HINTS TO TEACHERS.

BUT little need be said as to the manner of using this book. It is suggested, however, that the Rules for Reading should be carefully committed to memory by the scholar, and perhaps, with the observations under them, be made occasionally the Reading Lesson. When the pupil violates either of the Rules in reading, in any part of the book, let him be referred to it, and its application shown. The same course may be pursued with regard to the Rules for Punctuation.

The questions appended to some of the lessons, are but hints, designed to indicate the course which should always be pursued, of questioning the class upon the subjects about which they have been reading, the meaning of particular words, their orthography, the emphasis, inflections, &c.—such a course, in short, as shall inform the teacher whether each pupil understands the lesson, receives the ideas the writer of the piece has expressed, and is thus adding to his own stores of thought.

Attention to the following hints will be found useful :

:

1. Occasionally let each scholar read only to a stop, even if the stop is merely a comma, and let each be careful to leave off with the right inflection of voice, as not letting the voice fall at a comma, if the sense does not require it. Such a practice serves to fix the attention of every scholar upon the lesson, which it is sometimes difficult to secure, when each one knows beforehand, from his position in the class, the paragraph he is to read.

2. Let each member of the class occasionally read the same sentence, and the others criticise the manner of the one who reads.

3. Give out a sentence from the lesson to be read, previous to the exercise, for each scholar to transcribe upon his slate, and to indicate the emphatic words by underscoring them, and to mark the inflections proper to be used whenever required. Or let each transcribe the sentence without inserting the stops, and then, without the aid of the book, apply them properly. Or let the sentence be written upon the Black-board, one pupil mark it, and the other members of the class criticise upon his performance.

4. The teacher should rely very much upon his own example, as a method of instruction in reading.

5. Accustom scholars to give definitions in their own language, of words as found in their connection in the sentence,

RULES FOR PUNCTUATION.

PUNCTUATION is the division of a written composition into sentences, or parts of sentences, by points or stops, to mark the pauses to be observed in reading, and to show more clearly the meaning of the writer.

The principal points used in reading, are the Comma (, ); Semicolon (;); Colon (:); Period (.); Interrogation (?) Exclamation (!); Parenthesis ( ); and Dash (-). When these points, or stops, occur in reading, there should be a suspension of the voice, for a longer or shorter time, as the sense requires.

The comma requires but a slight suspension of the voice, and the word preceding it should usually be read with the rising, or the falling inflection, or with the rising and falling inflection upon the same word.

Remark. Nothing but the good sense of the reader, and a clear understanding of the sentence he is reading, will enable him to pause a proper length of time at the comma, as well as the other stops. In many cases, a slight suspension of the voice is required, where no comma is printed, and where the pause is slighter than is usually indicated by that stop.

Example.-"Some birds, with much labor, peck holes in trees, and therein make their nests; while others lay their eggs on the ground, without making any nests at all." The word others, in this sentence, should be read with the emphasis placed upon it, with first the rising, and then the falling inflection, and with a slight suspension of the voice after it; while yet it would not be proper to insert the comma there.

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In many cases, the sentence, or part of a sentence, between two commas, should be read something in the manner of a sentence inclosed in a parenthesis, quicker, and in a lower tone of voice. Take the following sentences from Miss Taylor's Discontented Pendulum: (see page 192.) Upon this the weights, who had never been accused of light conduct, used all their influence in urging the pendulum to proceed." Here the phrase, who had never been accused of light conduct, should be read much as if it were inclosed in a parenthesis. "Then I hope, resumed the dial plate, we shall all return immediately to our duty." Here the phrase, "resumed," &c., should be read in a similar manner.

The semicolon is used when a pause longer than the comma is required, but the sense is incomplete. It requires a suspension of the voice about twice as long as the comma.

The colon is used to divide those sentences, or members of a sentence, which are too little connected for a semicolon, and yet not sufficiently complete for a full stop.

The period denotes that the sentence is complete, and usually requires a full stop, and the cadence, or fall of the voice.

Remark. The period is sometimes used for other purposes, where no suspension or fall of the voice is required, as in abbreviations "Gen. Washington commanded the troops; "-to be read as if printed "General Washington," &c. Also in referring to the chapter and verse of a book; as, "Gen. xii. 15, 19,"-to be read, Genesis, twelfth, fifteenth, nineteenth; meaning, Genesis, twelfth chapter, and fifteenth and nineteenth verses. If several verses are meant to be included, the first and last verses only are named, and the dash used between; as, Gen. xii. 15-19,-to be read, Genesis, twelfth, fifteenth to nineteenth.

The interrogation point is used to show when a question is asked.

The exclamation point denotes astonishment, surprise, or other emotion.

The parenthesis is used to include a sentence which is introduced by way of addition, or explanation, and the sentence included should be read quicker, and in a lower tone of voice.

The dash denotes a sudden pause, or change of subject, or interruption by another person.

Other marks are, the hyphen, (-); used to divide one syllable from another of the same word, when part of a word comes at the end of a line, and the rest at the beginning of the next; and also between two words which are printed together as one word, forming what is called a compound word; as, coal-pit, sea-serpent. The index or hand () points to a passage particularly important. Quotation marks (" ") show that the passage included in them is taken from another author, or that they are the exact words used by one of the persons speaking. An apostrophe (') denotes the omission of a letter, as lov'd, for loved. The paragraph (¶) denotes the beginning of a new subject-used chiefly in the Bible. It is also sometimes used to refer to a note at the bottom or side of a page. The asterisk or star, (*), the dagger, (t), the double dagger, (‡), the section, (§), and parallel, (), are also used as references to notes. The letters of the alphabet, and figures, are sometimes used for the same purpose.

The daresis (...) is two points placed over a vowel, denoting that the letter under it begins a new syllable, as coöperate,-read co-op-e-rate

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RULES FOR READING.

RULE I.

Pitch the voice upon the right key,

REMARK. By key, in reading, is meant the pitch, or degree of elevation of the voice, in which the piece generally should be read, and to which the particular words, or parts of the piece, to be read in a higher or lower tone, should be proportioned,

The key proper to be used must depend upon the circumstances under which the piece is read, and the nature of the piece itself. If reading in a large school-room, or a church, the voice must necessarily be pitched higher than if only reading to a friend at your side. In reading in the school-room, the same key should be used by all who read the same piece.

RULE II.

Pronounce each word correctly and distinctly.

Examples requiring particular attention to this Rule are given in Lesson I. When the correct pronunciation of a word is learned, it should never be forgotten or unheeded.

RULE III.

Pay proper attention to the stops, as explained in the Rules for Punctuation, and make no pause where none is required.

RULE IV.

Manage your breath so as not to be obliged to make a pause where the sense does not require it, or to pause longer at the stops than would otherwise be necessary.

REMARK.-This Rule may be thought a repetition of the preceding one, but is designed to guard against one particular occasion of the violation of that Rule, so common as to require especial precaution.