HOW THE BOOK SHOULD BE USED.

GENERAL SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS.

1. Let the principles and directions given in the Introduction be thoroughly learned. They occupy less space than is often assigned to such introductory matter, and the learning of them will not be a difficult task.

2. These principles and directions should be practically applied to each of the reading exercises.

3. Every pupil should also be thoroughly drilled in the phonic analysis, according to directions given in that article.

4. We hope teachers will fully understand that the matters just spoken of in 1, 2 and 3, are meant for actual use, and are not inserted to fill up the book, or to give it a respectable appearance.

5. Logically, these matters should be mastered before the reading is begun, but practically it will be best to have them learned in connection with exercises in reading,-every lesson to consist in part of principles, and in part of practice in reading.

HOW TO USE THE ANALYTICAL QUESTIONS.

1. Let the class take for a lesson, say, for reading, the first stanza of the Gray Old Man of the Mountain, together with the general questions on the piece, and the special questions on the first stanza. Only very able and well disciplined pupils can do so much at one lesson. For most, the

14

lesson should not exceed one half of the amount here indicated, and for some not more than one fourth.

2. Let this course be pursued, the teacher dividing the analysis into lessons of suitable length,-until the entire selection has been thoroughly learned and reviewed.

3. While doing what is here indicated, let a constant application be made of the knowledge acquired in the phonic drill. This knowledge can be retained only by constant

use.

4. The teacher may, at his discretion, either pass next to another selection analyzed in the book, or he may take up for analysis and reading a piece similar in character to the one already read. The pupils should prepare such written questions as they can by way of analysis,—the teacher carefully examining them, and supplying additional ones wherever necessary to develop the thought.

5. The pieces analyzed in the book should be studied before other similar ones are attempted.

6. As much of the original thinking as possible should come upon the pupil, and he should, finally, make full and complete analyses for himself.

7. The appendix should be carefully examined when a lesson has been assigned, and all the notes bearing upon the piece carefully learned. Many other points will require explanation beside those set forth in the notes.

8. Every good teacher will possess one or the other (it would be best to have both) of our unabridged American dictionaries, and will strive to be on intimate terms with its pages. The notation of the recent edition of Webster is adopted in this book, but there will be no inconvenience in using Worcester in connection with it.

9. The teacher must be prepared to illustrate by his own reading the proper rendering of every sentence the pupils are called upon to pronounce. It is impossible to teach

young people, or any one else, to read well, except by setting a good example before them.

10. LET THE TEACHER SEE TO IT THAT, AT EVERY STEP, HE IS THOROUGHLY MASTER OF THE LESSON IN ALL ITS BEARINGS,THAT HE NOT ONLY KNOWS IT FOR HIMSELF, BUT IS PREPARED TO LEAD HIS PUPILS INTO A CLEAR AND COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF IT.