140 ON THE EDUCATION OF 
the o in the word horse, immediately before being brought to 
that animal. His attention will not require to be turned to the 
r till he is to be made acquainted with such words as house, 
home, and hot. In like manner, when he is to be made ac- 
quainted with the word horn, coinciding with horse in the first 
three letters, his attention will be directed to the fourth. The 
first three will probably by that time be so familiar to his 
tact as to require but little tracing, on the same principle on 
which other persons learn by habit to read syllables and words 
without spelling. 
He ought to receive in the very beginning a considerable va- 
riety of words ; for, though he is not likely to learn many tho- 
roughly at once, he will thus have a chance of sooner under- 
standing the design with which they are given. A few should 
be more particularly forced on his attention; and, as it is by 
distinguishing objects which are nearly allied that he will soonest 
perceive the utility of language, it would be advisable to direct 
his mind, in the first place, to a single class of objects, such as 
the articles of food and drink, the names of which might be gi- 
ven to him very fully. When he sits at table, the name of each 
article may be placed beside it, and opportunities thus allowed 
him to practise this species of association. Significant words 
may next be appended to other familiar objects which admit of 
it. The frequent repetition of these associations is probably a 
better method of producing an impression on the memory, than 
the exaction of a task which requires exertion of mind. A 
deep interest may be excited by making him handle the name 
of a favourite object, such as the word milk or bread, a few mi- 
nutes before the object itself is given to him. |The association 
will thus be aided by the operation of encouraging hope or 
pleasing curiosity. This will be both a milder and more effec- 
tual expedient, than to make his proficiency the condition of 
the 
