The Elementary Spelling Book, being an Improvement on the American Spelling Book · Nos. 136–137 · Part 8: Special sounds
103. Ci and ti as she; words ending in -ic and -ical
Goal: Your child reads words like associate, where ci says "she", and learns that many -ic words can also end in -ical.
You'll need
- The book, open to this table
- A slate, small whiteboard, or paper and pencil
What's in the book
The page begins with the end of No. 135 (sufficient, suspicious, abolition, admonition, ammunition, repetition). No. 136: "In the following words, ci and ti are pronounced like sh", as associate: excruciate, propitiate, enunciate, satiate. No. 137 explains that words ending in ic may also take ical (comic, comical), and that the adverbs in ly always take ical.
The lesson, step by step
The pattern
No. 136: in "associate" the ci says "she": as-so-she-ate.
No. 137: many words ending in -ic have a twin ending in -ical: comic, comical. And when we add -ly, we use the -ical form: comically.
Read the table aloud
Read the table aloud together, a column at a time. You say a word, your child says it back while pointing to it. Then your child reads a column alone. Some of the words:
sufficient, suspicious, abolition
admonition, ammunition, repetition
excruciate, propitiate, enunciate, satiate
Spell aloud by syllables
Spell each word a syllable at a time, the way Webster's pupils did: spell the first syllable and say it, spell the next and say it, then say the whole word.
Sayr, e, p, rep; e, e; t, i, ti; t, i, o, n, tion; repetition.
Saya, s, as; s, o, so; c, i, ci; a, t, e, ate; associate.
Do a column this way while looking, then cover it and spell a few from memory.
Make -ical words
Write comic. Your child adds -al: comical. Then -ly: comically. Try it with magic and tragic.
Dictation
Say each word, use it in a short sentence of your own, and say it again. Your child writes it. Try these: sufficient, abolition, repetition, associate.
Check together against the book. Any word that came out wrong goes on a card for tomorrow.
Review
Finish with the cards from earlier days: your child reads and spells each one. Put a card away after three right days in a row.