PHONICS AND LANGUAGE

When the vowels and consonants can be distinguished, pupils can be taught the use of the articles “a” and “an”.

“An” is used before words beginning with vowels; “a” before words beginning with consonants.  Lists of words are placed on the board to be copied, and the proper article supplied.

    apple ball
    stem eye
    peach owl
    orange flower
    table uncle
               ink-stand

Use the article “the” with the same list of words in oral expression, pronouncing “the” with the long sound of “e” before words beginning with vowels, as “The apple,” “The ink-stand.”

The apple is on the table.  The peach is ripe.  The flower and the orange are for you. The owl has bright eyes. The ice is smooth and hard.  Grandfather sits in the arm chair.  Is the envelope sealed? The old man leans on the cane.

RULES OR REASONS FOR SOUNDS

The real difficulty in phonics lies in the fact that the pronunciation of the English language abounds in inconsistencies.  Its letters have no fixed values and represent different sounds in different words.

While there are but twenty-six letters in the English alphabet there are forty-four elementary sounds in the English language.

Thus far but one sound for each consonant has been taught and emphasized.  Incidentally the fact that some of the letters have more than one sound has been discovered, as c in city, g in gentle,—­but now definite teaching is given concerning them.  The new sound is taught with its diacritical mark and the reason given, e.g. “c before e, i, or y is soft.”

When a reason or rule for marking is given, lists of words illustrating the rule should be sounded and pronounced.  The teacher marks the word as the reason is given.  Lists of words may be marked by the pupils as a dictation exercise.

The above use of diacritical marks does not apply to the pernicious practice of marking words to aid in pronunciation, but to show the purpose of marks, which is merely to indicate the sound.

Teach that the sound of the letter depends upon its position in the word, and not upon the diacritical marks.

REASONS FOR SOUNDS

1.  When there is one vowel in the word and it is at the last, it is long.

me     he      my      sky
be     the     by      cry
we     she     fly     try

2.  One vowel in the word, not at the last, is short; as, mat, nest, pond.

(Refer to short vowel lists to test this rule.)

3.  When there are two or more vowels in a syllable, or a word of one syllable the first vowel is long, and the last are silent; as:  mate, sneeze, day. (Teacher marks the long and silent vowels as the reason for the sound is given.)