The Elementary Spelling Book, being an Improvement on the American Spelling Book · No. 152 · Part 12: Words difficult to spell
141. Words difficult to spell, part 3
Goal: Your child learns to spell a set of common words that are often misspelled.
You'll need
- The book, open to this table
- A slate, small whiteboard, or paper and pencil
- A few index cards or slips of paper (optional)
What's in the book
The third page of "Words Difficult to Spell": physique, musician, piazza, mosquito, picturesque, neighborhood, pigeon, neutral, pageant, paralyze, prophecy, rhapsody, rhinoceros, and more.
The lesson, step by step
The idea
No. 152, "Words Difficult to Spell", is the book's last table, four pages of words that trip up even grown-ups. Don't try to learn a whole page. Choose about ten useful words each time.
Read the table aloud
Read down the columns together. Your child reads, you help with any odd ones. Some of the words:
physique, musician, piazza, mosquito
picturesque, neighborhood, pigeon, pageant
paralyze, rhinoceros
Find the trap
For each chosen word, your child finds the "trap": a silent letter, a double letter, a strange vowel. Underline it with a finger.
Spell aloud by syllables
Your child spells each chosen word aloud by syllables, then with eyes closed.
Dictation
Say each word, use it in a short sentence of your own, and say it again. Your child writes it. Try these: musician, mosquito, neighborhood, pigeon, paralyze, rhinoceros.
Check together against the book. Any word that came out wrong goes on a card for tomorrow.
Review
Missed words go on cards. Review the cards from earlier parts of No. 152 before starting the next part.