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METHODS OF TEACHING SPELLING.

There is no one fault in our schools and in community, so prominent as bad spelling. And no doubt the cause is found in the deficiency of primary Teachers. Suggestions, therefore, as to the methods of teaching spelling may be of service to those who have had little experience. I may here remark that no one method can be safely adopted. The teacher must seek variety in order to fix the attention. and keep up an interest in the exercise. So far as there are fixed rules for spelling, they should be understood and followed by the pupil and the exceptions carefully attended to afterwards. In all cases, regular spelling lessons must be assigned and studied. I would not confine the pupil to the spelling book, but often select words from other lessons assigned in the different departments of the school, always having in view the practical results in life. Those words should have the first attention which are the most in use, and they are more likely to be remembered, if taken in their proper connection in a sentence, than from a spelling book or dictionary. Defining should always be taught in connection with spelling, and also pronunciation and accent with the proper division of words into syllables. In oral spelling, care must be taken to pronounce the word correctly and the pupil should never be allowed to make more than one trial on the same word. If allowed to guess several times, he will take no pains to know how to spell it.

Oral and written spelling may both be practiced, but the written should always have the preference, if but one is allowed. In oral spelling the word should be pronounc ed but once by the teacher, and then repeated by the pu pil or class. This will secure attention and make it sure that the word is understood. Sometimes the class may spell a word, each giving a letter in its order, or pronouncing a syllable when finished. For instance, take the word Journal. In rapid succession the pupils spell thus, —J-0-u-r—jour-n-a-l-nal-Journal. A class of ten

would spell and pronounce this word as rapidly and correctly as one, and with much more interest.

Another method is recommended. Let twenty words, more or less, be dictated by the teacher and written on slate or paper by the class. If there is time, it is well to have the pupils exchange slates and mark the words which they suppose to be spelled wrong. And it would add to the utility of the exercise, if they were required to incorporate each word into a sentence, which shall illustrate its meaning and show its use. And for variety, it is well sometimes, to require the class to pronounce and spell the words in their order, in a whole sentence, each pupil spelling one word as it comes his turn. In this way, sentences as well as words, are brought before the mind and made familiar. I would always hold the class responsible for the accurate spelling of every word. I would not pronounce the word the second time, but, if misspelled, proceed to give out the second word, and if the mistake is not noticed and corrected, hold the whole class responsible. In a short time, this process would secure the undivid od attention of all, which is a result greatly to be desired in every school exercise.

And finally, every teacher should rely much upon written compositions to secure the habit of correct spelling. This exercise should be required of all pupils who can write, and for other reasons than simply to learn to spell. Yet it is the most effectual method of teaching spelling. It is the only practical application of the art. We want accurate spellers because we want accurate writers. And I have known persons who were well nigh perfect oral spellers, who could not write a page without misspelling more or less words.

Let every teacher in our common schools give much attention to this exercise, if he would discharge his duty. Then we should not be obliged to teach spelling in our

higher Seminaries, nor mortified by so much ignorance and carelessness on this subject.

H.

We hope the suggestions made in the above, will call forth other articles on the same subject. EDITORS.

WHAT SHALL WE EAT? No. III.

Some ten years have glided quickly away; and we find our friend Lizzie in a house of her own: not a city home, surrounded with the elegancies and luxuries which the wealthy denizens of the city gather to themselves, but a plain, yet tasteful country residence. The husband, an intelligent, well educated farmer, though with limited means, finds time each year to add something to the attractiveness of the homestead. Here a tree, and there a flowering shrub, set, not in formal rows, but with an artis tic eye to the beautiful, lend a charm to the grounds surrounding the house which stands far back from the highway, half-hidden by honey suckles and climbing roses.

"We will do what we can to make home pleasant to our children," he said to Lizzie," then they will have fewer temptations to seek pleasure elsewhere."

And she was she doing her part in this good work? Perhaps we can better judge, if we listen to the conversation going on in the neatly arranged and airy familyroom on the "sunny side" of Elmwood cottage. Cousin Emma is Lizzie's guest now.

"I confess, Lizzie, that curiosity was one of the motives which induced me to visit you at this busy season. I wish to see how far you are able to put in practice your theory with regard to food, cooking, etc. And firstly, I want to know if your husband and his farm hands are content with bread and butter and coffee for breakfast?"

"I have never quite tried the experiment. Perhaps those who labor hard with their hands, require more food than those who exercise the brain principally; but you will see that all our meals are simple affairs, compared

with the ones my mother used to labor so hard to prepare. I make it a rule always to have excellent butter and good, light, sweet bread, both of fine and coarse flour; and we rarely eat warm cakes at any time. Toast occasionally, and soft boiled eggs frequently, give variety to our plain, but wholesome breakfasts. The castor fills its old place, but our own family never use its contents, except, perhaps, now and then a little vinegar as a relish for some dishes."

"But you eat pies and puddings for dinner, don't you? I know father used to say it would be better for us to dispense with desserts altogether."

"Fruits from our garden, fields and orchards, almost always, in their season, make our dessert. When we cannot have these, we sometimes cat plain puddings, very rarely pies, and often make a very good dinner without any dessert."

"You are not vegetarians." "No, we eat beef, mutton. fowls, and fish of almost every kind. Then we are careful to cultivate the best varieties of garden vegetables, so that our table is never scantily furnished; and to us, with the keen appetites which health gives, it does not lack variety."

At this moment Henry and Ella came bounding into the room; the one bringing a hatful of "pooty stones," nuts and mush-rooms; the other, an apron full of Autumn leaves, with here and there a late flower. Lizzie did not say,-"Take away those dirty things, you'll litter the carpet all over;" but to their "O, mama, see this!" and

O, mama! what's that?" she kindly replied, "Mama is busy now, but take them to the nursery, and in half an hour I'll come and tell you all about them."

As they went out, Emma said,--"I suppose you attribute the high health and fine spirits of your children to their manner of living, do you not?"

"With the blessing of God, to that, certainly; if in manner of living you include frequent baths, or rather

washings of the whole person, with plenty of exercise in the open air. Their third meal is bread and milk, and they never tire of it the year round; they never taste of tea or coffee, and therefore never think of wanting it." 66 Do you allow them to eat between meals?" "At ten, or half past ten, they have a light lunch, bread and butter with, perhaps, an apple. They eat heartily at dinner, and take nothing after before their early supper." "One more question. Don't you prepare extra dishes

for company?"

Lizzie laughed, as she replied, " Are you afraid you will fare hard with us?"

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No, oh no! I did n't mean that, you know I don't wish to be considered company."

"Well, then, for chance guests, or friends who come to stay with us by invitation, I make no change in my table. If I invite company, make a party for instance, I do prepare extra dishes; but I dare to be so unfashionable as to leave out some dishes which it is customary to provide; but which I know to be unhealthy. I strive to give the impression that the object of such gatherings is social enjoyment, and not the gratification of the palate."

"Well, cousin, if, after stopping with you awhile, I find your practice works as well as your theory indicates, I shall go home and test it in my own family." M. E. L.

RELIGION AND HYPOCRISY.-It is one thing to take God and heaven for your portion, as believers do, and another thing to be desirous of it, as a reserve when you can keep the world no longer. It is one thing to submit to Heaven, as a lesser evil than hell; and another thing to desire it as a greater good than earth. It is one thing to lay up treasures and hopes in heaven, and seek it first; and another thing to be contented with it in our necessity, and to seek the world before it, and give God that the flesh can spare. Thus differeth the religion of serious christians, and of carnal worldly hypocrites.-Buxter.

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