ABC Manual

The present day (circa 20^th Century) version of the Western European-American alphabet is a written series of 26 different letters or symbols, identifying different speech sounds. The current alphabet has been accepted as a Greek invention based upon a combination of Arab, Hebrew, Egyptian and Phoenician writings still being discovered by on-going excavations in the Middle East. The word "alphabet" was derived from the name of the first two letters of the Greek alphabet (alpha and beta). Unlike the current practice of writing and reading from left to right along a horizontal line, many of the older writings were written from right to left and even alternately with a line from right to let, followed by a line left to right, etc.

Each of the unique characters (Figure 1-1) has both a large (Capital) and small graphic symbol in addition to a distinctive sound from creating pronounceable letter combinations, called syllables and words. Children in pre-kindergarten classes usually have the capacity to memorize the 26 characters before reaching the formal grammar school first grade. Alphabet writing is a most convenient and functional form of communication and is learned in childhood with ease. Not so, for example, in Japanese script which requires a pupil to learn over 800 different characters to graduate from grammar school; 1800 to graduate from high school and over 3000 to graduate from college. (So count your blessings pupils and teachers with only 26 characters to cope with).

Prior to about 1000 BC, the vowels sounds were a part of the consonant sounds. About that time, the Greeks made the final adjustment by establishing separate vowel sounds (A, E, I , O and U) from the consonants (B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y and Z).

Writing created a permanent record of information so that a wealth of knowledge could be passed along from one generation to another. With a written record, accumulated knowledge no longer depended on one’s memory and mankind was able to expand from a limited life of hunting, fishing, farming and family circle and camp fire story telling to today’s sophisticated technological advances in modern day living. However, strange as it seems, even with all of these alphabetical advantages, there have been recent applications of modern day pictorial writing (hieroglyphs) systems. For example, an international traffic signaling system is currently in operation along our major Interstate highways wherein simple pictures are used in lieu of words to alert tourists of road hazards, deer crossings, food, lodging and fuel facilities, merging traffic warnings and/or traffic regulations. (Even King Tut would be impressed with this comeback of Egyptian wall art).

The invention of the printing press by Johann Gutenberg in Germany in the year 1440, played a dramatic role in stimulating the expansion of reading throughout eastern Europe. The American Spelling Book, the "Blue Back Speller" of Noah Webster, published in 1783, was one of the first attempts at a "phonic" or sound method of teaching reading. This unique method of instruction became popular in the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

Phonics, from the Greek word for "sound", is a method that stresses the unique consonant and vowel sounds. Thus, all newly encountered words are pronounced letter by letter. Sounds are taught initially for each letter and then for combinations of letters (syllables and/or words) to form a complete understanding of the words and sentences. Phonic methods of reading instruction were more prevalent until about World War 1 (1917/1918). An alternate teaching method (i.e. "whole-word" or "look and say") began in the 19^th century. William McGuffey used this "first sight" application in his McGuffey’s Reader, published in the 1830s.

Both the "phonic" and the "look-and-say" methods are widely used to this date. Diverse methods are currently being used to teach reading skills with a variety of "cross-over" combinations in attempting to cope with "inner city" pupil dialect differences further complicated by minimal family involvement. No two linguistic programs are similar in their application of phonics or use of particular linguistic differences. Faced with these unique problems influencing the teaching of a most sensitive and critical subject, consisting of over 300,000 words in the English language, is it any wonder why today’s teachers require strong parental support and cooperation in preparing our children for the future?