"The teacher using this book can teach by any method which he may prefer ; but the experience of many years has convinced us that a judicious combination of the word and phonic methods is the best. It makes the shortest step from the known to the unknown ; it makes the pupil independent of the aid of the teacher sooner than any other. As a preparation for the reading-exercises, we would provoke the children to use in conversation the new words which are to be found at the head of each reading-lesson ; from which words, again, we would derive the new sounds which are about to claim special notice in the succeeding lesson or lessons."--page 1.