Putnam, Samuel. The Analytical Reader, containing lessons in simultaneous reading & defining, with spelling from the same, to which are added, questions, and references to an appendix, containing sketches of characters, persons, and places, alluded to in the work. Dover, N.H.: Samuel C. Stevens, 1830.
Preface
School Books, at the present day, are multiplied to such an extent, that it seems incumbent on the compiler of a new one to show clearly his reasons for adding to the number. The following work has consumed much time, and required little labour: the compiler, therefore, in exhibiting what he considers its peculiar advantages, is, at the same time, discharging a duty to himself and to the public.
A leading object of this work is to enable to scholar, while learning to read, to understand, at the same time, the meaning of the words he is reading. A little reflection will show, that, when these processes are going on at once, they will mutually assist each other; if, for example, when the pupil is taught to read, he is enabled, at the same time, to discover the meaning of the words he repeats, he will readily make use of the proper inflections, and place the emphasis where the sense demands it. The monotonous, sing-song mode of reading, which is common in schools, and which is often retained in after life, is acquired from the exercise of reading what is not understood; and from the same cause, it is believed, the scholar often carries from the school a permanent disrelish for books. That disgust, with which he frequently throws aside his books, at the close of his school, is to be attributed, very much, to his habit of reading lessons above his comprehension.
The bad effects resulting from this practice have led teachers to adopt one of the only two modes, which have as yet been invented for avoiding them. They either place in the hands of their pupils books reduced to the level of their capacities; or, if the compositions are more elevated, direct them to seek definitions from the pages of a common dictionary.
The design of the present volume is to unite the advantages of both these plans. The difficult words are rendered intelligible by the definitions; and by learning the definitions, the minds of the scholars are exercised, and their knowledge of language increased.
The common mode of teaching the definitions of words is also very objectionable; the pupil is obliged to commit to memory the definitions of a certain number of insulated and unconnected words, in a dictionary; this is a mere exertion of memory and that it is a tedious, and often fruitless labour, both teachers and pupils will, we believe, concur in admitting. The difficulty grows out of the fact, that, by this exercise, the association of ideas is not called in to the assistance of the memory: and, when the pupil strives to recover the evanescent idea, there are no associated circumstances—no train of ideas, on which he can rely for assistance.
The plan of the present work relieves the scholar from this difficulty. It presents the word to be defined in connexion with others, and supplies a train of ideas, with which the word itself may be associated. For example, let us suppose, that our pupil meets the original word with its definition in any of the interesting extracts which follow; will not that definition be retained in his memory a longer time than if he had acquired it from a dictionary? In the latter case, the pupil has only the appearance and the sound of the word to aid his memory; and if these do not recall the lost idea, it is gone forever; in the former, the memory derives assistance not only from the sound and shape of the word, but from the interesting circumstances of the story occurring to his recollection, and from the definition, supplied by recalling the idea, which the original word is represented.
In regard to the orthography, the compiler would observe, that the plan of spelling from the reading lessons brings before the mind of the learner many derivatives, and inflections of words, which are not found in the dictionary,--besides, it occurs to him, as he thinks it must to every instructor of youth, that, when a child taught to spell words without knowing their meaning, it is a dry and laborious task; one which affords to the scholar neither pleasure nor mental improvement, and which requires to be often repeated without perceptible benefits. If, when the pupil is taught to spell a particular word, he is taught to pronounce, read, define, vary its meaning, trace it to its root, or follow out its derivatives, as the case may be, it would seem, that he must retain a clearer idea of its orthography than when he has repeated it by rote from the columns of a spelling book or dictionary. [. . .]
It was observed in the preface to the first edition of this work, that “should the plan of this work be favourably received by the public, it will probably be followed by another volume, in which the design will be so far extended as to embrace the explanation of phrases and figurative language.” The compiler has occasion gratefully to acknowledge the favourable reception of this work; he has, therefore, been encouraged to commence the contemplated volume, which will shortly be published.
No Table of Contents; however, the book is set up so that the left hand pages (even numbers) are texts of stories without attribution and the right hand pages include lists of definitions for words in the text which may be difficult. Some poetry is included; none of the works included appears to be written by a canonized author.