A First Book in Phonics

ENGLISH PHONICS 

A First Book in English Phonics 

THE purpose of this book is to facilitate the teaching- of Phonics. It is intended for supplementary use with any beginning- lessons in reading, and may be used with any Primer or First Reader published. In the child's hands it readily becomes a tool with which he may help himself.

With one exception each sound is represented as that made by some object with which children are familiar. It thus takes advantage of the child's love of mimicry and play, and leads him easily over this important step in reading, which all too often is tiresome and laborious to both teacher and pupil.

The vowel sounds herein illustrated are ti, e I s it, and with very few exceptions only the long and short sounds of the vowels are used. I believe it is never wise to use diacritical marks in the first grade. Tell the child that in words of one syllable ending in ethe e is silent and & becomes a, or as children like to say it, "E keeps still but makes the first vowel tell its name."

When a word is found to which this rule does not apply merely tell the child that word is an exception.

The words used in the book are largely those which children find in their first lessons in reading.

In going over the book the first time read the Phonic story to the child, teaching him each sound as illustrated, but not requiring him to sound words, then return to the front of the book, taking the word building pages and sounding the words.

Florence Akin

     And Nature, the old nurse, took

The child upon her knee
Saying, "Here is a story book

Thy Father has written for thee." 

"Come wander with me" she said,

"Into regions yet untrod,
And read what is still unread

    In the manuscripts of God"

—Longfellow.

A First Book in Phonics Excerpt 

Full Phonics Primer 

SHORT ESSAYS WHICH PRESENT THE PHILOSOPHY AND METHOD OF TEACHING THE ELEMENTARY SOUNDS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TO CHILDREN BEFORE THEY ARE TAUGHT TO READ SCRIPT OR PRINT —THE OBJECT BEING TO INDUCE PLAINER SPEECH AND READING BY THE AMERICAN PEOPLE 

PURE PHONICS FOR HOME and KINDERGARTEN