The Elementary Spelling Book, being an Improvement on the American Spelling Book · Nos. 22–24 · Part 3: Short words
14. Two consonants at the end: lamp, help, drift, plant
Goal: Your child reads and spells short-vowel words that end in two or three consonants.
You'll need
- The book, open to this table
- A slate, small whiteboard, or paper and pencil
What's in the book
No. 22 has words ending in mp and lp (camp, imp, bump, lamp, help). No. 23 has endings like ft, sp, lt, nt (tract, haft, drift, lisp, gulf, shaft, left, colt). No. 24 goes on with nt and others (plant, dent, vent, went, wept, smart, last).
The lesson, step by step
The pattern
These words end in two consonants, sometimes three. Say every one: "l-a-m-p", not "lap". The vowel stays short.
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:
camp, imp, bump, lamp, help
tract, haft, drift, lisp, gulf
shaft, left, sift, colt
plant, dent, vent, went, wept
Spell aloud
Now the old way: your child looks at a word, then spells it aloud and says it.
Sayl, a, m, p, lamp.
Go down a column like this. Then cover the column, say a word, and have your child spell it aloud without looking.
Listen for children who drop the middle consonant (writing "lap" for lamp). Say the word slowly and stretch the end.
Hear the ending
Say pairs and ask which has the extra sound: lap / lamp, bum / bump, wet / went, lit / lift.
Dictation
Say each word, use it in a short sentence of your own, and say it again. Your child writes it. Try these: camp, bump, help, left, gift, plant, went, last.
Check together against the book. Any word that came out wrong goes on a card for tomorrow.
Wrap up
Your child reads a column of No. 24 alone.