The Elementary Spelling Book, being an Improvement on the American Spelling Book · Nos. 12–13 · Part 3: Short words

10. Real words: cab, fib, hob, log, mud

Goal: Your child reads, spells and writes three-letter words with a short vowel.

⏱ About 15 minutes · 6 steps

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You'll need

  • The book, open to this table
  • A slate, small whiteboard, or paper and pencil

What's in the book

No. 12 is a list of short words such as cab, fib, hob, cub, lad, bid, rip. No. 13 has more: log, cud, tag, pig, dug, dog, mud, fig, hug, rug. Sentences follow: "He has got a new tub." "I can do as I am bid."

The lesson, step by step

  1. The pattern

    From here on, every table is real words. These all have three letters: consonant, short vowel, consonant. The vowel is short because a consonant closes the word.

  2. Read the table aloud

    Read No. 12 aloud, a column at a time. Then No. 13. Some of the words:

    cab, fib, hob, cub

    sap, lad, bid, god

    dab, jib, job, dub, rip

    log, cud, tag, pig, dug

    dog, mud, rag, fig, hug, rug

  3. Spell aloud

    Now the old way: your child looks at a word, then spells it aloud and says it.

    Sayc, a, b, cab.

    Go down a column like this. Then cover the column, say a word, and have your child spell it aloud without looking.

    If a word is new to your child (hob, jib, cud), give a quick meaning, but don't stop for long.

  4. Read the sentences

    Read the sentences with these tables. Two of them:

    He has got a new tub.

    I can do as I am bid.

  5. Dictation

    Say each word, use it in a short sentence of your own, and say it again. Your child writes it. Try these: cab, lad, rip, log, pig, mud, hug, rug.

    Check together against the book. Any word that came out wrong goes on a card for tomorrow.

  6. Wrap up

    Make new words by changing one letter: pig, dig, dog, log, leg. Your child reads each one.

Afterwards

Every day, read one column aloud and spell five words from memory.

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