The National Preceptor: Or Selections in Prose and Poetry: Consisting of Narrative, Descriptive, Argumentative, Didactic, Pathetic, and Humorous ... Calculated to Improve the Scholar in Read

Excerpt from The National Preceptor: Or Selections in Prose and Poetry: Consisting of Narrative, Descriptive, Argumentative, Didactic, Pathetic, and Humorous Pieces; Together With Dialogues, Addresses, Orations, Speeches, &C.; Calculated to Improve the Scholar in Reading and Speaking; And to Impress the Minds of Youth With Se

He will not go to-day but to - morrow. Study not for amusement - but for improvement.

Rule 5. Commands, denunciation, reprehension, generally require the falling inflection; as, Give me the book. Hence! Begone! Away!

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Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from The National Preceptor: Or Selections in Prose and Poetry: Consisting of Narrative, Descriptive, Argumentative, Didactic, Pathetic, and Humorous Pieces; Together With Dialogues, Addresses, Orations, Speeches, &C.; Calculated to Improve the Scholar in Reading and Speaking; And to Impress the Minds of Youth With Se

To read in a natural and impressive manner, is an attainment highly valued by all; - and among the numerous branches pursued in our schools, this art is of the first importance. It is not only the foundation of good speaking, but it may be termed the basis of a finished education. Notwithstanding the various opinions on the subject, experience has convinced me, that it may be easily acquired. But like all other branches, it must be begun in a proper manner, or bad habits will be formed - unseemly tones contracted - which can seldom be corrected. Correct habits must be formed at the beginning. Let the learner read such lessons as are intelligible and interesting to him. Let his lessons be progressive - lead him on by a series of exercises, that are calculated to excite, interest, and engage his attention - such as will awaken and arouse the feelings, - and his reading will resemble graceful and animated conversation. By such a course, no bad habits are formed. He will read as he converses; and instead of viewing this important art with indifference, he will pursue it with pleasure, and easily acquire the tones of an easy and agreeable style.

Questions like the following are often asked: - Why do children and youth more frequently fail in good reading, than in any other branch of education? Why is it that we often hear a youth converse in a graceful and animated manner, and read in a dull, monotonous, or drawling style? Why are there so few good readers in society? Let any one competent to judge, examine the books made use of for teaching this valuable art, and he will easily answer the above enquiries. It is to be regretted that those who have hitherto compiled reading books, were so little acquainted with the taste, wants, and capacities of those for whom they were laboring. Their selections are interesting to the professional man - to those of mature years - but not to the scholar. He has not yet acquired a taste for such reading, - he feels no interest in such lessons, - and he must go through a preparatory course in order to relish them. Our reading books, generally speaking, have too much of a sameness as regards style, both in prose and poetry; - whereas, they ought to contain almost every possible variety, - thus giving exercise to the various functions of the voice, and the emotions of the mind. A youth may be furnished with innumerable rules and illustrations of rhetoric, - and may commit them to memory, - but they would assist him but little in learning to read, unless in the application of them, the exercises were intelligible and interesting: - But on the other hand, if books are arranged with reference to the natural progress of the mind, the learner will easily acquire a practical knowledge of the inflections of the voice, and a habit of reading in a natural, easy, and impressive manner.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.