PAY THE TEACHERS--School Days, School Days-Dear old Golden Rule Days-Readin, and Writin and ‘Rithmetic-- Now we Have Raise a Reader Days.

The above image is PUBLIC DOMAIN-there is NO copyright.

The Original Song: First part of the 20th Century – days that my parents; also I myself were so familiar with.

School Days, School Days

Dear old golden rule days

Reading, and writing and ‘rithmetic

Taught to the tune of a hickory stick

You were my queen in Calico

I was your bashful barefoot beau

You wrote on my slate I loved you so

When we were a couple of kids

True, I never wrote on a slate, other than for the large classroom blackboard and in my time the teachers used straps made from machine belt webbing.Times have changed, again. That style of teachin’ would now be child abuse; probably bringin’ jail time.

Second part of the 20th Century – Slightly after my time-but the days, I'm sure, many of you- REALLY grew up with.

School Days, Schools Days

Let’s trip out on LSD to challenge the rule days

Lectures and filmstrips in monotone

Taught with the threat of the atom bomb.

You were the girl in a mini skirt

I wore bells with a bright red shirt

I sent you a note; we lived to --well

When we were a couple of kids

First part of the 21st Century – I think anyone and every can relate with the changes we are seeing.

School Days, School days

Oh, what are the rules these days

Powerpoints and Smartboards and Ebook Time

Daily updates of grades on line

You were the girl whose jeans would drag

I was the boy whose trousers sagged

I’d text on my cell, replies would lag

When we were a couple of kids.

The above images are all PUBLIC DOMAIN-there is NO  copyrite.

Sure, Raise a Reader-but First---

In a letter, composed while he was living in London, Benjamin Franklin defended his proposal to reform English spelling through the creation of a phonetically based alphabet. Though Franklin himself eventually lost interest in the scheme, it proved to be an influence on Noah Webster's later plans to also reform English spelling.

Perhaps , both had forgotten, or, perhaps they  just  never knew-- in order  to for a phonetically based  or any other alphabet to be of any use a person must be first  have clear enough sight that they:

Firstly, are able to see and recognise the different letters that are actually used in the spelling of a word- in any language.  

Secondly, know the most common sounding for those letters, or, combination of letters, whichever the particular case may be as they ARE-CORRECTLY- used in that language.

Thirdly, are fluent enough, when speaking, that they do not try to add letter sounds that do not exist in the correctly spelled, written word; of course words should not be shortened by omitting letters and sounds that correctly, are there

Lastly, they must know how the word is properly and traditionally pronounced—in the country or countries were that language originated. RESPECT THE COPYRIGHTS. A German, Spaniard. Russian, Frenchman, somebody from the United States of the Americas, etc. has no RIGHT and should not be attempting to change ENGLISH.

The true question, then, is not whether there will be any difficulties or inconveniences, in allowing the United States of the Americas to become the world dictators but whether the DIFFICULTIES are worth the extremely high COST.

But, before we can do that; we; parents, teachers, publishers, and those writing and producing dictionaries and/or other resource material; first have to go back and learn to read themselves; or, perhaps they just need to go back and relearn phonetics; how to recognise, read write and pronounce the sounds of the alphabet; meaning---
we Have to Again, Become, FUNCTIONALLY Literate in the English Language-- Ourselves. 

This  English (not Webster’s), But Unfortunately, Published In The United States of the Americas, where Much Of The Populous Has An Extreme Paranoia About Anything Other  Than The “American Way” dictionary is part of the New Generation of dictionaries of ENGLISH. 

“It aims to provide up-to-date and accessible information on the core vocabulary of current English. Its priorities are clear explanations of MEANING and help with aspects of words Which often Cause Difficulties, Especially Spelling, Pronunciation, and usage. It will be particularly useful to secondary-school students in the 14 to 16 age range.

Pronunciations are given-Using a Simple Respelling System, Newly Devised For the Dictionary, Making Them Easy to Understand."

abacus          a-buh-kuhs              Buh-kuh.       Why? How does this help with the spelling; or proper pronunciation for that matter? There is no H in the word spelling.

abaft               uh-bahft                 Uh? Bah?     Why? How does this help with the spelling; or proper pronunciation for that matter? There is no H in the word spelling.

abate              uhbayt                     Uh?                Why? How does this help with the spelling; or proper pronunciation for that matter? There is no H in the word spelling.

abattoir          a-buh-twar               A not Uh?     Why?-a little bit of inconsistency.

advertise         advar-tize                   Notice how the word is correctly spelled; why would anyone want to pronounce ad-ver-tise as advartize?

attribution    a-truh-byoo-shuh n   Notice, the word is spelled to be pronounced a-tri-bute- shun; how does changing the pronunciation HELP anything?

babel              bay-b’l                       bay-b’l?         How? In ¾ of a century, I have never heard such pronunciation.

benefaction 

benefactor    ben-ifak                     ben-I-fak?                 What is a benifakor?

To me, this sounds like a different word, entirely; with no relationship to the original word whatsoever. 

cabal              kuh-bal                      kuh? bal?                 There is no H in the word. How can c-a- sound kuh and b-a sound b-a (a as is the word a)?

invalid             in-vuh-lid                    There is no u or h in the word, in-va-lid, meaning a person made weak or disabled by illness.

invalid             in--valid                      Meaning not-valid. Like in INVALID pronunciation as derived from  a dictionary

notice              not-tes                         The word is no-t-ice
terrorist                                              Aperson who uses violence and intimidation in an attempt to achive political aims-Examples; Hitler's Blitzkrieg and George W Bush's shit and gall champain in Iraq; which has led us into the longest war in  history. 
terrorism
terrorise                                            In English,all three words are spelled with an S, which makes a lot more sense  than sticking a Z in the last two.

©Al (Alex-Alexander) D. Girvan> Allrights reserved.