Device for reading and writing and the teaching of literacy

• US 4,655,713 A
• Filed: 03/15/1985
• Issued: 04/07/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Peter D. Weiss
• Original Assignee: Weiss, Martin M.
• Inventors: Weiss, Martin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US06/712,126
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 434/178, 434/156, 434/159, 434/167, 283/45, 283/46
• US Class Current: 434/178
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 17/00 Teaching reading teaching lip-reading G09B21/00

Abstract

A reading device is described herein that may be employed for the teaching of reading or as an independent reading system. The device is novel in being able to reduce the thousands of possible variations of pronunciation in the alphabet of the English language to a logical, easily learned core. This is achieved via the addition of non-pictorial short-stroke practical symbols.

These non-pictorial short-stroke symbols are unique in having an appearance that is suggestive of, or rapidly identifiable with the sound they represent. In addition, these non-pictorial short stroke symbols are unique in having a consistent sound in and of themselves, independent and independently of any letter or letters.

This device is further remarkable in that letters, that do not have a logical pronunciation within the context of the affected word, are superseded by suprascript letters that accurately reflect the appropriate pronunciation.

The device is further defined in differentiating between letters that are active and passive within the system. Those letters that are active initiate a distinct sound within the system. Those that are passive have their sound provided instead by a short-stroke non-pictorial symbol, or by a suprascript letter, or are redundant or silent. This allows the recognition of logical, (necessary) and illogical (unnecessary) letters in the device. The distinction between active and passive letters is provided by contrast in color, intensity, or typestyle.

Claims

1. A method of teaching reading in which the student is presented with an orthography comprising of the set of letters of the American Alphabet, in combination with a set of non-pictorial short-stroke phonograms, constituting an alphabet adapted to be employed in teaching students, and adult illiterates, to read, said phonograms having an appearance that is readily suggestive of, or readily identifiable with, the sound they are to represent, in that the form the phonograms take is designed to prompt an association in the mind of the reader as to the sound the phonograms represent, without need of rote memorization.

2. A method, as in claim 1, in which all the letters may initially be of either the upper or lower case form, or a combination of both cases.

14. An alphabet, as in claim 1, where when preservation of traditional spelling is not of concern, then the phonograms may be inserted in the plane of the word.

3. A method of teaching reading in which the student is presented with an orthography comprising of the set of letters of the American Alphabet, in combination with a set of non-pictorial short-stroke phonograms, constituting an alphabet adapted to be employed in teaching students, and adult illiterates, to read, said phonograms having a consistent, unaltering sound, in and of themselves, independent and independently of any letter or letters, whereby there is but one phonogram per sound, and one sound per phonogram.

4. A method of teaching reading consisting of a set of non-pictorial short stroke phonograms in combination with an orthography comprising of the set of letters of the American Alphabet, where distinction by a contrast in typeface is provided between two classes of letters, namely:

a. the logical class

b. the illogical class

where the letters of the logical class are those letters and combination of letters within a word whose sound is the single classic typical sound of that letter and combination of letters, and whose sound is therefore consistent; and

where the letters of the illogical class are those letters within a word whose sound varies from the classic typical sound of that letter and whose sound is therefore variable and inconsistent, and where the letters of the illogical class also include those letters which have no single classical, typical sound.

5. A method, as in claim 4, where letters whose sound is that of the primary consonant sound, are included in that class of letters which are logical.

6. A method, as in claim 4, where letters which are vowels, as vowels have no single consistent sound, are included in that class of letters which are illogical.

7. A method, as in claim 4, where letters which are redundant within the pronunciation of a word, are included in that class of letters which are illogical.

8. A method, as in claim 4, where letters in a word which are silent in the pronunciation of the word are included in that class of letters which are illogical.

9. A method, as in claim 4, where when letters in the spelling of a word do not logically represent the pronunciation of that word, those letters are included in the class of letters which are illogical.

10. A method of teaching reading consisting of a set of non-pictorial short stroke phonograms in combination with an orthography comprising of the set of letters of the American Alphabet, where distinction is provided by a contrast in color between two clases of letters, namely:

a. the logical class

b. the illogical class

where the letters of the logical class are those letters and combination of letters within a word whose sound is the single classic typical sound of that letter and combination of letters, and whose sound is therefore consistent; and

where the letters of the illogical class are those letters within a word whose sound varies from the classic typical sound of that letter and whose sound is therefore variable and inconsistent, and where letters of the illogical class also include those letters which have no single classical, typical sound.

11. A method of teaching reading consisting of a set of non-pictorial short stroke phonograms in combination with an orthography comprising of the set of letters of the American Alphabet, where distinction is provided by a contrast in intensity between two classes of letters, namely:

a. the logical class

b. the illogical class

where the letters of the logical class are those letters and combinations of letters within a word whose sound is the single classic typical sound of that letter or combination of letters, and whose sound is therefore consistent; and

where the letters of the illogical class are those letters within a word whose sound varies from the classic typical sound of that letter and whose sound is therefore variable and inconsistent, and where the letters of the illogical class also include those letters which have no single classical, typical sound.

12. An alphabet consisting of the orthography of American letters for use in connection with a method of reading comprising of a unified set of non-pictorial short stroke phonograms, which may be suggestive of, or readily identifiable with the sound they are to represent, in which these phonograms are placed above or below the plane of the word, in the location where they are to be pronounced, so as not to alter the correct spelling of the word, and where these phonograms are to:

a. have a consistent sound, in and of themselves, independent and independently of any letters;

b. encompass in their breadth the span of vowel and diphthong sounds of the American language.

13. An alphabet, as in claim 12, wherein where the correct spelling does not logically or obvious reflect correct pronunciation, the letter or letters which most closely reflect correct pronunciation are placed in direct contiguity with the letter or letters they clarify, without the interposition of any other letter or letters, making for a single word entity.

15. An alphabet consisting of the letters of the American Alphabet, in combination with a unified set of non-pictorial short-stroke phonograms, in which these phonograms may be suggestive of, or readily identifiable with the sound they are to represent, and in which these phonograms are placed above or below the plane of the word, in the location they are to be pronounced, so as not to alter the correct spelling of the word, and where these phonograms are to:

a. have a consistent sound, in and of themselves, independent and independently of any letters;

b. encompass in their breadth the span of vowel and diphthong sounds of the American language;

and where in this system, when two or more letters combine to form a third sound that would not individually be expected to develop from the combined letters, those combined letters are contrasted from other letters by use of a background screen.

16. An alphabet consisting of the letters of the American alphabet, in combination with a unified set of non-pictorial short-stroke phonograms, in which these phonograms may be suggestive of, or readily identifiable with the sound they are to represent, and in which these phonograms are placed above or below the plane of the word, in the location they are to be pronounced, so as not to alter the correct spelling of the word, and where these phonograms are to:

a. have a consistent sound, in and of themselves, independent and independently of any letters;

b. encompass in their breadth the span of vowel and diphthong sounds of the American language;

and where in this system, when two or more letters combine to form a third sound that would not individually be expected to develop from the combined letters, those combined letters are contrasted from oher letters by use of typeface contrast.

17. A set of phonograms, for use in reading, that may be used in conjunction with the orthography of the American alphabet, where the phonograms have a consistent, unaltering sound, in and of themselves, independent and independently of any letters;

and where the phonograms have a shape that is suggestive of the sound they are to represent, in that their shape brings to mind in the student the mental visualization of an object or concept whose initial or significant sound is the same sound as the sound the phonogram is to represent; and

where the phonograms include, but are not limited to;

8 as "ay" in eight

= as "ee" in equal

- as "ah" in olive (looks like a bar)

+ as "eh" in add

+ as "eh" in ED (variation of the add sign)

as "uh" in bud

O as "o" in the letter "o"

as "aw" in awning (looks like an awning)

00 as "oo" in boo! (suggestive of ghost eyes)

as "aye" in eye

as "ow" in ouch! (looks like a combination of the "ah" and "o" phonograms)

as "oo" in book (suggestive of a bull)

as "ur" in curve (suggestive of a curve)

is "i" in igloo or in (suggestive of an igloo)