MY aim being to discover the old Art of teaching Schoole , and how it may be improved in every part suteable to the years and capacities of such children as are now commonly taught ; I shall first begin my discourse concerning a petty-Schoole , & here or else where I shall not busie my self or Reader about what a childe of an extraordinary towardliness , and having a teacher at home , may attain unto , and in how short a space , but onely shew how a multitude of various wits may be taught all together with abundance of profit and delight to every one , which is the proper and main work of our ordinary Schooles .

Whereas then , it is usual in Cities and greater Towns to put children to Schoole about four or five years of age , and in Country villages , because of further distance , not till about six or seven ; I conceive , The sooner a child is put to School , the better it is , both to prevent ill habits , which are got by play and idleness , and to enure him betimes to affect learning and well doing . Not to say , how the great uncertainty of parents lives , should make them careful of their Childrens early education , which is like to be the best part of their patrimony , what ever good thing else they may leave them in this World .

I observe that betwixt three and four years of age a childe hath great propensity to peep into a book , and then is the most seasonable time ( if conveniences may be had otherwise ) for him to begin to learn ; and though perhaps then he cannot speak so very distinctly , yet the often pronounciation of his letters , will be a means to help his speech , especially if one take notice in what organ or instrument he is most defective , and exercise him chiefly in those letters which belong unto it .

Now there are five organs or instruments of speech , in the right hitting of which , as the breath moveth from within , through the mouth , a true pronunciation of every letter is made , viz. the lips , the teeth , the tongue , the roof of the mouth , and the throat ; According to which if one rank the twenty four letters of our English Alphabet , he shall find that A , E , I , O , V , proceed by degrees from the throat , along betwixt the tongue and the roof of the mouth to the lips contracted , and that Y is somewhat like I , being pronounced with other letters , but if it be named by it self , it requireth some motion of the lips . B , F , M , P , W , and V consonant , belong to the lips . C , S , X , Z , to the teeth . D , L , N , T , R , to the tongue . B , H , K , Q , to the roof of the mouth . But the sweet and natural pronunciation of them is gotten rather by imitation then precept , and therefore the teacher must be careful to give every letter its distinct and clear sound , that the childe may get it from his voice , and be sure to make the child open his mouth well as he uttereth a letter , lest otherwise he drown or hinder the sound of it . For I have heard some foreiners to blame us English-men for neglecting this mean to a plain and audible speaking , saying , that the cause , why we generally do not speak so fully as they , proceeded from an ill habit of mumbling , which children got at their first learning to read ; which it was their care ; therfore to prevent or remedy betimes , and so it should be ours , seeing Pronounciation is that that sets out a man , and is sufficient of it self to make one an Oratour .

THe usual way to begin with a child , when he is first brought to Schoole , is to teach him to know his letters in the Horn-book , where he is made to run over all the letters in the Alphabet or Christ cross-row both forwards & backwards , until he can tel any one of them , which is pointed at , and that in the English character .

This course we see hath been very effectual in a short time , with some more ripe witted children , but others of a slower apprehension ( as the most and best commonly are ) have been thus learning a whole year together , ( and though they have been much chid and beaten too for want of heed ) could scarce tell six of their letters at twelve moneths end , who , if they had been taught in a way more agreeable to their meane apprehensions ( which might have wrought more readily upon the senses , and affected their mindes with what they did ) would doubtlesse have learned as cheerfully , if not as fast as the quickest

I shall therefore mention sundry ways that have been taken to make a childe know his letters readily , out of which the discreet Teacher may chuse what is most likely to suit with his Learner .

I have known some that ( according to Mr. Brinsl●y's direction ) have taught little ones to pronounce all the letters ; and to spell pretty well , before they knew one letter in a book ; and this they did , by making the childe to sound the five vowels a , e , i , o , u , like so many bells upon his fingers ends , and to say which finger was such or such a vowel , by changes . 2 Then putting single consonants before the vowels , [ leaving the hardest of them till the last ] and teaching him how to utter them both at once , as va , ve , vi , ve , vu , da , de , di , do , du . 3. and again , by putting the vowels before a consonant to make him say , as , es , is , os , us , ad , ed , id , od , ud . Thus ; they have proceeded from syllables of two or three , or more letters , till a child hath been pretty nimble in the most . But this is rather to be done in a private house , then a publick Schoole ; how ever this manner of exercise now and then amongst little Scholars will make their lessons more familiar to them .

The greatest trouble at the first entrance of children is to teach them how to know their letters one from another , when they see them in the book altogether ; for the greatnesse of their number and variety of shape do puzle young wits to difference them , and the sence can but be intent upon one single object at once , so as to take its impression , and commit it to the imagination and memory . Some have therefore begun but with one single letter , and after they have shewed it to the childe in the Alphabet , have made him to finde the same any where else in the book , till he knew that perfectly ; and then they have proceeded to another in like manner , and so gone through the rest .

Some have contrived a piece of ivory with twenty four flats or squares , in every one of which was engraven a several letter , and by playing with a childe in throwing this upon a table , and shewing him the letter onely which lay uppermost , have in few dayes taught him the whole Alphabet .

Some have got twenty four pieces of ivory cut in the shape of dice , with a letter engraven upon each of them , and with these they have played at vacant hours with a childe , till he hath known them all distinctly . They begin first with one , then with two , afterwards with more letters at once , as the childe got knowledge of them . To teach him likewise to spell , they would place consonants before or after a vowel , and then joyn more letters together so as to make a word , and sometimes divide it into syllables , to be parted or put together ; now this kind of letter sport may be profitably permitted among you beginers in a School & in stead of ivory , they may have white bits of wood , or small shreads of paper or past-board , or parchment with a letter writ upon each to play withall amongst themselves .

Some have made pictures in a little book or upon a scroll of paper wrapt upon two sticks within a box of iceing-glass , and by each picture have made three sorts of that letter , with which its name beginneth ; but those being too many at once for a childe to take notice on , have proved not so useful as was intended . Some likewise have had pictures and letters printed in this manner on the back side of a pack of cards , to entice children , that naturally love that sport , to the love of learning their books .

Some have writ a letter in a great character upon a card , or chalked it out upon a trencher , and by telling a child what it was , and letting him strive to make the like , have imprinted it quickly in his memory , and so the rest one after another

One having a Son of two years and a half old , that could but even go about the house , and utter some few gibberish words in a broken manner ; observing him one day above the rest to be busied about shells and sticks , and such like toys , which himself had laid together in a chair , and to misse any one that was taken from him , he saw not how , and to seek for it about the house ; became very desireous to make experiment what that childe might presently attain to in point of learning ; Thereupon he devised a little wheel , with all the Capital Romane letters made upon a paper to wrap round about it , and fitted it to turn in little a round box , which had a hole so made in the side of it , that onely one letter might be seen to peep out at once ; This he brought to the childe , & showed him onely the letter O , and told him what it was ; The childe being overjoyed with his new gamball , catcheth the box out of his Fathers hand , and run's with it to his play fellow a year younger then himself , and in his broken language tell 's him there was an O , an O ; And when the other asked him where , he said , in a hole , in a hole , and shewed it him ; which the lesser childe then took such notice of , as to know it againe ever after from all the other letters . And thus by playing with the box , and enquiring concerning any letter that appeared strange to him , what it was , the childe learnt all the letters of the Alphabet in eleven dayes , being in this Character A B C , and would take pleasure to shew them in any book to any of his acquaintance that came next . By this instance you may see what a propensity there is in nature betimes to learning , could but the Teachers apply themselves to their young Scholars tenuity ; and how by proceeding in a cleare & facil method , that all may apprehend , every one may benefit more or less by degrees . According to these contrivances to forward children , I have published a New Primar ; in the first leafe , whereof I have set the Roman Capitalls ( because that Character is now most in use , & those letters the most easie to be learn't and have joyned therewith the pictures or images of some things whose names begins with that letter , by which a childs memory may be helped to remember how to call his letters , as A , for an Ape , B. for a Bear , &c. This Hieroglyphicall devise doth so affect Children who are generally forward to communicate what they know ) that I have observed them to teach others , that could not so readily learn , to know all the letters in a few houres space , by asking them , what stands A. for ? and so concerning other letters backwards and forwards , or as they best liked .

Thus when a childe hath got the names of his letters , & their several shapes withall in a playing manner , he may be easily taught to distinguish them in the following leaf , which containeth first the greater , and then the smaller Roman Characters , to be learned by five at once or more , as the childe is able to remember them ; other Characters I would have forborn , till one be well acquainted with these , because so much variety at the first doth but amaze young wits , and our English characters , ( for the most part ) are very obscure , & more hard to be imprinted in the memory . And thus much for the learning to know letters ; we shall next ( and according to Order in Teaching ) proceed to an easie way of distinct spelling .

THe common way of teaching a childe to spell , is , after he know's the letters in his Alphabet , to initiate him in those few syllables , which consist of one vowell before a consonant , as , ab , eb , ib , ob ub , &c. or of one vowel after a consonant , as , ba , be , bi , bo , bu , &c. in the Horn-book , & thence to proceed with him by little and little to the bottom of the book , hereing him twice or thrice over till he can say his lesson , and then putting him to a new one .

In which course I have known some more apt children to have profited prety well , but scarce one often , when they have gone thorow the book , to be able to spell a word that is not in it ; And some have been certaine years daily exercised in saying lessons therein , who after much endeavour spent , have been accounted meer block-heads , and rejected all together as uncapable to learn any thing ; whereas some Teachers that have assayed a more familiar way , have professed , that they have not met with any such thing as a Dunse amid a great multitude of little Schollars .

Indeed it is Tullies observation of old , and Erasmus his assertion of latter years , that it is as natural for a childe to learn , as it is for a beast to go , a bird to fly , or a fish to swim , and I verily beleeve it , for the nature of man is restlessely desirous to know things , and were discouragements taken out of the way , and meet helps afforded young learners , they would doubtless go on with a great deal more cherefulness , and make more proficiency at their books then usually they do ; And could the Maior have the discretion to make their lessions familiar to them , children would as much delight in being b●sied about them , as in any other sport , if too long continuance at them might not make them tedious .

Amongst those that have gone a readier way to reading , I shall onely mention Mr. Roe , and Mr. Robinson , the latter of whom I have known to have taught little children not much above four years old to read distinctly in the Bible , in six weekes time , or under ; their books are to be had in print , but every one hath not the art to use them . And Mr. Cootes English-School-Master seem's rather to be fitted for one that is a Master indeed , then for a Scholar .

Besides the way then which is usuall , you may ( if you think good ) make use of that which I have set down in the new Primar to help little ones to spell readily , and it is this .

1. Let a childe be well acquainted with his vowells , and made to pronounce them fully by themselves , because they are able to make a perfect sound alone .

2. Teach him to give the true valour or force of the consonants , and to take notice how imperfectly they sound , except a vowel be joyned with them . Both these are set apart by themselves . ( p. 2. )

3. Proceed to syllables made of one consonant set before a vowel ( Sect , 5. ) and let him joyne the true force of the consonant with the perfect sound of the vowel , as to say , ba , be , bi , bo , bu , &c. Yet it were good to leave ca , ce , ci , co , cu , and ga , ge , gi , go , gu , to the last because the valor of the consonant in the second and third sylables doth differ from that in the rest .