The minimum lessons for this grade are numbered from 1 to 30 inclusive and contain 600 new words. The supplementary lessons contain 60 new words which are not so commonly used as those in the minimum lessons. As in preceding grades, these supplementary lessons are introduced in order to afford additional work for classes which finish the regular lessons before the end of the year. The lessons marked R-l, R-2, R-3, R-4, are made up of words from the sixth grade lessons which are most frequently misspelled by seventh grade children.
Directions for Teaching.—Read carefully the suggestions on pagesviitoxvi. Read also the suggestions to teachers in the first six grades. As in grades four, five and six, the spelling errors found in pupils' compositions should be rigorously corrected.
Remember that the lessons are arranged by weeks rather than by days. The work for each week consists of one advance column and one review column. The review column in each case is the fourth column preceding the advance work. That is, it is made up of a week's work one month old. For example, column 5 contains 20 new words to be learned in one week. During the same week, column 1 should be reviewed. The lesson for the first week consists of column 1, which is the advance lesson, and of column R 1, which is the review.
The minimum lessons for this grade are numbered from 1 to 25 inclusive, and contain 500 new words. There are in addition 240 supplementary words which are new, but which are not so frequently used as those in the minimum list. The four lessons marked R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, are made up of those words in the preceding grades which are most frequently missed by eighth grade students. The lesson marked "Special Review," contains the hardest words, of the two thousand most frequently used in correspondence.
In addition, there are four letters which should be given as dictation exercises. These letters contain a large number of words which are very likely to be misspelled, as shown by their frequency of use in correspondence and the percentage of error of eighth grade pupils who attempt to spell them.
Remember that the lessons are arranged by weeks rather than by days. The work for each week consists of one advance column and one review column. The review column in each case is the fourth column preceding the advance work. That is, it is made up of a week's work one month old. For example, column 5 contains 20 new words to be learned in one week. During the same week, column 1 should be reviewed. The lesson for the first week consists of column 1, which is the advance lesson, and of column R 1, which is the review.