71. Words ending in -ity: prosperity, severity, agility

The lesson, step by step

1. The pattern

   Four beats, second strong: "se-VER-i-ty", "a-GIL-i-ty". Every word ends in -ity. Often the word comes from a shorter one: severe, severity; prosper, prosperity; fragile, fragility.

2. 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:

   asperity, docility, enormity, severity

   agility, urbanity, prosperity

   fragility, austerity

3. 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.

   Says, e, se; v, e, r, ver; i, i; t, y, ty; severity.

   Saya, a; g, i, l, gil; i, i; t, y, ty; agility.

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

4. Word families

   Your child finds the shorter word inside: severity (severe), prosperity (prosper), fragility (fragile), legality (legal).

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:

   An amphibious animal can live in different elements.

   The frog lives in air, and can live in water for a long time.

   The winters in Lapland are severe.

6. Dictation

   Say each word, use it in a short sentence of your own, and say it again. Your child writes it. Try these: severity, agility, prosperity, fragility, emergency.

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