By a Teacher in District 7. "I consider them peculiarly adapted to the class of learners for which they were designed, and that they possess excellencies which I have never met with in any other works of the kind." By a Teacher in District 5. "My First School-Book is, I think, well adapted to childhood. The classification of the words having a relation to similar objects, is, I think, an excellent plan. This relation is much more fully impressed upon the mind of the pupil than it could possibly be were the words arranged according to their number of syllables.' By a Teacher in District 12. "The books, My Little Primer, My First School-Book and Spelling and Thinking Combined are, I think, well adapted to the capacity of children, relieving the teachers of much labor, and therefore calculated to be peculiarly useful in primary schools." By a Teacher in District 16. "When I commenced teaching with My First School-Book, I thought I should not like it, but as it was required I persevered in using it, and soon had occasion to alter my opinion. I now like the book more and more. My scholars do not pass over a page until it is thoroughly learned; the words are explained to them,-many of them, however, need no explanation, being the names of objects with which they are familiar,-they are interested in their lessons, and seldom fail of learning them correctly. How different is this ́from a collection of words which to the scholars have no meaning, and which, as to any benefit to be derived from them, might as well be so many columns of Latin." By a Teacher in District 7. "In regard to the Spelling-Book which has recently been introduced into the school, I would say that I feel indebted to the author for the aid it affords me in my work of instruction, and had I time I would point out what I conceive to be some of its merits." By a Teacher in District 8. "I am much pleased with the new Spelling-Book, and think it is a great acquisition to our schools, and that we ought to be much obliged to the author. My Little Primer is likewise a great favorite. From the experience I have had with it I should say that children will learn to read short sentences in half the time which was formerly required." By a Teacher in District 11. "In using the new Spelling-Book I am surprised to see with what facility the children will spell even the most difficult words. The great variety in it renders it pleasing to the scholars." By a Teacher in District 10. "The change that has been made in the Spelling-Books appears to be for the best. The scholars study their lessons more readily, and spell more accurately than they did before." By a Teacher in District 3. "Since the introduction of Bumstead's Readers the children have manifested quite an interest in their reading. These books are highly esteemed and their introduction is considered a benefit to the scholars and an aid to the teacher." By a Teacher in District 8. "The new Readers are in high favor. The author appears to understand exactly the wants of children, and what will prove beneficial to them. He is entitled to their gratitude for the pains he has taken to smooth, and even beautify, the ungainly and rugged pathway to the hill of science. The teacher is likewise under much obligation to him, for his books have taken half the burden from her shoulders." By a Teacher in District 11. "The children of the first, second and third classes appear to be quite interested in their new Readers, and the teacher hopes they will derive much benefit from them. They are, in her humble opinion, very much superior to any and all before introduced into our schools." By a Teacher in District 2. "The scholars, as well as myself, are much pleased with the new Readers. Though I consider the reading in them more difficult than that of those recently in use, still it is much more interesting, and the style is better adapted to modulate and render flexible the voices of the children, especially those of foreign parentage." By a Teacher in District 17. "We like these books much better than the old ones. They are well adapted to the understanding of the children, and possess a fine moral tendency." By a Teacher in District 10. "I cannot but feel grateful to the author of these books, for his endeavors to lighten the teacher's burdens and to smooth the path of learning, by throwing around it such pleasant associations and so cheerful an aspect. It would seem that the children could not learn to read from these books without imbibing that love of truth and goodness which is so greatly to be desired." By a Teacher in District 17. "I cannot forbear to say a word about the new Reading-Books. I am much pleased with them not only for the opportunity they afford for a full development of the different intonations of the voice; but also for that high tone of moral excellence which should never be lost sight of in preparing books for children." "I wish for nothing better than Mr. J. F. Bumstead's books to teach children to read.-Extract of a letter from a teacher of a primary school in Hartford, Ct. NOTICES OF THE BOOKS FROM OTHER SOURCES. From the Boston Recorder. My First School-Book.—Although we are not among those who think this generation so much wiser than all those that have gone before it, that every thing must be good because it is new; yet we always rejoice at every attempt to remove what is dry and repulsive in the manner of communicating instruction to the tender mind. So far as we can judge before making the experiment, we should think this little book one of the most successful attempts of this kind which we have seen. The plan is in many respects entirely origi nal. The first lessons to be employed in teaching children to read, consist of words with which children are familiar. This is a great advantage, because it associates ideas with what he is learning, and by its connection with things already understood by him, stimulates inquiry and elicits effort. Another principle is, to teach the word before the letters. This is philosophical-it is exhibiting the object, before attempting the analysis. Another peculiarity of this book is, that the spelling lessons are arranged in families or classes, so as to throw an interest into the study of columns of words, and also to assist the memory by the classification of ideas rather than sounds. These are so arranged as not only to amuse and excite thought, but often to convey important moral lessons. There is another peculiarity, which has struck us very forcibly, which is, the disposition to economise, if we may be allowed so to term it-making everything about the book teach something, as for instance, the folio is in both figures and letters, so that, by barely looking at the tops of the pages, the scholar may learn his figures to the number of the pages in the books. There are very many other excellencies in this little book, which we have not space to notice. We hope the experiment will be made of introducing it into our primary schools. We also re commend it to those mothers who teach their children at home. From the Boston Mercantile Journal. My First School-Book. MR. EDITOR,-I received last evening an excellent little book, which bears the pleasant and characteristic title of "My First School-Book, to teach me, with the help of my instructer, to read and spell words, and understand them. By a Friend of mine." We learn from the initials at the end of the preface, that this friend is one who has elsewhere proved himself worthy of the title. The book he has just written, we rejoice to believe, will add greatly to his reputation and his usefulness. The author has long been an active member of the Primary-School Committee. Permit me through your columns to recommend the work to the attention of all who take an interest in early education. My own experience confirms most fully his remarks upon spelling. Unless the child learns to spell upon paper or slate, you can never depend upon his spelling accurately. In fact, to spell as we write, is the only use we make of spelling, and it would seem that to write as we spell would be the proper way to acquire the art. The book will be a favorite with children. Its tone is pleasant, its spirit excellent. X. "This is evidently a right sort of book for children,-fitted to smooth their passage into our, in some respects, anomalous and uncouth language, where there are a thousand stumbling-blocks in the way of the little speller and reader.”—American Quarterly Register. From the Neu buryport Watchtower. My First School-Book.-A neat little book with the above title has just been published. Its design of course is to be a first book in reading and spelling. The author in his preface has some rather new and we think good notions about reading and spelling, and has got up his little manual in a very interesting way. We think it will be found to be one of the best things ever published for the object for which it is designed, and we commend it to the consideration of all such as have charge of the early instruction of children. P "This book, small as it is, though it may be too good to find favor at first, is probably destined, ere long, to produce an entire revolution in our schools. Without detracting from the merits of other authors and discoverers, we believe we hazard nothing in saying that no school-book which has appeared within the last twenty-five years, has done so much to bring about a new era in the history of elementary education."-Annals of Education. "For ourselves we want no reading-book or spelling-book, nor indeed any book to put into the hands of very young children. We would prefer a combination of oral and slate lessons, and lessons on objects which supercedes the necessity of books for a time. But if first books must be used-as we suppose, taking teachers as they are they must be for many years to come-we would by all means use My First School-Book. It is exactly the thing the world has long wanted, and for which they are deeply indebted to Mr. Bumstead, its worthy and ingenious author."-Doct. W. A. Alcott. "The first printed or written words presented to children should be those with whose meaning they are already acquainted,-words, the articulation of which is already familiar to the organs of speech, the sound of which is familiar to the ear, the meaning of which is familiar to the mind, and with the printed form or tout ensemble of which only are they to establish an acquaintance. And here the course of nature coincides with the dictates of philosophy, in promoting the end of instruction. The acquisition of spoken always precedes that of written language, the language addressed to the ear, that of the language addressed to the eye.' "Within the last year or two, books have been prepared by Mr. J. F. Bumstead of Boston, on the same general plan in regard to the words." * * * "Provide books on this plan, and learning to read will cease to be a burden and a mockery. The teacher, in good faith, may invite a group of little children to come around her to think of pleasant things, instead of forcing them to gaze at idiot marks Such les sons will be like an excursion to the fields of elysium, compared with the old method of plunging children, day after day, for months together in the cold waters of oblivion, and compelling them to say, falsely, that they love the chill and torpor of the immersion-Lecture on the best mode of preparing and using Spelling-Books, by Horace Mann. From the Boston Mercantile Journal. Spelling and Thinking.-A Spelling-Book has been recently published in this city with the following title: "Spelling and Thinking Combined, or the Spelling-Book made a medium of thought. The sequel to My First School-Book.'" This is a Spelling-Book on a new plan; or rather, perhaps, the plan of "My First School-Book," by the same author, carried out in application to the higher classes and older children. The attempt in both, is to combine spelling with thinking, and thinking with spelling. The modern theory on this subject is, "that no word should be taught whose meaning is not understood. The teacher should not count out words faster than ideas." So says the Secretary of the Board of Education. Here is an attempt to realize the idea. Heretofore the Spelling-Book, generally, has been but a little better than a confused jumble of words, known and unknown; and so unlike in specification and appearance, or so far removed from the common sympathies and apprehension of children, that the little learner could seldom get any definite idea of their meaning. In some cases the columns have been arranged on the principle of length of the words, or number of syllables; sometimes, in relation to their accent or pronunciation; and sometimes, again, on that of partial resemblance. But in this book, while the words, as in other Spellers, are arranged in columns, the principle adopted, is, that of natural association, classifying them throughout, in reference to similarity in their meaning. On the old plan, the words were all dissimilar in this respectas for instance, "Deity, deviate, diadem, diary, genial, genius," &c. In such a case, the principle of association as to meaning, is out of the question; and it would appear extremely difficult if an explanation were attempted of these words, for the pupil to remember the application. On the new plan, without much trouble to the teacher, or difficulty with the pupil, every word may be explained by the one, and by the law of association, easily remembered by the other. For instance, if eye is the first word of a column, then see, sight, look, gaze, stare, peep, &c. &c., in fact all the words in the language connected with this family, are brought into juxtaposition. Or again, if mouth is the first, then tongue, voice, talk, speak, whisper, sing, warble, cry, sob, &c. &c., form another series of columns-and so on, through the whole vocabulary; giving this advantage to the book over all others, of making columns of words, so far as it is practicable, both intelligible and interesting. Sense and not sound, being the principle of their arrangement. Besides the advantage just noticed, another is, not only to give the radical word in each case, but also its derivatives, its modes and tenses. For instance, if we have depend, we have also depending and depended. If we have neglect, we have also immediately following, neglected, neglectful, negligent and negligence. If we have talk, we have talker, talks, talking, talked, &c. &c. By this means the eye and mind of the child become familiar with every word, not only in one of its forms, as in other SpellingBooks, but in all its various forms; and when, therefore, it attempts the act of reading, it is not led to hesitate and stammer because the |