good opening sentence and that each sentence fits the one before it. Save a good sentence for the close. As sentences for the paragraph are suggested by pupils, the other pupils should be ready to say whether they are good or not, or how they may be improved. The teacher or some pupil may write the paragraph on the board. The other pupils must observe closely to see that each sentence is written correctly. A Word Hunt The dictionary tells you how to spell words, what words mean, and how to pronounce them. You have looked up words for spelling and meaning. To-day we shall find out how to pronounce some words. Syllables Words are made up of parts or syllables; as, sor rel, be gan. A word of more than one syllable is accented on one syllable more than on the others. Sor'rel is accented on the first syllable; be gan', on the second. A little accent mark (') is placed after the accented syllable. In speaking the word, a little more force is given to the accented syllable than to the other syllables. As the following words are pronounced, try to select the accented syllable in each: CONSONANTS Vowels and Consonants 73 The sounds of words are divided into vowels and consonants. The vowels are a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y and w, as in fly, dew. When a vowel is marked with a line above it, as ā, it has a long sound, as in May. The long sounds of the vowels are: When a vowel is marked with a curve above it, as ă, it has a short sound, as in căt. The short sounds of the vowels are: Mark the long and the short sounds of the vowels in the following words: If you do not know whether the vowel is long or short, look up the word in the dictionary. Consonants Consonants are those sounds of the alphabet that are not vowels. Repeat the alphabet, leaving out the vowels. The other letters are consonants. The letters y and w are often consonants, as in you, want. The letters c, g, and s have two sounds: g has the sound of s in ice; € has the sound of k in cat. g has the sound of j in gem; the other sound of g, called hard g, is found in words like good, dog, etc. The first sound of s is the more common one found in sing, miss, etc., while ş has the sound of z in has and rise. Indicating Pronounciation The dictionary often shows the pronunciation of a word by respelling it as it sounds. The respelled word is placed in parenthesis after the word; as, cor-rect' (ko-rekt'); gi'ant (ji'ant). Look up the following words in the dictionary. Notice the respelling of each word: Plans for Spring XIII. CLUB WORK Tell what your club plans to do in the spring. If you belong to a pig club, a corn club, or a chicken club, tell what you will do. If you do not belong to a club, tell what kind of club you would like to join and why. Think over what you wish to say, so that you can express yourself in clear, complete sentences. Have a good beginning sentence and a good closing sentence. Try to help each other by giving suggestions for improvement. Keep these points in mind: 1. Stick to the point, and do not wander. 2. Be clear, so that every one will understand you. 3. Tell something interesting, not exactly the same thing some one else has told. 4. Use good English. 5. Speak distinctly, stand straight, and look at the class. A Written Paragraph Write a short paragraph about what your club plans to do this spring. Tell how your mother and father will help you. Tell why you think you can do better this year than last. Paste on your written paragraph some pictures cut out of magazines. If you do not belong to a club, tell about some game that you like to play. Game It Doesn't, It Isn't, It Hasn't One pupil may be the leader. The leader thinks of some object in the room. Other children ask the leader questions about the object until it is guessed. The leader must answer the questions with complete sen tences. EXAMPLE: The leader thinks of the clock. One pupil: Does it talk? Another pupil: Is it the clock? The leader: It is the clock, The leader must say It isn't, It doesn't, and It hasn't. If he makes a mistake some one else may take his place. |