The Elementary Spelling Book, being an Improvement on the American Spelling Book · No. 118 · Part 7: Long words and common endings
85. Four syllables, accented on the second: oblivion, diagonal
Goal: Your child reads and spells more four-syllable words accented on the second syllable.
You'll need
- The book, open to this table
- A slate, small whiteboard, or paper and pencil
What's in the book
No. 118, "Words of four syllables, accented on the second": juridical, fanaticism, oblivion, convivial, exordium, incognito, diagonal, millennium, copartnership, pentagonal, republican, dissimilar. Sentences come first, such as "Theocracy is government by God himself."
The lesson, step by step
The pattern
Four beats, the second strong: "ob-LIV-i-on", "di-AG-o-nal", "re-PUB-li-can".
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:
juridical, oblivion, convivial
incognito, diagonal, millennium
pentagonal, republican, dissimilar
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.
Sayd, i, di; a, g, ag; o, o; n, a, l, nal; diagonal.
Sayr, e, re; p, u, b, pub; l, i, li; c, a, n, can; republican.
Do a column this way while looking, then cover it and spell a few from memory.
Read the sentences
The sentences at the top of the page go with No. 117:
Theocracy is government by God himself.
Dictation
Say each word, use it in a short sentence of your own, and say it again. Your child writes it. Try these: oblivion, diagonal, millennium, republican, dissimilar.
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.