Title: New National First Reader
Author: Charles J. Barnes
Harlan Hoge Ballard
S. Proctor Thayer
Release date: October 25, 2004 [eBook #13853]
Most recently updated: December 18, 2020
Language: English
Credits: Produced by Susan Skinner, the PG Online Distributed Proofreading
Team, and The Internet Archive Children's Library,
The authors of this book believe,--
1st.--That the Word Method is the most natural and practicable, because words are representatives of objects, actions, etc., while letters, or sounds, in the abstract, convey no meaning to the pupil, and are devoid of interest.
2d.--That words of ordinary length are as easily learned as short ones, provided they are familiar to the pupil. No teacher will doubt the statement that a pupil will learn the word "mamma'" as easily as "says" or "eyes."
3d.--That frequent "Reviews" are essential to the rapid and thorough advancement of pupils. By this means the words imperfectly learned are again brought to their attention and thoroughly memorized. That these "Reviews" ought to take up the new words in a different order and arrangement, in order to test the ability of the pupil to recognize them in any situation. That as soon as the vocabulary is large enough they should be written in the form of a new exercise, as on pp. 36, 44, 52, 60, and 68 of this book.
4th.--That thorough and systematic drill in Spelling is absolutely necessary. That the "Reading Reviews" should be so constructed as to contain all the new words used in the lessons they were intended to review, and no others, so that they can be used for "Written or Dictation Spelling." That the pronunciation of the words in the "Spelling Reviews" should be indicated by the diacritical marks of Webster, so that they can be used for either "Oral Spelling" or "Phonic Drill."
5th.--That the "Script" from which the pupil gets his first and most lasting impressions should be of large size and accurate form, and not of the nondescript character usually found in books of this class. That it should be free from superfluous line and flourish, and yet have grace and beauty. That it should be adapted for both copying and reading.
6th.--That the lessons should be largely "conversational in style," to cultivate flexibility of voice and to break up the dreary monotone so frequently heard among children.
7th.--That the lessons of a book of this grade should not average more than seven "new words." That all such words should appear at the commencement of lessons, and be familiar to the pupil. That this method secures careful gradation, and is in marked contrast with the old custom of having from fifteen to twenty-five.
8th.--That "Outline Drawings" of the objects first presented to pupils should be made in the presence of the class, as it stimulates them to draw, and thus makes easy and profitable the copying of the "Script Exercises."
9th.--That the schoolbook of to-day must be beautifully and copiously illustrated. That there must be variety as well as excellence, both in drawing and engraving. That well-known and famous artists must be secured, such as Harper, Fredericks, Church, Lippincott, Eytinge, White, Beard, Weldon, Thulstrup, Cary, Moser, Weaver, and Share; and such engravers as Karst, Wigand, French, Held, Davis, Hellawell, etc.
10th.--That the exercises must be instructive as well as interesting, and that no artificial system of vowel classification ought to interfere with the free and natural use of words.
11th.--That a book of this kind should be suited to the wants of graded and ungraded schools, there evidently being nothing in the one not readily adaptable to the other.
12th.--That every book of this class should contain a collection of brief extracts from standard literature to be committed to memory.
13th.--That this book is constructed on the above principles.
| dog it is a dog |
It is a dog.
| dog | dog | dog |
| boy | the | and | run | see |
See the boy and the dog.
The boy and the dog run.
| boy | boy | boy |
| rat | big | can | get | this |
This is a big rat.
Can the dog get the rat?
The dog can get the rat.
| rat | rat | rat |
| hen | nest | box | on | in |
See the hen and the nest.
The hen is on the nest.
The nest is in a box.
| hen | hen | box |
| cat | egg | will | an | at |
The big cat is at the nest.
Will the cat get an egg?
See the hen run at the cat!
Run, hen, run!
| Run | hen | hen |
See the boy and the dog.
Is it a big dog?
The dog can get the big rat.
Is this hen on the nest?
Is the nest in a box?
The big cat is at the nest.
Will the cat get an egg?
The hen will run at the cat.
| ĭt | ăt | bĭḡ | ŧhē | sēe⃥ | răt |
| ĭs̝ | ăn | dŏḡ | ănd | c̵ăn | hĕn |
| ĭn | ŏn | boy | rŭn | ḡĕt | bŏx |
| c̵ăt | ĕḡg⃥ | wĭll⃥ | ŧhĭs | nĕst |
| See the | boy | and the | dog |
| The | dog | ran at the | cat |
| The | hen | ran at the | cat |
| Can the | cat | get the | rat |
| The | egg | is in the | nest |
| The | nest | is in the | box |
| his | fast | yes | not | as | them |
This is a boy and his dog.
Can the boy and his dog run fast?
Yes. See them run.
The boy can not run as fast as the dog. Run, boy, run!
| white | little | bird | eggs | you | are | do | I |
Do you see this little bird?
Yes, I see the little bird.
Do you see this little nest?
Yes, and I see the eggs in it.
The eggs in the nest are white.
| Ann | play | her | ran | girl | was | likes |
Do you see the little girl and her cat? See them play.
This little girl is Ann.
Ann likes her cat.
This cat was in a nest.
A hen ran at her.
| top | has | spin | how | he | makes |
The boy has a big top.
Spin! Spin! Spin!
See how he makes it spin!
Can you spin a top?
Yes, I can spin a top.
A boy likes a big top.
The boy and his dog can run fast. Do you see them run? Can the dog run as fast as the boy? Yes, he can.
I do not see the little bird. I see the eggs in the nest. Are the eggs white? Yes, the eggs are white.
Was the girl Ann? Yes. Her cat likes play. Was the cat at the nest? Yes, and the hen ran at her.
The boy has a top. See how fast he makes it spin! Can you spin a top? Yes, I can spin a top.
| spin | spinning top | spin |
| Ī | hăs̝ | răn | ŧhĕm |
| ăs̝ | hĭs̝ | ĕḡg⃥s̝ | fȧst |
| do̤ | yĕs | bĩrd | whīte⃥ |
| hē | nŏt | ḡĩrl | plāy⃥ |
| y⃥o⃥ū | äre⃥ | spĭn | līke⃥s |
| wạs̝ | Ănn⃥ | how | māke⃥s |
| (wŏz) | hẽr | tŏp | lĭt'tle⃥ |
| tree | birds | floor | cats | rats |
| one | two | three | four |
| One, one, one, | One, one, one, Little dog, run. |
| Two, two, two, Cats see you. |
Two, two, two. |
| Three, three, three, | Three, three, three, Birds in a tree. |
| Four, four, four, Rats on the floor. |
Four, four, four, |
| good | to | hat | like |
| gave | doll | new | mam ma' |
Ann has a new doll.
Her mamma' gave it to her.
Ann likes the doll, and will get it a new hat.
Are you a good girl?
Do you like a doll?
| O | may | ride | too | my |
| me | put | take | with |
Ann, will you take a ride with me?
O yes! I will. May I take my doll too?
Yes, you may take the doll.
Ann will put on her hat, and take her doll to ride.
| we | five | ver'y | snow |
| that | they | those | pret'ty |
How fast we ride! I like to ride, and my doll likes it too.
Ann, do you see those five little birds on that tree?
O yes! I see them. Are they not very pretty birds?
Yes. They are snowbirds.
I see one dog and two cats. Do you see the three birds in the tree, and the four rats on the floor?
Yes, and I see the new doll my good mamma' gave to Ann. I like the doll. It is a very pretty one. May I take it to ride?
O yes! and I will put on my hat and take a ride too. Do you see me with my doll?
Do we not ride fast? See those five snowbirds in that tree. Are they not pretty birds?
| Ō | one | fōu⃥r | ḡāve⃥ |
| to̤ | (wŭn) | snōw⃥ | fīve⃥ |
| mē | tw⃥o̤ | dŏll⃥ | ŧhōs̝e⃥ |
| mȳ | (to͞o) | līke⃥ | ŧhăt |
| (mī) | new | tāke⃥ | ŧhe̱y⃥ |
| wē | (nū) | rīde⃥ | vĕr'y̆ |
| to͞o | pụt | wĭŧh | bĩrds̝ |
| hăt | māy⃥ | flōo⃥r | pret'ty̆ |
| trēe⃥ | răts | (flōr) | (prĭt'ty̆) |
| c̵ăts | thrēe⃥ | ḡo͝od | mȧm mä' |
| go | off | did | bad |
| why | here | have | Rov'er |
Here, Rover, here! That is my hat! Do not run off with it!
You are a bad dog to run off with my hat. I will not have you with me. You are not a good dog.
You bad dog! Why did you go off with my hat?
| kit'ty | saw | soft | catch |
| fur | its | she | small |
This is my little kitty.
How soft and white its fur is!
Is it not pretty? The cat is on the box. She saw a big rat and ran to catch it.
The kitty was too small to catch the rat.
| up | ho | down | boys | mer'ry | back |
| hill | o'ver |
| Ho, ho! How we go Down the hill, Over the snow. Ho, ho! Back we go, Up the hill, over the snow. Down the hill, and over the snow, We merry boys, how fast we go! |
Ho, ho! |
| if | race | girls | out |
| look | sled | hurt | now | give |
The boys and girls are out at play.
Look out, boy! Do not get hurt!
Will you give me a ride, little boy?
O yes! you may ride on my new sled.
Now, Rover, we will have a race.
Run fast, Rover! If you do not run fast, I will catch you!
Ann likes her small kitty. Its fur is soft and white. It saw the cat catch the big rat.
Ann likes Rover too. She saw Rover run off with the hat. Here, Rover, here! You are a bad dog! Why did you run off with the hat?
Ho, ho! Look at the boys and girls. See them go down the hill, over the snow. Now they go back, up the hill.
They are out at play. They will not get hurt. How merry they are! Ann, I will give you a ride on my sled. We will have a race with Rover and see how fast we can run.
| ĭf | ĭts | băc⃥k | slĕd |
| hō | fûr | ō'vẽr | ḡĩrls̝ |
| ḡō | shē | sŏft | hûrt |
| ŭp | out | boys̝ | hăve⃥ |
| ŏff⃥ | now | lo͝ok | c̵ăt⃥ch |
| dĭd | whȳ | ḡĭve⃥ | sma̤ll⃥ |
| băd | hĭll⃥ | rāçe⃥ | kĭt'ty̆ |
| sa̤w⃥ | down | (rās) | Rōv'ẽr |
| hēre⃥ | mĕr'ry̆ |
| from | come | be | a way' | there | of |
| what | soon |
| Bad boy! bad boy! Come down from that tree. | Bad boy! bad boy! Come down from that tree. Do not take the eggs from the nest. What a bad boy, to take the eggs of a bird! Go away, bad boy; do not take the eggs, and soon there will be three pretty birds in the nest. |
| Roy | drum | march | rub'-a-dub |
| fun | gun | beat |