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I read this article in the Charlotte Mason Digital Collection and found it thought-provoking. Well, thought-provoking for those of us who continually examine how to do things in the most natural way as prescribed by Charlotte Mason. It is good to know that even those trained under Mason continued to ask questions and seek guidance on how to do things. Spelling can be a difficult subject for some parents and teachers who wish to do their best for the child yet dictation just doesn’t seem to work. I do find that it really is the underlying principle that is most important and if we understand that we can usually find solutions that either weren’t available or thought of 100 years ago. And, like the resolution at the end of the article, we pray “some genius may arise to invent a method of curing incurably bad spellers!”
First I would like to share with you Mason’s own words on spelling from Home Education (Volume 1 p. 241) for the underlying prinicple. After that I have shared the article from L’Umile Pianta, May 1914, p. 73-75. L’Umile Pianta was the alumni magazine for graduates of The House of Education, Mason’s teacher training college. What do you see as the underlying principle? Did you see anything surprising in the article? Please share your observations and thoughts in the comments.
THE RATIONALE OF SPELLING
But the fact is, the gift of spelling depends upon the power the eye possesses to ‘take’ (in a photographic sense) a detailed picture of a word; and this is a power and habit which must be cultivated in children from the first. When they have read ‘cat,’ they must be encouraged to see the word with their eyes shut, and the same habit will enable them to image ‘Thermopylae.’ This picturing of words upon the retina appears to be to be the only royal road to spelling; an error once made and corrected leads to fearful doubt for the rest of one’s life, as to which was the wrong way and which is the right. Most of us are haunted by some doubt as to whether ‘balance,’ for instance, should have one ‘l’ or two; and the doubt is born of a correction. Once the eye sees a misspelt word, that image remains; and if there is also the image of the word rightly spelt, we are perplexed as to which is which. Now we see why there could not be a more ingenious way of making bad spellers than ‘dictation’ as it is commonly taught. Every misspelt word is in image in the child’s brain not to be obliterated by the right spelling. It becomes, therefore, the teacher’s business to prevent false spelling, and, if an error has been made, to hide it away, as it were, so that the impression may not become fixed.
SPELLING OTHER THAN BY DICTATION
I have been asked to write a paper on “The Teaching of Spelling otherwise than by Dictation,” taking for granted that dictation is the first and best means of proving spelling.
That it is one of the most important subjects we have to deal with only dawns on one after varied experience with weak spellers and seeing the great drawback it is to them when neglected.
The quick speller learns to spell by reading.
Transcription also helps him, and committing a short sentence to memory and writing it.
We find it necessary in Class 1B to take spelling and dictation on alternate days through the week. Short, quick lessons of twenty minutes.
This paper is only a short one to introduce a discussion on the subject, as I am anxious to gain rather than give information.
Is it always advisable to take a paragraph from a book and learn all the words in it? Is there not the danger of spending time over words which need no learning, which are spelt just as they are pronounced, and yet one wants the pupil to see them in print?
It has been suggested that a pupil does not learn a word by spelling it aloud, that he must write it really to learn it perfectly.
A suggestion for a lesson for older pupils.
Take them into an imaginary shop, and each one gives the name of something he sees there, or for an imaginary walk or journey, and each gives the name of a thing seen on the way. They get very keen.
SKETCH OF SPELLING LESSON FOR CLASS 1B
Time 20 minutes.
The words to be learnt should be carefully selected. As many as possible should be model words, to build up others on.
The chief aim: To present the words again and again, until thoroughly mastered. The weak pupils should do most of the work aloud, the quicker ones following, and writing when necessary.
1. Look carefully at a word in print.
2. Write it in the air from memory.
3. Look at it written on blackboard.
4. Write it from memory on paper (in pencil), and see it again on blackboard, marking an “R” if right, and “W” if wrong.
Not more than five or six words being given at a lesson, and as many of these as possible should be types, e.i., teach BAKE. The next day in dictation the word CAKE or MAKE, etc. may occur. You point out that they are spelt the same as the word he learnt (which word?).
When all the words for the lesson have been gone through in
this way, the paper should be turned over and upside down, and the words
written from memory in ink. These should be corrected clearly in red ink by the
teacher, and the pupil told to keep his paper and go through his “red ink”
words at home, or with someone outside the schoolroom. These words, or others
like them, should be given in a dictation on the following day, when the more
prevalent mistakes should be noted by the teacher, and given again at the next
spelling lesson.
On a day towards the end of the week the fifteen (or so) words learnt should be dictated to the pupils, who enter them in neat, little pocket books, which, when corrected, they may have in their own possession (a great joy) to look through in any spare time. (I find they have a lot in bed in the morning.) M. MacSheehy.
DISCUSSION.
The question arose, “Should a child be allowed to use a dictionary in composition?” It was decided that for a mentally lazy child it might be advisable, but there would be the danger of an average quick child depending on the dictionary rather than on her memory.
Many present had found that much of the bad spelling was the result of carelessness; for instance, a child might write an almost perfect dictation in class today, and tomorrow write a letter to a friend full of mistakes. Should we not try to impress upon our scholars that they owe it to those to whom they write to spell correctly?
“Is it advisable to give actual spelling lessons?” asked someone. “Decidedly,” was the unanimous feeling of the company present. One told how she invariable gave a few minutes at each dictation or grammar lesson, as opportunity arose, as, for instance, on the spelling of synonymous words. The children would use the various words in sentences which they wrote in their note-books, and at the close of the lesson their own names were written on the board and each member of the class gained a star for perfect spelling during the lesson. This proved a great incentive to correct spelling.
Another said that to ensure correct visualization of words, she occasionally allowed her pupils to spell them aloud with their eyes shut.
We must each follow the method which we find most effective, remembering that it is merely a means to an end, and not an end in itself.
Resolution: “That the meeting prays some genius may arise to invent a method of curing incurably bad spellers!”
I was shocked to read that a teacher wrote the students' names on the chalkboard and rewarded those with perfect spelling with a star!! That doesn't sound very CM to me. Thanks for posting this. We haven't really addressed spelling yet but plan to add it next year – Y3.
Good catch, Nicole! (And exactly why I asked, "Did you see anything surprising in the article?") 1914 means Miss Mason was still active, but apparently she wasn't at that meeting!
Warmly,
Nancy
What I find interesting about the article is that most CMers I know use those activities as part of reading lessons. Air writing, word families work, using a white/chalk board, etc. And depending on the child's needs, I regularly use them as part of our dictation as well. To me these are simply part of CM's methods.
My kids are good spellers. I did alot of word games and spelled during walks and played Scrabble. When my 11 year old had a bad day, we stopped and played Scrabble. He won and I didn't let him! It was then that I thought spelling is connected to words and analysis. I did dictation the best with my daughter and she did learn to SEE the word. I would say the games helped the most to become good spellers.
Well, thank you for that! I've stumbled into doing something like this with my dyslexic child, using the 100 most commonly used English words. It really helped last year but I am afraid we lost some ground this summer. So we are just picking up again at a snails pace but we are creeping forward.
Cheri,
You are most welcome! Thank you for your comment and it's good to hear your thoughts. I personally like a snail's pace. (!)
Warmly,
Nancy
BTW, L. is enjoying an Iris Noble for school – Nellie Bly – First Woman Reporter!
What stands out to me is that good spelling comes from a few things, taken together: the 'photographic eye', the carefully taking in of only correctly spelled images to add to our mind's inner word album, and the bringing of that attention and desire to give our best to whatever task at hand. I can reflect now that my best spellers have indeed been not only the big readers but those who also paid more attention, visually, to things on hand. I most appreciate how, in a CM education, 'the programme hangs together as a whole' in so many rich ways: the 'photographic eye' that is brought to bear on nature study and picture study is the same that supports good spelling; that word families learned during reading lessons aid spelling; that 'wide and varied reading' in whatever subject give multiple exposure to correct images; that the habits of attention and best effort undergird all.
I can see that spelling lessons outside dictation are not necessary when the whole of a CM education is practiced, but that a child might benefit from strengthening weak areas: for my kids that are wide readers but don't pay attention, I can give more opportunities to practice the 'photographic eye' especially when the objects are words, for example. Now, what exactly that would look like? I will have to think about!
Thanks, Nancy, for sharing these two pieces side-by-side like this.
Great observations, Karen! I totally agree with your observations. I, too, have some great readers, some average readers, and some non-readers in my household so I think this article might help greatly with those frustrated that not all their children take to dictation like they "should". Thanks for sharing your excellent thoughts.
Warmly,
Nancy
Fascinating! Thank you for sharing what you learned. I like the idea of writing it in the air from memory. I was SO glad to learn about copywork being from memory in Sandy Rusby Bell's session at LER. I had missed that from Home Education. I didn't even realize the importance of copywork as the beginnings of spelling. I thought it was more about handwriting! Thank God for you all of you blazing this trail ahead of us newbies! 🙂
Happy Sunday, Nancy. Bless you and your family.
Hello, Amy! I can just picture these young teachers sitting around trying to get to the bottom of how to do certain things – especially when the prescribed way doesn't seem to work for all students. I love that they worked at finding the solution together.
Warmly,
Nancy