The Elementary Spelling Book, being an Improvement on the American Spelling Book · No. 84 · Part 6: Where the accent falls
54. Compound words: bonfire, empire, hardware, bagpipe
Goal: Your child reads and spells two-syllable words, many made of two shorter words.
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. 83 (scurrilous, marvelous, frivolous, fabulous, credulous). No. 84, "Words of two syllables, accented on the first": bonfire, sapphire, quagmire, empire, umpire, welfare, hardware, windpipe, bagpipe, hornpipe. A note says sapphire is "Pronounced saf fire."
The lesson, step by step
The pattern
Two beats, first strong. Several are two words put together: bon + fire, hard + ware, wind + pipe, bag + pipe. Others just end the same way: empire, umpire.
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:
bonfire, sapphire, quagmire, empire
umpire, welfare, hardware, windpipe
bagpipe, hornpipe
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.
Sayh, a, r, d, hard; w, a, r, e, ware; hardware.
Saye, m, em; p, i, r, e, pire; empire.
Do a column this way while looking, then cover it and spell a few from memory.
Two words in one
Your child splits each compound word into its two words: bon-fire, hard-ware, wind-pipe, bag-pipe, horn-pipe.
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:
Children should answer questions politely.
Brimstone is a mineral which is dug from the earth.
Dictation
Say each word, use it in a short sentence of your own, and say it again. Your child writes it. Try these: bonfire, empire, umpire, welfare, hardware, bagpipe.
Check together against the book. Any word that came out wrong goes on a card for tomorrow.