THE UNDERSTANDING READER: OR, KNOWLEDGE BEFORE ORATORY. BEING A NEW SELECTION OF LESSONS, SUITED TO THE UNDERSTANDING AND CAPACI- 1. IN READING. II. IN THE DEFINITION OF WORDS. III. IN SPELLING, PARTIC- IN A METHOD WHOLLY DIFFERENT FROM BY DANIEL ADAMS, M. B. TENTH EDITION, IMPROVED. Our boys often read as parrots speak, knowing little or noth- LEICESTER: PRINTED BY HORI BROWN, 1821. BE it remembered, that on the 4th day of March, A. D. 1819, in the forty third year of the Independence of the United States of America, Isaiah Thomas Jr. of the said District, has deposited in this office the title of a book the right whereof he claims as proprietor in the words following, to wit. The Understanding Reader; or, Knowledge before Oratory. Being a new Selection of Lessons, suited to the Uuderstandings and capacities of Youth, and designed for their improvement: I. In Reading-II. In the definition of words.-III. In Spelling, particularly compound and derivative words. In a method wholly different from any thing of the kind ever before published. By Daniel Adams, M. B Author of the Scholar's Arithmetic, Thorough Scholar, &c. Ninth edition improved. Our boys often read as parrots speak, knowing little or nothing of the meaning -FRANKLIN." In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, entitled, "An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts and Books. to the authors and Proprietors of such copies, during the time therein mentioned." JNO. W. DAVIS, { Clerk of the District of Massachusetts. PREFACE. TO answer the several intentions of this work and to accommodate the book to the convenience of both master and scholar, The UNDERSTANDING READER presents in the margin of each page a column of words in Italic Characters, singled out from the lesson. Those words with a period after them are particularly designed for being spelt-those with a note of interrogation for being defined. Let the student be taught, while studying his lesson, ever to have his Dictionary within reach of him. By the help of this "Sure Guide," let bim establish, in his own mind, just sentiments of the force and meaning of those words, set apart for being defined. After having read his lesson, let him be called upon to define these words, and if the teacher please, to spell them, together with the other words set apart for that purpose. The master, however, will make such deviations from these intentions, as the years and understanding of his pupil, under all circumstan-" ces may seem to require. The advantages to be derived from accustoming youth to give definitions of words,lare more than simply that of becoming acquainted with the meaning of them. 1. Their minds will be excited to inquiry. In this way they will arrive to an understanding of many ideas of the writer, which otherwise would have been wholly lost to them. 2. It will enlarge their acquaintance with language, not only by a knowledge of those particular words which they would define, but also by bringing many new words to their view. 3. It will help them to a readiness and facility of expressing their ideas. There is nothing in which frequent use and practice do more for a man than in this one thing. If a man has never been accustomed to express himself on any subject or thing, he will be much put to it and appear exceedingly awkward at first, however well he may understand the subject on which he would speak. 4. It will inspire them with a confidence in themselves, and in their own understandings, which will go further and be of more use to them on any public or private cccasion than whole months or even years declamation on the stage. |