The Elementary Spelling Book, being an Improvement on the American Spelling Book · No. 129 · Part 8: Special sounds
96. Tion said like chun, and i said like y
Goal: Your child reads words where tian or tion sounds nearly like "chun", and words where an unaccented i sounds like y.
You'll need
- The book, open to this table
- A slate, small whiteboard, or paper and pencil
What's in the book
No. 129 has the rule "In the following words, tian and tion are pronounced nearly chun", and a list where i in an unaccented syllable has the sound of y consonant: "thus alien is pronounced al'yen, and clothier, cloth'yer." (This page could not be fetched on its own when these guides were made, so only the heading and the rule are given here. Follow the page itself for the words.)
The lesson, step by step
Review
Say three words with x like gz from No. 128.
The pattern
Two small rules. When t comes after s, the ending tion sounds nearly like "chun" (say "question"). And in some words an unaccented i slides into a y sound: "alien" is said "al-yen".
Read the heading
Read the rule printed over the table with your child:
In the following words, tian and tion are pronounced nearly chun.
Say it again in your own words, then try it on two words.
Read the table aloud
Read the table aloud a column at a time. You read a word, your child repeats it, pointing. Then your child reads a column alone.
Spell aloud by syllables
Your child spells each word a syllable at a time, saying each syllable, then the whole word. Do one column looking, then cover it and spell a few from memory.
Hear the y
Say "alien" slowly, then naturally. Do you hear "al-yen"? The book gives that example, and "clothier" said "cloth-yer". Find more words in the second list and say them the same way.
Dictation
Choose six words from the table. Say each, use it in a short sentence, and say it again. Your child writes it. Check together against the book.
Wrap up
Your child explains the difference between "nation" (shun) and "question" (chun).