Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1806-08-18

TROUGH much has been done 70 render the
acquihtion OF literature eafy, yet there evil
IDENTIFY appears to be defect in the prefent
mode Of initr6eting children, which, in no
lmall degree, impedes their advancement.
They are often made to commence the fudy of
etymo'ogy, before they are wei grounded in
tAe principles cf orrhography This being
the cafe, It rarely happens, Afterwards, thar
they have relifh for rhr audy Of the latter =
and, of courfe, never acquire fufbciens
knowledge of IL. But iua oTth6grsphy and
RECOMMENDATION, however unimpcrtant they
may appear to iome, are acunihsions 70 effen-
tial in fcholar, that for the want of them
nothing can atone.
To furniih lchools, therefore, with cheap,
but at the fame time complete. fpelEng- book
Of the Englifh language, By which the talk Of
instructors IN teaching, aud Of children in
learning, will, in fome degree, be facilitated,
is the object the author has in view in com
piling the following work
IE-the attempt, many dictionaries have been
confulted, and every exeriioR made to render
il a accurate as poGl5ie.
Fables, grammar, &c of which other books
Of this kind now in ufe, principally oonhft,
are excluded from this, as improper, and not
belonging 10 fpelling-book.
\. Formerly, when fchooIs were deficient III
Books in the various branches necefary 70 be
taught, it was lefs culpahle to crowd ipelling
book with fuch variety of matter but at
the prefent, when almoa every fPecies of
learning has been ieparately and amply difcuH-
EDS It would be quite unpardonsble.
Has it not been expelie without. profit TO
put book, containing fuch mixture Of mat
ter, into the hands Of children Totally unac-
GuaiRted with the rudiments fpelling Have
they not defroyed many flch books, before
they could be made to comprehend what one
of them contained This experience has
amply sdemonlfrated.
Moreover, to put book info the hands Of
children, containing more than they can un-
derfand, frrves rather to blunt, than 10 excite.
their ambition for improvement. Not having
fuIlciert ltrength Of intellect 10 dive into the
principles, and Zee the reafon Of things, they
grow discouraged, take a difreliih 10 ffudv,
and at length hate If.
The words of QUlNII1IAE are worthy Of
obiervation.--G care, iays he, Sse be tskrs.
ftat he abfla zrb0 cannot JET kevs asy, ouEI nar
bats i and that tbedlggg Be had sassz, NIGH
sot dsbr lin IN mare aavartss ysaf5.
To inlhre fuccefs to inllruGfors, il Is evident
what they teach fhould be rendered a. eafv
ana pleahng as poiIibIe. For this purpoie, the
words are arranged. in the mon natural and
confident order, .tolead young minds, grad
daly, from that which is eafy 70 that which
is difkcult ttss
To enable children 70. keep rheir places !,
the book, with more eaIe, while reading IN :
clafs, each column is fep2tated into four d.
yiGons; and by permitting achild 10 read
one 1t a time, the talk Of ihnructors will Ne
greatly allsviated-
The Author would obfsrve, that notwith-
BANDING the monofyllables have the character
i}ic types affixed to them, oy which their
true pronunciation is Uncovered, it win be.
needless TO .endeavor 10 explain the Key TO
children, till after they have gone through
them; but :hen it will be a5folutely necefs-.
~ (; and, with little afifance, they will.
readily comprehend il.
He would further remark, that rauling chill
dren to fpell the words, firit IN the book, ma
king them ltricfly obferve the proper diviiioa
Of the iyllables, ard then putting the fame
words to than to be fPelled sri Of the book, s