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THE PROBLEM OP TEACHING TO READ. mada in the year he Office of the »HE problem of teaching children to read has, in my belief, never yet been fully faced or thoroughly solved. There is no similar pro- blem in Germany; a somewhat similar— but not nearly so difficult ^ —problem exists in France. But It 18 only m England-of all the countries of burope-that we meet with the problem in a form of extremest difficulty ; and the want of a solution that shall bring confidence with it into all our Primary Schools makes itself still everywhere felt. We seem to be all so thoroughly familiar with It, and we have all talked about it so much and discussed it so often, that it almost seems a superfluity to raise or to examine the question over again.-The fact is, that familiarity is the greatest enemy of knowledge. We have'lived all 4 FAMIIJARITYJll^_Eimn^^ our lives in a town ; and we fmicy we know it. and Its history, and the mliahitants, and all about It. A stran^rer comes and asks us a simple and ea^y question ; and we are unable to answer it. feo. muny people who have spent all their lives in IZTTT""! *^«y'know'London.-A village ^tands at the foot of a range of mountains, and many generations have been born into the valley and have died out of it; but no man, woman, or child ever suspected what lay in the strata of the 7uLa 1 "^ ?™'' '^"^" «*'"^"g^r who has studied geology and mineralogy, and he applies his knowledge to these old, old phenomena^^anJ from the character of the rocks and the dip of the straU. he tells the people there is copper Copper ! says the oldest inhabitant. 'I have lived here man and boy for the last eighty years • and my father and his father before mefandlieTer saw or heard of such a thing. It is against all experience.' It is agaiast his experience; but then his mind was only the mind of his own eyes-the mind of eyes with no thought or ques- tiomng power at the back of them ; and he wL so familiar with everything that he could imagine nothing new in the old set of sights that had met his eyes for so many years. Thus it is plain that It is not ignorance-but familiarity-that is the enemy of knowledge. Ignorance is a clean sheet of white paper, on which we can write anything; but familiarity is a palimpsest, on which many VOWLEDQB. y we know it, , and all about > a simple and to answer it. their lives in •n. — A villaffo o lountains, and nto the valley an, woman, or 5 strata of the pon all their ger who has <1 he applies momena, and d the dip of re is copper )ly bo found. ' I have lived r years; and and I never 8 against all Jrienee; but of his own ght or ques- id he was so uld imagine hat had met •i plain that -that is the clean sheet } anything; '^hich many I THK TWO^STOB OP THE PBOBLEM. blackened Tn" " ,,r;etT;V'%""™'' "'"' for no more. sometimes room -ad, and thaUhe^r^biettH, "'»'■' '"r"''"' *^ from new point, oVvieT bvfr!r'-''r "*-'"" new interest that 1,», . • ^ •" """''''■ Tlie one hand, and the nlT" '"■ ''''"^''°" "" ""> made in philoi^^; aTd i;'re W f f "'''" >«- the other, authorise us n cheS JT'I?" some good result may be obte n' I f ''"P' """ ■"J careful examination of ou^ En T " ,"'^ writing down sounds ^''''' """'^ "^ P^^:loJ•atlt'™„L^^^^^ question in philology l^t V'"^'' ^' ^ ^indof alphabet hat Te " HoTdt" ' '^''^^ Has it grown ud lik« tZ ' T "* "^^ "'"^ ^* ? f«% adapted t^'the^J^wra r„t ^ F "''=■ but a .oi,t rixtx: "' °^ T"''"^. "nds of words for evt; on ' ''""'' ">»"■ writing or printing is °nTv a 1™ ""^'' """ vemeut ^devic,-bu^, . ^j- ^^ -- - Howsh':*.! :fT„f,t ttlV":, m"'^-: notation i„,„L mind;:^ l^chtrn^ wtt J., natural motives and desi,« that we^ C HOPES FROM NEW KNOWLEDOE OF ENGLISH. appeal to for help in this process ? How whall we induce our young children to take kindly to the learning — so that it may ha wulconio and a pleasure, and not painful and a labour ? What powers of feeling, imagination, or intellect — because there is intellect ev(!n in the dullest and youngest — ought the Trncher to appeal to .in his self-imposed task of training the child to read ? It is the purpose of the present writer, in this short paper, to try to answer these questions ; and he hopes that, in the course and as the result of the discussion, something may be discovered that may redound to the benefit of Elementary Instruc- tion in this country. The examination of our English notation, in the light of the new science of philology, was hardly poasible before the present generation. Everybody knew that our mode of ' spelling,' as it is called, is ' irregular ' and ' anomalous ' and a groat many other things ; but then this was looked upon simply as the whim of our fine old mother-tongue — and as one of those little insular peculiarities which baffled and confused the foreigner, and was only another mark of our superiority to people born on the wrong side of the English Channel. But we had neither the knowledge, nor could we have the aloofness and detachment of mind, which would enable us to see our notation as it is — and to describe its divergencies from a perfect or regular notation. Now, however, that the History of our English fy^nofue is becomipf' more and more studied, and I m 3F ENGLISH. i ? How Hhall take kindly to ^0 Iconic and a fibour ? What or intellect — in the dullest to appeal to g the child to writer, in this questions; and s the result of liscovered that entary Instruc- lotation, in the gy, was hardly n. Everybody ^ it is called, is eat many other n simply as the —and as one of ch baffled and ' another mark on the wrong ve had neither the aloofness )uld enable us to describe its yular notation. >f our English 3 studied, and I THE HISTORY OF OUR ENGLISH SPEECH. 7 the knowledge of it spread abroad more and more widely we are able to compare our notation with the alphal,ets or notations of other languages ; and -what IS Htill more interesting- we are able to give a historical account of almost every malforma- tion or irregularity in our mode of printing our spoken language. " The History of the Engli.sh Language tells us. n fact that we never had-that we never have iK-en able to achieve anything like regularity or common busme.ss-like self-consi.stoncy it the way I ''7 "!/' tT"- ^' '"^'^" ^« ^•"•"- «VH3r to this island m the Hfth century-a poor roij^h guttural speech in the mouths of hardy youn^ntn; and It probably remained unwritten until the eighth century. It hve.l in this island in .lifferent forms or dialects in different parts of the island; and the English o the Isle of Wight no doubt differed from the Engl sh of the Mercians as much as hat of Norfolk. If one dialect .?: ^vcd any ten- ^lency to coalescing with the .filers, and thus giving a harmonious development to our En-lish si^oech. hat tendency and that devuiopmen v..e rudely interfered with by the irruption.: ot the Danes, who brought with them only another dialect of the same Teutonic speech-1 a dialect which preferred hard gutturals, like k. to soft gutturals like g, or aspirates like cL The ;'«ec s of this disturbance might have been elimi- nated, and some attempts at harmonious snnlUn^ made by the English scribes, had it not b^en for 8 THE COMING Of KORMAN-FRENCH. tho siuUlen and forceful importation of an entirely different language— a language not k'longing to the Teutonic stock at all, but to the stock called Pola«gic. the branches of which are to be looked for in the Southern Peninsulas of Europo, The inconnng of the Norman-French. who took the land Hfized every high place in the state, shut out t-nglislunen from all but the lowest offices in the Church—who imported their own langua-'e modes .,f warfare, law. and political constitution, again arn-sted tlu; harmonious development of our mother-tongue. From 1000 to 13(;2— three cen- turies all but four years— the Norman-French tongue was •employed in courts of law; and the English yeoman could not plead or bring an action in his own language; and even English boys— as John de Trevisa tells us— had to construe their Latin into the French idiom. The English Ian- guage remained in a disintegrated form— spoken in a different fashion and with differin.r vowel- sounds in the North, the South, the Eastrand the West; and for about two centuries it was hardly written at all Any literature that existed in French was chiefly an importation and an exotic; and. though many Norman-French words were contributed to our language, its influence upon the writing down of English was wholly bad and con- fusing. For three centuries the two languages faced each other; and, though English, under the influence of French, entirely changed the build of its sentence, no influence for the better from It affected our notation. In fact, French— and FnENClf. n of an entirely ot belonging to the stock called re to be looked f Europe. The who took the I state, .shut out west offices in own language, al constitution, lopuient of our (52 — three cen- Vornian-French law ; and the bring an action iglish boy.s — as construe their 3 English Ian- form — spoken Itfering vowel- East, and the it was hardly »at existed in ind an exotic; 1 words were lencc upon the ' bad and con- iwo languages ish, under the jed the build B better from French — and 1 THE REVIVAI^ OP^LEARNINO. ^ e.specially Norman-French-was as bad in that j respect as we shall presently see, as our own i^ngJiHh marking. The EngliHh language practically remained- lK>th for the ear and upon paper-a conglomerate ^ of different dialects, with little or no tendency . towards convergence, with perhaps a greater cen- trifugal than centripetal habit. The vowel-sounds « iHered and the modes of writing them were UiHerent; certain consonants were favourites in one place and rejected in another; and there was no uniform mode of spelling English down even as late as the end of the sixteenth century Our English notation having been thus left uncultivated and uncared for during many cen- turies, there now appeared upon the scene a force which might have done much for it. but which in reality did little or nothing-but a good deal iJ^!^' ^T*l '^*' *^ ^'^^^*^ °f Learning, which introduced the nation to the riches of Greek and Latin literature, and made learning an established power m England. It introduced us to books; and from these books-through the eye, and not through the ear-there came into our mother- speech thousands of words like viHue, suggestion, rn^^o,^, alter, dete^^ine, and so on. But th^ La in words were perfectly regular, and were written in a quite self-consistent and harmonious notation ; and, being introduced by the eye from books, mistakes were not made in the f.ransn>.i»^f ^on or the printing of them, but they were transferred JO THE DIALECTIC CHARACTEA_Of ENGLISH. I i ttrfv^''^"' """"S^- '"^ °« °™ language English style— was little cared for ZhT wrote in Latin; and even TTal t the tim'S eentmy, and after the appearance of our ere dramatic literature-it was thought the right tul to compose in latin. Milton thought"! S lTw»l W ^'"'>?^'='''=tory t» Oliver Cromwell; ana Waller goes so far as to say : , Poete that lasting marble seek Must carve in Latin or in Greek. And, hke the tide, out work o'erflows. This merely dialectic character, then our Ian guage has never been able to thro; off It is stin' m style, m vocabulary, and above all. in its note n„ta«on-but thre. ThCtr^'-are^t ZZ the Norman-French, and the Latin. Of these three the Engish notation is the worst; the To™^' IV»^ IS very bad; while the La'tin nota^^n^s But the whole of our language, as it is written eroflhTch"^'^ * bWd palimpsest a™1i: 111 \f^ « ^confused and demoralised by over with dialectic notations-for the lan_.uaae grew simultaneously from ditterent centres, "with )F ENGLISH. ir own language, fcion — and even for. Scholar,' ' a.s the time of the seventeenth e of our grcc the right thing ight of writing Latin ; he was iver Cromwell ; ek. ■ge grows ; >'erflow8. then, our lan- off. It is stiil, 11, in its nofca- pudding-stone fact, not one e the English, 5f these three, the Norman- n notation is I it is written 3est ; and the moralised by is scored all he languaafi Jentres, with 1 THE SYMBOL ONE. 11 fragments of Norman- French writing, and with fragments of classical Latin, not to mention the errors of copyists;* and this is what. English children have to be taught. The language is full of marks — like w, y, i, gh, and e — which have tio meaning or force whatever to the child, which (ire simply of value to the philologist as history ; t while they are 'stumbling-blocks and rocks of offence ' in the primary schoolroom. The dialectic character of the langua* s every-" where visible. Among scores of instances there is one that shews how our traditional usages of writing and pronouncing not only hinder the pro- gress of the child, but obscure the plainest facts of the language. The simple symbol one we pronounce as if it were written wun. That is, we have adopted, for this word, a" Dorsetshire or West f of England pronunciation. We say vmn ; but we draw the line there, and we do not go on to say wuta for oat8, or woak for oak. Again, in the compounds of o-n-e, we entirely discard the Dorset- shire pronunciation, and give it the simple sound which all analogy entitles it to have, and make it rhyme with to7i£. Thus in only, alone, and atone,X one has its correct and ' natural ' sound, * Such as the philological blander of the g in foreign and sovereign ; and the vulgar blunders in tonrjue, grocer, foxglove, &o. t The gutturals of our language now disguise themselves as w, gh, y, i, &c.— as w in sorrow, as pA in light, as y in dap, and as i in lutil. X Atone, in the sixteenth century, meant to come together into one. Thus Shakespeare has (in As You Like It, V. iv. 116) : * WTien earthly things, made even, Atone ^getb^r.' 12 WE «>'HABCT^^^o^«o^s^ow^., history. It mavsf,ffi >.'" ^^^^^'^ i^- <»• of ffa^/' ourp^JtEul " M fT.*" ""^"''O" that a^f' f« of rs:n; : rr •«<.eoa,edn: *o be; picture- svmhol • t .! ^^ ""^^P^ seem i-p ^ the past history of aSotfir "^^ '"'™ >«» H o function at present i,7' "^^ "ow-its only i ,.° th^e letter, f :ZZ t TZZ I T"^, f" ^ Other reader to say hat Th. . ^^'^^ ^r .. (^, present day „o n^e^ ^ tt" ^^ *'^ ^^.t ound Aa^ and the letters 'wS^U.r'' ^^^ tradit: upon paper; and the mtmesofi^^i ' '^"^'^ iio pr «^, J^m, are, for thp T.^ ^^^^ Ietters-a^^c/^ T. -ader,j„,ta;:btt;tS„Lr T'"'°'°^-' »k" meaningless. accidental, and essentially '° j^^, If, then an alphabet can be fairiv ™„ j j M l' a^o* ofsiffnah, we have a new stendT'ff "' ^he B> ^.ch to examine our own Ihatt T """ ^^ two necessary conditions of eCv t„J ! *''" signals, and it is absolutelv LI -^ ^T^ ^'^^ of iexpect Ipapor fchild i ^are b Iform change same \ and re add a At fi..t sight, these two conditions seem to l^^""" no aga op SIGNALS. VIOLATIONS OF CONDITIONS OF THE CODE. 13 sent purpose to o-ot ^i >Iiabe6 is, or of 42^ same— only stated in different ways. • mention that all^"*^ * ^^^^^^ reflection will shew that this is ^eem to be decayed """t/^ i • x... The steps seem ^.. ' ^,^^ ^'^'^^^^P^^' ^" H.M. navy, the signal of and thus a letter I- ^ neighbouring ship for a tub, or a )f that which was ^^ ^^^^*' ^^ ^ ^^^^^ ^* ^^P*^' ^^ should have e picture of an ^"^ ^^^^ ^^"^^ violated ; while, if gunpowder may have been ^"^^ ^^ ^^^^^ ^^"^ ^^ ^^"^^' *'^^*^ ^'^ ^^^^^'^ signals— ise now— its only ^^^ ."^ '^^^ ^^ 125— we should have the second ^s a signal The f^*^*^^^*^^'^ ""^ observed. Now this was just the d to the child or *^"^^^^^^^^^^ °*' *^^""S« in the navy before the time is to us in the h ^^^^^^^ Marryat, the well-known novelist, on between the *^^^.^?^^^ °.* signals then in use had grown up by mark the sound *^^^^*!^" ' ^* ^^^ ^ ^^^^ of confusion ; there was le letters— ^^^c/^ ^° principle in it; and blunders and even mis- i unphilologicai ^'''■*""^''* ^^^^ *^^ ^^^^l^^- ^«<^ Captain Marryat . and essentially *^°^ ^* ?^ ^^^^^' ^^^^^^^^^^^^ o^^er and self-con- y Bistency into the notation and the practice of it ; t.nd I believe that his system is still at work in he British navy. i We expect, and the young child also naturally .expects to find the signs' written or printed on ipaper observe these two simple conditions. Every |child expects— and his expectations on this head lare both ' natural ' and reasonable— that the fform of a word shall change when the sound changes; and that the sound shall remain the I same with the same form. How are these natural land reasonable expectations met? N o is no; I add a w, and it is noiv. So far we are on firm fiy regarded as tand-point from >et. There are ' good code of ■y that both of nute accuracy. ^d to and ask id for by only ions seem to i i ground. But put a k in front of noiu ; and it is I no again. Take the symbol OW, and add c to it, f 14 4 '* 1 i 1 j \ i • II ■1 :l . i I i ■ ' 1 1 1 \ take ontmt-^ r;^::r:At :f- ^"' we are plugged i„t„ Z m"^f I'^j '"<' south-weatem dialect,. Add e to o „ Z" becomes wtt„. But put all i„f f?.": and it ' ^dd h. and It IS /,..,; add th, and Jans: it is there a^i-ain. Ves e in front of it a^d •/, ^"^ ' ""' P'""' *" i» the ma«„or hi which ^n^T ^^ ,^™'' faith with the exp:zLr„f'Tihiid"': every third word ii oU -^ ^^"^ ** petSly -breanh'^^^of ^r""'-" P^'" hope,' becau.se it can keen if ^T^ ^ ">« nor with ear. ^ " ""'"'«' "ith eye beiarrrrnriTh*"'''^ A letter, too, he thinks, wmXarstend r"""' sound; and one sound will Tj^ "^"'^ ^^ one paper by only one iX. a leZrT'^'' T several sounds, it will be in ^C \*^'^'^^ ^ov dition of the 'signal th^ ma^ cairt""=" "'"[ things • if a«»minJ^;c "^ *°^ several But, if „ne,r lnTVoi^:ZT'\ ixrt ^:hirr^^-~ V only' r ** *''" "™ w.th the other; his expo- form Isi pretc wayi |syml I nine f ! B B( C El H H Tt Th Tl PERIENCIl. it, and it is l(yw. -e quite safe. But step farther; and ^e of one of our * to n ; and it ^nt of it, and it is abit, and becomes ^- But front it d, and it is done, 'ire; add th, and ; but place an nes eye8. Such language keeps the child; at course— it per- promise to the either with eye 6ne symbol with different sounds. 15 lence is always true and self-consistent; and ivery act of attention he makes goes to the :ood — goes to build u^ the edifice of his nowledge. But, in the most genuinely English part of the language, this is not at all the case. It is not only not the truth ; it is the very opposite of the truth. The child's experience is more upset in the notation of the words which are the native |Words of his own mother-tongue, than in any I other part of our national language. The two mal- I formations which infest our speech are there found ; in the highest degree and in their most virulent form. These two malformations are : 9 letters should 3n of the word. s stand for one represented on tter stands for confusing con- "^^ for several several letters, 3hing to a code bis procedure, fie sound, and by only one 'toms himself -r; his expe- \8t, One S3nnbol or printed sign may be inter- preted to the ear in from two to nine different ways. This is seen in the well-known case of the I symbol ough, which is translated into sound in I nine different ways. Thus : B ough Bor ough C ough En ough H ough Hicc ough Th ough Thr ough Thor ough OW u off uff ock up 00 The symbol {ough) remains the same ; but the > sound — which varied in the old dialects of England — still varies. n i « -or way of Sn^ "'''. ^'^* *^^^ «y°^bo^*^° ^^ w Gr Th S ai eigh ea ey ay t t t Here there are five _ a different symbols to represent to the eye one sound. 4nd w the on #uioui 4^bo] I exactly estimflfpri «« i ^ *^ examined and J «-e>umateci, no complete remofUnl ,«^„ have as yet been taken. measures t But perhaps the wonis which we receivp,1 f. ? ^ound. to the symWs Not 30 ^r^''^'-''"'^ ""^ as bad in the NoriZ Freni ^ '^'' '' "'"'> The two n.a>fo:™:ro;^T.tt"^^n„"',^l"^''' ° ' ^'^ ^^^" *^^ fi'«<^ malformation-the ENT SYMBOLS. NORMAN-FRENCH NO BETTER. 17 ^consists m this-qase of the fixity of the symbol, and the fluctua- te, but the symbolt^on and uncertainty of the sound- nting it— is con-^ ^^e: T P C C OU rist = 00 OU Itry = OU nty = OU OU ntry = u }■ =U fere there are five srent symbols to esent to the eye g sound. 4^^ ^6 ^ave also the second malformation, where ^e one sound is rendered to the eye in several ^ous forms— where the sound is fixed, and the parents of diffi- T^^°^ A^Ctuates.-Thus we have : ^ding, still begin- in the infant and hut, because the 'y examined and medial measures "i 7e received from ds several thou- ke palace, peer, of better and help the child the symbols in ounds; and the »e case is nearly s as in English. ^ in quite as I Now an alphabet which spells a long 6 with an m quantity so W °^ ^^ ^« or an ei or an i ; or which spells a lon« tormation~the 1 with an ue, or an iew, or an eau, is not one 9 Iss ue V iew B eau ty 1 N ui sance 1 N ew |nd 1 P 60 pie 1 Rec ei ve 1 . Rel ie f 1 Fat • Est • 1 ee giie m J. — e 18 THE LATIN NOTATION SELF-CONSISTENT. I'M THI a.tions which is of very great vahie for the learner. It is^ an alphabet which is true to its past ; but the golA j lace and the cord and the tags and the broad flap^ i -i j and the other ancient decorations of the eoat onl\i.i .. . serve to make its inadequacy to the use of thJL j-^n child all the more marked and ridiculous. W- What, now, of the Latin Notation ? It ij^ 9 quite regular ; as is plain from the following : D E St In Re Con ate ate ate fer fer fer > Sound and Symbol always in Complete Accord < Con Pre Re Sub In Con sume sume sume vert vert vert 1. B 4, S 5. S e But, though it is so perfectly regular, unfortufii S e nately for its use to us as Teachers, its vocabulary J jg- q relates to a set of conceptions which do not exist J -p in the mind of a child. What child learning tc^* ® read knows or understands the words resume^ H a invert, or refer ? The Latin words in our languagt(| are terms more or less abstract; they are th( algebraical marks for totals of experience whicl the child has never had ; they form ideas or mark; for a multitude of data not one of which has evei been placed in the child's daily life or experience Our Latin notation must, therefore, for our present purpose, be left out of the count. c Flo C ( Now the two double and doubly fallacioi ere h ierent ;h sue}] Iresent -CONSISTENT. THE EXPERIENCE OF THE CHILD'S EYE. 19 the learner. It i )ast ; but the gol id the broad flap: s of the eoat onlv ;o the use of th iiculous. tions of English and Norman French are ed up in ordinary speech and narrative ; and child is set to learn this mixture. He has to k it into his mind by some process which it is difficult for us to ascertain or to value. What T . -r. . T-is actual experience, as he goes through this Dotation? It i.^^^^^ le following Con Pre Re Sub In . Con sume sume sume vert vert vert The following is the EXPERIENCE OF HIS EYE: 1. B oat tT oe Y eo man 4| S ou 1 5, S ow regular, unfortu-Sl S eW rs, its vocabulary # j^ q+q lich do not exist child learning tc 5 words resume s in our language b; they are th( experience whicl m ideas or mark: )f which has evei fe or experience e, for our present 1=0 B eau H au tboy Owe Fl 00 r Oh! 01 J 1. Wise 2. B uys 3. P ies 4. Eyes 5. S ize 6. G uise 7. S ighs i+s. loubly fallacioi ere he sees a long o written down in thirteen ferent ways. Amongst this confusion, he meets mch signs as w in oive or gh in &igh, which lent a vanished guttur^,l. He s^es a long % M 20 THE EXPERIENCE OP THE ^,,^.3 ^^^ J *^n.n. With an 8 printed in seven dif»erenf w«« , !• at< dentin what """"^'^''^-. «>e 8cl,olarrco, ^« hCi" "'*' '" ^"^» ■» *ake„ ; ho cannot bl^^^] his eyes. On the other hand, the following is the 1. s 2. St 3. 4. H 5. Br 6. Y EXPERIENCE OP HIS EAR : 1 ea ea £a ea ea ea m k rtb rth d One Symbol ) lii.s j Ther Jacept lieru i ven w: ^Ith th l^kl tl lilrage One Symbol equal to equal to ;^cher Six iQi musi Sounds lOrizon r|in or i€| mus ,^dien1 fWhat nike h ifed an Four Sounds i|inber The child is told six differpnf wo^« « , fclarmo one mart TT "'^ "»"erent ways of soundiuyxu • J5ut the eyes and ears of the child nra +1, .il**^^ channels for his knowIed/e--the onlv ^°*onti learning ; and, if these are blocked un V^T^ f^^^^ for knowledge to get into htS "' '' " '^^^frking con«,!^:p^4"«^^ -*h> a.d a multitude M^^' --.using appearances presented to it; and si """ I'HE child's ear. I THE CHILD AMONG CONTRA DI(!T IONS. 21 ifforent ways ; and 9 ^^^^^^^^^'^ ^^^ ^^^^ memory of the child arc I always the .same *^^"^^ ^""O'" ^^^^ very outset. '«, the scholar's coi ?!^® ^?' ^"^ ^°^ ^"P*^ ^^^^^^ ^'^^^^ 5 the child has en ; he cannot belii.^^^^ different sounds to the same symbol ; what Wnd to give is always a question with him ; and owing is the ffIS EAR: One Symbol >JiiH judgment is puz/Jod. There is no firm footing in the lymbol— that is Jiceptible of the most various interpretations; bm-e is no reliance on the sound— that varies v«n with the same symbol, or r<3mains the same ^ith the most contradictory-looking symbols. The l^ld then cannot trust to his senses; these are lAraged and disappointed in every way. The equal to .^^cher must, therefore, train the child's mind: Six Sounds lajmust look to every quarter of the intellectual lOrizon for what help he can get. He must also ijin or arrange the mind of the langimge, that iff, ifnaust so engineer it as to provide a gentle ,'«dient for the children to walk up. #Vhat the child has to do is not merely to ke himself acquainted with 20 symbols of a led and permanent value, but with a very large mber of self-contradictory habits of a people 10 were never allowed by circumstances to reach larmonious development, so far as the lettering their words was concerned. He sees contra" child are the onjfn """^ *" ^'"''"'''^ ' ^^ '^^^ B only avenues J^^^^'^^^^i^i^^tions of English with Norman- d up, it is difficulT^^ marknig, of Norman-French with Latin "•irking, of Latin with English marking, and a multitude rl ^^^,7^*^ themselves and with each other, i to it • a d i"^" "^^ ^^*^ ^^"^'^ Notations there are One Symbol equal to Four Sounds ways of soundi is dars. 12 VOWKLS IN A MUDDLE. Sound Ear Contradictions op } with f Symbol 1 Eye with J Sound I Ear th<'^<' t' olild h apore O] Tho ud itinn mo Symbol i Eye / Tho philological explanation of all this is A^llZ has been su.d. that tho English language is a ;Xical cojjg o.nerato or pu.l.ling-stone ma,lo^up''of sov.^ U d^ftercnt and distinct home-dialects, at well as ftench o^onir ""'' and of Latin elements. It conlence quontly possesses all or parts of all the notat^ofeir n of all these dialects and languages. And t'lses t ZtZKlf'^r^: ^" ^"^ primary schools Joyed that the child IS taught all these systems at tibfat in same time as if they were all of one class. wit« to p out the slightest sense that he is asked to .peoples something that would be extremely difficult flicdish a grown-up man. He has to learn to recogn- " with promptitude and immediateness from tv to five different systems of notatino, .nixed wii iragments from others ! It will be seen that this irregnl.rity.i. d wa, of keeping faith fall chiefly upon the vowels. \] have m our language 104 ways of representing i the eye 13 vowel-sounds. Let us take a few of tl^„„„.„. most striking cases Short i is represented in otf ey strc Ep^rish no ation by 13 symbols; short ^ by Iff; just l^^eby H; longaby 13; short <^ by 11 ; long litting , oy 13 ; si:.rt uhyU; and long u by 12. We. whf e Norr are grown up., have been so long aeeustomed tlher; g, MUDDLE. THE STORY OP THE OH. 18 ^S OF J Symbol 1 Eye J Sound \ Ear locts. as woll as leinonts. Ifc con af all the notat-'o ?uages. And t'( tase thin>?,s, that we do not notice them ; but the ild ha- to notlu ■ them, and he sufiers from them fllore or less- and ^'encrally more. JTh(> digraphs, too, perplex and confuse the child. t7i • uddest of them all is ijh, which we use in the ^•itinrr of seventy-live words. But in sixty-three . «P n *i-. . ?i *''"''*" ""''' '^'"''•■'' *^'>^'^'' t'ntirely ; and in nine of ot all this IS, ft|Bm we make an /of ifc. The stoiy of the qk is li lancruage IS a v^ical enough. As nearly as I can mak(, it' out ina,le up of sevc.il is this : The Normans, who had been learning •ench for several generations, had as a conse" lenco been throwing aside and leaving unuttered eir native guttural sounds. Perhaps, in some es, the muscles of the throat, which are em- primary schools ||oyed to utter guttural sounds, became atrophied • ^se systems at t.blit in any case it had grown to be the ' fashion ' ot one class, wit apt to pronounce throat sounds. Now the En<^lish le IS asked to ,»ople still employed m.any throat-sounds ; and%he .mely difficult f |iglish or Saxon scribes wrote them down faith learn to recogniglly, but quite simply. They wrote lh,K might ,d nHjht~m liht, miht, niht ; and the h had' more or less strong fi^uttural sound. But the 'vnins declined to pronounce this A; they either .uld not or would not. Then said the Saxon ■ibes : 'Oh ! you fine Norman gentlemen will not f«l,- * /IxJ^.f'^ T ^^''S^^'S^ as it is; you ignore our takeafewoftlftturals; we will make yo.. sound them.' So ''^sW . k'"" TI"^- '^r^^^T'^ ^^^ ^ by putting a g in front of ., short ? by ISl; just as a farmer might strengthen a hedge by to by 11 ; long gutting a strong wooden fence in front of it But by 12. We, wli«ie Normans respected the one no m„re than the ig aeeustomed i^ucr; gh was in fact far more difficult to sound ateness from tv at'n", ?nixed wit 2,'A!i,rity ,ni.d wai I the vowels. \] of representing! 24 HARD WORK DONE BY E. i.'l m (|4) Its than simple h ; and accordingly they now ignore I ye both. But the gh remains — a moss-grown boulde ^5) itg c from an ancient glacial period, when guttural f th were precious, and men still believed in the trutli ^6) Its ( fulness of letters. uk The work done by the letter e is perhaps th 07) Its c most remarkable, instance in our lansfuasre of ve union in one letter of real work with superfluoii (18) Its c busybodiness. Like the learned counsel i ^ Chaucer's Prologue : (19) Its a ■^ And yit he seemed busier than he was. (SO) Its ci There is — ,, . ,. ■y this tr (1) Its usual work before consonants, as in wet and wenLii^ ^j., (2) Its use to lengthen the preceding vowel, as in mate. 'J'J^e foil (3) The doubling of itself to make its own long sound, a in feed. (4) Its combination with a for the same purpose, as ii i Drei meat. ■? ji Jjrptr( (5) Its combination with a for the opposite purpose, as ii | bread. | Pie (6) Its coming after i to make a long sound, as in pie. i Brief (7) Its coming before i for the same purpose, as in eider, fPio (8) Its combination with i for a quite different purpose, a Cxn* j in piece. |i^iaer (9) Its combination with i to make its own long sound, a JI • ^® in receive. (True (.10) Its going before w to make a long u sound, as in few -pj ,1 . (11) Its going after u for the same purpose, as in due. ^ ^ ^. (12) Its going after u to make a quite different sound, "nphnoned ^^ *™^' igled th (13) Its following to ijfiake a long 0, as in foe. £ CONTRADICTS ITSELF ALSO. t$ J, . CN) It3 preceding o for the very same purpose, as in they now ignore 1 yeoman. )ss-grown boulde gs) its combination with y to make a long a sound, as in when guttural | they. ved in the trutli ^6) Its combination with y forno purpose at all, as in monejr. e is perhaps tli ^) Its combination with i to make a long a sound, as in r language of veil. ,n he was. with superfluoii (|8) Its combination with i to make its own short sound, ned counsel i ;!; as in heifer. (:i^) Its appearance at the end of a word with no purpose at all, as in couple. ^) Its combination with d with no purpose, as in walked. ■;^this time, the child can hardly be expected to as m wet and wentj^ ^hat an e is and what it is not. vowel, as in mate. fi,e following are a few more of the- ts own long sound, a ^ Contradictions of E. same purpose, as ii I Dream ) Id j r Here it is long and also shoH. . I -Bread ) '^ pposite purpose, as ii J ^ jPie ) : sound, as in pie. | Brief ] "ere it lengthens and also shortens. purpose, as in eider, Ipie ^ gere it comes after and aJso before . different purpose, a |g.^^^ ) for the same purpose. ts own long sound, a ^- ^® \ Here it has an effect on the u, and "iTrue j also no effect. y U sound, as in few i^ j.i, • i » . . , -lothmg can be more confusing and distressing rpose as m due. 1,^ yo^^g learner, unless the fairy Good Order, te different sound, a^jio^ed by the Tfeacher, comes in to assort these Iffled threads and intertwisted distractions, as in foe. i\ 26 CHARACTEn OF OUR ENGLISH NOTATION. TH fll! iii lliliiji It may be useful to sum up all the abo Ae pi statements in the form of a concise »ive a BILL OF INDICTMENT W ^^^ ||um AGAINST j|,iiab] OUR ENGLISH NOTATION. ^» ^ai 1. An Alphabet of 26 letters is set to do t if It tl work of 45 sounds. -^conl 2. In this Alphabet of 26 letters, there are n- ^^oun only 8 true and fixed quantities. 3. The remaining 18 have different values different times and in different positions; a sometimes they have no value at all. In otl; words, they have a topographical value. 4. Some of these 18 letters do— in addition ^^^^^ their own ordinary work— the work of three l„ four others. 3 ^^ ^ 5. A Vowel may have from 20 to 30 f unctiol , in our English Notation; a Consonant mav ha l^rf ^ two or three. 17^^° 6. There are 104 ways of represAiting to tSovisii eye 13 vowel-sounds. ^^^j 7. Six of these vowel-sounds appropriate «|d th( themselves 75 ways of getting printed. ^rmai 8. In the most purely English part of the Isisistc guage, the letters are more often misleading tli«e des not. In the word coiu or they, for example, tliAgle j is no single letter that gives any true knowleiiijakes i or guidance to the child. That is, the letters 1 LISH NOTATION. THE ENGLISH AND THE GERMAN NOTATION. 27 1 up ncise TMENT all the abc tke purely English part of our composite speech ive a historical, but no present, value. , 9. The monosyllables of the language contain all i|s different notations, and these with the maxi- mum of inconsistency. In reading the mono- a|rllables, the child can trust neither his eyes nor *'*s ears. DTATION. >rs is set to do jtters, there are n' !S. different values ent positions; a le at all. In otl lal value, do — in addition e work of three 20 to 30 functio Consonant may ha represdhting to t ads appropriate printed. sh part of the la ben misleading th , for example, th my true knowle lat is, the letters Ii this notation — which is the dress of language could be exhibited to the eye by the help of ^ lours, it would be seen to be of the most piebald' liiaracter. It would be not inaptly described by a mtence in one of Dickens's novels: *As for the ;tle fellow, his mother had him attired in a itume partly Scotch, partly Hungarian, mostly Iwittons,* and with a Louis Quatorze hat and iearlet feather.' we compare the notation of our English with the notation of the German language, te shall find that — as in its words, so in its letters •German is an almost perfectly homogeneous guage. One sound is permanently — and not tovisionally represented by one symbol; one ^mbol is permanently translated by one sound ; i§d the consequence is that the experience of the "^rman child in learning to read is always self- insistent, and every effort he makes tells towards e desired result. The attitude of his mind is a igle and easy one ; every act of attention he kes tells towards the required total ; he cannot * The buttons would represent the ea. 28 THE CONFUSION IN WEIGHTS AND MEASUBES. go wrong if he pays any attention at all ; his oyi^^^^^^ and ear are always in accord and help each otherSjg g^.. Far different is the condition of the poor Englisl Jman child. His attention to the letters will quite 3,3^, ^, often mislead him as not ; in the purest Englisli^ j^. the less attention he pays to the letters the better ^j^gg and he is like a man in trade — he may often working as hard to make bad debts as to makt, good ones. The contrast between the work o^ the German Teacher and of the English Teachen is just as great. The German Teacher's work simple and straightforward ; while the work of the English Teacher is at least five times as difficultj and the conquest of these difficulties require* keen skill, perpetual inventiveness, and untiring pei^verance^ '^ JNow all this has come to pass simply from th^ount independent and highly individualised characteifc^re w of the Englishman. A local usage— a traditional^ vali custom would always override general convenienceS^/^^^ig or a merely abstract consideration like logical con-JItive sistency. Indeed, the confusion in our notation ha^ parallels in almost every side of English life. Id has an extraordinary parallel in our Weights anc Measures, which have been regulated— down tc the date of the 1878 Session of Parliamen entirely by local custom. An imperial bushel oi, corn is estimated in Mark Lane at 63 lb. ; but iti was— down to 1878—72 lb. at Wolverhamptoi. and Stafford, 70 lb. at Liverpool, and 75 lb. alj Chester. In short, there were, prior to the p&ss-! ing of the Weights and Measures Act, twelvcl ■ds tc in r HI lllli A.ND MEASURE& ANOTHER PARALLEL IN MONEY. 29 letters the better -he may often b debts as to mak een the work oi English Teache Teacher's work i e the work of th times as difficult] fficulties require bpln !l.b fl'^'f^""^^* ^""^^ ^^ ^"«^^^« i" "«^ i^ *he grain trade. ters rraS air" "^f^* ^""'^ ^'' ^^'^' ^^ one measure, sell ters will quite a||by another, and. last of all, demand to be paid le purest Enghsl^ ^ by weight. These complications invofved Idless reckonings, and, by consequence, numerous Istakes. They were a great hindrance to trade, I, no doubt, were now and then the cause of 'ious losses. Another parallel is to be found in coinage of Austria. There is gold money; re is silver money— some of it debased and ieriorated ; and there is copper money ; but, in Mtion to these, there are four different kinds of ess and untirinJa-r- T?^ '.""/"T '^^^'^""^ languages, and some ess, and untirin^it is debased to the extent of sixty per cent. It • 1 * is| plain that, if one received payment of an simply from th^ount in six of these different kinds of money uahsed charactetlbre would be-over and above the calculation of ^1 value of the things bought in a self-consistent ^thmetic~a.nother reckoning leased upon the "tive and temporary values of the different Is of money. In such reckonings, a foreigner a child would be at a very great disadvantao-e. hv, just as an English bushel or an Austrian ^ IS continually changing in meaning and value, the symbols by which we attemot to carry 'ds to the eye of a child are constantly chana- m meaning and value; and the child's mind >roportionally confused and weakened. If we in our arithmetic a traditional system of mn made up of the fragments of the Greek, Roman, and the Arabic systems: if 479 were ge-^a traditional neral convenience L like logical con L our notation ha English life. Ii our Weights an ulated — down t of Parliament iperial bushel o at 63 lb. ; but it; Wolverhampto; ol, and 75 lb. a rior to the pass ires Act, twelve' iJii ■! !:il lund .0 7/ for mosi giv cs ; ex )U'CV 30 ONE HUNDR ED AND FIFT Y-EIGHT MENTAL ACTS written down as ^VII9; and if, moreover, o coinage were so irregular that sixpence in Midd! sex counted for eightpence in Surrey, but w only fourpence in Hertfordshire, then it would a very difficult, tedious, and expensive process teach arithmetic in our public schools. The difficulty that would be felt, and the expeii that would be incurred, in teaching such an arit metic as that I have indicated, are really felt ai incurred in the teaching of reading— in puttii into the minds of children an acquaintance wi ^.-~ the bad habits of our notation. For the proble#th is not to make the child acquainted with :mifce i letters ; it is really to make him acquainted wi ll'l eh and thoroughly practised in 158 eccentric ai#'o u self -inconsistent habits which the English haSicli e acquired in the course of time, of writing down iddua], sounds of their mother-tongue. To master I I The combinations would require 158 separate acts ii thcs attention — each 'of which must be repeated un the whole are thoroughly mastered. Well; tl can be done. But the difficulty is even great^ than this. Of these 158 habits, some are inco ' sistent with and destructive of each other; and t experience of the child is not a regular process addition and cumulation, but sometimes of su traction and loss. Let me take an examp There are in the language 59 words in which t symbol ou sounds as in house, noun, &c.; and, ^ course, if the child meets with a large number ^ out oJ such words, he naturally and quite unconscious ^ild is draws the conclusion that ou will always have iiS^vntiii, EIGHT MENTAL ACTS^ NO FIRM FOUNDATI ON IN THE SIGNS. 31 Id if, moreover oinncl. But, by and by, he lights upon words . sixpence in UmMio your, piu-,iimUd, and mould; and now not in Surrey, but ^v only is his previous experience entirely upset' but ire, then it would he forms a vague idea that to ott may be attached expensive process almost any souml whatever. Now, if we attempted schools to 1,^ ve an arithmetical value to his experience; we telt,andtheexpeiim]n]itsay: He has met the first case of o^t nine ching such an arittttnes; he has met the second case six times- and I, are really felt ail^^ experience is therefore equal to three This is reading— in puttii ho^\'cver, rather a favourable way of puttino- it' ti acquaintance wi The fact is, that, in our every-day procedure i. lor the probkWitli children, the exceptions make themselves icquainted with :^ito as important as the rule ; and both Teacher iim acquainted wiand child, in a kind of silent intellectual despair 158 eccentric a,p^-e up the guidance of the rule altogether, and I the English ha teach and learn each word separately, as an indi- of writing down f^f rd ( serious an expense it is to the country, a littliMhe reflection will shew. The whole aim of Educatior^ sj is to form habits. Habits are formed by thai|ne, i perpetual repetition of small acts of the mind (A sou of the body ; and the more often these acts avi^ cam repeated, the more easy it is to perform thenieirs ar until at length they become a part of the sponfi taneous nature, and are performed with perfec ease and pleasure, and beneath consciousness. I other words, poiver has been produced ; and th exercise of power is always accompanied by reflex of pleasure — stronger or weaker according t circumstances. But not only is power produccibStoric by the repetition of innumerable acts of attentionAken a method or path is beaten through the subje(*#l, mc itself by this perpetual treading of the feet c*'ailucs; thought ; and the trained child can use the knoM>% diffi( ledge he has gained for the conquering of tlii^ to b unknown, He does not need to be told this an ^"he t ows ist i:noM PERSONAL INTRODUCTION TO EACH WORD. IITS. late, if it ever set f»at and the other thino-- Tia tr,^ u- ; constantly putti,,. Z learn-l.o ,..,^a ^Zk f andTtakoTh ,d "o^ .m up ; until at la,, ^..y new app^mneo by ihe right handle B. :d not rely on h tfcose perpetual inconsistencies, thase constant Iv stantly helped ov. recurring self-contradictions thi, ;.. • ■ 7 ^us ah .«*«,. ohallengo to the child noTl^S^totcrn^f: these are just co„ many letters, but to ask hi. iself wwY ii ther. And here i^lue here and here-to ask Cself who „ '": . tends to destro,«j„st not ignore and cut them altogether-prevent AT,, . f' *-'?"'* f '■''''''• "'^ P™'"««on of power the rds : The cliavacU fonnat.on of a path or method Thel^l' ! n■m„tim^ of kahU.Yf^ both Teacher and pupil ' ^ ,.2^^'2et m educafon, ho,<#r«! as a separate and indiLl^d eJZ^^ : "°'"> ■■y' " •■"'," ^^ '7"f t" know men and women, if when > aun of Educatioithe .synibol varies and the sound remains th» s of the mind o:*e sound varies and the symbol remains the .^me ten those acts a,>h| cannot believe his ears ; and if the eyes anXthe to perform thcn«|s are the two main avenues to klwle W U part of the .spon^lows that we begin the mental eduSn „ mod with pertecfst of our children by demoralising and con- consciousness. I#ing these two all-important or'-five per cent of ^al ,,«u-e.- i„ t,,o cliZ^t >:!';' ™'","'™™ '"'0 "'o circula :e,l. Tlio logical cZ" . a .liZ ^T '' "P''''' "" <^"'""'^<^. and l.en n,„.st lo"av„ ea.XlaUon hf/" ,'''':'"'' "' ""-^ly '"dividual = ""t by the fact tl.:X ot ,"l tl, t' '' ™ '"^"™'- "^ ""O"""™- .ave oxpros..,! to .Z^Zti^? j, J^ ' ''?"^ "^ "'and-to-mouth el,iUU.„ learn t^X::!:^' ..i,:'^:\Ji;:''il '"-^ ^hild cannot lual existences; aii»: constanllv ,„ f" , *^ °' economy; he a affirm that eW^ich t,ta,/ "? '"''' "'^ complications :siUe. Th„s,fortlS rlworteas ifT'T,"" "•" "nravel-in .rly to ihe level .^r;o thin „„ , > ^'"' "" i""'' <"-«'h«t i3 nopoan ^''^^S C^ ^^Ct^St^^ ^'t°" """j''^ ""^ ;he notation of (i.fclic lower cLmso^ fi,.! ! i J ' ^"^ '"'^"^^^ *^at -^i^«S:^:S^^^^'----^ Department, Sch-X ^ """' "^^*^^r-*«"g"e. In the schools J ,fll"T '?' ^°T' '^'^^"^ (''^^'^ it did very often^ h. the county, I ha|e::ii;^Sti- ::::;;;- 1^;-^ id children workiHf kept on prettv well eSt th! I ^l \ ^'^''''^^'^ St tliese difficurtlf «-" falling off si.e^l^s' 2\sll"' " 'f ' ''^ "°" inds, driven hitll^Jr f ^ - -^-h Alicr^r tdki . Sril^'^' f !' . and chopping M^ "^'^^ Pj- -J to walk ,aite dosl ul Tone "' '' ..L_umu!dung ,.0.^ vcatured tu say as she w.a^ }.„l»:„„ ,..-1 t '" riding," .— .. " •'"" "^ "'^«' "au much practic.. in r; j: •• 1 1 sd THE KNIGHT OFF AGAIN. Ill tumble. Tho knight looked very much surprised and a lil offended at the remark. " What makes you say that I " asked, as ho scrambled back into the saddle, keeping ho' of Alice's hair with one hand, to save himself from fulli'i over on the other side. " Because people don't fall off quite so often when they hatl much practice." " I 've had plenty of practice," the knight said gravel "plenty of practice !" Alice could think of nothing bet to s;iy than " Indeed ! " but she said it as heartily as she coiiw it They went on a little way in silence after this, tho kni;,'ie»;lett( with his eyes sliut, muttering to himself, and Alice watcli^ ^^q ( anxiously for the next tumble. _J .■t "The great art of riding," the knight suddenly bc); a, , in a loud voice, waving his right arm as he spoke, " is '■^^' keep" Here the sentence ended as suddenly as had begun, as the knight fell heavily on the top of his he] exactly in the path where Alice was walking. She quite frightened this time, and said in an anxious tone, as s picked him up : " I hope no bones are broken f" " None to speak of," the knight said, as if he didn't mi' breaking two or three of them. " The great art of riding,^ I was saying, is — to keep your balance properly. Like tU you know " He let go the bridle, and stretched both his arms to shew Alice what he meant, and this ti he fell fl;i,t on his back, right under the horse's feet. " Plenty of practice ! " he went on repeating, all the ti Alice was getting him on his feet again. " Plenty practice ! " " It 's too ridiculous ! " cried Alice, losing all her patie this time. " You ought to have a wooden horse on whe that you ought ! " " Does that go smoothly ? " the kni asked in a tone of great interest, clasping his arms rot j| the horse's neck as he spoke, just in time to save him from tumbling pff again. " Much more smoothly thai>' live horse," Alice said, with a little scream of laughter, spite of all she could do to prevent it. " I '11 get one," knight said, thoughtfully to himaelf. " One or two — seven s 1 h ir lie ( iah de of : hre( Ho til He tr, pa iHe: tic fis ve the but rent 1 be -"W^ AGAIN. don't keep close to the letters 37 ich surprised and a lit ^jb,, , , u . ,. . , , akes you say thuti" W^^ ^f^* ^^^ ^^' ^"""i? '•'* *" ^^^'P yo"r balaiico ho saddle, keeping li '^'''''y ^ ' ami tlio ;^fioat art of icadin-f is to know ive himself from fall »ln to give this Homul, and wlK'n to give; anotlior )UUDut to be ready to give a new sound .self, and Alice watch. «„, old friends at discretion or indiscretion. knight suddenly he °^, ^j''''', "" ^^"^ «^ firmness, confidence, and rm as ho spoke, " is ®^^'^' clearness is generated, which probably ided as suddenly ii '^•J "^ the acquisition of other subjects, and yon the top of his lihicli may in fact stick to the pupil all his life was walking. She or the attitude of the mind in learnincr to read n an anxious tone, as n„i-i, •, ,,^4. ^ • i ,., ., '^ -e broken f" ? "°^ ^ ^''^"^P'^^ one— like the mental aid, as if he didn't iii:****"'^|' ^^ *'ie German child. It is a threefold lie great art of ridiii-**® '■^^ mind. The child has to do not one thin^, ice properly. Like tilt three things : ridle, and stretched , , , , ilo has to notice when he must not notice (in the case of silent letters) ; He has to notice when he must alter his translation of a symbol— or be false to his past experience ; He must notice when to give the old transla^ tion, or keep true to his past experience. be meant, and this ti>j he horse's feet. . repeating, all the tl set again. " Plenty « », losing all her patie rtrooden horse on whe smoothly ? " the kni>! usping his arms rou in time to save hiiiii more smoothly thai> 5 scream of laughter^ it. "I'll get one," •" Oae or two — seveii [is very difficult to make one set of movements the right hand, and a different set with the but if we had to keep up a third and still j^nt set of movements with one of the fe^t it be a very slow and difficult thing to learii, 38 THE COMMONEST WORDS THE WORST SPELLED. 11 diacri 1 The language contains more than 1300 woi the notation of which is not in harmony wiW^*^ the pronunciation; and these 1300 words arc t ^'^" commonest— the most in daily use. Of these, .S*** ^^^ are monosyllables— and these too in most comm *^ use— words like too, mid, they, hroiigJd, one, a:3^ once. The problem of teaching to read a ti**^ notation is to train children to co-ordinate Avi^f^^^^ and fit to the eye-language (the printed symLi ^1 ^^^ which they do not yet know, the ear-langu'^^ ^ which they have known from their earliest dii *^° } But what if the eye-langujige refuses to be fitt^^^-j' to the ear-language? What if they have h^^^'^^ bid each other good-bye and taken separate pat]?*|^"o What if the task becomes for the child a mei- ^ ^^^' arbitrary and entirely forceful linking of the ^"^^^ to the other ? f**ie n idoas i] The important question now arises : Is there ^^"^^ antidote to this state of things ? The two disca^**®®'^ or malformations in the language are plain every one; and they are perpetually present the elementary teacher. What are we to do ? The analogy in human affairs points to the f; that the presence of a great defect in one direct points to the presence of a great power in anot direction; and the question arises: Is there, the enormous deficiencies and absurdities in notation, some countervailing advantage in language ? I believe there is an antidote — a very sim jDut a very effective one, The antidote is to| IE WORST SPELLED. A PERFECT NOTATION. 30 ore than 1300 wor^^ ot in harmony wi S°^ /" *^^ language itself. It is easy, by the e 1300 words are t *f^<^"<^^on of diacritical * marks, to guide the child Of these, 8*1? *^^ ordinary pronunciation; but then these dlcritical marks are themselves a new notation |e cure is not to be found in that direction. |e language is poor in letters; but it is rich in ifrds. The wealth of the vocabulary may make [tor the poverty of the alphabet. There is no y use. too in most comni / ey, hrougJd, one, ai; hing to read a ti I to co-ordinate w; the printed symix m "— r ^j "^ t^c axpnauec. mere is no w, the ear-langu'^^*^ common experience in the writing of Eno-Jish n their earliest da!*° the quickness which the mind soon acquires i refuses to be fitt*^' '^ejecting this phrase and preferring that— m t if they have ](,^«<^ituting. one word for another, in selectin^r, aken separate patlf*°"« * number of candidates, the aptest word r the child a nun.p ^^^^ purpose. There is probably no European II linking of the ,/aOg«age with so many different words for the saaie notion ; and it is quite possible to write one's Ideas in two perfectly different kinds of English— fv arises: Ts there ^^'^^^^^ English or pure English. This then '■ ? The two disea'^^f. ^^^ hope-is it possible that, by conscious sefcction, we should come to write English which iguage are plain rpetually present *J°."^ Present no difficulties to the learner and It are we to do ? ''^'^;? ^'^o^ld be printed in a self-consistent rs points to the f ^^oj^^ion ? 3fect in one direct^ * ^""^ "^ade the small but important discovery 3at power in anot*!j*; ^^^f^ ^^ s"ch a notation in the language and arises : Is there, ^"** ^* ^^ possible to write decent Eno-Iisir in it ^°"S J!'! t*'"'*''' ""^ ""^^^^^^^^ ^^"ch represent i^nglish language upon paper, there exists a FECT Notation, which is always self-con- dote— a very sirajf"*' *°^ ^" which sound and symbol are le antidote is to l^ch n>arks. I xnean, as are uned to indicate silent letters. arises : Is there d absurdities in 5 advantage in 40 CONDITION OF ALL LEAfaNiNQ TO READ. always in agreement. This perfect notation repre sents the twenty-six letters of our alphabet ii only one of their functions; and, if intelligentlr| taught, it can be learned with pleasure in a veri | short time. Narrative of all kinds — Bible Stories Travels, Natural History, and even Verse — can h written in this perfect notation without mucl injury to the style and rhythm of the language. If this is so, then it follows that the exist ence of this perfect notation at once puts int our hpnds the true method of teaching to reac Acquaintance with one self-consistent notatio: forms the primary condition * of all methods an| all attempts at teaching the paper-form of ou language to young children. A child who has mastered this has mastered i with all his faculties preserved to him, his rations | and ' natural ' expectations gratified, and his lov for self -consistency and intellectual honesty coe . tented. It is best to proceed by way of examples, have used this perfect notation in the compositio j of two Primers — introductory to the Englis Readers published by Messrs W. & R. Chamber (See pages 41 and 42.) Now, in the first of these pages, the g in ,fingt^ has two functions ; and there ought iiKieed to * I earnestly commend this to the consideration of my friei in the Education Department. The Fii'st Standard ought to k ' Ability to read in one notation.' This would set the Revised Co on a firm rock, so far as reading is concerned. NO to READ. 3ct notation repre our alphabet ir d, if intelligentli •leasure in a veri ds — Bible Stories '■en Verse — can h m without mucl •f the language. s that the exist it once puts int teaching to reac insistent notatio: f all methods an aper-form of on is has mastered! 3 him, his rations ified, and his lov bual honesty coe y of examples. in the corapositio to the Englis I. & R. Chamber res, the g in ^-w^i^ ight iiKleed to iideration of my friei' Standard ought to b luld set the lieviscd Co I. FIRST PETMER— PART I Lesson 21. a king and a ring; the king has a ring. the ring is on his flng-er. I see the king. the bird will sing a song to the king. Lesson 22. the bird sings on the tree. sing, lit-tle bird, sing. I the king's dog ran at the fox. ring the big bell. King SECOND PEIMER—PART I. ■lillB iwi Lesson 5. ■L This is a nail ; That is a pail. 2. Look at that snail ; He has a short tail. a Put the snail in the big pail. 4. Tell Tom to bring me a nail. R The sheep stand on the plain, A-mong the pelt-ing rain ; But they nev-er do corn-plain. a Hark to the hail and the rain ! A-gain and a-gain and a-gain It dash-es and smash-es. With a patt-er and a clatt-er. That will al-most shatt-er The wind-ow pane. ^A nai^^pail :^<^,^ ^ ^rraii -PART I. SPECIMEN OF PERFECT NOTATION. 43 I. e big pail, tne a nail. i the plain, ig rain ; corn-plain, id the rain ! and a-gain sh-es, a clatt-er, hatt-er me. %^ fjs. But I thought it liottcr to allow a few consistencies to creep in, rather than alloAv the issons to be dull. You cannot treat children as if fbey were squares and triangles; their emotions ike the strongest power about them, and it is e province of the good Teacher to obtain early wer over these. Again, in the page quoted om the Second Primer, the object is to make the ^ild familiar with the symbol cd, which repre- ients a long a. But there is the word pcme, which quite inconsistent with |)^c(mi and rain. Here :ain, however, it was thought a pity to sacrifice ihe rhyme to the demands of logic. Let us take another example ; and this time from verse. The following lines are written in a completely self -consistent notation; every letter has only one sound, and every sound is re^jre- Sented by only one letter : Run, run, little rill, Run and turn the dusty mill, Run, run, little rill, Past the rocks, along the hill ; Ever running, never still, Run and turn the dusty mill. I have also seen extracts from books of travels iewritten in this way; and the English was by ^0 means flat or unpleasant — as it generally is In those wretched little books which are written [n .monosyllables.* In this perfect notation, each letter exercises ^ * The odd thing is that tho monosyllables of our language contain Beaiiy all the difficulties and all the absurdities. 44 AN INNER LANGUAGE. only one function; and a new function is no introduced until the first function lias be,., thoroughly mastered. The purpose in using thi regular notation, is to make the child "full; acquainted with and complete master of on. function of each letter ; just as in teaching tl„ arithmetic of money, the pure and self-consisteni notions and usages are taught, before allowance- for debasement of coinage or depreciation of papei are discussed. An able teacher, to whom I ex plained this plan, aptly named Lhis perfect nota tion an inner language; and it is this innoi language that should be taught first— it is thi^ inner speech that the child should be first quite at home in. If a child is kept at this perfect notation until he has fully mastered it, all his experience will have gone to the good— will have been alwap adding to itself— will have built up in him a set of habits which he can never lose. He learns one function of each letter at a time; and his experi- ence never contradicts itself, but all his eflforts and attention go towards the total result. He is put , on a kind of railway; and his power and work ^^ are not lost in mere friction. He may then go ' on to those examples of printing which are less common and more exceptional. There will always be a residuum of words which refuse to fall mto a class; and these must therefore be learned as individuals; If, however, habits have been formed and mental power created, this will be an easy matter, >UAGE. ew function is no! function has beor | irpose in using thi :e the child full; )te master of om as in teaching th. and self-consi.steni t, before allowances 3preciation of paper i 3r, to whom I ex | this perfect nota- 1 d it is this inner f ht first — it is this . lid be first quite at I feet notation until lis experience will have been always it up in him a set )se. He learns one le ; and his experi- i all his eflPorts and result. He is put power and work "i He may then go ng which are less There will always refuse to fall into ore be learned as have been formed will be an easy CONCLUSIONS AURIVEI) AT. 45 Before going on to the discussion of the second irt of the problem — that which relates to the rowing mind of the child, it may be as well to im up the conclusions at which we have arrived : 1. In the most purely English part of our mguage, the letters do not guide — they mislead. 2. The notation belongs to the fourteenth or to )me previous century ; the pronwnclation is the fronunciation of the nineteenth. 3. The language is overrun with letters which ave a philological — but no practical — value. 4. The names of the letters have little relation their nature. It is no aid, in examining the '^ord they, to say tea-aitch-ee-wy. 5. A vowel may have more than twenty func- lons in our language ; a consonant may have two three. 6. Our present notation is made up of disagree- ig fragments of several notations. 7. The actual — as well as the logical — result is, lat children learn each word separately, like a fhinese character. 8. This is the most expensive and tedious way learning — the most wasteful in titne and in %oney. 9. Among the detritus of notations which repre- mt the English language on paper, there lies inbedded a Perfect Notation, which is always jlf-consistent, in which symbol and sound are iways in agreement with each other. I lUI 46 now TO GET AT THE flilLn. 10 This notation presents the twenty-six letters 1 m only one function at one time. ^ 11. It can be learned in a very short time with httle injury to the style and habits of th ] 13. As a question of economy of time an.li money ch,l,lro„ oiyht to lean, this perfeet nota. ^ tion— this mny of its forma- 1 \b) The interest 1 the word repre- elings. has been per- orfoct notation ; d the ]ano'u;isTo, 5 tor the goiri'i" the question: to learn this lowers, organs, cles existing in mploy in order 1 is knowledo-e ? J with liim, and 3 with him, so h him also, I 1 liddle-faddle THE WHOLE CHILD ENGAGED! 47 mostion whether knowledge ought to be made nteres nig or entertaining to children. Children hemselves despise the very raising of such a Question; they are perfectly serious ; they always vant to get to business, and like to believe thev )re domg something useful. What I mean is that he Teacher must get his pupils honestly interested !ii what he IS domg; otherwise much of his work ^^ill be waste. And I think it self-evident that Ihe more of the powers of a child that are enga-^ed 6i a subject, the better; and that he is the best Leacher who enlists most. Nay, one might go farther and boldly lay it lown as an axiom in education : That it is advis- pie to have the whole child engaged in ^vhat l« IS domg. Body and nrind ; soul, common-sense mgmation ; eyes, ears, and hands ; love of the' 3wand of the old; feeling for the beautiful and * f *"^ ofl'l-every power we can think of or Jscover must be enlisted by the Teacher. The feacher wants the whole child We want the body, for a child's limbs are ways m niotion, and we wish to get this motion tilised m the new acquisition ; and we want the ind for purposes oF contrast, of comparisoft, of Unting up the old in the new, of recognising the Z ! 'IT* '""^ r^'"' " "^^- T^^^" we"must\ave e child s soul on our side; his better and Hidher feehngs must be appealed to even in tnimg to read. His common-sense, too, which a eh, d IS pure and clear, and has not been iiupted by too much experience of the follies 48 THE CHILD WILL HAVE NO NONSENSE. and inconsistencies of his elders, is a most valuable power in the hancl^-. of the Teacher. The common- seiise of the chikl will always— either consciously or unconsciously— tell him that there are things worth reading, and things not worth reading, and that it is better to learn to read by reading those things that are worth. His common-sense will lead him to reject such sentences as the followina, for example : "' He hail a gud. The lad ai; the cab is mail Dad, the lad, and Mab, the pad. Is Dad a bad lad I Tab is sad. Sentences like these may seem to be good practice on the short sound of a; but the child probably asks himself in a silent but sufficient manner : 'Is it then to read things like this that we learn to read?' Every experienced Teacher knows thati you can do one thing best by doing more than one ; and that you cannot fix the whole soul and mind of a child upon the short sound of a. In fact, the problem of school-instruction is to secure, for the time being, the maximum both of mental! and of bodily activity. I now proceed to describe the Method which Ij follow in teaching to read ; and the plans whicli? are required in carrying out the method. The key-note to the method is simply this: I present to the child a few words in a yel|-consistent NONSENSK. METRO!) AND PLANS OP TEACHING. 49 notation ; any the Teacher. 2. Recognition of these Words in various [rders by the children. 3. Contributions by the children. ie^HEETf '^''''' ""^ ^'''^' (previously known) in 5 Reproduction on the Word-maker by the iildi-en. "^ 6. Recognition of Words and Sentences pre- liousJy learned in the First Primer. 7. Black-board Drill by means of Comparison ad Contrast. It will be seen that the essence of the above lan IS the constant connection of Recognition bd Reproduction. Never let a child receive |tohis mmd. a new element without settin<> th. |0d at Qnce to play upon it, and-when°it "h 50 FIRST STKP: PRODUCTfON. possiWo. as it .rronorally in-to ml.l a now oloniont, to It Look! and then Say! Uomoi.ibor and Keprochico ! Tlio two rn.'ntal acts strengthen ea'-li other; and there is always a dan--er of the first pjvver decaying and of its results being lost, if the second IS not called in to its aid, 1 will now say a few words upon each of these sfcf'P^. If (1) in the First Step-which is that of PRODUCTlON-the Teacher is able to draw, lie will have an. enormous advintnge. For he will be able at once to enlist the curiosity, and all alon^ to keep the interest of the chihlron. Howov. r ro%h and clumsy his drawing may be, children have an inexhaustible interest in the pictures of thinc^s they know. A drawing of a cat or a do- or "a cow gives the Teacher an opportunity of appealing at once to the common-sense of the children, and of saying: ' Now, this is a picture of a dog; but this IS the way we print the word dog. This is ' how the dog himself ]ooks; but this is how the wovd looks.' Having introduced the word do,, he proceeds to build upon it a set of words : dog 'log frog Then he may give his class m^— picture mi word and build a set of new words upon thati cat, hat, fat. mt, mat, sat, x>at, and so on. He then proceeds to print phrases and sentences uT)on the black-board-phrases and sentences consisting ot combinations of words already given— ne ml on the mat, The rat In a hat, The cat sees thel rat The rat sees the cat, and many more. He will not give a new phrase or sentence until the class-the whole class— every individual in the TtllVMrNd r.ISTS. SI It .» „m.>.a,y to .l,.fi„,. tl„. „.„,,, „„„,„. ^™i^ iro 1 '" ,"r ™";"'' '^ ■'"»*' ""-luce I laces of th.M,;,.l,ts and hnporfccticw of ,,™c;ico must be able to road the .sonfcunco wliicli ha.s fen pnnted on the Wack-boanUtmight on • (2 they n,„,t be able to read the word, bacwf tor and (4) they must be able to name any word pomte,l to. No new list of words ought tlbo mtioduced to the class imfi? n, i. ° th„ nU li 1 ""'«'''*» until they have mastered The tnl '"; .*''" ''"'^-^^^ l"*-'' "P°" thorn. The followmg l,st., may be found useful by the 11 mselt . Ox, lox,fox list : ««», btm, nm, fun ■ Ma nil, Jill, lall; ball. Jail, tall, w„r „„d ,„^ j ' ' tr TT '■"'"■ •'"" "^'- '''"' 'r™<=h« rf>o iW 'ke^' the e iLsts on separate pieces „f paper for his oZ , guidance.. If the Teacher has been faithful L the giving ami teaching of these lists, he w 1 hav («) Children like to see a thing grow up before them. The ready-made does not excite tneir feelings. {h) There should be a living connection between eveiy element from the first. This living connection is given by the making of sentpnccs. ® * For a collection of these lists, see Appendix (A). 52 SECOND STEP: REOOONITION. (0) A ch.ld should novor bo told the ftmction of , a letter which i, presents under ncM- himsdf'"'"'^'' '"'*°"'<' ^'-"^ it out for 2. The Second Step is the Recognition of thJ printed words in various ordei. by the ehildrtn ' Th s has been already discussed under the first head ' But the young Teacher, if he notices the mental phenomena which appear in his cla.s, wiil sooTfeJ ' that It IS ^,er for the children to point to a word which has been spoken aloud, than to give the Tme of thTst ntf T' t ' °"' "> *>>- ^"e reZn I 01 this IS not far to seek. It is this : The feelin-vs and pleasant memories of the children have befn aroused and excited by hearing the word™ ^o^ dog spoken aloud, which calls up°a delightfuUma^e and at once sets the mind in motion; ^lereal wW the word cow or dog merely is mutely pointeJouI to them, they see only. a few blac/mX anj ■mpidse of any plemurahle excitenicM-thronsh thenr previous experience of these black marks ^ Ihis Recognition consists of three different and distinct momenta : '"erenc and (i) Find me. (ii) Make me..., /m.:^ -n i th^vr J ■, (This will be done by the Word^ker. explained and described larther on.) (iii) What is this word ? There is an important distinction in the nature of the words we use, which it is necessary that the "EAL WO RDS AMD BELATI OKAL WoKDS. 84 yoang Teacher should keep always steadily before h.m. Some words are the symbols for things and thoughts; while some words are n.erely the symbols to us actual extstences ; while another set presents us with re!ulions solely. Professor Earle des^att these two classes as prescM.e and .^mholU; but perhaps a simpler way of naming them would be to T^ and/, ""'' "t''"""'- '^'^"^ *<«»«. Md. em. and ,„„<, are real words; while but, whiA ««. and «/ are merely relational. When ho «ist class IS presented to the mind of a child his the ship of his mind, so to speak, gets under weio-h and hence the Teacher has not lo push or d^w but only to guide. And. the more way the sC ha, on he easier is it to steer. But L second class calls up no mental image-stirs no menf.l emotion whatever; the mind remains in T state rf suspense when it contemplates them. This daf of words excites menial activity only when tW come into use by joining together two poles" al rep sented by a word which is r,.aUuk they the.etoro represent merely the act of joining which the mind performs when it brings the iZTl notions together. Such words oifght according never to be presented to children e.xcept along ^5^ they wil be found to loarn the relational words only for the sake of the others. If, thereforrthe young Teacher finds that his little pupibtr^low at recognising words like v^hiA, ^ohen. whence, and m 54 i THIRD^ ANB FOURTH STEPS. would ,1>3 the W neoo,,s,ary that these thorough/ nitl'TT-T' •.,""'' "^^•^^'" ""'>'« q Ti rn, /";%.- ^'^^ Appendix (C) Teacher .™o;r:tt''Ihe"'Lt ;':^ft Tl »"°°" pa»»ivity or receptivity i a LuMv °L'™'" one; that the child will L <^ "isufficent he will not be able f„^ m i """■«; and that unless hi,, own powL °hiv '' "' "'f ''« "^^ ««' "• Wl.en, there Je he Te P™»'"'^ "''='' "P"" board a wor J Ife W/ , •n'' ''''' °" *'''* '''''''k- ■ other wo.d.s tLfendS. l^ T" 'if "'"^ '°^ them in more or leJi ' '"' '"'" «■=' f^m -'cff, fkU, Zl Z"Tl ^1l ™° "'"'"°n the word., word as he le,7;r ' "'"' ""^ "'" P'™* ^""h Snt.,^"\t'thalX'^ ^r*"""- ™ ™» dignity of a «' V^ttT"''"? '" *^ new effort on the part 'the did 1° T f" to rocoo-nise his nU f.: i • ^""<^i— tliat he has quite Si,,rJr:^j^jr''c'T ™r was in the hahif of .™^- ^^ or, whereas he printed nwhU "1:?^ ''f ""^'^^ ^"^ »™'™-» them printed t ZZ ^""""^- ^^ »««' ^ees this difficulty he'ht "P™:«''"og™uud; and while he h/to accXm hS In: t 'T^'^' condition,. Nav „ore '""'"* '» these altered i» p.*biy di«ieT' t t^r :;,-ts FIFTH STEP: BEPETmON. 5,5 probably not have em^lii^^Ta^ clarendon type which IS given m the sheets.' The same kind of pract.ee as m the First S^f should be Jven hert Reading straight on; reading backward.^; po"ntW ou words; naming words pointed out; gM^gd "f with this pointing out; going up; ^,ZpiZ hZ LT L'l f *, "'""n "^^ "»"'°S near the educational principle will evolve itself to the con sciousness of the Teacher : Good Teaching consisN of RiPEnTioN-which IS ^nftmte. but nev . onotonous. can 1 ring? How many different kinds of per- mutations and combination, can I make > These are the questions which a faithful young ' tIw IS perpetually asking himself. " THE clll'T f top eonsisfa of Repkoduction by IhL^u '"^ WoED-MAKER. A drawin.. of T r„ >T'"' '' «'"» '" «"> fallowing ;a..e The ro,*mafe. consists of three wheels of fard and the middle wheel JJ:^'^^^::^; * Which accompany Chambers's £nr,Hsh Headers Pre.e„t one, I „„ T„ *i Zto " "!"' "<■'"">"■ '» th. 66 THE WORD-MAKER. If the Child IS at work on an at list, he brings the vo ,-el a within the space left by the black band in the middle; he brings the t opposite the a; and now he has at, and is ready to begin. The Teacher who IS working with the large Word-maker, turns the wheel on the left until h comes opposite at and asks the class to make hat Then he calls upon them to make cat, mt, and so on. It would riie Cliiiarens WoitI Maker ; _l'"Mi'aclun^ tlip u.S(> i.{ letters VU^^U -^ — V- .-;:v \s . be better if the children could print the word upon their dates. But this very few children can do and, as It ,s well to enlist the labour of the hand from the very first in learning to read-as it is we 1 tha he Bhould do Bomethmg fm- himudf-^ .t IS wel that the Teacher should never act for Am, but that he should alway. act ^ith Z SIXTH BTEPj_mCOQmTION IN A BOOK. 5^ Teacher, the use of the Word-maker probably gives the initial step in action which is wanted for young children. t^tollu "^^f-'/'-H-o^^ which would interest the children, and also provide a good outlet for 1,; J ' I Z °''"''' ""'"^ «" hi-* little cU.^ to make motions with the arms as if they were prmt.ng the letters on the black-boardi a ways however, employing the simplest forms of he letters Thus it would be bettor to tak^the form a rather than that used ordinarily in typo- graphy-a This gymnastic printing would bo a change and a relief; and it would Sso knit the class together in a closer corporate life 6. The Sixth Step is RECoomxioN w a Book Let us suppose that the child has mastered all the words contamed in the sheets. He finds the ame words under new circumstances in the first seTet een page, of the F„«T VmuEn. The hono„rof Lavmg a book put into hfa hands-the feeW of property and possession, marks a new epoc uf h.s school-hfe. It is of the highest impotence to economise those sensations with children and *n ""• -:» to anticipate. Honours should 1 uo rV'"" fn "" '""''^-' ^h-ld naturally to the children. 'It would be a great triumph m teaching,' says Dr Abbott, ■never to g.ve a definition until it is wanted.' Bur this at^ent may ho extended over the wh le o eclaeauuu; and it - ^ may be said with truth that 58 SEVENTH STEP: COMPARISON A ND CONTRAST. the sueec, of all o" /"!' ir^ {.• with some word previously known), then it may 64 THE TWO_WORKS_OP TEACHING. bu* « I ono systim'Ct: ;r J"' f'^'^' 'u connection with a ncuLT \ ""P'oyod in obedience to th. f . ■™°'' ** 0"<« is, and Kaloaol th^Item w\ r'"""'""'" Principle, beginning the aW „f * «"'"'• ''""'" ">o very the minTid the f l-'P"""*"^""' "ovenicnt of faith and t™thtn>?hT' T" " "'o"' ''^OP' dissociate itself f-o^ T ,. . **"' "y"*''"' must instead of a^LjTr]^;"'!':,'','-'"* "'^ «««. practice every device X.f • "" *"'' P"* in classiiieation coinZi ' """ '^™* *'»" teacher- ing-out,a:re2r„:c"'"''''"''"^'^°"'- thing like t^chirg'to "rl'aruta''""' ". ^""'" that is generally p^t in the hand otZT ''°* and most inexperienced TeacW tL^°™«°'' far to seek If t*«„i,i„ .'"^^''- The reply is not at all, it must" a:tofabor;*d-'"d'' '"""'''"' foundations-it mltfi-, ^^ ''''^" '<' ^«>iJ waited which sM rfv^f tTe *'" " ^"«'^' nature of the subject taught, and Xh^halT'?"* guide us to a knowledw of '"™™'™ shall also that is to be tauglTt ti:L t?!w "' *\*"'' that must be worked JTl T ''^^ P-^oblems -J"5s pufcicuuc. The rule of rNo. 'ystem is not with others, bo employed ours is, and I principles. »in tho very lovemcnt of lone keeps ^ the child i^stoin must of telling and put in Teacher — ing, point- hy I have t a small 3 of work youngest ?^y is not •rofession 1 to solid thought d whole hall also ihe child ►roblems g faith- rule of OREAT-CIRCLE-SAILINO. ' 65 thumb, the living fron» hand to mouth, must be bam,hed from the field of education. A similar re orm took place about thirty years ago, in the art of navigation ; and the corresponding chan-^e IS, I believe, not far off in tb nhere of school- instruction The change in navigation was this: Captani M F. Maury discovered t'at .a« nearest way to a place by sea was tho far! host wav round • in other words, that you reached .or destination most quickly by sailing to it on th. l.r...t circle you could describe upon the globe. By takin.. such a course you had the advantage of all the hel^ -of the maximum help that winds and currents could give you; and tiiis scientific forecast-this justified by results. In the same way, it will be found that great-circle-sailing in education is- though It looks the longest-really the shortest and most effective road to our goal ; and that, by following this route, we shall have the largest help from the emotions, the mental powers, 'and the whole life of the child. The economic side of this question is also of «ie highest importance. Dr Gladstone, with great moderation, calculates that the loss from friction due to our eccentric notation, amounts to ' 1200 hours ma lifetime,' and that 'more than half a million of money per annum for England and Wa es alone is wasted on training our children to habits m that which has itself no habits. No onfi w^uld 'vi"ii <•'- — .- ' «^ * ^' ," '""^ F<^i'putuai)e liie present confused system-or no-system-of notation which 66 ™>= N-SmE^DAI^aiRiJTOFLOWER SAFEir. rrfo™i„rr' P"'''''' ^ » practicable way of him chances for exercisina hi. !f^°^'°^; ^^ ^* g^^^s fn.na: it hLr^hesV^'tfrtdwr'T'* a quarry of bntold wealth. TkTmZ T oW tTon tm'Tt Z ^*T'''^'y and eccentrS^Ir learn that thattt.tjl*^';^; ^e t f ' perpetua^ accompaniment of skill, resource and IT f '""t ^"y "'°^^- ''^^W ^ the j^y that l.tl -.r P^'T«*"al joy that comes from svm &r*/°"T '='"*«°> the Teacher hlfound the bath of everlasting youth, he suns himser^ the light of happy faces and tearless eyes I SAFETY. )le way of is not so . 3ems to be. port unities if it gives classifica- mtrast; if hemselves en it may essing in it mends I our best for ; it is Teacher, ric nota- himself ; he will art, has h is the ^ce, and ioy that subject, m sym- ^ found Qself in APPENDIX. (A) LIST OP WORDS FOR BLACK-BOARD. {Ot1ier$ may be had from any good Rhyming Dictionary.) AT Usi bat cat ^fat hat mat pat rat sat tat vat AU Ust jam ram 8am IT List. bit ' fit hit lit pit sit tit &D List, bad dad lad mad pad sad n) List. bid did hid kid lid mid rid 'TIT for TAT' List. bit, bat fit, fat hit, hat pit, pat sit, sat tit, tat ID and AD List bid, bad did, dad hid, had lid, lad mid, mad OX List, ox box fox IX List. fix mix six AQ List. bag fag hag jag lag nag rag tag IG List, big dig fig jig pig rig 10 and AO List, big, bag fig, fag jig, jag rig, rag oa List. bog dog fog hog jog EG List, beg leg peg egg IG and OG List, big, bog dig, dog fig, fog jig, jog OCK and OG List. dock, dog hock, hog lock, log mock rock 990^ 68 APPENDIX, ALL List. all baU caU fall hall pall tall stall squall £LL List, bell ceU dell feU teU ALL and ELL List. ball, bell faU, fell taU,tell ULL List, dull gull hull mull ALL and ILL List. all, ill ball, bUl fall, mi hall, hill • tall, till UB List, burr pun- fur AR List. bar far jar tar ACK and AKE List, back, bake lack, lake quack, quake rack, rake slack, slake tack, take AND list band hand land sand stand wand END List. end bend lend mend rend send spend IND and AND List, bind, band hind, hand ASK List, ask bask cask mask task flask IND List, bind Mind find hind kind mind behind wind ASS and USE List. bask, busk mask, musk task, tusk VST List, bust crust dust duster gust must rust USK and UST List, busk, bust dusk, dust miisk, must ANK List, bank blank clank crank frank prank sank tank INK List. ink brink link clink pink drink sink slink shrink DTK and ANK List. link, lank sink, sank drink, drank think, thank clink, clank shrink, shrank mo List. ding sing sling king ring wing thing cling sting string spring ONG List, dong long song thong strong along APPENDIX. INK List, ink brink link clink pink driuk sink slink shrink ■K and ANK List. nk, lank nk, sank rink, drank link, thank ink, clank rink, shrank NO List. ding sing sling king ring wing thing cling sting string spring List. long ong ong hoDg brong long CO ZNO and 6ng Ust. ding, dong sing, song thing, thong string, strong INOandUNa List. sing, sung sling, slung ring, rung cling, -clung sting, stung string, strung spring, sprung UNa and UNCH List. bung, bunch lung, lunch hung, hunch INO and INCH TJst. cling, clinch fling, flinch ping, pinch UMP List. biunp jump lump clump pump plump stump mumps trumpet AMP List, camp damp lamp cramp stamp tramp ART List, art cart dart hart tart smart start ARD List, bard card hard lard yard ARK List, ark bark dark hark lark mark market park shark spark ARCH list, arch larch march Tiarch starch ARK and ARCH List. ark, arch lark, larch, mark, march park, parch ARN List, bam dam yarn tarn ORN List bora corn horn mom torn worn thorn ATE Ust. gate hate late mate grate plate slate ARM List arm farm harm alarm charm OLD List. old bold cold fold gold hold sold told wold scold ITE List. bite kite mite white ' spite ADE List. fade made wade shade blade OPE List, hope mope rope grope scope slope APE List, ape cape gape tape grape scrape 70 APE and AME List. cai)e, came gape, game tape, tame lame flame same name ANE List, cane lane mane pane vane crane APPENDIX. INE List. dine fine kine line mine vine wine pitie nine brine ALE Llrt. ale dale gale hale male pale sale tale st^le IFE List. life fife wife knife strife rifle trifle ACE List. ace brace dace face lace mace pace siiace race trace ACE and ICE List, ace, ice dace, dice naace, mice space, spice race, rice trace, trice EE List. bee see flee free knee tree three BED List, feed heed need reed seed bleed breed greed SEE List. leek seek week cheek creek £EL List, eel feel heel kneel steel EEN List. been seen queen green screen fourteen fifteen sixteen £EP List. deep keep steep sheej) sleep weep sweep creep EER Ust. beer deer queer cheer ££ZE List, breeze sneeze Biiueeze freeze EET List, beet feet meet sheet sleet sweet GAK List. beak leak peak squeak sneak speak streak EAM List, beam seam steam cream scream dream stream EAP List, heap leap reap cheap APPENDIX. 71 EAR Ust. ear dear fear hear near rear tear epear EAT Ust. cat beat heat meat neat seat wheat cheat bleat treat EACH Ust. each beach peach reach teach bleach breach preach EAD List. dead head lead tread breAd spread EATHER List. feather leather weather heather BW List ewe dew few new pew yew blew brtw crew screw drew grew flew mew chew stew OE List. doe hoe roe toe sloe - foe shoe ! canoe I 00 Ust. coo too halloo \ OOK Ust. book cook hook look nook rook took brook crook OOL L...!;. cool pool fool stool school OON List. moon noon soon spoon balloon OOP Ust. hoop loop droop troop swoop OOT List. boot coot foot hoot root soot shoot OW List, bow wow cow how row sow brow brouse flower OWN Ust down town gown brown crown frown clown OW (= o) List owe bow low mow sow tow show blow flow slow glow crow grow snow- know throw fellow yellow follow hollQvr AWL List awl bawl crawl shawl AWJT Llat dawn lawn fawn OA ( = 0) .^.;'; load road toad goad coal foal slioal foam roam * gloam boar roar soar boat coat goat float afloat groat boast coast roast toast APPENDIX. 01 Lls\ brain oil gain boil grain soil again toil chain broil stain spoil train join strain joiner ho'isfc ^iiiaid joist paid moist laid Siiid y bay enjoy day toy &-Y, destroy hay lay AI List play ail May fail pay hail say jail - way mail DAll ray bray snail dray quail rail pray stray sail OU (=ow) List tail bound trail found fair hound hair mound pair pound chair round , ground pam around rain sound house mouse grouse out about pout spout 5 i Tout » hont snout, trout mouth south loud cloud aloud OU(=oo) Liss. soup group would could should lOH List high sigh nigh fight light dehght might night right bright fright sight ti^bt house mouse grouse out about pout spout «iiro!it ihont cnoiifc tmut mouth south loud cloud aloud f (=00) List, soup group would could should »H List, high sigh nigh 6ght light lelight oight light ight right •ight ght Jht APPENDIX. 73 ElttH XJflt. OUGH UBt. OUGHT List. OUGH (off) List neif,'! bough bought cough neii;ii !>our plough fought trough sleigh sought eight thought rough weight brought tough enough chough - slough (B) After the little learners have learned to recognise a number of words, and can read oflF easy sentences written in a self-consistent notation, it will become necessary, for future purposes, to teach them the powers and nattires (the names they will soon pick up of themselves) of the letters. This is best done by a process which consists of two steps : 1. Let the attention of the young clasp be called to the power of each letter, by running round the class words containing this letter in strong prominence. Thus, for b, let the little ones all say m turn, bob-bob-bob, etc. ; for d, did-did-did ; for /, fuff-fuff- fuffj for gr, gig-gig.gig; for h, ha-ha-ha; for I, lulUull-luU-lull ; for m, mum-mum; for w, nun-nun; for p, pop-pop; for r, only the triUing of the tongue ; for a, sS-sS-aO; for t, tit-tat, etc.; for w. wow-wow. 2. The second step is to fine and pare these words down to the thinnest sound of the letter, so that it may be in a fit condition for joining with others. Then the class will say only U-lS-l^-U ; dS-dS-d&-dS ; and so on. It is a good thing for the Teacher to give his (or better, her) Uttle pupils much practice in those words in which 'the sound is an echo to the sense.' It would be very useful to make a list of such onomatopoietic words. They at once arouse the attention and feelings ; and the children enjoy them, as they keep saying them m turn round the class. When they end in a double con- sonant, they intensify the attention of the child to the two sounds; and such words as tramp, bark, lark, sing-song, and so on, can hardly be too often repeated. The onomatopoietic words buzz, hiss, creak, crack, hum, shout, and many others, it would not be ditlicuit to make a list of. 74 APPENDIX. '•efa^ma/, and convey ^oln^.l^ *"' T''^' ^'^'^'^ «"•« P»rely Moreover, it was ^lyTCnTZtZTTu *'! ^^"'^'^ --i: twelve words, he wSedZ - -'^ * '*°°^ "^ *^«"* Without my .e..X.hr alingfe ^trd TlV^.-^'^^* ^"-- I pointed to this word and to that T • \ ^^'^ ^™ questions; final and of different initial w- ?' ^"""^^ °^ *^^« ^^^^ together a known eWnllrlt o"^^^ ^T ' ' '^""^^* from another, and asked him tn .n i 1 * ^°''^" ^'^^n^nt instance-after he ha,1 1 ine them; but in no single words-did I ten h m Cthin'" ^ f .f -^-in-trade of twdve remarkable and patiTtic sithts^ '* ^'' "°^ ""^ *^« '""^t wonder of the young man as he fiir.'' T^ ''' '^' ^""^ *«d ing and stretcLg^themseiU 'ut ^^t T'f' «lowly unfold- long atrophied and pulTeless If 7 ?. ^"^'^^ *'^"* '^^'^ b««n his art. to see how far trn . 7- ^^^'^^' ^'«^«« *» test ita greatest and m^st encouZ T^ ^'™u ^^'^ *° ^'*"««« «ne of and teach a corpttTlH^rfnt^^^^^^^^^ ^j' ^- set to work becoming every day rarer •«« C ? , ^® specimens are however, to be sefn wheth r t ?,'""''' ^''''' ^* ^^"-i''^. our labours-whetherTn ot h2 T n''^ *" ^"^^ *^« f""* « becoming mechan cat orcefuWnd t'",*- ''^^'^*^'' ^« ^^« '^o* so-called methods. ' '^ ""^thmking in many of our I-Ple-Vh?pard^oLX^^^^ o^ ^own-„p how difficult a'nd tJ^^^i^t^ZZ''' T'l'"^^'"'' smaU points in each letter which mrk^ , -I °*'*^ °^ *'^ *b« tiate it from other letters and Tuf ^ '*' *^''*^°««' ^^^ren- on just difficult myself ' type pla as easil; with pet down. from the from th( more dii because the use c The thic] crooked '. right and the dots through ( stick up, at the to] limbs an( the roun( square— a eye. But much by see — we ji expectatio the child ] out each 1 then to 1( every quai demand h learn all i modes of are provide not too inc power, bod APPENDIX. 75 t the difficult were the, this, ih are purely child's mind, •und it much ' name them as wonderful >ck of about j'irsfc Primer a questions ; of the same ; I brought 'wn element in no single ie of twelve 'f the most ie awe and vly unfold- had been les to test ess one of Jt to work imens are t remains, te fruit of we are not ay of our grown-up tfulness,' f all the diflferen- rhis was ig a shop iich the straight drffiSyVrlli:: ttm if' V'' *'^ «^°*^*^«* ^"-'^'^ myself writLi S fh . "''"'''"S '"""^'" ^'"^''^ ^ l>'*'l type ir wher. a . «*«7°*yP«'- could road from the stereo- learn all the be."f S Jt ".h: 17JtiZ ^d 'f' "*" modes of combination by the hand '^, fn Jfc w ""^ -provided for him. If^fistt™ ^°^ ra-H^U^ ^Hya^^'M^ '°" ^^P^'^ ^" Arithmetic. t.ne5.J?!M;r^Ks^^K?;;.';f K«- o,. uiJ^ILn co„. seventh complete Edi«on^_;;j^__ . pr,ee.$i.oo Examination Papers in Arithmetic— Part I Prlc^ ^' ""' "'^''"'''*'': *'■ ^' "^' ""•• ""^ ^"°«- ''"""■^'">' M. A. ■ I>up.!sprei»ringforadMiissiontoIlfgh ScLoof ' ^^^ ""^ °' "'^'^ ' _J ;^ ;_ - - $1.00 McLellan's Mental ArithWtic— Part I Containi,,^ the Fundamental Rules. Fractions and Analysis TWM Edition:"''' ''• ."■• ''• "":' '"''^^'" "''' '^'="°'>'«- ^"**^'- Authorized for Hs^jMLschool^Nova"scotia. ^°^^"*^ McLellan's Mental Arithmetic- Part II Third BdUIon "^ "'"'''' '°' ""''' '"^ "'•'' '''°°' «'"^*'"*'^ ' " " ' Price, 45 Cents The Teacher'^ Hand Book of AlgeJ^ra. By J. A. MoLbllan, M. A If D Second Complete Edit!,!''- . ' . ' * • Teacher's Hand Bo^iT^FAigebra —Part "l Prepared for the use of Intermediate P'. ■knts. * WCOi • - « _, " - 75 Cents. Key to Teacher's Han lo- : of Al^eh Second Edition. . ^ oi Algeb . Price, $1..^-). tJil 5Slorh0. M(LELLAN. lie. chools, Ont., ftnd TOIOIHO. i American Con. Price. $1.00. —Part I. AND, M. A. 50 Cents. umber of Public he U80 of their )n Papers IND, M. A. - $1.00. -Part I. Analysis, ols, Ontario. 30 Cents fa. Part II, ents. 0, 45 Cents gejbra. $1.25. -Part I 75 Cents. Algebri. rice, $1,60.