IN offering the Third Reader to the public, the editors ask attention to certain points which they trust will commend the book to the approval of those who may examine it.

Most of the prose lessons have been prepared expressly for this Reader by writers of note who have ample acquaintance with the capabilities and requirements of the minds of children. Hence it is felt that the matter of the book is sure to awaken a hearty interest, without which good reading is an impossibility.

The style is simple-always easy, but never careless. The narrative and conversational forms have been employed in preference to the descriptive, as being better adapted to the intelligence of children.

The illustrations have been designed and engraved by some of the ablest artists in the country.

The great ends of reading are (1) to acquaint the pupil with language and (2) to give him facility in the correct use of it. Hence appropriate language exercises have been introduced. The pronunciation of new words has been carefully indicated, and the most difficult ones have been defined.

Models have been supplied for teaching the elements of word-building. When the pupil has thus been put in possession of new words, he is gradually trained in their use. He is required to state, or to write in language of his own, the substance of what he has read. He is thus led forward by steps of easy gradation in the art of expression and composition.

Script models have been introduced to serve as copy and to familiarize the pupils with the reading of written language.

The editors beg to express their grateful acknowledgments to several friends of educational experience and critical skill for valuable suggestions. Special thanks are due to Miss E. M. Reed, late Principal of the New Haven Training School, for important assistance in the preparation of the work.

Acknowledgments are also due to the publishers of "Our Little Ones" and "St. Nicholas" for permission to use several selections from their copyright matter.

2610

COPYRIGHT, 1887, BY THE UNIVERSITY PUBLISHING COMPANY,
HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY

GIFT OF

GINN & CO.

DEC 11 1930

VIII. THE MOUSE, THE FROG, AND THE HAWK

34

XIX. How THE CUCUMBER GOT INTO THE BOTTLE

XX. COALS OF FIRE

XXI. BIRDS THAT HOP AND BIRDS THAT WALK

68

70

74

KE A BROTHERS

MVI LORD ORNWALLIS INFE-BUCKLES

XLVL STRAWBERKLYS

146

TO THE TEACHER.

ONE great aim of a reading exercise should be to make
the pupils familiar with new words and forms of expression.

The new words at the head of each lesson should receive
attention before the lesson is read. Let their pronuncia-
tion and form be acquired. Then the teacher may illus-
trate the meaning of the more difficult ones by using them
in simple sentences.

To secure clearness of articulation frequent use of the drill
exercises is recommended. Some knowledge of emphasis
and inflection is always helpful in bringing out the meaning
of what is read. Exercises for practice will be found in the
introductory pages.

Nothing is better calculated to impress upon the memory
what has been read than to talk about it. For this reason
questions have been appended to the reading lessons. They
are intended to lead the pupil to state the salient points of
the lesson, and are so arranged that the answers will form a
connected story. In addition to their employment in the
class, the teacher may find it convenient to require pupils to
write answers to these questions at their desks.

The language exercises are specially designed to aid in
giving pupils a correct understanding of words and their
uses. A great point will be gained if the mind of the child
be trained to appreciate the force of the common prefixes
and suffixes.

Few points call for more patient care on the part of teach-
ers than those of neatness and accuracy in the mechanical
work of written exercises. Directions are given as to the
employment of capitals and the use of punctuation marks.