J79 GIFT OF CONCRETE INVESTIGATION OP THE MATERIAL OP ENGLISH SPELLING DECEMBER, 1915 Published By THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA Vermillion http://www.archive.org/details/concreteinvestigOOjonerich CONCRETE INVESTIGATION OF THE MA TERIAL OF ENGLISH SPELLING With Conclusions Bearing on the Problems of Teaching Spelling BY W. FRANKLIN JONES, Ph. D. Head of Department of Education University of outh Dakota Price by Mail 10 Cents $1 per dozen; $6 per hundred Published By THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA Vermillion CONCRETE INVESTIGATION OF THE MATERIAL OF ENGLISH SPELLING If there is any subject of study in the common schools whose teaching has been a disappointment to teachers themselves, that subject is spelling. In spite of new and improved methods of teaching spelling; in spite of more time spent upon spelling; and in spite of some reforms in English spelling, students throughout the eight grades continue to disappoint us in their spelling. Then,too, high school students still alarm us with their bad spelling; the letters of business men do not come up to the standards we have set; and even the college graduate is not immune to the spelling plague. The pioneers in the field of concrete spelling investi- gation have added further evidence. As far back as 1897 *Rice demonstrated the futility of the popular spelling drill; and *Cornman, five years later, showed us that the hours spent on the usual spelling books are liberally wast- ed. (However we may criticise the work of these investi- gators today, we must concede that they did establish the fact that spelling teaching was, and without question it still is, defective.) This is a formidable array of evidence against our teaching of spelling; and from every quarter comes the cry, "What is the matter with our spelling teaching?" The answer to this question may come from either or both of two sources; namely, (1) our spelling material may be badly selected, just as our materials in reading and arithmetic, and so on, once were; (2) our methods of handling spelling material may be at fault. When, how- ever, we note the different methods that have been used in teaching spelling in the last few years, and apparently with no great difference in ultimate success, it would seem that it is time for us to begin the serious investiga- * — See Bibliography, page 28. i CONCRETE INVESTIGATION OP THE tion of our spelling material. We still need investigations in the field of method. The methods of presenting spell- ing lists, the methods of studying these lists, the methods of testing spelling efficiency, the length of the spelling as- signment, the length of the study period, the grading of words, and so on, are still in need of careful study; and we are fortunate in having the recent studies of Wallin, Suzzallo, Pearson, and others in this field. On the other hand, comes the serious question, "Are the spelling lists which we are giving our students good or bad?" Are these lists made up of words which our children actually use, grade by grade, in their own free written speech? or are they full of words which are as far beyond these chil- dren as our reading and arithmetic materials once were? It is this significant question which prompted this re- search. Restated, this question presents the following problem. PROBLEM What words, grade for grade, do children use in their own free written speech, and what words, therefore, do they need to know how to spell f MATERIAL AND HANDLING The material used in this investigation consisted of the approximate writing vocabularies of 1,050 grade stu- dents, approximately 150 students per grade above the first (first grade omitted for the reason that so little writ- ten work is done in this grade that it is hardly possible to derive writing vocabularies). The 1,050 students were divided among four states, one-third from Illinois, one third from Maryland, and one-third from Iowa and South Dakota. The writing vocabularies were derived as fol- lows : Regular teachers were asked to have the students write daily themes, under regular school conditions, and on any topics of interest to the students. The directions given were ( 1 ) that the topic for any theme be announced when the students were prepared to write, (2) that MATERIAL OF ENGLISH SPELLING 5 the teacher was expected to stimulate the work by asking any questions she pleased, using only the simplest speech, (3) that care be taken not to assign any topic on which any student had recently done any reading (the purpose here was to avoid reading vocabularies), (4) that the stu- dents be given any usual cautions for theme writing, but not allowed to know that the manuscripts were to be used for other purposes, (5) that the students should be given at least five minutes to think on the topic before begin- ning to write, (6) that the time given to the thinking and writing together should be not more than thirty minutes, and (7) that the work be made as inviting to the students as possible. The theme writing was begun in the third month of the school year and continued until the vocabu- laries were completed. Over-aged students in any grade were allowed to write, but their manuscripts were not used in this work. A second grade student was counted over age for this work if over 8 years months at the beginning of the school year, a third grade student over age if over 9 years months at the beginning of the school year, and so on. The following are given as samples of theme topics selected at random, grade by grade: 2nd grade. — The (play) house I should like. 3rd grade. — What I expect to do when I am a man (or woman). 4th grade. — How I spent my last vacation. 5th grade. — What I did last Saturday. 6th grade. — My visit with grandpa. 7th grade. — The study I like best. Sth grade. — How I came to tell a lie. The number of themes varied. The words used by each student were listed separately as the themes came in. By the time most of the students had handed in forty themes the flow of new words had almost ceased. New words were then sought by varying the themes so as to reach into new and varied fields of experience. When such means of inducing the student to use new words had 6 CONCRETE INVESTIGATION OP THE failed to give results for eight or more themes, then the student's word-well was counted approximately dry, and it was assumed that the list recorded constituted the ap- proximate writing vocabulary of the student. DATA The number of themes per student ranged from 56 to 105, the students in the higher grades usually requiring both more and longer themes in order to drain their word- wells. The total number of themes written and examined was a little over 75,000, and the themes averaged a little less than 190 words. The total number of words record- ed from all themes, counting each word as many times as it occurred, was approximately 15,000,000. Finally, while there were 15,000,000 words used by the 1,050 students in writing 75,000 themes, averaging 190 words, the total number of different words was but 4,532. (For spelling purposes the words "have" and "hav- ing" ; "refer," "referred" and "referring" ; "mimic," "mim- micked" and "mimmicking" are different words. A stu- dent may misspell any one of a series and not another. This deviation from the usual method of counting words is therefore followed in this study. Any word formed by the simple addition of "s" or "ed" to another word, with little chance of misspelling, was not counted a separate word. ) The 4,532 different words used, grade by grade, are given in the following lists. No word is repeated in the lists, but any given word is assigned to the lowest grade in which at least two per cent of the students (3 out of 150 students) used it. No word was recorded in any grade unless it was used by at least two per cent of the students of that grade. About 200 words in all were ruled out because they were used by only one or two stu- dents. MATERIAL OF ENGLISH SPELLING SECOND GRADE above about ache aches aching across add afraid after afternoon again against ago ahead air alive all already alone along always am among an and ankle another answer answered any anything anywhere apple apron are arm around as ashes ashamed ask asked asleep at ate August aunt automobile awake away awhile ax babies baby back backwards bad ball balloon banana band bank bantam barbed wir bare barefooted bark barked barking barn barrel bashful basket be bead bean bear beat because beautv bed bee been beg begging begged began begin beginning begun before behind behave behaved believe believed bell belong belt bend bent besides best bet better between Bible bicycle big bigger biggest bill bird birthday bitter bite bit black blackberries blade blame bled bleed blind blister blistered block blood bloody blow blowing blue board boat bobwhite boil boiled boiler bone bolt bonfire bonnet bony book boost boots bore bored borrow borrowed both bother bothered bottle bottom bounce bounced bouncing bow box boxes boy bought bound bowl braid branch branches brand bread break breakfast breast breath breathe breathing bridge bridle brick bright bring broke broken broom brother brought bruise bruised brush bubble bucket buckle buckled bud bug buggy build built bull bump bumped bun bunch bur burn burned burst bury buried bush bushes bushel busy but butcher butter butterfly buttermilk button buy buzz by cabbage cage cake calf calves call called calling came can candy can't cap car care careful careless card carpet carry carried carries cart cat catch caterpillar cattle caught cellar cent center chair chalk chance change changed chain chained chart chase chased chasing cheat cheating cheek cheese cherry cherries chew chewed chewing chicken CONCRETE INVESTIGATION OF THE child crack door children creek double chimney cover dove chimneys covered down chin crawl dozen chop crawled drag chopped crawling dragged chopping cream dragging chores cradle drank church cracker draw churn crazy drawing churned creep dray churning crept dream Christmas crib dreamed cigar cried dreaming cigarette cricket dress cigarettes cry dressed circus crooked dressing city crop drew claim cross dried claimed crowd drink clap crow drinking clapped crowed drive class crowing driving claws crumb drop clean crust dropped clerk cup dropping climb cupboard drove climbed curly drown cloak curtain drowned clock cut drum close cutting drunk closet cute dry clothes damp duck cloud dandy dug cloudy dandies dull clover dare dust clown dark dusty coach day dying coaches dead each coast dear ear coasting deer early coal December earlier coat deep easy coax depot easier coaxed desk easiest cob did east coffee didn't eating cold dig eat collar digging edge color die edges colt died ess comb difference elbow combed different else combing dime either come dinner elephant ' coming dipper end cook dirt engine cooked d i'rty empty cooking dirtiest emptied cooky dirtier enough cookies dish erase cool dishes eraser core ditch even cork dizzy ever corn do every corner doctor everybody cost does everything cough doesn't excuse could doing excused couldn't dog eye count doll eyes counting dollar face country domino fairy cousin dominoes fair cow done fairies coward don't fairground fall falling far farthest farther farm farmer fast fasten fastened faster fastest father fault February feather fed feed feeding feel feeling felt feet fell fence fetch fever few held fight fighting figure fill filled filling find fine finger finish finished fire first fish fished fishing fist five fix fixed fixing flake flag flax flew flies fly float flock floor flour flower hying foam fodder fold follow followed following fool fooled fooling foot football for forenoon forget forgot MATERIAL OF ENGLISH SPELLING fork four fountain found fourth fox foxes fresh freeze freight friend freezing Friday fried frisky fry from. front frost froze frying full fudge fun funny funniest fuss fussing further fuzzy gain gallon game garden garter gate gave geese get getting girl give glad glass glasses glove gloves gnaw gnawing gnawed goat go God goes going gold gone good good-by goose gooseberries gopher got grab grabbed grass grasshopper grandma grandpa grapes gravy grease greasy great green grew grind grinding gristle ground grow growl growled guess guessed guessing gum gun hack had hailed hailing hair half halter halves hammer hammock hand handful handkerchief handle hang happen happened happy hard harness harnessed harvest has hat hatch hatched hatchet hat( hated haul hauled hauling have have to having hawk hay harrow harrowed harrowing he head hear heard heart heavy heavier heaviest hedge heel held help helped helping hen her here hello hid hide high higher highest hill him hire hired herself himself his hiss hit hoe hoeing hog- hold home honest honey hood hook hooked hoop horse horn hot hotel hour house houses how howl howled hundred hung hungry hunt hunting hurry hurried hurt husk husked husking I ice if in inch inches Indian inside instead invite iron ironing ironed is isn't it itch itches its .iackrabbit jail jar jarred jelly Jesus jerk jerked juice jump jumped jumping just keep kept kettle kev kill killed kind king kiss kissed kitchen kite kitten knee knees knew knife knives knob knock knocked know knot knuckle knuckles ladder laid land lake lame lamb lamp language lantern lap lapped lapping large last late lath laugh laughed laughing lay lazy lead leading leaf leak lean leaves learn learned learning leather leave led leg leggings left lemon lemonade lend lent less lesson let letter lick licked licking lid lie lied lies light lighter life lightning like likes limb lion 10 CONCRETE INVESTIGATION OF THE limp line lines lip listen listened listening little live lives load loaf loaves long longer longest lock locked lose loose lost look looked looking lot loud lounge love low lumber lump lucky lunch mad made mail make making mama man mane many marble march marched marching mark marked match matches may be meadow me meal mean meant meat medicine melt melting meet melon men met mice middle might mile milk milked milking mill mind mine minnows millet minute minutes noon Miss nor miss north missed nose mitten not mix nothing mixing notion mixed now mock numb mocked nut mocking number Monday nurse money oak monkey oats monkeys oatmeal mole o'clock month of molasses off moon offer more offered morning often most. oil moss oiled mother oiling motion old mountain older mouse oldest mouth on move once moved one moving only mow open mowed opened mowing or Mr. orange Mrs. oranges much organ mud orchard muddy other mules ought muskmelon our music out mumps outside mush over muss overalls mussed owl must own my owned myself owner nail overcoat nailed overshoes name oyster nasty paddle naughty page near paid nearly pail neat paint neck painted need painting needle pair negro pan negroes pancake neighbor pansy neither pants nest pantry never papa new paper next papered nice papering nickel parade nickname parasol night park no parlor noise party noisy parties nobody parrot none part passed paste pasted pasture pat patted patch path paw . pay peanut peach peaches pear peacock peas peck peel peeled peeling peep peeping peeped pen pencil people pepper period pet petted petting pelt pick picked picture piano pie pies pickle pickles picnic pig piece pieces pigeon pile pillow pin pine pinch pinched pinching pink pipe pint pitch pitcher pitching place places plate plates Play played players playing please plum Plus pocket pocketbook point pointing poor poorer poorest MATERIAL OF ENGLISH SPELLING 11 poison pole pond pony ponies pop popped porch post post office potato potatoes pound pounding pour poured pouring pretty prettier prettiest prison prisoner pronounce pronounced pray prayed prayer present provie proved pudding puddle pull pulled pulling pumpkin pump pumped pumping pup puppy puppies punch punched push pushed pushing put purpose quack quail quarrel •quarreling question quick quicker quart quilt quit rabbit race rag ragged railroad rain rainbow raining rained raise raised raising rake ranch ran rang rather rattle rattled school sitting raw- scholar six reach scatter skate reached scattered skates read scissors skating ready scold skated reader scratch skin reading scratched skinned recess scrape skinning red scraped sky remember screen slam remembered screw slammed rent seat slap renter second slapped rest see sled ribbon sieed sleep rice seen sleeping rich sell sleigh ride send slept riding sent sleepy right sense slick ring separate slid ringing separator slide ripe set slip river sew slipped road sewed slipper rob sewing slippery robbed shake sliver robin shaking slice rock shade slices rocked shady slim rocking shadow slow rode sharp slower roll sharper small rolled shawl smaller rolling she smallest rompers shed smooth roof shell smoke room sheep smoking roost sheet smother rooster shelf smothered rope shelves snake rose shine snap roses shining • snapped root ship snowed rotten shirt snowing round shiver snowball rough shivering sneeze row shivered sneezed rubber shoe so rug shoes soak ruler shoot soaked run shooting soap running shot socks runaway should soft rusty shove sold sack shoved some said shovel sometime sale shoveled somebody salt short something salty shorter song same shortest soon sand shook sore sandy shop sores Santa Claus « show sorry sap showed soup sat shoulder sour Saturday shut sound saucer sick south saw side sow sawed sidewalk sowed sawing silk sowing say since spade says sir speak scar sink speck scare sister speckled scared sit spell 12 CONCRETE INVESTIGATION OF THE spelled spelling spend spent spider spoil spoiled spank spanked spin splint split spool spoon spoonful spoke spokes spot spotted spread spout sprout spring sprinkle sprinkling- square squirrel squeeze squeezed squeal squealed squealing" squirm squirmed squirt stalk stall stake stack stacked stamp star starve starved starving stable stairs stand spill spilled stagger staggered start starting stay stayed steal steam steep steer steered steering step stepped stem still stick sticky stingy stiff stockings stink stir stirred stirring stole stood stool stoop stooped stooping stout stork stone stop stopped store story stories stove straight straighten straightened strap strawberry strawberries straw stretch stretched street strike string struck stump sting study studies studied studying stung such suck sucking sucked sugar suit suited sum summer sun Sunday sung sunk sunny supper sure sweat sweater sweet sweeter swarm swallow swallowed swamp swear swearing sweep sweeping swept swelled swelling switch swim swimming swinging swing swore table tack taffy tag tail take taking talk talked talking tame tangle tangled tall tardy taste tasted tea teach teacher tear tearing tease teeter telephone tell ten than thank thanked Thanksgiving that the t hie re them themselves then their these they thick thief thing thimble think this third thirsty those though thought thousand thread three threw throat through throw throwing thumb thunder thundered thundering Thursday ticking tick tickle tickled tie tied tight tighter till timber t i me tin tip tipped tire thorn to toad toast tobacco today together toilet told tomato tomatoes tomorrow tonight too toe toes took tooth top tore torn tongue toss touch touched toward towel town toy track trade train tramp tree tried tries try , trunk trying tub Tuesday turkey turkeys turn turned turning twice twist two umbrella uncle under unless until tip upon upset us use used used to vacation very vest vine vines violet visit vomit vomiting vowel wade wading wagon wait waiting Avake waked walk walked walking MATERIAL OF ENGLISH SPELLING 13 wall whack wider world want what wild worm warm whatever will worse warmed wheat wigwam worst warming wheel win worth wart when wind would was wherever winding wouldn't wash whether window wound washed which winter wrap washing while wipe wrapped wasp whinny wiped wraps watch whinnied wire wren watched whinnying wish wrestle water whip wished wrestled wave whipped with wrestling waves whipping without wrist wax whiskers woke write watermelon whisper wolf writing way whispered wolves wro ng wear whispering woman wrote we whistle women yard Wednesday whistled won year weed whistling won't yellow week white wood yes weigh who word yesterday well whole wore yet went whose work you were why worked young west wide working your wet yourself THIRD GRADE— Additional Words. absent below copy acorn berry copied acre berries copies acres biscuit coyote act blaze coyotes addition blew cranberries aisle blizzard creamery alley blot crossing alike blotter crown allow body cu rl allowed brains daisy almost brass daisies also brave dance angel brow danced anyway brown dancing arithmetic buffalo dandelion arrest bullet danger arrow bundle dangerous axle camel daub bald Cane daubed bale canned daytime baled canning deserve baked ease deserved baking catcher deserves banner catnip diamond barber cave dodge barley changing dodged baseball chestnuts donkey base chilly donkeys bat choose dough batter cider drawer bath cinder drawers bathe circle during bawl clear earn bawled clothing earned bawling cloth earth beautiful commerce eight become commenced eleven beef common elm beer conductor example beggar consonant except fade faded expect family fanned fanning fiddle fierce fifteen fifty file bled filing finally fiat flatten fleas fluffy fond food foolish forgetting fort forty fourteen freckles freckled fret fretting' frozen fruit garage geography ghost giant given glue gobble gobbled gobbLer grade 14 CONCRETE INVESTIGATION OF THE grandmother nineteen rising thawing grandfather notch risk theater grain notches rod thin gray- obey roller tiger grocery obeyed saddle thirty groceries ocean sail thistle guinea odd sailed thrush hall oh sailing tools hardware onion sauce tough harp ostrich sausage tracked heat oven scoop trick heifer pale scooped trim herd passenger scream trimmed herding pasteboard screamed trimming hiccup pattern scrap trip hinge pavement scrub tripped hitch pearl scrubbed trough hitched pedal scrubbing truant hitching peddler sea true hive phone seven truly hives phonics shingles tumble hoarse plain shoemaker tumbled holiday plank shopping tumbler hollow plant shortstop turtle hollowed planter score twelve hollowing plaster shower twinkle hope plastered sight twinkling hose plastering sign twenty horseback pleasant silver understand hump pleased silent understood ill pledge sixteen unscrew ink plenty sixty untie into pod skillet valentine island poke skim valley jaw poker skimmed valleys jealous powder skimming varnish juicy practice skip vase July practiced skipped vases keg prairie skipping veil kennel praise sleeve visiting kernel praised sleeves visitor lack press soda voice lacked pressed sofa voices later preach soldier vote launch preached speaking wabble lawn preacher spike wabbly lilac preaching spikes waffles lime price splinter waiter loafing priest sponge watchman lonesome program stain weak losing promise starch weather loving promised stare welcome lying promote stared wharf mallet prop stirrup wheelbarrow manger pucker stitch whenever manners puckered stomach whisky manure puncture stripe whittle market punctured stripes whittling matter pure stuff whirl measure puzzle subtract whirled measured queer subtraction whirling mellow quiet suitcase whoa mimic quite suppose whom mimicking traces sweeten willow mimicked radish swollen windmill mop raisins tablet wink mopped recite tailor winked mosquito recited tally without mosquitoes remains tallies wooden mopping remainder tattle wool mucilage restaurant tattled wring multiply rider taught wringer multiplied rifle ' team written necktie rind tender yell news rise thaw yelled niece rises thawed zebra nine MATERIAL OF ENGLISH SPELLING 15 FOURTH GRADE— Additional Words. able accus-e accused age agent agriculture aim aiming album amount animal April attic author autumn awful awl bacon bag baggage bait bakery- bandage basement basketball battle beast beard beet blanket blown bluff bluffing bluffer born breeze boss bouquet bronco broth bully bureau business buck bucked cab cabin calendar camp camping canary canoe cape capital captain carriage catsup ceiling celery checkers chief chocolate chose chosen chunk cistern coarse coffin colony- colonies column comma command commerce company compass copper cornflakes cotton countries county croup cultivating cyclone daily date daughter deliver deny denied desert destroy determined direction discover discovered dismiss distance dive divide division dose double dove drainage drain drift drizzle drizzling drug dry goods eaves electric enjoy envelope equator escape evening examination explain explore explored fare faucet fellow fern ferry flood fore forehead foreign forest forgive forgave forbid fought foundation frighten frightened frontier froth furnace furniture gape gas gather gaping gilt gipsy giraffe gnat nature goal nieces gouge northwest gouged note governor notes grammar November granary numbered grave October graphophone office greatest order group oriole grown ourselves guard parents guarding patient guide pave guilty peace habit peninsula Hallowe'en perch harbor perfume heal person healed pilgrims healing pioneer healthy pit hero plague heroes plane hinder planed history plateau hurricane platform hygiene pleasure hymn plume idle plunge important pluck irrigate plucky irrigation plunging isthmus poem Jack-o'-lantern pool January pork jewels poultice jolly postal June prepare ladies prepared lady pranks lane president layer pretend lead (led) prettily length prize lettuce problem level product library professor lighted profit .livery proof luncheon purple machine proud maggot putty manufacture queen manufacturing quotient March radiator master railing matting ravel May raveled mention real merry reason miner receive mining received minus recitation mist rein misting reindeer mistress related moonlight relieve motor relieved musclie remained muscles repeat mustard replied mulberry reply natural risked 16 CONCRETE INVESTIGATION OP THE review revolver rinse rinsed rivet roan rover rule Sabbath sad safe sage salad salute sake satisfied satchel saucy- scald savage scale scalp scalped scarf . scarred scorch scorched scowl scowled scramble scrambled scum scythe secretary seem seemed sensible strangle trotter sentence strangled travel September stubborn traveled settle succeed treat settler sudden trouble severe supply truth shelter strong turnip » shepherd suffered twig sherbet supposed umpire signed surely useful silly surprise useless simple surprised vegetables single swam view size swan velvet snag sword victory soil syrup village soiled tale vinegar solid tar vaccinated son target walnut soirrel telegram wander source telegraph wandered spare term waste special thirteen weave spinach thrash wedding sprint thrashed wedge sprinter thrashing weight spry ticket wonder state tissue paper wondered squash torture wondering squeak torch woolen station tower woolly steady trapeze worry sfceak trap worried steeple trigger wrench strait trot zero. striped FIFTH GRADE— Additional Words. accept beefsteak cobweb disappoint account beneath collect disease address bidding collection disgrace adjective bloom comet dispute adverb blossom complain dividend advertise blush compliment divisible advertisement blushed composition divisor agree boundary concert doubt agreed briar conjunction doubtful albumen bristled contrary drill alarm bristle coop drilled alarmed broad couple duet alcohol brook course earnest alum bunt crayon echo aloud bunting crank echoes alphabet cackle crimson elevator although cackled cripple empties altogether cackling croquet encourage ambush cafe cruel enemy amuse canal crutch enemies amusing cancer cucumber engineer analyze cannon cuffs escape angry capture cutter escaped anxious captured customer especially article cash debt evening artist cashier deceive excursion articles carrot deceitful exercise artificial cause decorate explanation athlete cedar democrat exactly athletics cement dentist explode auction cereals denominator extra audience choioe diagram factor basin chorus dictionary factories beach civilized disagree factory beau clay dim fail become climate dining failed MATERIAL OF ENGLISH SPELLING 17 failing- knitting police faint lain polite faithful lard polish fault laundry polished favorite lawyer predicate fellow least preposition fertile lily pride fife lilies price fifth limber principal fitted letting print flows lining liquid procession flutter pronoun fluttered madam proper form marshal prunes formed mercy punish forth married punished fortune main quickly fraction mask quietly fragrant marshy quotation frigid marshes rack fringe mate raid f unable marry range funeral mess raspberry furnish meeting razor furnished miere really gallery merely receipt gargle mighty- reckless gasoline mineral recollect gentleman mischief reckon gentlemen mischievous reduce gland moan refuse globe moaned respect government mower respectfully grief multiple result grieve multiplicand return grudge multiplier returned grunt murder rheumatism guest murdered revenge gulf murderer ridge hare moment roar hazel musician roared hearing mustang roaring heaven muzzle rubbish height muzzled saliva hickory- nation sash homely national scamp horrid necklace scamper horrible nerve scavenger h out or notice scene horizon noticed scenery hostile nostril scheme hospital noun section hurrying nozzle seam illustrate nuisance seal independence numerator sealed independent pacify several indeed palm shallow industrious paragraph sewer industry parsnip shape injure participate shaped injured patriot shipped injury perhaps shoal innocent peony shave ' interest phrase shaved intend physiology shaving ivy pity 6 hock Jew pitied shore jolt plan shown judge planmed shy journal platter signature kindling plump simply knit poisoned sincere sincerely smear smeared smile smiled smiling snail sneak sneaked span sort spear Spice sparkle .spire sprung stanza staple strange stranger streak strip stripped style stylish source stock strung subject supplies surrender surrendered surround tackle tank tap tapped tassel temper temperate temperature test text thermometer threat threaten tile timothy torrid township training trickles trowel troop tunic tune typewriter upper usual veins verse verb vessel volcano volcanoes voyage waist width wither wife withered wine 18 CONCRETE INVESTIGATION OF THE SIXTH GRADE— Additional Words. abbreviation absence abuse abused acid advice advise admission affoird aid t ailing airing alligator almanac alto ambulance antarctic apt appetite arctic area arrange arranged arranging arrive arrived artery' assist assistance attack attacked attempt attention avenue awkward badge bamboo bandaged Baptist bargain bayou 1" -an ties beyond birth boast border brakeman breadth brief brood bulge byword calico calm casket ' a.tarrh catechism caution cautioned canker caper capsize carpenter nan e celluloid centra] certain channel charcoal charge charm Chin< chattering choir cheer red chicken pox china cipher clam collision coconut college colonel compare comparison conquer conquered continue continued correct consent conscious contain contained cont< control 000 cooing cottage counterfeit court credit orew crotch cunning currant cushion custard custom customary damage decide decimal defeat dent ribe description dew digest digestion disguise disguised disturb disturbed druggist drained dumb dump dumped dunce dwarf dye dyed dyeing embroidery emigrant red i ntertain '■nt i-ance Bngll&h equal Eskimo excel excellent evergreen expel expelled explosion expresj favor female fireproof Haines flavor fled flee forefinger forward frown gawk gawked gender eral giggling gloomy gossip gossiping gown gradually grave] grazing grit gritty groan herb holy hoping huge humming hurdle hurdling hyphen icicle ignorant Imagine imagined impatient importance improve improved inquire Isle joined joint journey knead knoll labor legislature leaped liquor list lively loop looped lungs lye magazine maid male maple margin material manage meanness measles meddle mend Methodist merchant metal midnight mince mirror misspell mistake mistaken moist moisture mound modify mourn mourning mortar mutter mysterious necessary neighborhood neighboring nephew neuter ninth ninety noodles obedient obllg d i -ionally oceanic odor omit omitted ooze orphan ounce package panel parcel parallel partial particular patience pause pebble ish photograph plantain plural plush pneumonia poodle possible possibly precious preferred principle privilege promotion prophesy prophet puny purse pyramid quinine rapid rebel rebellion refrigerator * rehearse rehearsal reign relative remark repent report remedy resemble MATERIAL OF ENGLISH SPELLING IS retreat shipping stewed traveler rime shout stewing treacherous ridicule shriek strength trout ridiculous shrieked student trousers ripple rival shudder stumble typhoid shuddered stumbled unconscious rivalry sieve success ugly roast sift successful union route skeleton suitable vain rude slave summary vaseline ruffle slavery summit vault rumor slay superintendent victim rush slouchy surface violin rushed snatch syllable vulgar Russian snatched talkative warrior safety snort tape wieary sample snub taper wealthy sandwich snubbed taunt wheeled satin ■her b-rrible wicked satisfy sole ope willing scaroe solve fore warn season solved thirst worship secret soprano thorough witch select southern thrown wonderful senator Spanish title wreath sermon speech timid wrestler ant ndid ler wrinkle shear sport trait ist shears spy trail yield shield trash zinc ling stew traveling zone SEVENTH GRADE — Additional Words. ird me 1 Inually disobeyed accent brittle -ider dread lent brownish Mdered try nmodate brum convenience drawn rate bu«fl venicnt drouth acquainted burial courage dumpling acquaintance icel mp easily acquire lion uped eff« ■ ted :idate crease effort advantage canyon ised elect vate canvas cupola election nee ible current employ ambition capillary curse endure amusement capsule curve entirely • anatomy cartilage czar envy annual cartridge dairy essence antecedent cease daybreak examine apparently ised deal exception apostrophe cell dealing ■ite apparatus cemetery dealt excitement apply century death . • lamatory applied census decent exhibit approach challenge deed expand approached challenged declarative expense arbor chapter definite experience arouse Christ defend extract aroused cinnamon definition failure asparagus circumference depend false ssin cloves depth falsehood ssinatlon clumsy descend favorite altitude cocoa despise fear balance compound despised feminine balanced compel destroyed festival banquet compelled diameter fickle barley coil direct filthy beneath coiled disappear fisheries berth complaint disappeared flannel blond complete discus flatter blonde conceit dissatisfied flash blunder confess dishonest fleecy bluing confessed disobey flimsy bologna conduct _♦ foreigners 20 CONCRETE INVESTIGATION OF THE fortunate frequent French furious future generally genius geranium German geyser ginger glycerine govern gracious grange grizzly grumble guitar gutter gymnastics haze hazing hint honor hoof imaginary invmsediately immense impatient imperative import impossible indigestible infinitive inflamed initial insult interrupt interrogative intransitive introduce invitation jacket judgment kangaroo kerosene knowledge lane lattice leisure liberty license linen lieutenant literature litter longitude locket machinery mackintosh masculine massacre massacred medal m'iscroscope milliner millinery military missionary miser misery modern moment modest mold mood museum mustache mumble mumbling narrow- neigh neighing nervous netting newspaper nominative noble nonsense noose object occasion occupy occur occurred offend offense opera opponent oppose opposed opportunity opposite outrage overbearing overlap oxygen palace pardon pare parse parsed past pauper peaceful peasant peculiar pension permit permitted persuade petticoat pierce pierced pitiful pincers popular possession poultry presume prey proceed probably protect pronunciation prose proverb provoke provoked psalm pulley pulleys punctual punctuality pursue pursued quarry racket radius rank ransack rascal ratio rate region regular regret regretted require reprove reproof render request repel repelled representative reservoir republic resent revolutionary revival rosin reward satisfactory science Scotch scribble scribbled search searched semester seize shrewd shrink shrub siege sleet social society sorrow specimen sphere spiral sprain sprained squad stage statement streaked struggle struggled stupid subordinate suburb support supplied suspicious Swedes swift syringe system tact tariff tarry tarried tedious territory tidy tomb topic total treason tremble trembled treasure transitive triple triangle truthful tube twentieth twilight tyrant uncivilized upheld uphold usually vacant valuable venture villain wholly warp warped weapon whiz whizzed whizzing witness wilderness wretch wretched EIGHTH GRADE— Additional Words. ability abroad abscess abundant abundance accompany accompanied "accustomed acknowledge according adverbial aeroplane affected affection affair agreeable almonds ammunition anarchist ancient angle announce announced announcement annoy annoyed apologize apology appearance appendicitis appoint argument arrangement arrival assessor association MATERIAL OP ENGLISH SPELLING 21 assure assured asylum atmosphere attend attendant attendance attorney attractive attraction auxiliary average avoid bachelor ballot baptize bass benefit benefited behavior blockade boisterous bosom bleach bleached brace cabinet camphor campaign capable capillaries career cartoon catalogue Catholic chauffeur changeable character check checked childish chisel chloroform Christian civil civilization citizen clothe clothed colorless colon comfort comfortable comical commencement commercial committee companion companies complexion confederate condemn condition conceive concern connect conscience conscientious consequence considerable constitution convert converted corpse corrupt corset criticise criticised criticism crochet crocheted lty cruise cruised crystal curious cylinder dairying daughter dawn decision declaration defense delighted department desire detest desperate d e v i 1 diaphragm dialogue diploma diet disappointment disciple discipline discourage discuss discussed discussing disgust display dispute diphtheria distribute distinguish distinguished drifted duet due 1 u ty .?ager earliest eclipse education embarrass embarrassed emphasize emphasized emphasis i vor endeavored endure endured endurance energy essay evaporate execute executive -rgerate exert exhausted expedition extraordinary extravagant extreme extremely familiar famous fashion fearful feeble fender felon fiction fiend fiery fugitive fully function gaiety gamble gambler garret garrison gay gentle genuine gingham glorious glimpse glisten greatly guardian handsome haste hasty hastily hereafter horizontal hobble however humbug hurriedly idea illness ignorance immoral immortal impose inauguration incorrect income incomplete inch inclosed inconvenience inconvenient inflammation influence inner impudent insane insect institute instinct intelligent intelligence intestine invalid investigate irregular jewelry jury kindness laboratory lark latter lecture leopard liable literary lovable lyeeum macaroni marriage member meridian message moral mortal mortally mortgage movement muslin murmur neglect neuralgia nightmare nourish nourishment obtain obtained observe obs< rved observation opinion oration ordinarily originally orchestra ornamental parallelogram paralysis parliament particle particularly partition patent penmanship pennant percentage performance permission perpendicular personal physical physician pleasing political politics power practical precise premium prevent preparation private privately profession profane produce prompt propose proposed Protestant prospect public pulverize pulse pursuit quality quantity quarantine quartet realize' recent ■tion recipe recommend recognize reduction refer referred regard reinforce 22 CONCRETE INVESTIGATION OF THE reinforced relief religion religious repeal repealed repair repaired remiedy remnant reputation residence resort respect respectable responsible responsive retire retired rhinoceros ridicule ridiculed robbery safely salary salmon sanitary sarcastic sardines scarlet secret secede secretary secure secured seldom semicolon senate serious sensitive serve service shark sheriff sirloin skilful solo souvenir spirit sufficient suggest suggestion suitable sulphur sympathy sympathize tempt temptation tenor transfer transparent transplant treasury trifle unfortunate unite university utter variety ventilate ventilation volume wealth wreck wrecked Summary of Number of Words in Foregoing Lists. 2nd grade .... 3rd grade — new 4th grade — new 5th grade — new 6th grade — new 7th grade — new Sth grade — new • . . 1927 words words added to 2nd grade list 469 words words added to previous lists 442 words words added to previous lists 432 words words added to previous list* 425 words words added to previous lists 419 words words added to previous lists 418 words Total 4,532 words The striking thing in this summary is the relatively large list of the second grade. This is due to the wide variation among the individual vocabularies, as may be seen by comparing this data with that presented in the two following tables. The number of words listed per student ranged from 431 for the most meager vocabulary of the students of the second grade to 2,812 for the largest vocabulary of the eighth grade students. The largest vocabulary of the second grade students was 924, and the smallest vocabu- lary of the eighth grade students was 1,409. The average number of different words in the writing vocabularies of the students, grade by grade, was as follows: MATERIAL OF ENGLISH SPELLING 23 Average Vocabulary by Grades. Grade Number of Words 2 521 3 908 4 1,235 5 1,489 6 1,710 7 1,926 8 2,135 There were no significant variations in the number of words from the students of the various states. * Distribution of Words Used in Common Five hundred and twenty-four words out of the total list ( 1,927 ) for the second grade were used by 50 per cent of the second grade students. Six hundred and fifty- five additional words (1,179 in all) were used by 40 per cent of the third grade stu- dents. Seven hundred and fifty-four additional words still (1,933 in all) were used by 30 per cent of fourth grade students. Seven hundred and sixty-nine additional words still (2,702 in all) were used by 20 per cent of fifth grade stu- dents. Seven hundred and fifty additional words still (3,452 in all) were used by 10 per cent of sixth grade students. Five hundred and seventy-eight additional words still (4,030 in all) were used by 6 per cent of seventh grade students. Five hundred and two additional words still (4,532 in all) were used by 2 per cent of eighth grade students. The misspelled words were listed for each student. Practically every word in the list of 4,532 was misspelled by some one or more students; yet the highest number of * — A spelling- book based on this distribution, and giving these words, grade for grade, together with valuable suggestions on the modern methods of teaching spelling, is published by The Capital Supply Co., Pierre, South Dakota. 24 CONCRETE INVESTIGATION OP THE words misspelled by any one student was 87, the smallest number 18. The average number of words misspelled by the 1,050 students was 48. The words bearing the distinction of being the most frequently misspelled three words are "which," "their/ 1 and "there." These words are apparently the arch-de- mons of English spelling. The two words "their" and "there" together were misspelled 612 times. The word "which" was misspelled 321 times, hence it is probably the most distinguished word in English misspelling. The word "separate," believed by many teachers to hold the foregoing distinction, was misspelled 283 times; and it holds fourth place in the dishonor roll. It is interesting to note that all four of these words appear in the second grade list, and it is suggestive to note that they continue to be freely misspelled throughout the grades. Indeed, the very words that give most trouble in spelling are al- most invariably found in the second or third grade lists, and faithfully reappear throughout the subsequent years. Over nine-tenths of all words misspelled by the 1,050 grade students are found in these two lists; and this fact is very suggestive to teachers in spelling. The second grade list also contains the very useful words of all grades. This latter fact is in agreement with the data presented by *Ayres in his recent study of the spelling vocabularies of personal and business letters. MATERIAL OP ENGLISH SPELLING 25 The following common words undoubtedly consti- tute the worst : ONE HUNDKED SPELLING DEMONS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. (Order not significant after first four.) which used their always there where separate women don't done meant hear business here many write friend writing some heard been does since once making tired dear grammar guess minute says any having much just beginning doctor blue whether though believe coming knew early laid instead tear easy choose through •—See Bibli ography, page 29. would can't sure loose lose Wednesday country February know could seems Tuesday every t ! 1 e y half break buy again very none week often whole won't cough wear answer two too ready forty hour trouble among busy built color piece straight sugar shoes enough truly ache tonight hoarse said wrote read 2 6 CONCRETE INVESTIGATION OP THE Names of Persons and Places. It will be noted that proper nouns indicating persons and places have been omitted from the lists. They have been omitted on account of the extreme \ariation among the individual lists of students. These names are so thor- oughly a matter of individual experience that even such apparently familiar names as George, Harry, Henry, Chi- cago, etc., failed to get into hundreds of individual lists. Each student uses the names of his acquaintance, and since acquaintances vary widely, the names symbolizing them also vary widely. This fact is paralleled by the fur- ther fact that such words as gopher, prairie, jackrabbit, coyote, and so on, are very common in the Iowa and South Dakota lists, but are never met with in the Illinois and Maryland lists. Each locality has its own list of names that one could easily predict if acquainted in the locality. . Transient Words. Every grade has its list of transient words. Such words as multiplicand, divisible, parse, cancellation, ad- verbial, and so on, appear in the lists for one or two or three grades, and then disappear. Since this research is now being extended to include high school and college vocabularies, a better account of transient words may be better given when those lists are published. There is another class of changes in vocabularies which we may call mutations. Such words as automobile, garage, appendicitis, aeroplane, sanitary, chauffeur, hob- ble, and so on, are common in the recent themes, but rare or missing from the themes written eight years ago when this research was started. Other words, such as buggy, surrey, phaeton, rhubarb, crochet, cupola, dyeing, and so on, are apparently disappearing, and the change is evi- dent even in the brief space of eight years. . The once troublesome words, dye, dyed, and dyeing, may soon dis- appear from spelling lists. Writing Vocabularies Linger Behind Other Vocabularies. Another fact of large importance intrudes in all lists MATERIAL OF ENGLISH SPELLING 27 of this study; namely, the writing vocabulary of any stu- dent lingers behind the auditory, visual, and lingual vo- cabularies for one, two, three, or even more years. Any one may discover this fact for himself by comparing the total lists of words for any grade with the average of the individual vocabularies of that grade. There are over 1,900 words in the list for the second grade, and there is scarcely a word in this list but that any second grade child would recognize in his reader, and understand if used in his hearing. The fact is, these words are in quite common use in the oral language of the grade, and stu- dents actually use words more freely in speaking than in writing. Writing is a more recently formed habit, and it takes time for it to become a ready tool of communication. The average number of words in the writing vocabularies of the second grade students, as shown by the preceding table, is but 521, and only 524 words of the total grade list were used by fifty per cent of the students of this grade. This is only a little more than one-fourth of the total grade list, and the remaining words grew in use- fulness as the years went on. The second grade list pre- sents the essentials of the spelling task for the second, third and fourth years. Indeed, it was found in this study that not only do students feel a great dearth of words when they begin to write, that not only are their four vocabularies, auditory, lingual, visual and writing, far from identical, but that the 1,900 words of the second grade list actually constitute the real working vocabular- ies in the written work of all subsequent grades. From the standpoint of usefulness this list is worth many times as much as all the other lists combined ; and this fact is al- so significant in spelling teaching. 28 CONCRETE INVESTIGATION OF THE CONCLUSIONS. We are now in position to state a number of con- clusions bearing directly on the problem of this study, and these conclusions are as follows : 1. Since the prevalent method of presenting spelling material is through lists found in spelling books which commonly contain from ten to fifteen thousand words (a few recent spellers contain from six to ten thousand, but these are not yet in common use) ; and since this study re- veals the fact that students in the highest grade of our common schools have on the average less than 2,500 words in their writing, or spelling, vocabularies, our first con- clusion is our spelling material is bad in that it (fires thousands of words which children do not use, and at the same time we are not teaching them to spell the much smaller lists of words which they do use. 2. Our spelling books are avowedly based upon read- ing vocabularies ; and since this study shows that writing vocabularies commonly linger from one to three years be- hind the reading vocabularies, our grading of spelling ma- terial is far from adequate. 3. In studying the spelling book, the student does not distinguish the words of his writing vocabulary from those of his reading vocabulary, which appear quite as familiar to his eye; hence the student's study is not econ- omically directed in that he studies words from his read- ing vocabulary that do not belong to his spelling vocabu- lary, without distinction. 4. Word lists containing from ten to fifteen thou- sand words present to the student thousands of un- familiar words, and the student spends most of his efforts upon the unfamiliar words of his spelling list. 5. The words which give most trouble in spelling are found, almost without exception, in the writing vocabular- ies of the lower grades; and since these troublesome but useful words are not pointed out and effectively dealt with MATERIAL OF ENGLISH SPELLING 29 in these early grades, our handling of the most dangerous spelling material is not efficient, and students go on mis- spelling, year after year, words that should be mastered in the early school years. 6. Since grade students commonly use from 500 to 2,500 words in writing, yet on the average misspell but about fifty words, not one child out of a thousand mis- spelling as many as one hundred words, our spelling prob- lem is not so gigantic as it is commonly believed to be, for the reason that a handful of words misspelled over and over by each student has misled us in our judgment. On the other hand — 7. Since no word is immune to misspelling, and each word has to be mastered, our most important problem in handling spelling material is the problem of placing in the hands of our students the list of words useful in their writing at the given time, and making sure that these words arc mastered. These lists can never be "desk made/' S. The twenty-words-a-day lesson should disappear, for the reasons that (1) tve can not teach spelling effec- tively in such doses, and (2) such assignments imply more words than any student commands. 9. Writing vocabularies of grade students are not complete and static, but moving and progressive, with words coming and going. Just what words are transient, the degree, and what should be done with such words, are problems which must be left to further investigation. 10. Proper names symbolizvng persons and places are localized and individual, and they should be handled as such. General lists of such words are of little value in spelling. 11. The most useful words in our language, indeed in any language, are the words early learned by children, hence the spelling vocabularies of the lower grades should receive special attention; and this means that there should be fewer words in the spelling assignment and more care in fixing their meaning and use. 30 CONCRETE INVESTIGATION OF THE BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. The Futility of the Spelling Grind. J. M. Rice. The Forum, 163f, 409f, 1897. New York. 2. Spelling in the Elementary School. Oliver P. Cornman, 1902. Boston. 3. Optical Illusions of Reversible Perspective. J. E. W. Wallin, 1905. Princeton. 4. Studies and Observations in the School Room. H. E. Kratz, 1907. Boston. 5. The Transference of Training in Memory. G. 0. Fracker. Psy. Review, Monograph, Vol. IX, No. 2, 56- 102. 1908. Baltimore. 6. The Baily-Manly Spelling Books, with Teacher's Manual, 1908. Boston. 7. Starvation and Mental Development. C. H. Bean. Psy. Clinic, May 15, 1909. Phila. 8. On the Analysis of Memory Consciousness in Or- thography. Edwina E. Abbott. Studies from the Psy- chological Laboratory of the University of Illinois, Vol. 1, No.l . 1909. Baltimore. (Psy. Rev. Monograph.) 9. Champion Spelling Book. Hicks. 1909. New York. 10. Spelling. W. E. Chancellor. Jour, of Educa- tion, 448, 517, 573,607. 1910. Boston. 11. A Spelling Hospital in the High School. W. W. Charters. The School Review, 192. 1910. Chicago. 12. Spelling in Milwaukee. Jour, of Education, 153, 270, 383, 410. 1910. Boston. 13. Has the Drill Become Obsolescent? J. E. W. Wallin. Jour, of Educational Psychology, 200. 1910. Baltimore. 14. The Teaching of Spelling. Henry Suzzallo. 1911. Columbia University, New York. 15. Spelling Efficiency. J. E. W. Wallin. 1911. Baltimore. MATERIAL OF ENGLISH SPELLING 31 16. Comparative Experimental Teaching in Spell- ing. Suzzallo and Pearson. 1912. Columbia University, New York. 17. The Spelling Vocabularies of Personal and Business Letters. Leonard P. Ayres. No. E. 126. Rus- sell Sage Foundation, New York. 18. The Child's Own Spelling Book. Jones. 1913. Capital Supply Co., Pierre, S. D. 19. Spelling Ability; Its Measurements and Distri- bution. Buckingham. 1913. Teachers College, New York. Columbia Contributions to Education, No. 59. 20. The Child and His Spelling. Cook & O'Shea. Bobbs-Merrill Co., Indianapolis, Ind. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY BERKELEY THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW Books not returned on time are subject to a fine of 50c per volume after the third day overdue, increasing to $1.00 per volume after the sixth day. Books not in demand may be renewed if application is made before expiration of loan period. MAY 31 1919 OCT 9? 1 50m-7,*16 37442. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY