TO THE TEACHER.

DURING the early stages of reading, the efforts of the child are directed chiefly to learning words, sentences, and idiom, in which he sees his own expression and recognizes his own thought. The more exclusively the words and idiom learned represent the child's own thinking and expression, the more certainly is he made to appreciate their symbolic character; the more certainly does he know their true meaning. The range of true observation and consequent expression during these early stages should be as wide as possible, consistent with desirable unity and sequence.

The child who has learned the symbols representing a broad and careful training in seeing, feeling, willing, and acting, has a preparation for reading the thoughts of others expressed by the same symbols.

That such broad preparation is desirable, even necessary, before the child can read understandingly and profitably, is well-nigh axiomatic.

During the later years of school reading, but beginning in the early stages of the period of transition from the first steps of learning to read, the pupil should be required, as a reading exercise per se, and in addition to the topical reading connected with his history and geography work, to read critically, selections from accepted authorities accepted alike for their authenticity and for their literary merit. These selections should treat of the same or closely related subjects, that the reader may learn to compare, understand, and estimate the value of different modes of thought,

on the same or kindred subjects, different ways of expressing similar or kindred thoughts and impressions, as well as for training him. in seeing critically by use of represented fact and in thinking independently and sequentially after the examination of represented thought. The reading lesson of advanced grade, no less than the object lesson, should train the pupil to see accurately, connectedly, and broadly, and it should train him to think with corresponding accuracy, sequence, and breadth.

The first four parts of this book have been arranged to afford opportunity for the kind of reading above referred to.

In Part I. will be found a number of articles by as many distinguished authors, treating of various phenomena of inanimate

nature.

Part II. furnishes a variety of readings on closely allied subjects in the world of animated nature.

The selections of Part III. relate exclusively to patriotism or to subjects underlying a true and correct patriotism.

Part IV. is composed of a number of units, or groups of selections, each of which is distinct in itself, relating to the humanities.

The graduation of the work is easy, while the arrangement is logical. It will be found desirable and most profitable to teach each of the parts or units above mentioned as an entirety, to be read and studied as a whole apart from other matter.

During the later years of school reading, but after some practice in a unified miscellaneous reading, as suggested above, opportunity should be given the pupil to read and study some masterpieces of literature, that he may know and appreciate them as such; know their authors and their relative standing in the field of literature - English and American.

Field work, only, gives opportunity for intelligent classification, and must precede it. This is no less true in a profitable and consistent study of literature than in the study of natural phenomena. This field work should be begun as soon as the pupil is competent to do such work intelligently.

Detached fragments, unless collected and read for the purpose of

comparison and collation, afford opportunity for only an inferior, and hence an unprofitable, kind of field work.

No person knows literature after reading detached fragments therefrom. No person who has read only fragments knows anything of an author worth knowing. He who has read fragments only has not learned to read. The miscellaneous reading of detached fragments can only be confusing and therefore hurtful. It is the bane of the modern reading lesson.

Part V. offers opportunity for some field work in literature, of the most profitable kind; perhaps as much as pupils of the age of those who read this book can do.

A book of the fifth reader grade should furnish material for widely varied exercises in elocutionary drill. It is believed that the selections intended for special practice in good delivery, found in this volume, are so chosen and so connected with other matter as not to mar the character of the work as a literary reading book, and that they afford at the same time an interesting and profitable variety, and also that their specific and varied character is such as to secure, if used properly, a rounded and symmetrical training.

The teacher's attention is respectfully called to the suggestions to pupils contained in "Reading Aloud," Part VI.

The notes and vocabularies found in Part VI. have been prepared with much care, the meanings given to words being such as define them in the connection in which they are used in the text. An intelligent and profitable use of the book is therefore not only possible, but is practicable and comparatively easy, without the use of dictionary or other reference book.

The selections from the works of Longfellow and Holmes are used by permission of and arrangement with Messrs. Houghton, Mifflin & Co., Boston, Mass.