The Elementary Spelling Book, being an Improvement on the American Spelling Book · No. 98 · Part 7: Long words and common endings
68. ow that says long o: borrow, elbow, fellow, follow
Goal: Your child reads and spells words ending in -ow, where ow says long o.
You'll need
- The book, open to this table
- A slate, small whiteboard, or paper and pencil
What's in the book
No. 98 begins with a note about the digraph ow having the long sound of o in the following words: borrow, elbow, fellow, follow, callow, and more. Sentences come first: "In old times there was no glass for windows." "Filberts are small nuts growing in hedges."
The lesson, step by step
The pattern
Back in No. 49, ow said "ow" as in "owl". Here it says long o, as in "snow": bor-row, el-bow, fel-low. The book tells you which sound it means.
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:
borrow, elbow, fellow, follow, callow
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, o, r, bor; r, o, w, row; borrow.
Saye, l, el; b, o, w, bow; elbow.
Do a column this way while looking, then cover it and spell a few from memory.
Two sounds of ow
Your child sorts: owl, fellow, gown, elbow, brown, follow. Which say "ow" and which say long o?
Read the sentences
The sentences at the top go with No. 97. Read them:
A ship or boat must have ballast to prevent it from over-setting.
In old times there was no glass for windows.
Filberts are small nuts growing in hedges.
Dictation
Say each word, use it in a short sentence of your own, and say it again. Your child writes it. Try these: borrow, elbow, fellow, follow, window.
Check together against the book. Any word that came out wrong goes on a card for tomorrow.