McGuffey's Fifth Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition · Lesson Elocution · Part 1: Principles of elocution
2. Principles of Elocution: faults to be remedied optional
Goal: Your child pronounces unaccented vowels, final consonants and word endings clearly, and keeps words from running together.
You'll need
- The book, open to these pages
- A notebook and pencil
What's in the book
Substitutes (letters that stand for other sounds), then Faults to be Remedied: the Direction and Rules II to V, with lists of incorrect and correct pronunciations, and Exercises in Articulation.
The lesson, step by step
The main direction
Read the book's direction together:
Give to each sound, to each syllable, and to each word its full, distinct, and appropriate utterance.
SayWhat does distinct mean here?
Don't drop the middle vowel
Read Rule II:
Avoid the omission of unaccented vowels.
Say these words carefully from the list, giving every syllable its due: sep-a-rate, ev-i-dent, mem-o-ry, par-tic-u-lar. Then say them at normal speed without losing the middle sound.
Finish your words
Read Rule IV:
Utter distinctly the terminating subvocals and aspirates.
The book lists mistakes like "an'" for and and "moun'" for mount. Have your child read: and, band, mount, desk, thrust.
The book warns against the opposite error too: don't become slow and stiff while fixing it.
Keep words apart
Read Rule V:
Avoid blending syllables which belong to different words.
Try the examples on the page, keeping each word whole.
Tongue practice
Read the Exercises in Articulation aloud, slowly first and then faster, without slurring:
The little tattler tittered at the tempest.
Folly is never pleased with itself.
Every vice fights against nature.
Wrap up
SayWhich rule do you think you most need? Read one sentence from the exercises again using it.
Afterwards
Pick two exercise sentences a day and say them clearly three times.
Tip
Listen for these faults in the lessons that follow and point them out gently, one at a time.