138 ON THE EDUCATION OF 



vours, 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 tfre 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 

 learn 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 



