A First Reader

The initial stock of about one hundred “sight words,” which the reading of the Primer has furnished, is increased gradually. At first most of the new words are easily acquired, as were those of the Primer, through the memorizing of simple and interesting rhymes. But for the development of the power and the habit of independent mastery of new words by the child reliance is placed on the exercises in phonics, which should be systematic and constant throughout the book. Just what these exercises are and just how they are to be carried out to make them most effective are matters fully explained in the Teacher’s Manual, “Learning to Read.”

No formidable mechanism is involved in the teaching of phonics. The plan is an entirely simple and natural one. The pupil is shown how and encouraged from the outset to do quickly, directly and intelligently what he otherwise learns slowly, indirectly and unconsciously. He is taught to observe, to analyze and to compare words; he is taught to apply constantly his growing knowledge of sounds and of letters used to represent sounds.