RULES AND OBSERVATIONS

FOR ASSISTING CHILDREN TO READ WITH PROPRIETY.

The rules in the larger type should be committed to memory.

THE compiler of this work having, in the preface to the "Eng. lish* Read'er," explained at large the principles of elocution, nothing on this head seems to be necessary in the present publication, but to give a few plain and simple rules, adapted to the younger classes of learners; and to make some observations calculated to rectify the ĕrrours which they are most apt to commit. These rules may be comprehended under the following heads.-They are comprised in few words, and a little, separated from the observations, that those teachers who wish their pupils to commit them to memory, may more readily distinguish them from the parts which require only an attentive perusal.

General Rules for Reading.

I. All the simple sounds should be pronounced with fulness, distinctness, and energy; particularly the vowels, on the proper utterance of which, the force and beauty of pronunciation greatly depend.

The simple sounds, especially those signified by the letters l, r, s, th, and sh, àre often very imperfectly pronounced by young persons. B and p àre apt to be confounded: so àre d and t, s and s, ƒ and v. The letters and w àre often sounded the one for the other: thus, wine is pronounced vine; and vinegar, winegar. The diphthong ou is, in some words, vulgarly sounded like er: as foller, meller, winder; instead of follow, mellow, window. When several consonants, proper to be sounded, occur in the beginning or at the end of words, it is a very common ĕrrour to omit one of them in pronunciation: as in the words ǎsps, casks, guests, breadth, fifth, twelfth, strength, hearths. Not sounding the letter h, when it is proper to sound this letter, is a great fault in pronunciation, and very difficult wholly to correct.

*Ing'glish.

When children have acquired any improper habits with respect to simple sounds, the best mode of correction is, to make them frequently repeat words and sentences, in which those sounds occur. When the simple sounds are thoroughly understood and acquired, the various combinations of them into syllables and words will be easily effected.

II. In order to give spirit and propriety to pronunciation, due attention must be paid to accent, emphasis, and cadence.

When we distinguish a syllable by a greater stress of the voice, it is called accent. When we thus distinguish any word in a sentence, it is called em'phasis. It is difficult to give precise rules for placing the accent; but the best general direc'tión, is, to consult the most approved pronouncing dictionaries, and to imitate the practice of the most correct speakers.

There are, in every sentence, some word or words, on which the sense of the rest depends; and these must always be distinguished by a fuller and stronger sound of voice, whether they are found in the beginning, the middle, or at the end of the sentence. It is highly improper to lay an emphasis on words of little importance.-Words put in opposition to each other, are always emphatical: as "Here I am miserable; but there I shall be happy." "Children,” says Be-ať'tie, "àre not often taught to read with proper emphasis. When books àre put before them which they do not understand, it is impossible they should apply it properly. Let them, there'fore, read nothing but what is level to their capacity. Let them read deliberately, and with attention to every word. Let them be set right, not only when they misapply the emphasis, but also cautioned against the opposite extremes of too forcible and too feeble an application of it: for, by the former of these faults, they become affected in their utterance; and by the latter, insipid." That children may be enabled to apply the emphasis with judgment, they should carefully study the subject, and ascertain the meaning of every difficult word and sentence, previously to their being called to read to the teacher.

As emphasis consists in raising the voice, cadence signifies the falling of it. Towards the close of a sentence, the cadence takes place, unless the concluding words be emphatical. It should always be easy and gradual, not abrupt; and should never be expressed in a feeble and languid manner. Even the falling of the voice may be managed with spirit and variety.

III. As the art of reading greatly depends on the proper management of the breath, it should be used with economy. The voice ought to be relieved at every stop; slightly at a comma, more lei'şure-ly at a semicolon, or a colon, and completely at a period.

A due attention to this rule, will prevent a broken, faint, and languid voice, which is the usual fault of ignorant and vulgar readers.

It will enable the reader to preserve the commànd' of his voice; to pronounce the longest sentence with as much ease as the shortest; and to acquire that freedom and energy, with which a person of judgment naturally expresses his pĕr-cep'tións, emotions, and passions, in common discourse.

The comma marks the shortest pause; the semicolon, a pause double that of the comma; the colon, double that of the semicolon; and the period, double that of the colon. A dash, following a stop, shows that the pause is to be greater than if the stop were alone; and, when used by itself, requires a pause of such length as the sense ǎlone can dētĕr'mine. A paragraph requires a pause double that which is proper at a period.

The points of interrogation and exclamation, àre uncertain as to their time. The pause which they demand' is equal to a semicolon, a colon, or a period, as the sense may require. They should be attended with an elevation of the voice. The parenthesis, unless ǎccóm'panied with a stop, requires but a small pause. It generally marks a moderate depression of the voice.

IV. Let the tone of the voice, in reading, be the same as it would be in speaking on the same subject.

To render this rule proper and effectual, children should be taught to speak slowly, distinctly, and with due attention to the sentiments they express. The mode of speaking is then only to be imitated by the reader, when it is just and nǎt'u-ral.*

V. Endeavour to vary and modulate the voice, according to the na'tūref of the subject, whether it be in a solemn, a serious, a familiar, a gay, a hu'mór-oŭs,‡ or an ironical

strain.

It would be highly improper to read an interesting narrative, with an air of negligence; to express warm emotions of the heart, with cold indifference; and to pronounce a passage of Scripture, on a sublime and important subject, with the familiar tone of common convĕrsa'tión. On the other hand it would be absurd to read a letter on trivial subjects, in a mournful strain; or a production of gayety and hu'mour, with grave formality.

VI. In reading verse the same general direc'tións must be observed, as have been given for reading prōşe.

Nar'rative, di-dăç'tick, descrip'tive, and pa-thet'ick pieces, have the same peculiar tone and manner, in poetry as in prōşe. A singing note, and making the lines jingle by laying too great stress on the rhyming words, should be particularly avoided. A very small pause *năt'ishi-răl. † na'tshure. ‡yū mùr-ús. B

ought to be made at the end of a line, unless the sense, or some of the usual marks of pause, require a considerable one.

The great rule for reading verse, as well as prōge, is to read slowly, distinctly, and in a năt'u-răl* tone of voice.

We shall now caution young readers against' some faults whic many àre apt to commit. In doing this, it will unavoidably happe that a few of the preceding observa tións will, in some respects, be r peated: but this confirmation of the rules will, it is presumed, be disadvantage to the learners. A display of the various érrours reading, incident to children, may make a greater impression, th di-rec'tzóns which àre positive, and point only to the propriety prō-nun-ci-a'tión.

Rules for the government of the voice.

1. Avoid too loud, or too low a voice.

An overstrained voice is very inconvenient to the reader, as w as disgusting to the hearer. It exhausts the reader's spirits; and p vents the proper management and modulation of his voice, accordi to the sense of his subject; and it naturally leads into a tone. low a voice is not so inconvenient to the speaker, as the other extren but it is very disagreeable to the hearer. It is always offensive to audience, to observe any thing in the reader or speaker, that ma indolence or inattention. When the voice is naturally too loud, too low, young persons should correct it in their ordinary conversa'ti by this means they will learn to avoid' both the extremes, in readi They should begin the sentence with an even, moderate voice, wh will enable them to rise or fall, as the subject requires.

2. Avoid a thick, confused, cluttering voice.

It is very disagreeable to hear a person mumble, clip, or swal his words; leaving out some syllables in the long words, and scar ever pronouncing some of the short ones; but hurrying on wit any care to give his words their full sound, or his hearers the sense of them. This fault is not easily cured. The best mear mending it, is to endeavour, both in conversation and reading pronounce every word in a deliberate, clear, and distinct manner

3. Be careful to read neither too quickly nor too slov

is delivered, and must always be dissatisfied with a reader who hurries and tires them. Children are very apt to read too fast, and to take a pleaş'ure in it, thinking that they who pronounce the words with the greatest rapidity, àre the best scholars.-The heavy, dronish, sleepy reader, and who often makes pauses where there should be nóne, is also very disagreeable. If he hems and yawns between the periods, he is still more so.

4. Study to avoid an irregular mode of pronunciation.

It is a great fault in reading, to raise and fall the voice by fits and starts; to elevate and depress it unseasonably without regard to sense or stops; or always to begin a sentence with a high voice, and conclude it with a low one ; or, on the contrary, to begin with a low voice, and conclude with a high one. To avoid' these errours, the sentence should not be begun in too high, or too low a key; regard should be had to the nature of the points, and the length of the periods; and the reader's mind should be attentive to the subject, sense, and spirit of

his author.

5. With the utmost care ăvoid a flat, dull, uniform voice, without emphasis or cadence, or a proper regard to the sense of what is reading.

This is a practice to which chil'dren who do not love learning, and who are tired of their lessons, àre very prone. When this mode of reading becomes ha-bit'u-al,* it is painful to the hearer, and very difficult to be remedied. The best means of cure àre those prescribed for the preceding ĕrrour: for if the mind be attentive to the sentiments delivered, the voice will be adapted to their nature and importance.

6. Reading with an improper tone, is a great and commor fault of learners, and must be carefully avoided.

No habit is more easy to be contracted than this, or harder to be overcome. This unnatural tone in reading, is always disgusting to persons of sense and delicacy. Some have a squeaking tone. Pĕrsons whose voices àre shrill and weak, or overstrained, àre apt to fall into this tone.-Some have a singing or canting note: others assume a high swelling tone. These lay too much stress on every sentence, and violate every rule of decent pronunciation.-Some affect an awful and striking tone, attended with solemn gri-mace'; as if they wished to move the hearer with every word, whether the weight of the subject supports them or not.-Some have a set, uniform tone of voice, which has already been noticed. Others have a strange, whimsical, whi'ning tone, peculiar to themselves, and not easy to be described. They are continually laying the emphasis on words which do not require or deserve it,

*hă-bitsh'u-ăl.