DonPotter.net

Spelling Book Method of Teaching Reading

Reference Page 

by Donald L. Potter

Introduction

Other Older Spelling Books with Syllabary and Tables

Charles Hoole's 1660 A New Discovery of the Old Art of Teaching transcribed by Thiselton Mark, 1912. Contains a description of how the old spelling books were taught. Not actually a spelling book.

Nathaniel Strong (1706) England's Perfect School-Master. Clear explanation of how to teach reading with syllables. A very important book. 

Thomas Dyche 1707 Guide to the English Tongue.

Here is Dilworth's' 54th Edition published in 1793: New Guide to the English Tongue. Note use of double accent. Webster elected not to use double accents. 

Asa Rhodes 1802 An American Spelling Book. Here his 1803 The New Instructor Being the Second Part of the American Spelling Book. Both books are excellent. 

Abner Keeland 1814 American Defining Dictionary. 

Perry's New Pronouncing Spelling Book (1823). A gold-mine of information on teaching reading. 

Mavor 1825 The English Spelling Book

And here is the 1726 Oxford Spelling Book. 

Nathan Guilford 1831 Western Spelling Book. 

L. W. Leonard 1834 North American Spelling Book. A magnificent work using later diacritical marks. 

J. S. Denman 1853 The Student's Spelling Book, 11th ed. Still used figures but introduced Webster's later diacritical marks. 

Here is a book giving rare insights into how reading was taught from "THE BLACK-BOARD" by John Goldsbury, 1847. 

Here is Lyman Cobb's Address to Teachers. Here is Cobb's New Spelling Book (1842). Here is Cobb's 1849 edition.

Here is The Pronouncing Spelling Book (1830) by J. A. Cummings. This book is important because it shows how Webster's Syllabary was pronounced.

Hezekiah Burhans 1826 The Critical Pronouncing Spelling-Book.

Check out this valuable 1846 book: The New English Spelling book Designed to Teach Orthography and Orthoepy. 

Here in an invaluable 1853 spelling book both practically and theoretically: The Student's Spelling Book. 

Benjamin Dudley Emerson's The National Spelling-Book and Pronouncing Tutor (1856, 1858). This ranks very high as a superior spelling-book for teaching reading. 

Here is Wright's Orthography. 

Here is 1860 The Scholar's Companion. Unquestionable one of the best Spelling Books of all times. William Russell's 1863 Spelling-Book, or Second Course of Lessons in Reading and Spelling. A good book, but beware of some of his other books. 

William Russell's 1844 Spelling-Book or Second Course of Lessons in Spelling and Reading.

Alexander McGuffey's 1865 New Eclectic Spelling Book. I have been looking for this spelling book ever since I read in the 1878 edition that former editions used "superiors," that is numbers to indicate vowel sounds. Webster called the numbers "figures." This is a major find, 6/8/09! A superb book. 

Joseph Guy's 1850 Victorian Spelling Book. 

Honoria Williams' 1830 Syllabic Spelling, or A Summary Method of Teaching Children to Read. A very important work on both theoretical and practical grounds. Well worth careful study. 

The Improved Guide to English Spelling (1829) by William Bentley Fowle. This was an early attempt to dispense with diacritical marks and use word classification to teach reading and spelling. A distinctive American contribution.

The Practical Spelling-Book, with Reading Lessons (1859) by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Horace Hooker. This is one of the very finest spelling books with a syllabary, yet organized upon very modern lines. It embraces a phonogram approach. I highly recommend this book. 

 

Newer Spelling Books without Syllabary, but Phonetically Based

Blumenfeld's Alpha-Phonics Primer (1983, 1997, 2005). I am including this modern primer because it is essentially a spelling book method of teaching reading. I have used it since 1994 with excellent results. 

A Primary Spelling Book of the English Language with Illustrations (1877) by Loomis Joseph Campbell. Unquestionably one of the most delightful and well organized phonics/spelling programs ever written. 

The New Spelling Book (1846) While this book is not exactly phonetically based, I am including it because it teaches the Anglo-Saxon, Latin, Spanish, and Greek elements of English in a very systematic fashion.

American Speller by Henry Noble Day

The First Book of Word and Sentence Work (1901) by Marshman William Hazen. The Second Book of Word and Sentence Work. A teaches both cursive and print. Phonetically based and progressively organized. A masterpiece. Here is an earlier work (1895), Complete Spelling Book.

Town's New Speller and Definer (1866) by Salem Towns. A profound work. Sander's Union Speller (1872) is somewhat similar.

McGuffey's Eclectic Spelling Book, 1879. This was very popular in the Midwest for many years. It was used by my ancestors. I have a well used copy that they used. An excellent book, still in print at Amazon: McGuffey's Spelling Book. I think the 1865 book above which still used the superiors instead of Webster's later diacritical marks is superior to this book. They are both good, but the 1865 is my favorite. 

Here is the 1896 edition of Pollard's Synthetic Speller. Here is the 1887 edition of Pollard's Advanced Speller

Spelling Book Indiana State Series, 1891. A good spelling book based on modern phonics principles.

The National Pronouncing Speller by Richard G. Parker and J. Madison Watson. A masterpiece! I finally found their National First Reader: Primer of Word-Building. I am told that the Reader started with some sight-words and phony phonics, but I see no objectionable elements to this Speller. 

And Ear and Eye Spelling Book: A Book on Word Study for the Primary Grades by Albert R. Sabin (1904). This is an excellent spelling book for first through fourth grade. It would, also, serve well as a beginning phonics method. Here is The Progressive Speller (1907) by F. P Sever.

Hyde's Derivation of Words: with Exercises on Prefixes, Suffixes, and Stems (1896). An excellent work for advanced readers.

The Constructive Etymological Spelling-Book (1852) by James A. Christie. This ranks very high on my list of favorite spelling-books based on etymology. This is the definitive answer to dumbing-down. He also wrote, The Rhyming Spelling Book Containing More Than 13,000 Words Arranged on a New and Natural Principle for Teaching Spelling by Transcription (1873). 

The Freedman's Spelling Book by the American Tract Society (c1866). Used to teach former slaves how to read. It has some very good pronunciation, phonics, and reading exercises. 

A Study of English Words (1897) by Jessica McMillan Anderson. A reference book on the history, spelling, and usage of English words. Not a spelling book.

Word-Building: Fifty Lessons, Combining Latin, Greek, and Anglo-Saxon Roots (1892) by Brainerd Kellog and Alonzo Reed A masterwork! 

A Complete Etymology of the English Language  by William Smith (1873). A superb work that can dramatically increase your vocabulary. 

The Mastery of Words  - Book One: A Course in Spelling Arranged for Grade One through Five Inclusive by Sarah Louise Arnold (1917 & 1920).

Word Studies by Edwin Samuels Sheppe  (1905). This book includes beginning and advanced studies with instructions for teachers. It is very comprehensive. I hope to publish it in a paperback edition someday. 

Spelling Made Easy by Marvin Dana (1919). A good explanation of spelling rules.

The Spelling-Book Consisting of Word in Columns and Sentences for Oral and Written Exercises Together with  Prefixes, Affixes, and Important Roots from the Greek and Latin Languages by William D. Swan (1854). 

I highly recommend this book as a clear path out of darkness into light. A review from 1894 is inserted below. 

DC HEATH CO. BOSTON

THE PROGRESSIVE SPELLER (DC Heath co. Boston) by FP Sever 142 pp.

     This book would never have been recognized as a speller in days lang syne when plain isolated columns of words as unattractive as they were meaningless stared the pupil in the face and took away all the desire to learn anything. This progressive speller is prepared to meet the ideas of modern educators as to the manner in which the English language should be taught, for it is as much a language book as a spelling book. Indeed the student who masters this book will have learned to spell without knowing it. Part I. is designed for the youngest children and abounds in oral class work. In Part II. more attention is given to constructive work by older children. Phonics as a guide to pronunciation are introduced in the first lesson and continue to the close of the book. Script words are also a part of the first work and is at once utilized for seat work and sentence making by the lowest grades.

     The book will be an efficient help to the thousands of teachers who are trying to find out the best ways of teaching children to speak and write the English language correctly.  Primary Education, March 1894. 

The Primary School Spelling-Book by William D. Swan (1858). This book is easier than the one above. 

Orthoepy and Orthography of the English Language; a Course of Reading with Private Pupils (1866) by Rev. E. R. Levante, MA. A fabulous book, loaded with an amazing amount of well organized practice material. 

First Steps in Spelling (1874) By Lewis B. Monroe. Undoubtedly one of the finest spelling books ever published. It is systematic phonics at its best and definitely child-friendly. 

New Word-Analysis, or, School Etymology of English Derivative Words (1879) by William Swinton. A very attractively written book of great value. 

The Modern Spelling Book: Designed as a Guide in the Study of the Orthography, Pronunciation, and Meaning of Common English Words by J. H. Hunt and H. I. Gourley (1883). A masterpiece deserving modern emulation. Written before the unfortunate introduction the schwa into our modern dictionaries. Later Hunt published Modern Word Book for Elementary Grades: An Elementary Course in Phonics and and Spelling (1914). Another masterpiece. Notice how phonics and spelling were coupled at that time to make superior readers and writers. 

Wheeler's Elementary Speller (1901) by W. H. Wheeler. MY PICK! This is my favorite speller because of the great phonics and wonderful literature. The pictures are works of art. This is a book for beginners, to proceed the next book on this list. 

Wheeler's Graded Studies in Great Authors: A Complete Speller (1899) by W. H. Wheeler. This is a unique speller in which all the words are illustrated in selections from great English authors. A delightful book that combines good literature with good spelling practice. This is NOT a book for beginners, but it is a great book for advanced students wanting to improve their spelling and for gaining a taste for good literature and noble thoughts. 

A Manual of Orthography and Elementary Sounds by Henry Romaine Pattengill (1900). A very valuable book for learning the practical use of the diacritical marks. 

English Words as Spoken and Written: Designed to Teach the Powers of Letters and the Construction and Use of Syllables and Words (1900) by James A. Bowen. A deluxe introduction to the English Phonogram method of teaching spelling. 

Watson's Complete Speller: Oral and Written by J. Madison Watson (1878). This book was published when Orthographic Giants roamed the American halls of learning. A must book! Watson also published an easier book designed to be an introduction to his Complete Speller. It even includes handwriting lessons. Watson's Graphic Speller: Oral and Written (1884). "The Speller the Substructure of Schooling." 

An Advanced Rational Speller for The Highest Grammar Classes and Secondary Schools (1913) by Ida M. Daly.

A New Spelling Book on the Comparative Method with Side-Lights from History (1893) Alfred M. Holden.   

SCHOLARS' SECTION

ADVANCED REFERENCE WORKS ON SPELLING

English Sounds and English Spelling (1878) F. G. Fleay. A very distinguished work. He also published The Logical English Grammar (1852-3, 1884). Another very fine book, with a different way of analyzing (diagramming) sentences.  

"On the Analysis of the Memory Consciousness in Orthography" by Edwina E. Abbott. A famous research paper on spelling, from Psychological Review 1901.

The Child and His Spelling: An Investigation of the Psychology of Spelling...... by W. A. Cook and M. V. O'Shea. (1914).

Henry R. Pattengill's (1900) Manual of Orthography and Elementary Sounds (10th Ed.)  An excellent manual, includes practical exercises. I can't help but mention his delightful book: Hints from Squints: a Book of Fun and Fodder, Gumption and Grit, Pedagogy and Philanthropy, Morals and Manners. 

Every-day Pronunciation (1918) by Robert Palfrey Utter. This is not a spelling book, but it is a delightful study of American and English pronunciation that is well worth pursuing. 

James Napoleon McElligott (1845) Manual, Analytical and Synthetical, of Orthography and Definition. 

Webster's American and Elementary Spelling Books began with a Syllabary. Very little recent research is available on the teaching of a syllabary. Here is one study that you may find interesting, "Teaching Reading by Use of a Syllabary." (1972). I have taught Webster's syllabary and hope to publish the results of my work in the near future. 

Gentry Spelling Grade-Level Test. This is the best spelling test I have found. Gentry is one of the authors of the 2012  Zaner-Bloser Spelling Connections program, which I consider very good. Here is  J. Richard Gentry's excellent article, "The Importance of Direct, Systematic Spelling and Handwriting Instruction in Improving Academic Performance." 

What Does Spelling Have to Do with Reading Comprehension? Presented by Louisa Moats at the April 2010 Idaho RTI Conference. 

Quotes from Ronald P. Carver's 2000 The Causes of High and Low Reading Achievement. These is a document of quotes  I have chosen from Carver's book with explanation, comments, and applications. I hope it will interest others in purchasing Carver's book to see how we can use spelling instruction to increase student reading efficiency. 

How to Teach with a Syllabary: by Dr. Earl Eugene Roth, Jr. (2009). This is the chapter “Of reading English speedily” from the book Ludus Literarius: or, The Grammar School, by John Brinsley first printed in 1612. The archaic spelling of many words has been modernized by Dr. Roth. The instructional style is a dialogue between two teachers.  From about 1600 to 1820 syllabaries were in every Spelling Book, and syllabaries were the foundation of beginning reading instruction. Syllabaries were used by every teacher of reading, and children were required to master these. There was no instruction in how to use the syllabary in the later Spelling Books because everybody knew how to use one. Then that knowledge was lost by 1850. Now almost no one knows what a syllabary is, or how to use one, or the benefits of using them to teach reading. Dr. Roth's work has been very helpful to me in understanding the "lost pedagogy of teaching reading with the syllabary." This is an important paper for both the history of beginning reading instruction, as well as for people who are using Webster's Spelling Books to teach children how to read.

The Art of Reading and Writing English (1720) by Isaac Watts. Note especially his "Directions for Reading." The first three may be summarized: 1. Take pains to acquire a perfect knowledge of the sounds of all the letters in general, 2. Do not guess at a word at first sight, if you are not well acquainted with it, lest you get a habit of reading falsely. 3. Pronounce every word clearly and distinctly. 

Teaching Reading by Use of a Syllabary (1972), by Lila R. Gleitman & Paul Rozin. A very important paper. 

"Why Spelling is Important and How To Teach It Effectively" (2008) by Virginia W. Berninger. An up-to-date encyclopedia article on spelling. 

Real Spelling. Gina Cooks told me, "There is much work to be done in the orthographic world. Are you familiar with Real Spelling? If not, you must be. This man  is the Copernicus of English orthography. He has a better understanding of it than anyone, living or dead. His work is why I went back for a PhD midlife, with a job and a family."  

The Truth about Reading and the Spelling Approach

Excerpt from The Spelling Progress Bulletin: Winter 1968

by Leo G. Davis

WHOLE WORD APPROACH: Unquestionably the “w-w” (whole-word) experiment has turned out to be the most deplorable blunder in academic history. It not only produced countless youngsters who can’t read, but also saddled us with a crew of teachers, few of whom have any practical knowledge of the fundamentals of alphabetical orthography. Expecting a 5-yr-old to develop a lasting mental picture of a whole word is basically identical to the “turky-track” approach to literacy that has been a millstone around the Oriental’s neck for eons. But worse yet, under current practices the child is expected to “figure out” words to which he has never been exposed, and without any knowledge of what phonics we do have. Idiotic! With that kind of thinking (?) going into our school programs it’s a wonder that any child ever learns to read! As a natural result of the “look-GUESS” fiasco, current researchers are looking for “guessing” aids (clues) by which children may guess strange words. They haven’t done enough research to discover that there were no guessing aids prior to the w-w debacle, because children were taught to SPELL the words before trying to read them.

 

SPELLING APPROACH: Prior to the w-w fiasco there were no “reading” failures per se, because all up-coming, new words were listed as SPELLING exercises ahead of the narratives introducing them, and vocabularies of other texts were controlled to minimize the chances of children encountering strange words, until they had learned to use the dictionary, after which there was no instruction in reading (decoding). In the old-fashioned spelling class children were taught meticulous pronunciation, spelling, encoding, meaning, word recognition, self-expression (in defining words), all in one course. The initial “attack” on words was made in the SPELLING class, rather than in literature. Although we frequently forgot exactly how to spell a given word, we seldom failed to recognize it where it was already spelled. Thus there were NO “reading” failures,  just SPELLING failures, due to the idiotic inconsistencies of traditional orthography. Current researchers seem to look upon spelling as the result of reading, rather than as the traditional approach there-to. They seem to expect children to “catch” spelling thru exposure, like they do the measles.

This Spelling Book Reference Page was launched 8/11/2008.  Latest additions 10/18/2010.