A survey of the educational system of the Philippine islands by the Board of educational survey, created under acts 3162 and 3196 of the Philippine Legislature.

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

261

Because the English language presents certain well-defined difficulties
to the Filipino, a carefully graded course in phonics should be worked
out. The common mistakes in pronunciation and enunciation as shown
in the language study made by the Survey Commission and studies
already made in the Philippines should be the basis on which the selection of material for each grade should be made. Each grade should
be held for definite accomplishments.
At the present time from the first grade on great stress is laid on the
long and short sounds of letters. The value of this is questioned.
Undoubtedly the child must get these sounds but if they are gotten
through phonograms the sounds are more likely to be accurate. The
recognition of phonograms rather than separate sounds is much more
economical in the identification and pronunciation of new words. It
is recommended, therefore, that the drill on the different sounds of individual letters be eliminated and the time so saved spent on phonograms
involving the use of these letters. The use of key words with consonant
sounds and phonograms should be more universal.
The selection of consonants and phonograms for the different grades
should be on the basis of those occurring most frequently in the basal
books of the various grades. The Rizal Manuals make a careful list
of consonants and phonograms as they occur. It is unnecessary, however, to develop all of these. Frequently only one word is built upon
this phonogram. Only those phonic elements should be selected which
the child will need to use frequently and in the immediate future. The
teaching of diacritical marks even in the fourth grade should be abandoned. The key to marks found in the readers and dictionary will be
sufficient help in looking up the pronunciation of new words.
THE TEACHING OF PHONICS.-The first requisite for the teaching
of phonics is that the teacher herself know the sounds of phonetic
elements and the pronunciation of necessary words. She must also
know how to present these sounds to children in an interesting way.
The element of interest was almost entirely lacking in the phonic
lessons observed by the Commission.
Ear training should precede eye and voice training, as is stated in
the course of study in phonics. The blending of sounds to make words
as advocated is strongly discouraged. While the child should be taught
to identify the sounds of the various parts of a word, as esk and d in
the word desk, he should be taught to pronounce the word as desk not
d-esk. The spelling of words by sound as c-at, the giving of commands
such as "R-un to the d-oor," the telling of stories in which some of the
words are separated into their phonetic parts, as "There was a b-ig
b-ear," are to be seriously questioned. A highly artificial situation is