138 ON THE EDUCATION OF 
yours, and containing her own judicious observations on the 
subject. ; 
The object of the present paper is, to describe a plan which 
seems to be exempt from the obstacles attached to that which 
has been unsuccessfully tried. It consists chiefly in teaching 
the words, and enabling the pupil to use them without taking 
the trouble of ‘combining the letters. This is to be done by 
providing him, in the first instance, with entire words ready 
formed in a permanent state, shewing him their meaning, 
teaching him to distinguish them by simple means, and lea- 
ving him to find out, at a comparatively late stage, by his own 
deliberate observations on their constituent parts, the forms 
of the letters, and the use that is made of their various com- 
binations. 
The manufacture of words may be conducted in the follow- 
ing manner. A few sets of metallic types may be procured, 
with the letters hollow and reversed, of a size sufficient to serve 
as moulds for casting letters in relief, the form of which can 
be distinctly perceived by the fingers. A diameter of three- 
fourths of an inch will probably serve the purpose. That the 
signs taught may not be unnecessarily multiplied, the use of 
capitals should be dispensed with, The letters should resemble 
written characters, that he may understand those which are fa- 
miliarly used in the communications of other persons ; but they 
should not run into one another ; they should even be placed 
at a greater distance than is done in printed books, that, he 
may handle each letter in all directions with facility, and thus 
iearn the sooner to analyse his words. The metallic types may 
be placed in the order corresponding to the orthography of each 
word, in the bottom of a groove, a little deeper than the thick- 
ness of the types, and of a diameter just sufficient to admit 
them. The groove will then serve as a mould, in which the 
word may be formed of plaster of Paris, softened sealing-wax, 
flour-paste, or any other convenient plastic substance. 
In 
