how they ought to divide other polysyllable words in which they must alwayes be very carefull as I said to sound out the last syllable very fully To enable a child the better to pronounce any word he meets withall in reading I have set down some more hard for pronuntiation Sect. 14 in often reading over which he may be exercised to help his utterance and the Master may adde more at his own discretion till he see that his willing Scholar doth not stick in spelling any be it never so hard And that the child may not be amused with any thing in his book when he cometh to read I would have him made acquainted with the pauses Sect. 15. with the figures Sect. 16. numerall letters Sect. 17. Quotations Sect. 18. and Abbreviations Sect. 19 which being but a work of few houres space may easily be performed after he can readily spell which when he can do he may profitably be put to reading but not before for I observed it a great defect in some of Mr. R. Scholars whose way was to teach to read presently without any spelling at all that when they were at a losse about a word they made an imperfect confused sound in giving the force of the consonants which if they once missed they knew not which way to help themselves to find what the word was whereas if after a childe know his letters he be taught to gather them into just syllables and by the joyning of syllables together to frame a word which as it is the most antient so certainely it is the most naturall method of teaching he will soon be able if he stick at any word in reading by the naming of its letters and pronouncing of its syllables to say what it is and then he may boldly venture to read without spelling at all touching the gaining of a habit whereof I shall proceed to say somewhat in the next chapter Chap. IIII. How a child may be taught to read any English Book perfectly THe ordinary way to teach children to read is after they have got some knowledge of their letters a smattering of some syllables and words in the horn-book to turn them into the ABC or Primar and therein to make them name the letters and spell the words till by often use they can pronounce at least the shortest words at the first sight This method take's with those of prompter wits but many of more slow capacities not finding any thing to affect them and so make them heed what they learne go on remissely from lesson to lesson and are not much more able to read when they have ended their book then when they begun it Besides the ABC being now I may say generally thrown aside and the ordinary Primar not printed and the very fundamentalls of christian Religion which were wont to be contained in those books and were commonly taught children at home by heart before they went to Schoole with sundry people almost in all places slighted the matter which is taught in most books now in use is not so familiar to them and therefore not so easie for Children to learn But to hold still to the sure foundation I have caused the Lords Prayer Sect. 20. the Creed Sect. 21. and the ten Commandements Sect. 23. to be printed in the Roman character that a childe having learned already to know his letters and how to spell may also be initiated to read by them which he will do the more cheerfully if he be also instructed at home to say them by heart As he read's these I would have a childe name what words he can at the first sight and what he cannot to spell them and to take notice what pauses and numbers are in his lesson And to go them often over till he can tell any tittle in them either in or without the book When he is thus well entered in the Roman character I would have him made acquainted with the rest of the characters now in use Sect. 23. which will be easily done by comparing one with another and reading over those sentences Psalms Thankesgivings and Prayers which are printed in greater and lesse characters of sundry sorts till he have them pretty well by heart Thus having all things which concerne reading English made familar to him he may attaine to a perfect habit of it 1. By reading the single Psalter 2. The Psalmes in meeter 3. The Schoole of good manners or such like easie books which may both profit and delight him All which I would wish he may read over at lest thrice to make the matter as well as the words leave an impression upon his mind If anywhere he stick at any word as seeming too hard let him marke it with a pin or the dint of his nayle and by looking upon it againe he will remember it When he can read any whit readily let him begin the Bible and read over the book of Genesis and other remarkable Histories in other places of Scripture which are most likely to delight him by a chapter at a time But acquaint him a little with the matter beforehand for that will intice him to read it and make him more observant of what he read's After he hath read aske him such generall Questions out of the Story as are most easie for him to answer and he will the better remember it I have known some that by hiring a child to read two or three chapters a day and to get so many verses of it by heart have made them admirable proficients and that betimes in the Scriptures which was Timothies excellency and his Grand-mothers great commendation Let him now take liberty to exercise himself in any English book so the matter of it be but honest till he can perfectly read in any place of a book that is offered him and when he can do this I adjudge him fit to enter into a Grammar Schoole but not before For thus learning to read English perfectly I allow two or three years time so that at seven or eight years of age a child may begin Latine CHAP. V. Wherein children for whom the Latine tongue is thought to be unnecessary are to be employed after they can read English well IT is a fond conceit of many that have either not attained or by their own negligence have utterly lost the use of the Latine Tongue to think it altogether unnecessary for such children to learn it as are intended for Trades or to be kept as drudges at home or employed about husbandry For first there are few children but in their playing-years and before they can be capable of any serious employment in the meanest calling that is may be so far grounded in the Latine as to finde that little smattering they have of it to be of singular use to them both for the understanding of the English Authors which abound now a dayes with borrowed words and the holding discourse with a sort of men that delight to flant it in
Latine Secondly Besides I have heard it spoken to the great commendation of some Countries where care is had for the well education of children that every Peasant almost is able to discourse with a stranger in the Latine tongue and why may not we here in England obtain the like praise if we did but as they continue our children at the Latine Schoole till they be well acquainted with that language and thereby better fitted for any calling Thirdly And I am sorry to adde that the non-improvement of childrens time after they can read English any whit well throweth open a gap to all loose kinde of behaviour for being then as it is too commonly to be seen especially with the poorer sort taken from the Schoole and permitted to run wildeing up and down without any control they adventure to commit all manner of lewdnesse and so become a shame and dishonour to their Friends and Countrey If these or the like reasons therefore might prevail to perswade them that have a prejudice against Latine I would advise that all children might be put to the Grammar-Schoole so soon as they can read English well and suffered to continue at it till some honest calling invite them thence but if not I would wish them rather to forbear it then to become there an hinderance to others whose work it is to learn that profitable Language And that they may not squander away their time in idleness it were good if they were put to a Writing-Schoole where they might be First helped to keep their English by reading of a chapter at least once a day and second taught to write a fair hand and thirdly afterwards exercised in Arithmatique and such preparative Arts as may make them compleatly fit to undergoe any ordinary calling And being thus trained up in a way of discipline they will afterwards prove more easily plyable to their Masters commands Now forasmuch as few Grammar-Schooles of note will admit children into them till they have learn't their Accidents the teaching of that book also becometh for the most part a work for a Petty-Schoole where many that undertake to teach it being altogether ignorant of the Latine Tongue do sorrily performe that taske and spend a great deal of time about it to little or no purpose I would have that book therefore by such let alone and left to the Grammar-School as most fitting to be taught there onely because it is intended as an introduction of Grammar to guide children in a way of reading writing and speaking Latine and the Teachers of the Grammar-Art are most deeply concerned to make use of it for that end And in stead of the Accidents which they do neither understand nor profit by they may be benefitted in reading Orthodoxal Catechismes and other Books that may instruct them in the Duties of a Christian such as are The Practise of Piety The Practise of Quietnesse The whole duty of Man and afterwards in other delightful books of English History as The History of Queen Elizabeth or Poetry as Herberts Poems Quarl's Emblems and by this means they will gain such a habit and delight in reading as to make it their chief recreation when liberty is afforded them And their acquaintance with good books will by Gods blessing be a means so to sweeten their otherwise sowr natures that they may live comfortably towards themselves and amiably converse with other persons Yet if the Teacher of a Petty-Schoole have a pretty understanding of the Latine Tongue he may the better adventure to teach the Accidents and proceed in so doing with far more ease and profit to himself and learner if he observe a sure method of grounding his children in the Rudiments of Grammar and preparing them to speak and write familiar Latine which I shall hereafter discover having first set down somewhat how to remedy that defect in reading English with which the Grammar-Schooles are very much troubled especially where there is not a good Petty-Schoole to discharge that work afore-hand And before I proceed further I will expresse my minde in the two next chapters touching the erecting of a Petty-Schoole and how it may probably flourish by good Order and Discipline CHAP. VI Of the founding of a Petty-Schoole THe Petty-Schoole is the place where indeed the first Principles of all Religion and learning ought to be taught and therefore rather deserveth that more encouragement should be given to the Teachers of it then that it should be left as a work for poor women or others whose necessities compel them to undertake it as a meer shelter from beggery Out of this consideration it is perhaps that some nobler spirits whom God hath enriched with an over-plus of outward means have in some places whereunto they have been by birth or otherwise related erected Petty-Schoole-houses and endowed them with yearly salaries but those are so inconsiderate towards the maintenance of a Master and his familie or so over-cloyed with a number of Free-Scholars to be taught for nothing that few men of parts will daigne to accept of them or continue at them for any while and for this cause I have observed such weak foundations to fall to nothing Yet if any one be desireous to contribute towards such an eminent work of charity my advice is that he erect a Schoole and dwelling house together about the middle of a Market-Town or some populous Country-Village and acomodate it with a safe yard adjoyning to it if not with an Orchard or Garden and that he endow it with a salery of at least twenty pounds per annum in consideration whereof all such poor boyes as can conveniently frequent it may be taught gratis but the more able sort of neighbours may pay for childrens teaching as if the Schoole was not free for they will find it no small advantage to have such a Schoole amongst them Such a yearly stipend and convenient dwelling with a liberty to take young children to board and to make what advantage he can best by other Scholars will invite a man of good parts to undertake the charge and excite him to the diligent and constant performance of his duty especially if he be chosen into the place by three or four honest and discreet Trustees that may have power also to remove him thence if by his uncivil behaviour or grose neglect he render himself uncapable to perform so necessary a service to the Church and Common-Wealth As for the Qualifications of one that is to be the Teacher of a Petty-Schoole I would have him to be a Person of a pious sober comely and discreet behaviour and tenderly affectionate towards children haveing some knowledge of the Latine Tongue and abilitie to write a fair hand and good skil in Arithmetick and then let him move within the compasse of his own orb so as to teach all his Scholars as they become capable to read English very well and afterwards to write and cast accounts And let him not meddle at all with
teaching the Accidents except onely to some more pregnant wits which are intended to be set forwards to learn Latine and for such be sure that he ground them well or else dismisse them as soon as they can read distinctly and write legibly to the Grammar School I should here have closed my discourse and shut up this Petty-Schoole were it not that I received a model for the maintaining of Students from a worthy friends hands one that is most zealously and charitably addicted to advance Learning and to help it in its very beginnings to come forwards to its full Rise by which I am encouraged to addresse my remaining words to the Godly-minded Trustees and Subscribers for so good a work especially to those amongst them that know me and my School-endeavours and this I humbly request of them that as they have happily contrived a Model for the education of Students and brought it on a suddain to a great degree of perfection so they would also put to their hands for the improvement of Schoole-learning without which such choise abilities as they aim at in order to the Ministry cannot possibly be obtained And for the first foundation of such a work I presume to offer my advise that in some convenient places within and about the City there may be Petty-Schooles erected according to the number of wards unto which certain poor children out of every Parish may be sent and taught gratis and all others that please to send their children thither may have them taught at a reasonable rate and be sure to have them improved to the utmost of what they are capable And I am the rather induced to propound such a thing because that late eminent Dr. Bathurst lately deceased Mr. Gouge and some others yet living did out of their own good affection to learning endeavour at their own charge to promote the like CHAP. VII Of the discipline of a Petty-Schoole THe sweet and orderly behaviour of Children addeth more credit to a Schoole then due and constant Teaching because this speaketh to every one that the Childe is well taught though perhaps he learn but little and good manners indeed are a main part of good education I shall here therefore take occasion to speak somewhat concerning the Discipline of a Petty-Schoole leaving the further Discourse of Childrens Manners to Books that treat purposely of that subject as Erasmus de moribus Youths Behaviour c. 1. Let every Scholar repair to Schoole before eight a clock in a morning or in case of weaknesse before nine and let him come fairly washed neatly combed and hansomly clad and by commending his cleannesse and shewing it to his fellowes make him to take pleasure betimes of himself to go neat and comely in his clothes 2. Let such as come before Schoole-time take liberty to recreate themselves about the Schoole yet so as not to be suffered to do any thing whereby to harm themselves or Schoole-fellowes or to give offence or make disturbance to any neighbour 3. When Schoole-time calleth let them all go orderly to their own places and there apply themselves diligently to their books without noyse or running about 4. When the Master cometh into the Schoole let them all stand up and make obeysance so likewise when any stranger cometh in and after notice taken who are absent let one that is most able read a chapter and the rest attend and give some littlt account of what they heard read Then let him that read say a short prayer fitted for the Schoole and afterwards let every one settle to his present taske 5. The whole Schoole may not unfitly be divided into four formes whereof the first and lowest should be of those that learn to know their letters whose lessons may be in the Primar The second of those that learn to spell whose lessons may be in the Single-Psalter The third of these that learn to read whose lessons may be in the Bible The fourth of those that are exercised in reading writeing and casting accounts whose lessons may be in such profitable Engglish-Books as the Parents can best provide and the Master think fittest to be taught 6. Let their lessons be the same to each boy in every form and let the Master proportion them to the meanest capacities thus those that are abler may profit themselves by helping their weaker fellowes and those that are weaker be encouraged to see that they can keep company with the stronger And let the two highest in every forme give notice to the Master when they come to say of those that were most negligent in geting the lesson 7. When they come to say let them all stand orderly in one or 2 rowes whilst one sayeth his lesson be sure that all the rest look upon their books and give liberty to him that 's next to correct him that is saying if he mistake and in case he can say better let him take his place and keep it till the same boy or another win it from him The striveing for places especially amongst little ones will whet them all on to more diligence then any encouragement that can be given them and the Master should be very sparing to whip any one for his book except he be sullenly negligent and then also I would chuse rather to shame him out of his untowardnesse by commending some of his fellowes and asking him why he cannot do as well as they then by falling upon him with rating words or injurious blowes A great care also must be had that those children that are slow witted and of a tender spirit be not any way discouraged though they cannot make so good performance of their task as the rest of their fellowes 8 On Mundayes Wednesdayes and Fridayes they may say two lessons in a forenoon and two in an afternoon and on Tuesdayes and Thursdayes in the forenoons they may also say two lessons but on Tuesdayes and Thursdayes in the afternoons and on Saturday mornings I would have the time spent in examineing and directing how to spell and read a right and hearing them say the Graces Prayers and Psalms and especially the Lords Prayer the Creed and the Ten Commandements which are for that purpose set down in the New-Primar very perfectly by heart And those that can these well may proceed to get other Catechisms but be sure they be such as agree with the Principles of Christian Religion 9. Their lessons being all said they should be dismissed about eleven a clock and then care must be taken that they go every one orderly out of the Schoole and passe quietly home without any stay by the way And to prevent that too too common clamour and crouding out of the Schoole door let them rise out of their places one by one with their hat and book in their hand and make their honours to their Master as they passe before his face one following another at a distance out of the Schoole It were fittest and safest that
THE Petty Schoole SHEWING A way to teach little Children to read English with delight and profit especially according to the New Primar By C. H. LONDON Printed by J. T. for Andrew Crook at the Green Dragon in Pauls Church Yard 1659. THE Petty Schoole CHAP. I. How a childe may be helped in the first pronounciation of his Letters 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 wch 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 Chap. II. How a childe may be taught with delight to know all his letters in a very little time 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 othres 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 wch 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. Brinslâ—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 vo 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 anywhere 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 playfellow 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 Primâ—r 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 Chap III. How to teach a childe to spell distinctly 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 alltogether 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 Master have the discretion to make their lessions familiar to them children would as much delight in being busied 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 4. Then exercise him in syllables made of one vowel set before one consonant Sect. 6. as to say ab eb ib ob ub c. till he can spell any syllable of two letters backwards or forwards as ba be bi bo bu ab eb ib ob ub ba ab be eb bi ib bo ob bu ub and so in all the rest comparing one with another 5. And if to any one of these syllables you adde a letter and teach him how to joyne it in sound with the rest you will make him more ready in spelling as if before a b you put b and teach him to say bab if after ba you put d and let him pronounce it bad he will quickly be able to joyne a letter with any of the rest as nip pin but tub c. To enure your young-Scholar to any even the hardest syllable in an easie way 1. Practise him in the joyning of consonants that begin syllables Sect. 7. so as that he may give their joynt forces at once thus Having shewed him to sound bl or br together make him to pronounce them and a vowel with them bla bra ble bre and so in any of the rest 2. Then practise him likewise in consonants that end syllables Sect. 8. make him first to give the force of the joyned consonants and then to put the vowels before them as ble with the vowels before them sound able eble ible oble uble to all which you may prefix other consonants and change them into words of one syllable as fable peble bible noble bubble with a b inserted or the like Where observe that e in the end of many words being silent doth qualifie the sound of the foregoing vowel so as to make words different from those that have not e as you may see made differeth quite from mad bete from bet pipe from pip sope from sop and cube from cub Whereby I think them in an error that leave out e in the end of words and them that in pronouncing it make two syllables of one in stable bible people c. which judicious Mr. Mulcaster will not allow In this exercise of spelling you may do well sometimes to make all the young beginners stand together and pose them one by one in all sorts of syllables till they be perfect in any and to make them delight herein 1. Let them spell many syllables together which differ onely in one letter as and band hand land sand 2. Teach them to frame any word of one syllable by joyning any of the consonants which go before vowels with those that use to follow vowels and putting in vowels betwixt them as black block clack clock And this they may do afterwards amongst themselves having severall loose letters made and given them to compose or divide in a sporting manner which I may rightly terme the Letter-sport When a childe is become expert in joyning Consonants with the vowels then take him to the Diphthongs Sect. 9. and there 1. Teach him the naturall force of a Diphthong which consists of two vowels joyned together and make him to sound it distinctly by it self as ai ei c. 2. Let him see how it is joyned with other letters and learne to give its pronountiation together with them minding him how the same Diphthong differs from its self sometimes in its sound and which of the two vowels in it hath the greatest power in pronouncation as in people e seemeth to drown the o. And besides those words in the Book you may adde others of your own till by many examples the childe do well apprehend your meaning and so as that he can boldly adventure to imitate you and practise of himself Thus after a childe is throughly exercised in the true sounding of the vowels and consonants together let him proceed to the spelling of words first of one syllable Sect. 10. then of two Sect. 11. then of three Sect. 12. then of four Sect. 13. in all which let him be taught how to utter every syllable by it self truly and fully and be sure to speak out the last But in words of more syllables let him learn to joyne and part them according to these profitable rules 1. An English syllable may sometimes consist of eight letters but never of more as strength 2 In words that have many syllables the consonant between two vowels belongeth to the latter of them as Hu-mi-li-tie 3. Consonants which are joyned in the beginning of words are not to be parted in the middle of them as My-ste-ry 4. Consonants which are not joyned in the beginning of words are to be parted in the middle of them as for-get-ful-ness 5. If a consonant be doubled in the middle of a word the first belong's to the syllable foregoing and the latter to the following as pos-ses-si-on 6. In compound words every part which belongeth to the single words must be set by it self as In-a-bi-li-ty And these rules have I here set down rather to informe the less skilful teacher how he is to guide his learner then to puzle a childe about them who is not yet so well able to comprehend them I have also divided those words in the Book to let Children see