16. Two syllables, accented on the first: baker, lady

The lesson, step by step

1. What is a syllable?

   Say "ba-ker" and clap once for each part. Two claps, two syllables. Try lady, tidy, clover.

   SayA syllable is one beat of a word.

2. What is the accent?

   Say "BA-ker". One beat is louder. That is the accent. In this table it is always on the first syllable. The book prints a small mark after the accented syllable.

   Say a word wrong on purpose ("ba-KER") and let your child correct you. Children love this.

3. Read the table aloud

   The book prints each word split into syllables. Read them together, clapping the beats and leaning on the first:

   baker, solar, papal, shady

   clover, polar, lady, lunar

   tidy, vapor

4. 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.

   Sayb, a, ba; k, e, r, ker; baker.

   Sayl, a, la; d, y, dy; lady.

   Do a column this way while looking, then cover it and spell a few from memory.

   Notice the first syllable ends in a vowel, so the vowel is long: ba, la, ti.

5. Read the sentences

   Under the table are short reading lessons that use its words. Your child reads them aloud, pointing to each word. Help with any word not yet learned. Two of them:

   Bakers bake bread and cakes.

   I like to play in the shady grove.

6. Dictation

   Say each word, use it in a short sentence of your own, and say it again. Your child writes it. Try these: baker, lady, tidy, shady, clover, vapor.

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

7. Wrap up

   Your child says three words and claps their beats, loud on the accent.