The Elementary Spelling Book, being an Improvement on the American Spelling Book · Nos. 103–104 · Part 7: Long words and common endings
73. Very long words, then three syllables: liberality, benefit
Goal: Your child reads six-syllable words by syllables, and reads and spells three-syllable words accented on the first.
You'll need
- The book, open to this table
- A slate, small whiteboard, or paper and pencil
What's in the book
No. 103, "Words of six syllables, accented on the fourth, or antepenult": materiality, liberality, compatibility, universality, instrumentality, spirituality. No. 104, "Words of three syllables, accented on the first": benefit, intellect, alphabet, permanent, parapet, pickpocket, and on the next page sycophant, indolent, similar, turbulent, popular.
The lesson, step by step
The pattern
No. 103: six beats, the fourth strong: "lib-er-AL-i-ty". The book calls that syllable the antepenult, which means third from the end. Long words are only short syllables in a row.
No. 104: three beats, the first strong: "BEN-e-fit", "AL-pha-bet".
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:
materiality, liberality, compatibility
universality, instrumentality
benefit, intellect, alphabet
permanent, parapet, pickpocket
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.
Sayl, i, b, lib; e, r, er; a, l, al; i, i; t, y, ty; liberality.
Saya, l, al; p, h, a, pha; b, e, t, bet; alphabet.
Do a column this way while looking, then cover it and spell a few from memory.
Count to six
Your child claps "u-ni-ver-sal-i-ty" and counts six beats, then finds the loud one (the fourth).
Dictation
Say each word, use it in a short sentence of your own, and say it again. Your child writes it. Try these: benefit, alphabet, permanent, similar, popular.
Check together against the book. Any word that came out wrong goes on a card for tomorrow.
Review
Finish with the cards from earlier days: your child reads and spells each one. Put a card away after three right days in a row.
Tip
Do not ask a young child to write six-syllable words. Reading them by syllables is enough; dictation comes from No. 104.