JW^ METHOD OF TEACHING THE GOLDEN PRIMER. I. Describe the picture, or tell the story given in it. Get the child to talk about everything fn it : and when the printed words are mentipned, the child should point to them. ?. Let the child point to each word on the picture In every possible order. Let him name the word when the teacher points — again in every possible order. Let the child point out the same words — each in its turn, then each in a n«w turn — in the sentences. Let the child name each word in the sentences, when the teacher points. Let the child now read each sentence. Next time name each word, beginning at the end of the sentence, and going backwards. Do not go to a new sentence till the old etie has been fully mastered. Cover the sen- tences that are below with a piece of white paper, so that the child's eye may have only one sentence at a time before it. 6. L«t him begin at the foot of the page, and read the sentences upwards. io. II. 12. If the child has a box of loose loiters, let him make the words at the foot of the page with them. If he can print, let him copy 'hem. In repeating the words at the foot of the page, let the child strongly emphasize and exagge- rate the sound of the first letters in each word, because these ar§ th£ new elements he has to master. The common element — at or and, or ut or ump— he is sure to hold quite firmly. In mentioning the letters, let their powers, not their names, be given. Thus, call w, we, we •-•- like the first puffs of a locomotive going to start ; h, not aitch, but ha, ha; g, not gee, but hard ge ; and so on. Then trill r-r-r as much as you can ; make s-s-s one long hiss. Contrast in all cases ! Thus, hard c (a) should be contrasted- with ge; me with ne; and so on. Let the child count how many times the same words appear on. each page. When the child has fully mastered a page, give him an ordinary book — ivith clear large type— and let him hunt for the words he has already learn Let the child make—with his card-board letters — or' print the nouns in the plural. Let him find out as many new words as he can, that rhyme with those he lias learned. J. M. D. MEIKLETOHN. LONDON : ENGRAVED AND PRINTED BY EDMUND EVANS, RACQUET COURT, FLEET STREET. (5**: — =i ill- s/ " There is no Royal Road to Learning." No ! But there is always a common-sense Method ; and there is a Ladder. The Ladder must have the shortest and easiest steps ; and each step must be quite firm under the climber's foot. That is, in learning to read, he should learn only one word at a time ; and each letter in that word must be true both to eye and to ear. Teaching to read is the most difficult task the young Teacher has to face. The beginnings of all things are difficult; but this beginning is the most difficult of all beginnings. This arises from the two facts: that over 26 letters have to do the work of 45 sounds ; and that, of these 26 letters, only 8 are faithful to their work. The first thing to do, is to give the child a stock of the simplest words — words that contain only true letters. Contradictions, like go and do ; like sew and toe ; like weight and wait ", must for some time be kept out of sight. It will be observed that, in the first line of his first lesson, the child has only five letters given him ; though he has also five words. And each letter in these words is true both to ear and eye. 803689 In this little book, Art comes, to fix the child's attention; Science, to guide his steps. Pictures— words in the pictures — words out of the pictures — words in sentences : this is the first Ladder to Learning ! The only advice to be given to the young Teacher is : Teach only words*, and teach them as wholes! Never mention the name of a letter, unless the child de- mands it ! When the child demands the name of the letter, give him first its power ; and let him look carefully at the shape your lips make. Call b, be; d, de ; w, we", we, and so on. Then contrast! Thus, fc will be contrasted with pe and with be, in the first lesson. The words in this book are his NEW ALPHABET ; and tliey are also a True Alphabet ! For they are a true beginning. If, further, the teacher tells the story in each picture, and points to the word whenever she has occasion to mention it, the form of the word will impress itself forcibly on the child's eye. Everything else will come quite easily ! A B C D E F G K I O I J r t ■% u vw X Y Z *■■«% cat at rat rat hat Pat. fat Pat. a bat. Pat and his bat. a cat. Pat and his cat. Pat sat. Pat sat on the mat. a cat. Pat. a hat, a rat. Pat's hat. Pat's hat is off. the cat sees the rat. the rat sees the cat. run, rat, run! the rat ran. he ran off. the cat ran. run, cat! fat Pat falls flat. hat fat cat flat mat rat Pat sat cat catch \ cat catch cat ! catch the rat ! the rat ran into the hat. the rat is in the hat ! he is in Pat's hat! lift the hat, Pat. the rat is in the hat. O, no ! the rat is off! look 5 Pat ! look, cat ! no rat ! what ! no rat ! a nap, Pat has a nap. the cat has a nap. Pat and the cat have a nap. cat mat what rat nap sees lap | bees 11 a fan. a pan. a pan and a fan. a lady, her fan. a cook, her pan. a hook for the cook. a pan. a cake, a pancake, a pancake in the pan. the pan is a big pan. cook ! toss the cake ! cook! catch the cake! fat fan pat pan rat ran map pap rap man pan ran book cook look 13 a map. a ball, tap the ball ! do not tap the map! look at the map! baby, mamma, her cap. lap. baby in her lap. a cap. mamma's cap. baby sits in her lap. baby tugs at her cap. he sits on her lap. he tugs at her cap. baby has a nap. the cat laps the milk. map map cap tap nap lap sit tugs I sits tug 15 Ben. a hen. two hens* Ben, feed the hens! Ben feeds the hens. a lion, a den. a lion in the den. look at the lion! men. three men at a pen. an ox. three oxen, three oxen, three men. a fen. a man. a boat, a man in a boat, a boat on the fen. men fen feed reed boat ox ! coat I fox |g>/^LS^O* ,, tx3LX^i^^ 17 a man. a net. men. nets, the net has a fish, the man gets the fish. a lad. the lad and his pet. Jack has a pet. Jack and his pet Jacko. Dick. ship. sail, set the sail* Dick! the sail of the boat is set. Ned. the jet ! the jet ! the jet made Sam wet. Ned's jet made Sam wet. get net set jet pet wet sail pail boat coat 19 a pig. a pig in a gig. the pig is big. a big pig in a gig a a horse and a gig. the horse is not big. a dog. a dog in a wig*, a dog in a big wig. the dog in the wig. the dog on the big horse, dog in a wig on a horse. go on, piggie! good-bye, doggie! pig gig wig on ! good food off look book jucJLiL^A^LjLaJLJUL^a A ji ^AjtJi 21 a bit. a bit for Sam. see! he sits up for it. will it fit? yes, it will fit. Lucy lias lit her candle, it is lit to go to bed. Dick. Dick's bat and ball, hit! Dick, hit the ball! Bob. Bob and his kitten, milk for the kitten. a mit. fit. the mit fits, the mit fits Mary. Mary's mit fits. bit hit lit fit kit mit can candle kit kitten 23 a hog. a hog and a dog. a bag. the dog and his bag', his bag and stick. the dog and the hog set off. a frog! a frog on a log! the frog cries ho! a bog! the dog in the bog. the hog and dog in a fog. can the hog and the dog see ? the hog can. the frog can. bog fog hog hark dog frog log bark bag rag see bee 25 hop! hop! hop, Lucy, hop! a top. Tom and his top. Tom can spin his top. Bob. Bob and his mop. pop! Dick, a gun. pop goes the gun! the gun goes pop! Jack. Jack and his dog. a sop for the dog. the dog gets the sop. Joe. lop. Joe, lop the stick! lop bits off the stick ! hop lop pop sop pm spin 27 baby, a cot. baby in it. baby is in his cot. he sits up in his cot. a pot. Mary has a pot. the pot is hot. a cat. a spot, spots, look at the cat on the rug! look at the spots on her. the cat has black spots. a dot. two . . dots, a lot. baby has a lot of letters. cot dot look book hot lot spot rug letter jug better 29 a bun. Dick has a bun. a book. Tom has a book, the book is full of fun. a gun. Jack has a gun. Mab. run! Mab, run! a bunnj. the bunny runs ! Nell, the sun. the sun sets. the sun sets. Nell has fun. see, Bob 3 see the sun ! Bob sees the sun. bun run fun sun see bee full bull 31 a man. the man cuts. he cuts the wood. a hut. a rut hy the hut. a child, two children. a girl and two children. nuts! nuts! nuts! a bush, nuts on the bush. a girl, a big girl. the big girl pulls the nuts. nuts for the children. two girls and a boy. a nut fell into the rut. cut hut nut rut child children wood pull boj fell food push joy bell METHOD OF TEACHING THE GOLDEN PRIMER. Describe the picture, or tell the story given in it. Get the child to talk about everything in it ; and when the printed words are mentioned, the child should point to them. Let the child point to each word on the picture in every possible order. Let him name the word when the teacher points — ags every possible order. Let the child point out the same words — each in its turn, then each in a new turn— -in the sentences. Let the child name each word in the sentences, when the teacher points. Let the child now read each sentence, Next tunc name each word, beginning at the end of the sentence, and going backwards. Do not go to a new sentence till the old one • has been fully mastered. Cover the sen- tences that are below with a piece of white paper, so that the child's eye may have only one sentence at a time before it. 6. Let him begin at the foot of the page, and t«ad the sentences upward ; IO. II 12. If the child has a box of loose letters,, let him make the words at the foot of the page with them. If he can print, let him copy them. In repeating the words at the foot of the page, let the child strongly emphasize and exagge- rate the sound of the first letters in each word, because these are the new elements he has to master. The common element — at or and, or ut or ump- he is sure to hold quite firmly. In mentioning the letters, let their powers, not their names, be given. Thus, call w, wt> we — like the first puffs of a locomotive going to start; h, not aitch, but ha, ha; g, not gee, but hard gg; and so on. Then trill r-r-r as much as you can; make s-s-s one long hiss. Contrast in all cases ! Thus, hard c (ce) should be contrasted ' with ge ; me with ne; and so on. Let the child count how many times the -same words appear on each page. When the child has fully mastered a page, give him an ordinary book— with clear large type— and let him hunt for the words he has already learned. Let the child make— with his card-board letters -^or print the nouns in the plural. Let him find out as many new words as he can, that rhyme with those he has learned. J. M. D. METKLFJOHN. en Irimer London §^ Edinburgh*?! ^William Blackwood /5N e> Sons.