A  child  is  given  a  general  impression  of
the  look  of  a  word,  and  then  this  '  visual
impress'  is  made  vivid  by  analysis  and
lasting  by  repetition.  An  easy  sentence
is  written  on  the  black  board  or  exhibited
on  a  tablet.  The  teacher  points  to  the
words  and  pronounces  them  one  after  the
other,  the  children  several  times  repeat-
ing the  sounds  simultaneously  after  the
teacher.  Then  the  teacher  points  to  the
words  and  requires  the  children  to  pro-
nounce them  without  help — forwards,
backwards,  and  taken  anyhow.  Then
single  children  are  called  on  to  pronounce
the  words  pointed  to  in  any  order.  Then
comes  the  analysis.  The  teacher  asks  the
children  the  number  of  letters  in  each
word  ;  tells  them  the  names  and  sounds  of
each  letter ;  calls  on  them  to  pick  out  the
same  letters  on  an  alphabet  card ;  and  sets
them  to  print  the  words  on  their  slates.
The  eye,  like  the  ear,  more  readily  takes
in  things  as  wholes,  remembers  a  word  as
a  whole,  and  associates  its  meaning  with  '
its  form — just  as  the  ear  associates  its
meaning  with  its  sound.  The  method  has,
therefore,  much  to  be  said  in  its  favour.
No  one  can  really  be  said  to  read  until  he
takes  in  words  at  a  glance.  This  method
teaches  him  to  do  so  from  the  very  first.
It  likewise  helps  him  considerably  to  learn
liow  to  spell  English  words — for  in  this
the  memory  of  the  eye,  the  *  look '  of  the
word,  is  generally  our  chief  practical  aid.
Unless  care  be  taken,  however,  the  pro-
nunciation— which  depends  on  the  dis-
tinct articulation  of  every  separate  sound
— is  very  likely  to  suffer.
Luther,  Martin  (6.  Eisleben  1483;  d.
