The distinguishing features of this book are:

1st. The great amount of reading matter as compared with the vocabulary used.

2d. The gradual introduction of new words, and their frequent repetition with words already learned.

3d. The number of easy and interesting reviews, in which no new words are used.

4th. The phrases for review and language exercises. These phrases should be pronounced as single expressions, and then used in complete oral sentences of the child's own composition.

5th. Brief language exercises, introduced chiefly as suggestions to the teacher. It is expected that the teacher will supplement these lessons with original exercises of a similar character.

6th. The interest and freshness of the reading lessons. The naturalness and smoothness of sentences have. not been sacrificed for the sake of introducing certain phonic elements. A multiplicity of marks is sure to lead to confusion and retard the progress of young pupils. This has been avoided by the omission of diacritic marking except in the review spelling.

It would be impossible to overestimate the value of a skillful presentation of the first reading lessons to little

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children. The essential outfit for this purpose consists of blackboard, crayon, and objects of interest. The careful preparation of the lesson by the teacher is very necessary. The new words to be presented, the manner of presenting them, and the points to be emphasized in review, should receive especial attention.

In connection with every recitation, an introductory conversation is indispensable. The freedom with which children take part in this conversation will indicate their interest in the lesson. Interest will secure close attention, without which the efforts of the teacher will result in failure. The conversation should be so directed that the words selected for the lesson shall appear naturally in the answers of the children. Each suitable sentence thus formed by the children should be written upon the blackboard, and attention called to the new words. The sentence should then be read by two or three children. When a number of sentences have been written, the whole. may be read as a lesson. All words used which are not clearly understood should be called at sight as a special exercise. Blackboard lessons should always be written in

script.

No skillful teacher will confine himself to one "method" in teaching reading. The most successful teachers undoubtedly teach words as wholes. Children will, without special effort, very soon learn the names of the letters, and they should be taught the sounds for which they stand. Pupils will be almost sure to get the correct sounds of the more difficult combinations of letters by pronouncing slowly short familiar words in which they occur.

The lesson on page 18 is not given that the children may distinguish between singular and plural forms, but simply to teach the force of terminal s when added to a word already known. The same sort of drill should be

given when the first words ending in ing, ed, or ly are learned. This is illustrated on page 127.

It is an excellent blackboard exercise to write different initial letters with familiar words; for example, by prefixing certain letters to the word old we form the words bold, cold, told, etc. So also we may form new words by changing the terminal letter of a given word; as bat, bad, bag, etc. And again by changing some other letter; as man, men; bend, band, bind; lamp, limp, lump, etc.

Children beginning to read should be trained to clear articulation and correct pronunciation, at whatever cost of time and effort. But when a child recognizes a word at sight, and pronounces it clearly and correctly, it is a waste of time to require him to mark the letters or analyze the word into elementary sounds.

It must be remembered that intelligent reading means far more than the mere calling of words. The sentence

stands for the thought. The object of all oral reading is the correct interpretation of thought from the printed or written expression. This fact should ever be in the teach er's mind while conducting a recitation.

PUBLISHERS' NOTE.

The publishers desire to acknowledge their especial obligations to Professor O. T. Bright, Superintendent of Schools, Englewood, Illinois, by whom this book was edited. They also wish to express their indebtedness to the teachers in different parts of the country who have kindly aided, both by their suggestions and by their criticisms, in the preparation and revision of the work.