OF

STANDARD READING BOOKS

FOR BOYS.

WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY

EVAN DANIEL, M.A.,

PRINCIPAL OF ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE, BATTERSEA; MEMBER OF THE
LONDON SCHOOL BOARD.

BOOK IV.

FOR

STANDARD IV.

LONDON:

EDWARD STANFORD, 55, CHARING CROSS, S.W.

1879.

PREFACE.

THIS series of Readers is intended to follow The Battersea Primers,' but, being graduated in accordance with the requirements of the New Code, may be used with any Primer.

The aim of the Editor in the earlier books has been to lighten, by the attractiveness of the lessons, the labour of overcoming the mechanical difficulties in learning to read, and to give children a taste for reading. Once a child has been got to love reading, his progress is sure and rapid.

The later books contain much interesting and useful information, but all through the series the Editor has subordinated the communication of knowledge to the primary object of a Reader, viz., the teaching a child to read. When the difficulties of scientific lessons are superadded to the difficulties that belong to reading proper, it is not surprising that both science and reading suffer.

The plan of Books I. and II. has been to place at the head of each lesson the chief words occurring in it, and at the end a few sentences in which the words are used in fresh combinations. These combinations the teacher is recommended to multiply for himself.

Young children do not derive much benefit from verbal explanations, but they readily pick up the meaning of a word, by induction, from examples. This is, of course, the way in which they first learn to speak. In Books III. to VI. words are explained, but here also examples are given to illustrate the use of the word glossed. This is a novel feature in reading books, and the writer attaches considerable importance to it. The common defect in reading in our elementary schools is lack of intelligence, which is largely owing to the limited vocabulary of the children. They are often called upon to read an unknown language. No opportunity, therefore, should be thrown away of familiarizing their minds with the meaning of the words which occur in the books they employ.

The Editor would strongly urge upon teachers the importance of getting children to prepare the reading lessons. Five minutes spent in learning the hard words, by way of preparation, would save much loss of time in the progress of the lesson, and would render needless those constant interruptions by which, to the hindrance of an intelligent comprehension of the passage read, and to the great discouragement of the learner, the continuity of the reading is so frequently broken.

The historical episodes in Books IV. to VI. follow the divisions of English History prescribed in the

Code, and will, it is hoped, be of service in inspiring and fostering a taste for History. It is impossible for children to take a real interest in History so long as their acquaintance with it is limited to the meagre skeleton of facts contained in the ordinary school compendiums. The object of the Editor has been to set forth the leading events of English History at such length as to whet the curiosity to know more. Once the leading events are mastered, it will be an easy matter to fill up the interstices.

The extracts from books of travel have been inserted with the similar intention of awakening an interest in foreign lands, and will be found useful in connection with the study of Geography.

The poetry has been carefully selected with an eye to the tastes and capacities of children, and more especially of boys.

The Editor has to express his grateful acknowledgments to Messrs. Macmillan and Co., Messrs Cassell and Co., Messrs. Isbister and Co., Mr. Murray, the proprietor of 'All the Year Round,' the publisher of 'Sunday,' and to Canon Clarke, for permission to insert extracts from their various publications. An acknowledgment is separately made at the close of each extract.