary word. Frequently pronounce a word of one syllable between the longer words. Explain GRADE FOUR 15 that words of one syllable, however long, are never divided in writing. Illustrations: through, strength, drowned, brought, which, asked, laughed, stretched. Emphasize this point by placing one or two rather long monosyllables in the spelling lesson each da}^ for at least a week, calling attention daily to the reason why they cannot be divided in writing. 2. The syllabication of written words should be taught daily in the spelling lesson. The words selected for this lesson should be separated into their syllables for presentation and study. In oral spell- ing, pupils should indicate the syllables by pausing between them. When finally written from dicta- tion, however, the words should always be written as wholes. If daily instruction in syllabication is given in the study and in the oral recitation of the spelling lesson, no special time need be spent here. The daily drill is by far the more effective. Teachers will often find it necessary to consult the dictionary in order to be certain as to the proper syllabication of words selected for the spelling lesson before placing them on the blackboard. In oral spelling insist upon correct syllabication by pupils. Accent The study of accent naturally follows the study of syllabication. Explain what is meant by accent. 16 DICTIONARY OUTLINES Train the child's ear to recognize the accented sylla- ble in the spoken word, and teach children to pro- nounce correctly written words in which the accent is marked. (One accent only in this grade.) Put lists of words on the blackboard and use spelling books. Fourth-grade children do not easily detect accent in spoken words and it is difficult for them to place it where it belongs when pronouncing written words. Therefore the teaching of accent in this grade should usually be limited to words of two syllables; but thorough work should be done with these. Note : For suggestions as to how the teaching of syllabication and accent may be combined, see Outline for Grade Five. The Hyphen Teach the uses of the hyphen: 1. When a word is divided at the end of a line in writing Since the division of words of more than one syllable occurs in practice mainly at the ends of hues, this use of the hyphen is best taught by using the ends of lines as examples. Children will thus learn to associate the hyphen with its most frequent use. 2. In compound words Teach the few compound words which fourth- grade children use in writing. No others. Possibly GRADE FOUR 17 the only ones which need to be taught here are the words to-day, to-morrow, to-night, good-hy, and com- pound words expressing number, such as twenty-five. Note: The hyphen is properly used only in the two ways indi- cated above. It should never be used to separate the syllables of words assigned for the speUing lesson. Pronunciation Work for clear enunciation and a pleasing tone of voice. 1. Drill frequently on common words often mis- pronounced, such as the following: often, again, against, nothing, forehead, mountain, hearth, bade, pillow, catch, eleven, fifth, which, loose, eighth, perhaps, drowned, height, almond, kept, column, attacked, apri- cot, doing, running, and other words ending in ing. Give special attention to words containing the long sound of u, such as new, avenue, and Tuesday. It is suggested that pupils study but one of these words a day, in order that their attention may be focused upon that word. Let them find it in their dictionaries, decide upon its correct pronunciation, and use it orally in sentences, pronouncing it dis- tinctly. As one by one the correct pronunciation of these and similar words is mastered by the class, the teacher might write them on the blackboard under some such heading as the following: ''Words 18 DICTIONARY OUTLINES We Can Pronounce. Try Us." Or, ^' We Specialize on These Words." Teachers should keep in notebooks lists of the common words most generally mispronounced by their pupils, to add to the list here given. 2. Call attention to the key words. Have the children read and become familiar with them, the teacher supplying the correct pronunciation of words which contain sound symbols not yet taught. Un- consciously these symbols and the sounds they indi- cate will become associated in the child's mind. Much individual work needs to be done here, as children will be taught from now on to refer to the keyline whenever in doubt about the pronunciation of a word. This is simple ear training, and should be taught as the scale in music is taught. In order that children may understand the value of this work, give them a few short but unfamiliar words to find in their dictionaries, and show them how to get the pronunciation of each syllable by re- ferring to the respelling and to the key words. En- courage them to independent effort in this direction. Meaning of Words Fourth-grade children should not be referred to their dictionaries to learn, unaided, the meaning of a word which may have, as noun, verb, or adjective, a GRADE FOUR 19 number of different meanings. The study of defini- tions is too difficult for this grade, though simple work can be done under the guidance of the teacher. The other work outlined is of such fundamental importance, however, that it seems wise to spend all the time upon it, and leave definitions for the higher grades. Use of Dictionary 1. The use of the dictionary should be begun in the first lesson, and it should be continued daily throughout the year. The children who have a dic- tionary at home know its main uses, which are: to tell us how to spell words, how to pronounce them, and what they mean. Children should first be led to discover that all words beginning with the same letter are grouped, and that these groups are ar- ranged according to the letters of the alphabet, that is, alphabetically. Having learned these facts, let them compare the number of pages given to the various letters (in a general way), and afterwards find out what letter comes in the middle of the book, what one halfway to the middle, and what one halfway between the middle and the end. Indicate very clearly, in the alphabet on the blackboard, the letters thus found. Indicate them also on any other copies of the alpha- 20 DICTIONARY OUTLINES bet which pupils may be using. Then drill for a few minutes upon opening the book quickly at a given letter. Continue this drill daily until pupils have learned to find a given letter quickly. 2. Suggestive lessons As soon as the alphabet is thoroughly memorized, pupils are ready for work of this kind: (a) Write on the blackboard two words begin- ning with the same letter, but in which the second letters are different, such as catch and crowd. Tell the children that you are going to teach them how to decide which one of these words comes first in the dictionary. Explain that when the first letters are the same they are to look at the second letters. To know which one of the above words comes first in the dictionary they have only to know whether a or r comes first in the alphabet, because all the words in the dictionary are arranged in exact alphabetical order even to their last letters. (b) After much practice with words like the above, give them two words like stick and stone, in which the third letters have to be considered. The teacher can go further, and the brighter pupils will understand, but the class as a whole will not follow her clearly. It seems better, therefore, to go no GRADE FOUR 21 further than is here suggested in this grade. This work is not only fundamentally important, but in- teresting as well, and teachers should do as much of it as their classes need. Some work of this kind might well be done in almost every lesson. (c) Write on the blackboard two words such as fable, freedom. Be sure that the words you select are so far apart alphabetically that many common words come between them. Then ask the children to tell you some words which they are sure will be found between these two words in their dictionaries. They should form the habit of giving .the reason why, in each case. For example, if a child gives the word fence, he should be able to add: ^^ Because /e comes after /a and before /r." Mistakes will be made, and at first very fre- quently, but children should always be helped to understand why their words are not accepted. It is suggested that the words accepted as correct be written in a column between the two words on the blackboard, and later rearranged alphabetically with the teacher's help. 3. Take dictionaries. Call attention to the ''catch words" at the top of each page. Pupils should look elsewhere on the page for these words, and discover, after examining several pages, that these ''catch words" or ''page headings" are always 22 DICTIONARY OUTLINES the first and the last words on the page. Explain how this saves time in finding words. Begin to teach children how to find the page a given word is on by looking at the page headings only. Give much practice in finding the page a given word is on with- out actually finding the word, in order that children may form the habit of using the page headings. 4. Give lists of words (different initials) to be arranged by pupils in alphabetical order without help, but not more than ten or twelve words at first. This can be done in connection with the first lessons on the alphabet. Later, in connection with the lessons just outlined, four or five words beginning with the same letter may be given each day for alphabetical arrangement. This work should always be verified. Rules for Spelling Teach the following rules for spelling in this grade, and while so doing select words illustrating them for the spelling lessons. Note: These rules are not to be stated to the class, and then illustrated by examples, but should be discovered by the pupils under the guidance of the teacher, by reasoning inductively from lists of words. Rule 1. Words ending in silent e generally omit the e when they take an ending beginning with a vowel, such as ing, able, ed, etc. GRADE FOUR 23 Ex., write, writing; love, lovable; place, placed; guide, guidance. The e in these words is generally retained when they take an ending beginning with a consonant, such as less, ly, ment, etc. Ex., care, careless; love, lovely; state, statement; use, useful. Rule 2, (Precede by explanation of the expression '^ compound word.") The two parts of a compound word are usually spelled as when they stand alone. 'Ex., fireworks, windmill, bookcase. When, however, the word full becomes the second part of a compound word it loses the last I. Ex., handful, truthful, cheerful, spoonful, cupful. Suggestion: It will be good daily practice in all grammar grades to have the two or three most difficult words which are to be assigned for the next spelling lesson looked up by the pupils in their dictionaries, pro- nounced distinctly, and copied from the dictionaries, before the lesson is placed on the blackboard. Cor- rect spelling is practically assured by clear, distinct pronunciation, and a few minutes' attentive study. 24 DICTIONARY OUTLINES GRADE FIVE Minimum time required, one and one-half hours a week for eight weeks. Total, twelve hours. Incorporate in the work outlined for this grade under each topic, a review of that of the preceding grade under the corresponding topic. (See Preface, Point 5.) The Alphabet Complete the work begun in grade four. Make sure that before leaving this grade every child is thoroughly familiar with the order of the letters, and can write all their script forms without a copy. Given any letter, he should be able to name the one preceding or the one following it, or both, with but little hesitation. Quiz daily for a while, until you can name any letter and get quick responses. For example, the teacher says d, and the child responds c, d, e; when r is named he says g, r, s, etc. Placing the given letter between the one which precedes and the one which follows it requires more familiarity with the alphabet than does the drill suggested for grade four. But both will help. Practice, in the penmanship lessons, words con- taining the letters g, x, and ?, both capitals and small letters. GRADE FIVE 25 Vowels 1. Teach, in words, the following sound symbols: a, a, 6, u. As indicated by the diacritic, the sound represented by 6 is between the o in not and the o in orb. Care should be taken to teach a and 6 cor- rectly. These two sounds are more difficult than a and vl, A practical and effective way of teaching these sounds is to select short, common words in which they occur, and place these words in phrases. This method of teaching vowel sounds is commended to teachers of all grades. Sounds taught in this way are more readily recalled when children come upon them in their oral reading. The following phrases illustrate the method: at the last moment when the dance was over always asking questions a path through the woods long blades of grass the high cost of living enough cloth for a coat with a song in his heart only a dog gone to the rescue 26 DICTIONARY OUTLINES 2. Explain what a diphthong is. Show that oy equals oi, and that ow equals ou. Occasionally ask for a word containing a diphthong lest pupils forget the meaning of the word. 3. Drill pupils individually on the key words. Teachers should aim to perfect each child's pro- nunciation of these words and to help him form the habit of referring to the key words when in doubt as to the sound indicated by any diacritic. Ask children for words having the same vowel sound as one of the key words, and train their ears to dis- tinguish words in which these sounds exactly cor- respond. Explain rime. Call for words which rime with each other. Make sure that '^respelling" is understood by every member of the class. Syllabication 1. Teach that a syllable is a part of a word pro- nounced by a single impulse of the voice ; and that it may consist of but a single vowel, as in the words again, and idea. 2. Continue ear training. Pronounce many com- mon words distinctly, and call upon pupils to spell them by syllables. Put words on the blackboard and have pupils pronounce them and indicate by oral GRADE FIVE 27 spelling where they should be divided. Make note of errors made by members of the class in dividing words in their written work, and have correct divi- sion made by the class. Incidentally, as examples occur, call attention to the simple rules noted below, and apply them whenever opportunity occurs, both in the spelHng lessons and in this work. Before leaving grade five pupils should know, and be able to apply, these rules: Rule 1, The members of a compound word may be separated in writing. Ex., post man, farm yard, mill stone, bee hive. Rule 2. Do not separate in writing two letters (whether vowels or consonants) which have a single sound. Ex., or phsLii, sing er, boil er, thick er, ash es, cow ard, arc/iing. Rule 3. Vowels coming together but sounded separately belong to separate syllables. Ex., a or ta, sci ence, a e ri al, i de a. Note : Do not call attention, in this grade, to exceptions to above rule. Rule 4' Every written syllable must contain a vowel or a diphthong. Therefore, words like thought, through, scratched (because the e is silent), drowned, 28 DICTIONARY OUTLINES (same reason), wrought, and strength, since they con- tain but one vowel sound, have but one syllable, and so cannot be divided in writing. The work done in the fourth grade under Syllabication leads to the formulation of this rule. It is suggested that a game like the old-fashioned spelhng bee may be made of exercises in syllabica- tion. This, like the spelling bee, would serve to intensify interest by linking the work with the fighting instinct. Accent The teaching of syllabication and accent may be effectively combined, thus : The teacher pronounces the word remarkable. The pupil called upon replies, ^^ Remarkable is a word of four syllables. The accent is on the second syllable." Give many words of two, three, and four syllables (which have but one ac- cented syllable) having pupils reply as suggested. This can be done with shorter words in grade four. Associate accent in speech with accent in music, and lead children to realize how monotonous either would be without it. If the class is prepared to take up words having two accented syllables in this grade (and if time per- mits), suggestions for further work will be found in the outline for the sixth grade. GRADE FIVE 29 Pronunciation Insist upon clear enunciation and good quality of voice. 1, Common Words. As in grade four, the teacher should make note during the year of the common words most generally mispronounced by her pupils. These words should be made the subject of special dictionary study, as suggested in the Outline for Grade Four. Present hut one of these words at a time. Have all find the word in their dictionaries, analyze it into its separate sounds, and decide upon the cor- rect pronunciation. The word should then be used in sentences until this pronunciation becomes fixed. Some words suggested for special study are : athletic, library, February, surprise, mischievous, recognize, probably, lightning, genuine, laugh, laundry, Italian, soften, recipe, almond, pumpkin, several, elm, umbrella, figure. Words containing the long sound of u (commonly mispronounced ob) require constant correction in all grades. The habit of pronouncing such common words as new, dew, avenue, duty, tune, Tuesday^ and the Hke, correctly, will come only by quiet insistence on the teacher's part that they be pronounced cor- rectly in daily conversation. '^Che pronunciation at stated times of lists of words^ quite isolated from 30 DICTIONARY OUTLINES thought has little effect upon one's habitual pro- nunciation of these words in conversation. 2. Unfamiliar and New Words, Continue to train pupils to get the pronunciation of unfamiliar words for themselves by applying their knowledge of diacritical marks and by referring to the keyline. In selecting unfamiliar words for them to look up and pronounce it is well to have in mind — on the principle that prevention is better than cure — words upon which older children, and even adults, stumble, such as finance, portiere, parliament, syndicate, neu- ralgia, cupola, casualties, etc. They should also look up and learn to pronounce such words as dirigi- ble, aeroplane, camouflage, sabotage, hangar, dicto- graph and vaudeville, words which they should under- stand and be able to use in conversation but which they do not as yet use to any extent in writing. Here, also, call attention to but one word at a time, placing it in a phrase or sentence. By glancing ahead over the day's lessons in reading and in history, words will suggest themselves for this work. 3. Words from Dictionaries. Have occasional practice in pronouncing columns of words from the dictionary — individually, of course. Children will enjoy this work, which is a practical application of all they have been taught in their dictionary lessons. GRADE FIVE 31 Meaning of Words Until the parts of speech are learned pupils cannot be referred to their dictionaries for definitions to any extent. Here, as in grade four, they should do this work only under the guidance of the teacher. It is probably best to leave most of this work for higher grades. Use of Dictionary Review and continue this work as outlined for grade four, still emphasizing the importance of the page headings. To form in children the habit of rely- ing upon these, continue to give them practice in finding and naming the page a word is on, without actually finding the word. This work may be made very enjoyable to children, and their mental activity stimulated, by making a game of it, — class competing with class, boys with girls, or row with row. For this purpose each child should have dictionary, paper, and pencil on his desk. At the word '^Go^' a list of words on the blackboard is uncovered, and the children find and note the page each word is on, standing when they finish. The list should not be a long one, as children will want to *'play the game" several times. Another ''game" which children will enjoy may be played as follows : Have all the dictionaries on 32 DICTIONARY OUTLINES the desks. Call upon a child to go to the black- board, open his book at random, and copy one of the page headings. As children think of a word which must be on that page they stand, and the teacher writes on the blackboard the words they name. The child naming a word must stand ready to tell how he knows the word is on that page, if questioned. If there is a disagreement about any word, dictionaries should be consulted, and the point which caused the children to differ should be explained jby the teacher. Of course, the child who thinks of a word first (if right) wins, and takes the other's place at the board. Lists of from five to fifteen words should frequently be given the class for alphabetical arrangement. Make the work a little harder than in grade four by having many or all of the words begin with the same letter. After all understand how to do this, and have acquired some facility in doing it, test row with row, or boys with girls, for speed. RULES FOR SPELLING Review the rules for spelling taught in grade four, teaching, in connection with the rules, the spelling of a great many common words ending in ful, ing, ly, ed, lesSj able, etc. GRADE SIX 33 The purpose of this review is to lead pupils to formulate these rules over again. See Note under Rules for Spelling, Outline for Grade Four. Each day have the two or three most difficult words which are to be assigned for the next spelling lesson looked up in the dictionaries, the separate sounds given, and the words pronounced, used in sentences, and copied. (Place but one word before the class at a time.) GRADE SIX Minimum time required, including ''Word Study," which is mainly language work, one and one-half hours a week for eight weeks. Total, twelve hours. Before beginning this work teachers are referred to Point 5 in Preface. The Alphabet Give a few five-minute drills to make sure that all have mastered this fundamental part of dictionary study. See OutHnes for Fourth and Fifth Grades. Vowels 1. Review all vowel sounds previously taught, preferably placing words containing these sounds in sentences for practice. Test pronunciation of in- dividual pupils and let them criticize each other. 34 DICTIONARY OUTLINES Pay special attention to the pronunciation of words containing a, 6, and u. A great deal of the work out- lined for these grades is ear training, and as in music, so in speech, pupils should early become sensitive to inaccuracies. Of course this teaching will not amount to much unless it is lived up to outside the period devoted to this work. It is by imitation and practice, not by doctrine, that correctness of speech is acquired. The teacher's English, her enunciation, her voice, should be a constant guide to her class, and the day's work affords many opportunities for suggestion and correction. 2. Teach that the semi-macron (-^), when placed over amy vowel, indicates a sound approaching the long, or name sound, of that vowel; and that it is used in unaccented syllables only. If pupils are taught to pronounce a vowel so marked as nearly like the long sound of that vowel as they can, they will probably get it right. Give practice in pro- nouncing words containing a, e, o, u. Explain how a silent vowel is indicated in the dictionary. Syllabication See explanation of word ''syllable" on Outline for Grade Five, which is sufficiently definite for this grade. 1. Teach pupils, when dividing words at the end of a line, not to let the first or the last syllable stand GRADE SIX 35 alone if it is a single letter. Ex., a fraid, a pricot, bush y, slipper y. Where may apricot and slippery be divided in writing? 2. Teach pupils that the endings ness, less, like, ship, tion, sion, and ment always form final syllables. Ex., hap pi ness, care less, child like, pen man ship, auc tion, di men sion, judg ment, 3. Study words ending in ed. Write on the blackboard a long list of these words, making sure that in some the e is sounded, as in founded, con- tented, etc., and that in others it is silent, as in walked, drowned, attacked, etc. Have pupils apply their defi- nition of a syllable, ^'sl part of a word pronounced by a single impulse of the voice, '' and discover why the ed forms a syllable in some of these words and not in others. Then have this list of words (or another list) copied with the division into syllables indicated. Pronounce many words of both kinds to the class, and have them tell you how many syllables each has and where it may be divided. Do thorough work before leaving this, as the habit of dividing ed from the rest of the word when it does not form a separate syllable, is one of the commonest mistakes made in writing by children of the elementary grades. 4. Review rules for syllabication given in the Outline for Grade Five and make many applications. 36 DICTIONARY OUTLINES The Hyphen Refer to Note under Hyphen in Fourth-Grade Outline. Recall the two proper uses of the hyphen. Call the attention of pupils to the light hyphen used in dictionaries to separate syllables, and explain that the hyphen is not used for that purpose outside the dictionary. A heavy hyphen between the two parts of a compound word indicates that the hyphen is to be used in writing that" word. Dictionaries should be used to illustrate these points. A few common compound words in which good usage still requires the use of the hyphen are here given. Pupils will be less likely to forget how to write these words if they are required to find them in their dictionaries, and if they be placed — a few at a time — in the regular spelling lessons. brand-new lady's-slipper time-table looking-glass half-mast bull's-eye cross-stitch cat's-paw rolHng-pin right-angled trade-mark web-footed rocking-chair time-work forget-me-not light-hearted man-of-war round-shouldered merry-go-round cross-question GRADE SIX 37 Accent Note: Children find this work hard, and it will require time and patience on the teacher's part. Avoid all special difficulties by carefully selecting words for study in advance of the lesson. Select a list of words having two accented syllables. Avoid words having two equally accented syllables (called ''even accent")- Also avoid words having two secondary accents. Pronouncing these words slowly and accenting them distinctly, train pupils first to distinguish the two accented syllables. (See suggestion in Outline for Grade Five for teaching syllabication and accent combined.) When they can tell readily which syl- lables are accented, pronounce each one over again —perhaps several times— until pupils can tell you which syllable has the strong, and which the weak, accent. (Simple ear training, just like the strong and weak accents in music.) When pupils are fairly keen in distinguishing the difference in accent, give the names, primary and secondary, and pass on to the next topic, giving the class practice in pronouncing words with two ac- cented syllables in connection with your work in pronunciation. 38 DICTIONARY OUTLINES Pronunciation 1. All the diacritical marks needed (with the respelling) for the pronunciation of any word, have now been taught. Children should be tested indi- vidually upon the key words, and those who have difficulty in pronouncing any word correctly should have special help. 2. Doubtless the sixth-grade teacher has ready her list of the words commonly mispronounced by her class. See Outline for Fifth Grade for suggestions. 3. Continue to give pupils difficult or unfamiHar words to look up in their dictionaries, to study and pronounce independently. Occasionally have a word analyzed into its separate sounds in class. 4. Give pupils much practice in pronouncing col- umns of words from their dictionaries. Emphasize clearness of enunciation and good quality of voice in all this work. Drill on common words containing the long sound of u, especially new, news, newsboy, newspaper, renew, neutral, Tuesday, duty and dew. Meaning of Words Begin the study of definitions. Starting with words used as one part of speech only, and having but one meaning, such as postage, quire, eider, hawser, mantel, sidle, autograph, etc., and using, of course, the GRADE SIX 39 dictionaries with which pupils are provided, pass to words having two, three, four, or more meanings (but still words used as one part of speech only), such as diameter, grape, entry, day, golden, mallet, crew, notion, honest, simply, etc. Do not limit work to the few words here given. Explain that in all cases the first definition given is a statement or explanation of the earliest meaning of the word; and that very gradually, through the course of many years, it has come to have the other meanings given. {Webster.) Then pass to such words as head, merit, jam, master, collect, name, graze, cross, grasp, etc., words used as two or more parts of speech. Taking as an illustra- tion the word head, pupils will find that it has a num- ber of meanings when used as a noun, and other meanings when used as a verb or as an adjective. Children will now see that they cannot look up the meaning of any word intelligently without first knowing what part of speech it is; and that when they have this necessary knowledge they will be able to find for themselves the meaning of words which they do not understand. The recognition of this fact should, and doubtless will, quicken their interest in the study of grammar. The teacher will, of course, have to supply this information until pupils can dispense with her help. 40 DICTIONARY OUTLINES Give as much time as your schedule will allow to defining words. Have children find, in their history or reading lesson, a word they do not understand, and let the sentence containing the word be read aloud. Tell them, if they are unable to decide, what part of speech the word is as there used. Have pupils turn to it in their dictionaries, and, consider- ing the several meanings in turn (if it has more than one), decide by a study of the context which one is 'Hhe meaning that fits.'' This work may be made extremely interesting, and the discrimination and good judgment which it demands make it excellent mental training. Pupils should know that all abbreviations which they may come across in the dictionary are explained on the page opposite the first page of A's. They should learn the abbreviations for the different parts of speech as they are studied. They should also be told (as the singular and plural forms of nouns have been taught before the sixth year) to look for the singular form always, in looking up any noun in their small dictionaries. If the plural form is irregular, or if an irregular form might be expected, the plural form will be given after the singular. If it is not given, it is because it is formed in the usual way. GRADE SIX 41 Word Study 1. Pupils should have much practice in writing in sentences the words given in the following lists, and a few similar words. Drill thoroughly on the words in columns a and b without making reference to the words pronounced like them. Afterwards drill in the same manner on the words in columns c and d. (a) (b) (c) (d) whole would hole wood flower steel flour steal bow write bough right waist great waste grate too wait two weight way pain weigh pane their stair there stare knew berth new birth bear night bare knight pour wring pore ring peace threw piece through made heal maid heel fair forth fare fourth These homonyms are selected because they are obviously such as must be familiar to sixth-grade pupils. Until both words (write, right) or all the words (pear, pair, pare) have been taught separately 42 DICTIONARY OUTLINES and used by pupils in their written work, they should not be presented in pairs or groups. This principle applies to the teaching of homonyms in any grade. Such homonyms as faint, feint, and duel, dual, should be avoided in elementary grades, as the second word of each pair is a word for which pupils have as yet no use in writing; and the result of teaching these words as homonyms now would be to confuse their thinking when they might have occasion to use the word faint or the word duel. Familiar homonyms may be made the basis of interesting oral language work. Let the teacher pronounce any one of the words in the list here given, and call upon a pupil to give a sentence illustrating either one of the two words so pronounced, spelling the word he uses. If his use of the word, and also his spelling of it, is correct, he calls upon another pupil to spell the homonym, and illustrate its use in a sentence. If this pupil's work is correct, the teacher names another word, proceeding as before. Or the teacher may give a sentence using any one of the words, and the pupil called upon may spell the word used in her sentence. Various interesting ways of studying these words orally will suggest themselves to teachers, who should, however, bear in mind that children are taught to spell words only in order that they may be able to write them. Oral GRADE SIX 43 teaching should be combined with much practice in writing these words in sentences. For this written drill the dictation exercise is commended. 2. Study a few common words which are often wrongly used for one another. Consult dictionaries, and have sentences given in which each is correctly used. Continue drill by using them in your dicta- tion exercises. The following are suggested for study : awful and very; funny and strange; think and guess; may and can; in and into; large, big and great; good and well; had and badly; teach and learn. Teach and learn need special attention. Use of Dictionary 1 . The children have now acquired some facility in using their dictionaries. From now on, these books should lie on their desks during the composition period, and the ''guessing'^ habit should be frowned upon. Pupils should form the habit of referring to their dictionaries whenever in doubt about the spell- ing or syllabication of any word, and later on for synonyms or any needed information about a word which they wish to use. Train pupils to use the quickest method of finding a word. After glancing at the page headings, and 44 DICTIONARY OUTLINES deciding what page the word they want is on, teach them to glance at the first word in each column, and decide in which column it will be found. Give con- siderable practice in having page and column given before locating the word in order to establish the right habit, the one that saves time. To require children to tell you a few words which will be found under given page headings is especially good training. (See in Outline for Grade Five devices for making this work interesting.) Explain the importance of understanding the alphabetical arrangement of words, and of being able to find a word or title quickly, not only in the dic- tionary, but in all reference books, in city and tele- phone directories, in library and all card catalogues, in voting lists, etc. Tell pupils how letters are filed in offices. Continue to give lists of words and also lists of names (some beginning with the same and some with different letters) to be alphabetically arranged. Make lists longer and more difficult than in grade five. 2. Begin to study and use the large dictionary. Explain why the page is divided, and in a general way tell pupils what words are above, and what be- low, the line. Perhaps the best rule for this grade is to look first above the line for any word. If it is not there, then look below the line. In almost every GRADE SIX 45 case it will be found above the line. Call attention to the fact that the one page heading answers for both parts of the page. Show pupils where to look for geographical and biographical names (for every- thing else they should look in the dictionary proper), and where to look for the meaning of abbreviations used in this book. The pictures and diagrams in the New International Dictionary are especially valu- able. See that all pupils are given opportunity to browse a little in this book, and they will discover for themselves how much of interest is to be found in the pictorial illustrations. All this teaching will require some time, as it must be accompanied by practice. Encourage pupils to consult the large dictionary for information not con- tained in their desk books, and see that all acquire some facility in using it before they leave the grade. For definitions, however, it will be best to continue using the smaller dictionaries almost exclusively. So many definitions are given in the unabridged edi- tion that children of this grade are more confused than helped by its use for that purpose. Rules for Spelling Teach the following rules inductively, as the result of studying many words ending in y, and of learning to spell those words. 46 DICTIONARY OUTLINES Note: Before teaching these rules teachers are asked to refer to the suggestions for teaching them given on the page of "General Suggestions," and also on the OutUnes for Grade Four and Grade Seven. Rule 1. Words ending in y preceded by a conso- nant usually change y to i before any termination not beginning with i. Ex., icy, iciest; mercy, merciless; tidy, tidiness; reply, replies; try, tried; pity, pitiful. Note: The y is kept before a syllable beginning with i in order that two i's may not come together. Ex., try, trying; copy, copyist; herry, berrying. Rule 2. Words ending in y preceded by a vowel usually retain the y before any termination. Ex., play, plays, player; obey, obeying; joy, joyful; stay, stayed; gray, grayish. Note: Proper names ending in y do not come under the above rules for spelling. The y in all these words remains unchanged when s, the only termination ever used, is added. Ex., Mary, Marys; Henry, Henrys; Guy, Guys. Rule 3. How to choose between ei and ie. When ei or ie has the sound of e, the following rule generally holds good. After c, the combination is ei, Ex., ceiling, receive, deceit. GRADE SEVEN 47 After any other letter than c, the combination is ie, Ex., believe, grieve, chief. As in preceding grades, make it a daily practice to have the two most difficult words selected for the spelling lesson given orally to the class, to be looked up by each child for himself and copied from his dic- tionary. This insures daily use of the dictionary and is good for the spelling. GRADE SEVEN Minimum time required, one and one-half hours a week for eight weeks. Total, twelve hours. Since much of the work here outlined is language as well as dictionary study, the time can profitably be extended. It is recommended that teachers begin '^Special Grade Seven Work" at once, reviewing ^' Vowel and Consonant Sounds," one or two at a time, at the beginning of each lesson. Vowels and Consonants 1. Briefly review all vowel and consonant sounds taught in the preceding grades. Try to perfect pupils^ pronunciation of the words in the keyline. 48 DICTIONARY OUTLINES 2. Attention of pupils may be called to the letters w and y, which are not always vowels or always consonants. Before touching upon this the teacher should study carefully what is said about these letters in the Unabridged Dictionary under '^A Guide to Pronunciation." Most of this is too difficult for the understanding of grammar-grade pupils, and therefore for this grade it may be re- duced to the following, or omitted entirely: F, when equal to /, is a vowel. It may have, as a vowel, any one of these three sounds : The long sound of ^. Ex., my The short sound of i. Ex., myth The sound of i in fir. Ex., myrtle The wavy line over e, i, or y indicates the sound of e in fern. Ex., her, sir, myrrh. Y, when not equivalent to I, is a consonant. Ex., yes, year, heyond, vineyard, your, yeast. As a consonant, it will be seen that y occurs at the beginning of a syllable. As a vowel, it occurs in the middle or at the end of a syllable. W is never a pure vowel. It may combine with a vowel to form a diphthong, as in the words cow, dew, GRADE SEVEN 49 few, new, flower, town. Be careful what words you add to this Hst. TF is a consonant in such words as we, wood, re- ward, dwarf, twelve, window, away, etc. W is silent before r in the same syllable: Ex., write, wring, awry. Accent If pupils have not observed that in certain words the accent is sometimes on the first syllable and sometimes on the second, have them look up a few words like rebel, present, conduct, permit, and perfect; and after discovering that this is so, let them as- certain the reason. Sentences should then be written illustrating the two ways in which these or similar words are used. Correlate this work with the work in language and spelling. Words containing both primary and secondary accent will doubtless require further attention in this grade. Syllabication Complete the child's idea of a syllable, which is defined as ^' a vowel or diphthong, either by itself or combined with one or more consonants, and pro- duced by one impulse of the voice." (Do not, how- 50 DICTIONARY OUTLINES ever, teach this definition.) Recall Rule 4 under '^ Rules for Syllabication/' Outline for Grade Five. No further time is allowed here. This work should, however, be continued throughout the grades in connection with the spelling lessons. Teach, with the spelling, the proper syllabication of each word, and insist upon its correct division in oral spelling. (See ''The Syllabication of Written Words, '' Outline for Grade Four.) Special Work for Grade Seven If the work of the preceding grades has been well done, the first object of this course of study has been practically accomplished. Pupils have acquired ability to use their dictionaries, and they have also acquired a certain degree of facility in using them. From this point on, the work should be correlated more closely with the language work of the grade; and while continuing the daily study and use of the dictionary, pupils should see clearly that the work they are doing in the dictionary period has a definite and practical relation to their work in oral and written language. • The work outlined on the follow- ing pages will, it is hoped, accomplish to some extent the object we have in view, which is: To create interest in dictionary study as a means to, not as an end in, education. GRADE SEVEN 51 Word Building Teach the meaning of the words prefix and suffix. Taking a simple root word, and using a prefix, suffix, or both, build a familiar word, as break, un- breakable. Explain the meaning of the prefix un and of the suffix able. Using the same prefix and the same suffix with other words, such as thinks change, teach, answer, speak, desire, tenant, and bear, have pupils define the words thus built. In a similar way, using other root words and other prefixes and suffixes, build other words. Every prefix and suffix used should be clearly defined and should be used with a number of root words, so that its meaning will be remembered. A knowledge of the meaning of common prefixes and suffixes will unlock the meaning of many a word which the child comes upon in his silent reading. Much interest can be created in this work, and much profitable work done; but keep in mind that the awakening of interest is the main thing. Before children^ose interest in this work pass on to the next topic. This suggestion applies to the work under any topic. This work should be correlated with the work in spelling. Let children have the pleasure of making an occasional spelling lesson out of the words they build. Call attention here to the fact that prefixes 52 DICTIONARY OUTLINES and suffixes may be separated from the body of the word in writing, though this rule is noted further on. A few common Anglo-Saxon root words are here noted for the teacher's convenience: /ree, heart, bright, send, hope, come, lamb, true, talk, take. And, merely as suggestions, a few words made from the above: freedom, heartily, heartless, bright- ness, missent, hopeful, become, coming, lambkin, un- truthful, talker, retake. Some Common Prefixes and Suffixes thermo over super tri auto inter mal mono sub omni extra semi (hemi) circum contra fore trans un mis bi dis re deci milli pre Suffixes hood or ish scope like dom ess graph ship er ful itis ness less ly able (ible) teen some kin ment fold ing est most Note: Prefixes and suffixes, whether of one or two syllables, may be separated from the body of the word in writing. GRADE SEVEN 53 Right Use of Words (Dictionary Study) 1. Continue to study homonyms, teaching only those most commonly used by pupils in their written work; but teaching those thoroughly, and always in phrases or sentences. 2. The following adjectives are often misused, and should be made the subject of special dictionary study and class discussion, combined with both oral and written work : nice, elegant, grand, awful, wonder- ful, lovely, great, fine, real. 3. Other words often misused are the following: these, those, them, got, each, every, both, any. (Teachers will be limited by time only in this work.) Synonyms Seventh-grade pupils should begin to discrimi- nate between words similar in meaning, but fine dis- tinctions cannot, of course, be attempted here. Select for this work words which have a clear, definite meaning in the child's mind. The following words are suggested as suitable for this grade : strong, weak, story, teach, tall, rich, blunder, comical, thrifty, precise, struggle, polite, healthy, cautious, assist, reply, conceal, accept. Explain that a synonym is a word while a defini- tion is an explanation of the meaning of a word; and 54 DICTIONARY OUTLINES illustrate each by many examples, else pupils will confuse synonyms with definitions. Illustration: The word stray. To stray means to go out of the way. This is a definition. The words rove, roam, and wander are synonyms of stray, since all these words are nearly alike in meaning. '^The child strayed from home, and was lost.-" Substitute each synonym in turn for the word strayed, and decide which one is most nearly like it in meaning (in this sentence). Do enough work of this kind to make the word synonym clearly understood before asking pupils to think of synonyms for given words, and do not ask for more than one or two synonyms for any word. Spend enough time on this work to open the children's eyes to the possibilities which a study of English affords. Call their attention to the fact that one great difference between good writing and poor — as also between good speaking and poor — lies in a person's ability to choose just the right word to express his meaning on all occasions. Pupils should choose their words more carefully as their vocabulary enlarges, and for this purpose should refer to their dictionaries more frequently in the composition period. GRADE SEVEN 55 Pronunciation Place emphasis upon clear enunciation and good quality of voice. Keep up practice in pronouncing columns of words from the dictionary, and continue to correct faulty pronunciation in the manner outlined in the preced- ing grades. To the teacher's list, made up of the errors of her own pupils, any or all of the following words may be added: advertisement because cellar catch diamond every gooseberry Chicago column commandment doth effort forbade (bade) glisten (Usten) hearth herb inaugurate Italian literature mischievous naked national overalls pageant preface quay salmon long-lived (i) soften soon (60) sword telegrapher tiny tortoise 56 DICTIONARY OUTLINES vase weapon while yolk bronchial neuralgia bouquet brooch chestnut deaf faucet genuine Iowa dessert depot dog February- fiord grimy half history hospitable italic leisure mock moisten nothing often perspiration poem really root route since suite surprise Thames their ) there ) toward whether which want wound Arctic kept (swept, etc.) Alphabetical Arrangement of Words Continue giving lists of words to be alphabetically arranged, though not so frequently. Make the lists GRADE SEVEN 57 as hard as possible. This is good work for pupils to do before school. Always have the correct list read or written on the blackboard when the work is finished. Study and Use of the Unabridged Dictionary As pupils come to know the parts of speech they will be able to use the dictionary quite independ- ently; but teachers will have to supply this informa- tion until pupils acquire it. Teach the abbreviation used for each part of speech as it is studied. 1. Review Sixth Grade Work (See Preface, Point 5) Remind pupils where to look for biographical and geographical names. All other words will be found in the dictionary proper. Their attention should also be called to the pictorial illustrations in the back of the book, and interest created in them. 2. The '^ divided page" may need further ex- planation. The rule given in grade six, '^Look first above the Hne for the word you want; if it is not there look below the Une, " is good at the start; but children will find it interesting to know what particular in- formation is to be found above, and what below, the dividing Hne. Therefore give them practice in look- ing up fictitious and Bible names, Christian names, mythological names, abbreviations, and foreign 58 DICTIONARY OUTLINES words and phrases, until they become fairly keen in knowing where to look for these things. 3. Explain the term obsolete, and teach the ab- breviation used for it. Call attention to the great number of these words in the lower section of each page. Children will be interested in the thought that English is a live, growing language; that new words are constantly coming into use and old ones dying out. Discuss the use of slang in this connection. 4. Let pupils look up a few nouns having ir- regular plurals, and discover that their plural forms are given in the dictionary. When they have studied verbs, adjectives, and adverbs, show them that all the irregular verb forms, and the irregular comparisons of adjectives and adverbs, are also given here. Remind them, if they have forgotten, where to find the list of abbreviations used in the dictionary. 5. Explain etymology, or derivation, and have pupils note that this information is always bracketed. Children will find this part of dictionary study very interesting if the teacher is careful to choose words the derivation of which they can understand. The following words are suggested as a beginning because the derivation of each is interesting: holiday, handkerchief, breakfast, daisy, Christmas, chapel, candidate, book, knave, linoleum. GRADE SEVEN 59 Explain what is meant by '^Common Christian Names. '^ Note the derivation and meaning of a few. Let the children look up any name in which they are interested. The habit of observing the derivation of words willjhelp children to remember their meanings. Incidentally, they will learn from what languages most English words are derived, and the meaning of some root words, prefixes, and suffixes. 6. When studying a word from the large dic- tionary, the attention of pupils should be called to the quotations which illustrate some of the ways in which that word is used by eminent writers of English. These quotations, Hke the picture illus- trations, help to make the definitions clear, and pupils should form the habit of reading them care- fully. The study of one or two well-chosen words at this point will prove extremely interesting work, and will provide the best kind of a review. But one word should be studied in a lesson, and not more than two or three need be studied in class. The special object of this work is to show pupils how much of interest is to be found in the study of a single word, and to smooth the way for their spontaneous work in this line. The review, though important, is secondary to the object stated. 60 DICTIONARY OUTLINES If the outline here given is followed, use will have to be made of the unabridged dictionary, as many of the questions necessitate reference to that book. All the pupils but one will have to use their desk dic- tionaries. The one chosen to use the large dictionary should have a good voice, should be able to enunciate distinctly, and should have had some practice in using the book as well, or the exercise will be marred. If no such pupil is available, it will be best to have all that the large dictionary contains concerning the word to be studied written on the blackboard where all members of the class can see it. Some teachers will prefer this method in any case. Oral Study of a Word (Choose a noun for this exercise.) Is this word a common noun or a proper noun? How does the dictionary answer this question? How is it pronounced? (Study the respeUing.) Is more than one pronunciation of this word recognized? If so, which one should you use, and why? Is more than one form of spelling recognized? If so, which form ought you to use, and why? How is its plural form spelled? (If it has a plural form.) GRADE SEVEN 61 From what language or languages is this word derived? Has the word a prefix that you recognize? If so, what is it, and what is its meaning? Has it a suffix that you recognize? If so, name that and give its meaning, also. Can you tell in what way the various definitions of this word are arranged?* What is the earliest meaning of the word? Is the word still used in this sense? Have any of its meanings become obsolete? If the word should become wholly obsolete, where would it be placed in the dictionary? (Omit this question unless using Webster's dictionary.) Is this word used in a colloquial sense? What does *' colloquial'' mean? Is any one of its meanings marked "rare^^? Is this word used as a noun only? Has it any synonyms? If so, what are they? Are any compound words formed with it? Can you recall a sentence illustrating any one of the meanings of this word? Can you construct one? * In the historical order, so far as has been ascertained; that is, as the various meanings have gradually become attached to the word. (Webster) .. In the order of usage; the most common meaning being given first if a word has more than one meaning. (The Standard) 62 DICTIONARY OUTLINES Teach the speUing of the following words which pupils may need to use in writing: alphabet, syllable, accent, primary, secondary, vowel, consonant, diphthong, hyphen, dictionary, synonym, abbreviation, obsolete, prefix, suffix, definition, pro- nunciation, keyline, derivation, derivative, termination, key word. Note : The practice of daily referring pupils to their dictionaries for the spelling of a few of the most difficult words which are to be assigned for the next speUing lesson is commended to teachers for two reasons : it focuses attention on the words most likely to be misspelled, and it also insures daily use of the dictionary. Rules for Spelling (To be taught inductively) Note: In using rules for spelling, teachers should bear in mind that the only function of the rule is to rivet attention upon the speUing, and that memorizing of the rule does not take the place of extensive drill in spelling. Rule L Words of one syllable, ending in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel, generally double the last consonant when a syllable beginning with a vowel is added. Ex., big, bigger; sit, sitting; red, reddish. Rule 2. Words of more than one syllable, ending in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel, generally double the final consonant when a syllable GRADE SEVEN 63 beginning with a vowel is added, if they are accented on the last syllable. Ex., permit, permitted; begin, beginning; forgot, forgotten. But, if accented on the first syllable, the final con- sonant is generally not doubled. Ex., travel, traveler; merit, merited; ravel, raveling. Rule 3. Monsyllables ending in ie (die, lie, tie), change ie to y before ing to prevent two i's from coming together. Ex., die, dying; lie, lying; tie, tying. Rules for Syllabication Rule 1. When a consonant is doubled before a termination, the division comes between the conso- nants so doubled. (Teach this rule in connection with the first part of Rule 2 above.) Rule 2. A syllable should not begin with x (sound- ing like ks or gz) or with an r preceded by a or e, Ex., anx ious; ex am ine; par ent; av er age. 64 DICTIONARY OUTLINES SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS FOR GRADE TESTS (As actually given in school) FOURTH GRADE 1. Write the letters of the alphabet in their order. (Small letters.) 2. Write the vowels in alphabetical order. V/rite a word to illustrate the name-sound of each ' vowel. Mark the vowels. 3. Mark the vowel in each of the following words: play, nut, ice, fat, me, trot, use, old, hut, in. 4. Mark the a in star; the oo in bloom; the e in mercy; the o in horn; the oo in hook, 5. How many sounds has cf Write a word illus- trating each. How many sounds has g? Write a word illus- trating each. Write a word illustrating the long sound of u. 6. Divide the words which follow into their syllables : mother sister saucer careful goodness sparrow helieve paper laughing Friday SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS 65 7. Why cannot the words brought, thought, and asked be divided in writing? 8. Mark the accented syllable in the words below : A pril, pen ny, di vide, ter ri hie, o hey, 9. There are two words at the top of each page in your dictionary. What does the left-hand word tell you? The right-hand word? 10. Below are five words. Draw a line under those which will be found between cent and crah in your dictionary: cave, coast, cut, chart, clove. 11. Arrange the words which follow in alphabetical order : thread music hasket airship house lantern violin clover June island sunshine picture diamond fairy garden rohin kitten evening orchard winter 66 DICTIONARY OUTLINES 12. Add the syllable ing to the following words: love, ride, write, walk, take. Add the syllable ed to the following words : live, add, save, divide, climb. Not more than ten questions to he given. It is suggested that not more than five he given at a time in this grade. FIFTH GRADE 1. Dictation: (To test pupils 'ability to apply rules for spelling.) writer driving writing divided careless statement lovely handfuls lovable truthful 2. Write the letters of the alphabet in their correct order. (Capitals.) 3. Name the vowels in alphabetical order. What are all the other letters called? 4. Mark the vowel in each of the following words: share, past, duty (the u), cost, furl. 5. Write a word containing a diphthong. Draw a line under the diphthong. SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS 67 Write a word in which g sounds like j. One in which c sounds hke k. One in which s sounds hke z. One in which ph sounds hke /. One containing long u. Where may the following words be divided in writing? Copy them, leaving spaces be- tween the syllables. postman hopeful berries merrily writing elephant violin beUeved seventeen wringer Copy the words which follow, and mark the accented syllable: f am i ly de fend pen in su la bi cy cle A mer i ca die tion a ry re ceiv ing in hab it ant un der stand Eu ro pe an Arrange in alphabetical order: aboard airship Aladdin aster apple action amber average 68 DICTIONARY OUTLINES agree anchor admire arch axis afoot ajar ahoy akimbo author aquarium aeroplane 10. Name five words that will be found between the words babe and banner in your dictionary. How do you know they will be found there? 11. Copy the following words* Saturday; Wednesday; Massachusetts; drowned; alphabetical. Say each word slowly to yourself, and decide how many syllables there are in it. Write the figure which indicates the number of syllables under each word. 12. The two words at the top of a page in your dictionary are the words kindliness and knight- hood. Where else on this page will each of these words be found? Not more than ten questions to be given* f Preferably but five at a time. SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS SIXTH GRADE 1. Write the letters of the alphabet in their order. (Both capitals and small letters) 2. Write five words, each illustrating a different sound of a, Mark the a in each word. 3. Copy the following words, leaving spaces be- tween the syllables: (If any word consists of one syllable only, underline it.) baseball telephone attacked idea sitting drowned tongue vowel sleepy brightness Mark the accented syllables in the following words : ac count in ter fere pleas ant con ver sa tion de ter mine nee es sa ry nev er de ny ac ci dent trust wor thy 70 DICTIONARY OUTLINES 5. When a word has two accents, what is the strong one called? The weak one? Mark the accents in the word hor i zon tal. 6. What common word is the same as the long sound of t^? Write two words containing long u, and mark the u in each. 7. The catchwords on a page in your dictionary are j)atty and pebbly. Name five words that must be on this page. (Write no compound words.) How do you know these words will be on this page? 8. Use the following words correctly in short sentences : hear, here their, there to, two, too pare, pear, pair (One sentence for each word.) 9. Arrange in alphabetical order: sapphire sand sack salad sage saddle sandpiper savage Sabbath sash safety sawdust SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS 71 sample Saxon sardine saucer say satin sailor sake 10. How is the plural of words ending in y formed? Give illustrations. Is the y in proper names changed to form the plural? Give the plural form of Henry. 11. Where in the large dictionary would you look for information concerning Mount Shasta? For information about Thomas A. Edison? 12. Should any of the following words be divided in writing? If so, which ones? If none, why? apron heavy 13. unite ocean adrift mighty item idea ivy awake !ark the vowel in the accented syllable in each of the following words: liberty trifle army defend costly careful attack grass story fernery 72 DICTIONARY OUTLINES 14 Name a word ending in ed in which the ed forms a separate syllable. Name one in which the ed does not form a separate syllable. 15. Divide the following words into their proper syllables: attended attacked interfered misspelled drowned satisfied contented stirred walked permitted Not more than ten questions to he given. SEVENTH GRADE 1. Write a word in which 2/ is a vowel; under it, a word in which y is sl consonant. 2. What is a union of two vowel sounds in one syllable called? Illustrate by a word. 3. What is a word of one syllable called? Of two syllables? Of three syllables? Of more than three syllables? What does each of these prefixes mean? 4. What class of words cannot be divided in writing? Name five words, of at least six letters each, belonging to this class. SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS 73 5. Copy the following words, leaving spaces be- tween the syllables, and marking the ac- cented syllables : farmyard attacked beginning drowned anxiously example Wednesday quickened parent aeroplane 6. Mark both primary and secondary accent in the following words: Mas sa chu setts ap pend i ci tis auc tion eer bro ken-heart ed al pha bet ic al Note: Say each word slowly to yourself several times before marking accents. 7. Write five words, each containing the long sound of u. Can you pronounce these words correctly? 8. Write five sentences, using one of the following words appropriately in each: wonderful, real, awful, great, got. 9. (a) Write a word formed with a prefix. UnderHne the prefix and tell what it means. (b) Write a word formed with a suffix. Underline the suffix and tell what it means. 74 DICTIONARY OUTLINES 10. On the divided page of the unabridged dic- tionary, would you look above or below the dividing line (a) For the meaning of a French or Latin phrase? (b) For the meaning of your Christian name? (c) For information about some noted person? (d) For the meaning of an obsolete word? (e) For geographical and biographical informa- tion? 11. What is a synonym? Copy the following words, writing one synonym after each word. reply happy story conceal fault thrifty choose pluck completely pleasure 12. The page headings on a page in my dictionary are crah and crane. Name five other words on this same page. 13. Will the abiUty to find a given word quickly in your dictionary help you in other ways? Tell in what ways, if any. 14. (a) Explain the difference between a definition and a synonym. SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS 75 (b) Define the word '^fearless.'' Give a syn- onym for it. 15. Change the word hope by means of a suffix, and define the word made. Change the word true by means of a prefix, and define the word made. Not more than ten questions to he given. BIBLIOGRAPHY Teachers of all grades will find the books noted below of especial interest and value in connection with the subject of dictionary study. Manual of Good English By H. N. MacCracken, President of Vassar College and Helen E. Sandison, Instructor in English, Vassar College Chapter One. Words Chapter Six. Spelling The Standard of Pronunciation in English By Thomas R. Lounsbury Late Professor of English, Yale University The Making of English By Henry Bradley One of the Editors of the Oxford Enghsh Dictionary The Growth of English By Henry Cecil Wyld Baines Professor of English Language and Philology? University of Liverpool English Usage By J. Lesslie Hall Professor of English Language and Literature, Col- lege of WiUiam and Mary 76 BIBLIOGRAPHY 77 English Synonyms and Antonyms By James C Fernald Editor of the Standard Dictionary Self-CuUivation in English By George Herbert Palmer Alford Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus, Harvard University The Art of Writing English By J. M. D. Meiklejohn Late Professor of Education, University of St. An- drews Chapter Eight. Precision in the Use of Synonyms Chapter Twenty-one. Some Common Errors in English and in Grammar Every-Day Words and Their Uses By Robert Palfrey Utter Associate Professor of English, Amherst College