¹ The reading lessons of this standard will generally contain some words that the children do not use in their own conversation. On this account "definition" is here conjoined with reading. It is, of course, not intended that the children shall learn by rote the meanings of words as given in a dictionary, or logical definitions framed by the teacher. It is, however, expected that, as a result of careful instruction, they will be able to show, in their own way, that they know what the words mean.

² The copy-books presented for inspection ought, to contain evidence of the teacher's careful supervision of the writing done in the school. Such evidence will be afforded by corrections of errors, and by consequent improvement, as well as by the general conformity of the pupils' writing to the style of the head-lines. If the writing is not taught and superintended, the slope of the letters, the points at which up-strokes begin and end, the connections of the letters, and even the spelling of the words, will generally betray the teacher's neglect. The small round-hand of Vere Foster's copy-books is better adapted than a larger character to the size of a young child's hand. It will be found advantageous to make all the children in a class write the same copy at the same time. The blank space that will be left in the copy-book of an absentee will not be wasted, for it will serve as a memorial of his absence, and an inducement to regular attendance. Whatever style of writing may be preferred by the school authorities, that style should be carefully studied and analyzed, and exhibited in all its minute peculiarities, so that every pupil should know exactly what he has to do when he begins to form any letter; and the independent writing of the children (in exercise-books, for example,) should for a long time be in strict accordance with the copy-book model. When they can write well according to strict rules, they may be trusted to develop sufficient originality to make their handwriting individual and characteristic. One of the advantages of Vere Foster's system is the definiteness of the rules for the formation of letters, arising, out of the plan of making the writing of each word continuous from end to end. ^*

^* Vide "Instructions for Vere Foster's Writing Copy Books," printed on the back of No. 2 of the series. The following is an extract from the instructions:—

"Writing should be taught with as much system as any other branch of instruction. The main points, to be attended to are, that learners should have good models set before them; that they should have abundant practice, with a will to learn; but, above all, it is necessary that teachers should exercise a watchful and zealous supervision during the lesson, pointing out and correcting mistakes, and writing a letter or word here and there; all will be of little avail without this supervision. Well-chosen printed head-lines should be used in all cases, except when the teacher is an excellent writer, arid has time to set the copies carefully. The black-board should be used freely by the teacher to describe the forms of the letters. The most useful style of penmanship is that which can be both easily read and rapidly written. The round style, in which the letter o for instance is a perfect circle, and all the other letters are in proportion to it, can be most easily read; the pointed or ladies' angular style can be most rapidly written. . . . The style of these books is a compromise between round and angular. One style is preserved throughout the entire series, because, if the styles differed in the different books, the pupil would be puzzled which form of letter to adopt as the right one. The distinguishing characteristics 01 this series are as follows:—(1.) Combination, in the greatest possible degree, of legibility with rapidity. The formation of all the letters, and notably of the letters a, d, g, q, are adapted to this end. (2.) The writing of each word is continuous from end to end. (3.) Exclusion of large-hand, on the Continental and American principles, and in accordance with the suggestions of a great number of successful teachers, because it is believed to be the most difficult of acquirement, and to be unnecessary for the purpose of teaching current-hand, which is the sole object here proposed. Considering how brief is the period during which most children can remain at school, it is sheer waste of time to set them to copy large-hand."

³ Transcription is introduced at this stage, while dictation is deferred to Standard III., because of the serious danger which attaches to the dictation exercise used prematurely. If a child writes incorrectly, his visual memory is affected by his error. When he is set to write out a passage from a book, he has a correct model before him, and he has it doubly impressed upon him—by reading and by writing. Moreover, transcription is an exercise which, because it affords no excuse for mistakes, allows the teacher to demand precision, and has on that account a high educational value. And it has the further merit of making the child familiar with the use of punctuation marks and capital letters, before he is quite capable of receiving definite instruction with regard to them.

⁴ A pupil that has mastered the notation to three places, will find very little difficulty in understanding that thousands, tens of thousands, and hundreds of thousands, stand related to each other in a second group of three figures, exactly as units, tens, and hundreds stand related in the first group. He can then proceed intelligently with the addition of six columns of figures, which he ought not to be expected to do while his knowledge of notation is confined to what is prescribed for the First Standard. Subtraction has been placed after multiplication, because of the relation in which the latter process stands to addition. The method of long division in the process of dividing by numbers less than twelve is recommended, because it exhibits the whole process of which the method of short division suppresses a part, and because it prepares the way for learning to divide by higher numbers. "Problems" instead of set sums should be very frequently given for this and all the standards.