We have been much charmed with Mr. Storn's little book,
en- titled A Key to Reading,—not because we have found it to contain any thing very new or profound, but 'because it shows that right views on the subject of early education are becoming more gene- ral, and that sedulous promoters of them are springing up. If Mr. SMITH, by means of lectures, publications, or conversations, can spread his enlightened notions far and wide, he will be a great benefactor to mankind.
The Key to Reading, and the plan cif instruction Mr. SMrra recommends and practises, is simply a leaf out of the bodk of JACOTOT. It is a portion of the system of this philosopher, un- systematically arranged. All the exercises we findlouched upon in this little work, whe- ther they are original with Mr. SMITH, or derived from other quer- ters —as from Mr. Wow's publication on the Sessional school of Edinburgh, are neither more nor less than exercises proposed and
recommended by JACOTOT, but who has connected and arranged them with other exercises in such a manner as to really entitle the whole to the name of a system of education. We do not say, nor do we think, that Mr. SMITH has copied them: the recommenda- tions he gives are such as will most interested occur to any en- lightened and unshackled mind, deeply nterested in the subject of early. education, though it is not every man who has either the ability, or the industry, or the enthusiasm, to go about the country Scattering the blessing wherever he alights. This is his great merit.
The exercise which. Mr. SMITH terms a " Key to Reading," is— to take before a class a passage from any author whatever, to have it read by some one, and to shut the book. The boy reading, or some other fixed upon, gives an account of the passage ; after which, an inquiry is made into the meaning of each of the phrases; they who can answer do—they who cannot, cede their places. The inquiry extends to definitions of words, the etymological analysis of them, to the explanation of phrases, and to a critical examination of the grammar. In the instance selected at the Sessional School of Edinburgh, a passage from Mr. SIMPSON'S Visit to Waterloo is read, descriptive of the battle. It is probably chosen for the in- accuracies of the style, which the children correct with great facility and satisfaction. The phrases are also admirably explained by the children. The " Grammatical Picture" is a specimen of the manner in which a teacher, whose intellects are awake, may make learning easy and delightful. " The parts of speech are nine," says the Grammar," noun, adjective," &c.; and the child knows as much as he did before. But the teacher says, Now let us make a picture : first, we will put in nouns., that is, nothing but what we can see, imagine, or make a picture of: what will you have in ?—to one child—oh, a cottage—you ?—a tree—you ?—a shepherd, &c.: very well, now for the adjectives,—a large or a small house—a green or a yellow tree ? &c. But now all is still; we must put them in action ; let us have the verbs : and then the teacher makes the bells to ring, and the streams to flow, &c. This will give an idea of the plan of the picture ; for the details we refer to the Key. The " Men- tal Arithmetic" consists of examples of ready methods of reckon- ing. It has long been understood that the rules of books of arith- metic are the longest and most tedious modes of handling figures; Indeed, nearly everybody has a method of his own. Mr. SMITH shows, that by the exercise of a little reflection, children may be taught accounts with pleasure instead of pain, and that labour may be completely beguiled. We are glad to see that lectures are becoming more common ; it is one of the surest and speediest modes of spreading instruc- tion. We prophesy, that in a score of years the profession of lec- turer will be one honoured and established ; and if an enlight- ened man happens to have a child of address and talent, we ad- vise him that he could not do better than accomplish him to un- dertake to lecture with ease and gracefulness on some great subject of general utility.
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