to the scholar, must be held before him until he has obtained a conscious knowledge of it, although it may not be possible to dwell upon it till it becomes fixed in his mind. Hence the advancement made is but slow. If necessary, one and the same theme may be made the subject of several selections for reading. When the whole series, or a greater part of it, has been concluded, then make a summary review.

3. What has already been treated of is to be renewed and fixed in the mind of the learner by continual repetition. This can be done, in part, in reading lessons in which something new is to be developed, and, partly, in reading lessons selected at pleasure, solely for the purpose of review.

4. Minor items, for example, an interrogation point is placed after a direct question, that the name of a person is always commenced with a capital letter, as, also, the particular place in which he resides, etc., may be introduced at pleasure, wherever the reading lesson offers opportunity.

5. It is not necessary, in the discussion of a reading lesson, studiously to exclude all and everything which according to the teacher's plan should be fully treated of only at a later period. If an especially appropriate opportunity offers, or if it is necessary to the understanding of anything, then, so far as needed, let the teacher make previous mention of these things.

6. Oral instruction is to be aided by written exercises. Of this it is necessary to speak more fully. The need of such written exercises rests not merely on the desire to fill up certain school-hours, or to give suitable employment to the child at home, but also on the fact that in oral exercises the minds of the scholars of the class are not all equally active, that we cannot take so especial a hold of the thought of each as in written exercises. As a rule, in oral questioning, only the one to whom the question is addressed becomes fully active in thought, while with a large part of the remaining scholars who are interested to a greater or less degree, the attention paid is, at least, less spontaneous. In written exercises, on the contrary, every scholar must give his full attention and turn his whole mental power to the subject before him.

To obtain, in oral exercises, from each pupil the same degree of spontaneous activity which is aroused by written exercises,

would involve a greater expenditure of time than a teacher can usually afford. The teacher would never have time enough to convince himself whether each separate scholar had fully comprehended the subject spoken of, or to what degree he had comprehended it. Thus, for this reason too, are written exercises necessary, if the teacher does not wish to go on building up a structure without knowing beforehand that a sure foundation has been laid by each of his pupils. The examination of these written tasks will first render it possible for him to gain a correct knowledge of the result, in each of his pupils, of his teaching, while, at the same time, it will serve as a necessary guide for subsequent oral instruction; such knowledge is, moreover, indispensible to every teacher who does not desire to beget in his pupils a knowledge that is broken, disjointed, unconnected, and often erroneous. But granted that the teacher has sufficient time for such oral exercises, he would hardly avoid a certain sense of tediousness which enters with the diminution of mental activity in a majority of the pupils. It would be chiefly among the most ready and capable scholars that a condition of restlessness and uneasiness would arise so soon as the teacher should be forced (an unavoidable circumstance) to busy himself. with those naturally more dull. Nothing is more dangerous to the child's interest in learning, and also for discipline, than this. sense of tediousness and the uneasiness and discomfort proceeding from it. Hence oral exercises must often be interrupted at a point when, for a larger or smaller part of the pupils, it is necessary to continue them. This continuation constitutes the written exercises which again force the more capable scholars to spontaneous activity.

The result of all this is the necessity of written exercises demanded by instruction in language in its different branches; and, from these points of view, instruction in language in its treatment of each of its different subjects, divides itself into three departments. These are: First-Awakening of the intellect. Second-Oral exercises. Third-Written exercises.

The question as to what constitutes the special province of these written exercises, is easily answered by pointing out that they should be nothing else than a continuation of the oral exercises. One must also know what oral exercises are to be

linked to every rule of orthography, grammar, or rhetoric which has come under discussion with the pupils. Since, however, all oral instruction cannot be adapted to written exercises, many because requiring too much assistance from the teacher, others because too lengthy for written recital, or because beyond the orthographic skill of the pupils, a selection must be made suited to conditions, and what is to be required stated somewhat in this form: All oral exercises must also be prepared in written form, so soon as this form does not exceed the capacity of the pupils. The more nicely graduated the steps of the course, from easier to more difficult, which the teacher follows in these exercises, so much greater the number of exercises possible.

To please those who would fain refrain from entering on their labor without some more extended classification, I will here attempt to illustrate a method founded upon a somewhat systematic basis. I would, however, first remark:

1. Concerning the amount of the following material, to many it may seem insufficient for one year, to others an overwhelming amount for that period. Who would be able to fix a limit suited to all?

2. In regard to some simple objects made of a single material, I have only given hints which are by no means intended to exhaust the subject; they are but the key with which the teacher is to find and arrange his own material.

3. To the young teacher about to commence his first course of sense-perception teaching, I would recommend, nay, I would beg of him, to furnish himself with a manuscript book, and this by no means a thin one, to crease or rule every leaf in the middle, and on the one half to write out a preparatory exercise on every separate object, leaving the other half for future additions. The lesson itself may furnish additional material, for the

thoughts and remarks of the children often furnish the most valuable matter. We are the teachers of children, but often

they are also ours.

4. Do you find the lesson you have prepared too short, review or commence on the next; if too long divide it and continue the subject in the following lesson.

In the following pages I give a few examples of what is to be considered and somewhat of the principle of classification to be applied in regard to the different objects; remarking that these are not complete preparations, but are, and should be, only sketches.

The chief division for the first series is: I. The human body. II. Its needs. III. The child as scholar. IV. The schoolroom. V. The school-house. VI. The sitting room at home. VII. The sleeping-room at home. VIII. The kitchen. IX. Dwelling-houses. X. Other houses. XI. Country, town, and city. XII. City or town in which the children live.

I. THE HUMAN BODY.-Its name: body. Parts: head, trunk, limbs. Number of parts: one head, one trunk, four limbs. Which parts of the body are double? arms, legs, hands, feet. Material bones, flesh, blood; hard, soft, and fluid parts. Position of head, trunk, limbs. Changes in the body: growth, sickness, fatigue, heat, cold, injuries, death.

Animals also have bodies. What animal has a small body? what one a large body? what one a long body? what one a thick body?

1. THE HEAD.-Form: round. Position on the trunk. Parts: forehead, back, top, crown, face. Natural covering: hair. Baldness: little babies, old men. What men and boys wear on head hats, caps. Hats and caps made of: straw, silk, felt, fur, cloth. What women and girls wear on their heads: bonnets, hats, caps, nets, ribbons, wreaths, flowers. Motions of head nod, bow, shake, turn, hold upright. Hadache. Heads of animals.

2. THE TRUNK.-Position: below head, above limbs. Parts: chest, abdomen, back. Limbs attached to trunk legs, arms. Relative position of parts: abdomen below breast, etc. Motions of body: bend, turn. Dress shirt, pants, vest, coat, jacket, uniform, overcoat. Condition: stout, thin, slender, crooked (humpback). Rules: bathe, wash.

3. THE LIMBS.-Name: arms, legs. Position: arms above and on each side; legs below and near together. Number: two legs, two arms. Dress: same as trunk. Number of parts of body of which parts have we one? of which two? of which ten? of which too many to count?

4. THE HAIR.-Place. Color: black, white, brown, blond, reddish, grey. Kinds: smooth, bristly, curly. Length: long, half-long, short. Purpose: warmth, ornament. What is done to the hair comb, brush, cut, oil, curl, braid, coil, etc.; difference in youth and age. What is made of hair: rings, brooches, chains. Beard: mustache, side-whiskers, full beard. Rules: comb, brush, keep clean; not let hang in eyes, not pull other's hair. What animals are covered with hair?

5. THE EARS.-Place: each side of head. Parts: external or outer, internal or inner. Number. Use: to hear. What wo hear with them: (names of different sounds), singing, speaking, music, rustling, rattling, thunder, ringing of bells, clapping, cracking, rolling, etc. What causes these sounds? What sounds do we like to hear? What do we not like to hear? What injures the hearing? explosions, blows. Deafness. Wax of the ear its purpose. Ornaments for the cars: rings (gold, jet, pearls, etc.) Rules: keep clean. How? with what?

6. THE FACE.-Place: it forms the front part of the head. Parts brow or forehead, nose, eyes, temples, checks, mouth, chin. Relative position of these parts: above, below, between. Color: red, white, pale (negro, chimney-sweep, etc.) Other appearances: swollen, thin, sunken, smooth, bearded. Youth: full, rosy. Age: pale, wrinkled, haggard. Motions: laugh, weep, look joyful, angry, ashamed, friendly, sullen. Rules: wash; not cut, make grimaces, nor bo vain of a pretty face. Disfigured by: small pox, burns, cuts.

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7. THE FOREHEAD.-Place. Material: bone, skin. Surrounded by: hair, temples, eyes, nose. Youth smooth. Age: wrinkled. Motions: wrinkle, frown, or scowl. Rules: keep clear and unclouded.

8. THE EYES.-Place: below-at both sides. Number: two; right, left. Parts: eyebrows, eyelids, eyelashes, eyeball. Use of different parts: eyebrows (color) to protect from perspira tion-ornament; eyelids to protect from dust and other things