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THE

TEACHER'S ASSISTANT.

PART I.

Consisting of Lectures with Questions for the Instruction of Children who cannot read, or who are going through the First Part of the Charity School Spelling Book.*

DIRECTIONS FOR THE TEACHER.

HAVING provided a Book to take account of the Tickets the scholars shall successively gain, by answering the Questions in the following Lectures, and a set of numbered Tickets, divide the school into classes, according to the respective proficiency of the children, and let them stand up class after class, then read a portion of the Instruction, and put the Questions belonging to it to the children one after the other, till the answers are made to each question; and let the Girl or Boy, who gives the proper answer, take the place of the one whose turn it was to answer; by which means all who do not answer will be one place lower.

Observe, that in every Lecture the Answers are enclosed between hooks, to assist your own recollection; but do not be particular in requiring the very words of the Answers from the scholars, for it will be sufficient if they give the sense of them in their own words.

When the examination is over, distribute the Tickets according to the places the children are in, and mark down the numbers in the Ticket Book.

Do not put the Lecture Books into the hands of such children as are able to read, lest they get the answers by rote; neither should the children be kept long in

Since the fifth Edition of this Work, a Supplement, or rather a Prelude to the Spelling Book, has been printed, under the title of the Monosyllabic Spelling Book.

† An exception may be made in favour of the Monitors and Monitresses of Classes, in large Schools.

VOL, I.

one Lecture for the same reason: it will be much better to give them a fresh Lecture every day. When you have gone through the first Five Lectures in this manner, try the children with the Miscellaneous Questions which follow them, and then go back again to the first lecture. It will excite great emulation if the children are led to expect at stated times (once a quarter, or once a month, for instance) Public Examinations before the Visitors or Patrons of the School, on which occasion the Ticket Book may be produced, and rewards given to such children as shall appear to have gained the three highest places in the class the greatest number of times since the last examination.

If pecuniary rewards are approved of, it will he advisable to give them in tickets of a certain value, to be paid at the end of the year, rather than in money, as the children will be apt to spend the latter in trifles, instead of letting it accumulate for the purchase of some useful article; and it is a very material part of the edu cation of the children of the poor, to give them early habits of saving for the supply of future wants.

If the rewards consist of books, they should, for beginners, be of the amusing kind, such as will entice them on in learning to read fluently.

LECTURE I.

Of God the Creator.

Instruction.-There is ONE GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY, maker of every thing in heaven above, and in the earth beneath, and in the water under the earth. GOD made the world and all things in it from nothing. He is called the CREATOR, because he made all things from nothing. To create is to make things from nothing; there never would have been any thing whatever if God had not created it.

GOD made the sun, and the moon, and the stars. He made. the trees, the grass, the plants, the flowers, and whatever grows in the earth or the water. God made all living creatures, the birds, the beasts, the fishes, the worms, and all that crawl on

the ground, and all the insects that feed upon trees and herbs, and that fly in the air. GOD made mankind also. Mankind signify all the men, women, and children. We belong to mankind. Mankind are also called human creatures. 16

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Questions-Who made all things that are? [Ans. GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY.] How many God's are there? [Ans. One.] What did God make all things from at first? [Ans. Nothing.] What is God called because he made all things from nothing? Ans. THE CREATOR.] What is the meaning of the word create? [Ans. To make things from nothing.] Is it not very wonderful to think of God's making all things from nothing? [Ans. Yes.] Are there not great numbers of different kinds of creatures in the world? [Ans. Yes.] What kind of creatures do you belong to? [Ans. Mankind.] Who are meant by mankind? [Ans. All the men, women, and children.] What else are mankind called? [Ans. Human creatures.] Instruction.-God is the only Creator; he alone can create. Mankind can only make things out of God's works. All that we eat and drink, all that we wear, all that we nse, come first from God. We should have no victuals or drink, no houses, nor any thing else, if we had not the works of God to make them of.

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Questions-Who alone can create? [Ans. God.] Cannot mankind make things? [Ans. Yes.] Cannot they build houses, dress victuals, and make all sorts of clothing? Ans. Yes.] Can they create? [Ans, No.] What must mankind have to make any thing they want? [Ans. Some part of God's works.] What are bricks made of? [Ans. Earth.] Who made the Earth? [Ans. God.] What is wood taken from? [Ans. Trees.] Who made trees? [Ans. God.] Where do iron and stone come from? [Ans. Out of the earth.] Who made them? [Ans. God] Are not all these things used in building houses? [Ans. Yes.] Do not you see then that without God's works we could have no houses? [Ans. Yes.] Is not God very good to furnish us with things to make houses? [Ans. Yes.] What is beef? [Ans. The flesh of oxen.] What is veal? [Ans. The flesh of calves.] What is mutton? [Ans. The flesh of sheep.] What does milk come from? [Ans. Cows.] Who made oxen, calves, sheep, and cows? [Ans. God.] Who made the fishes and the fowls? [Ans God. What does bread come from? [Ans. Corn.] Who first made corn out of nothing, and still causes it to grow out of the earth in great plenty? [Ans. God ] What is beer made of? [Ans. Malt, hops, and water] Who' first created these things out of nothing? [Ans. God.] Where

all the. vegetables, that is, the turnips, carrots, cabbages, potatoes, and many other things, come from? [Ans. The earth Who created them? [Ans. God.] Do you not see then that we could not have victuals or drink without. God's works? [Ans. Yes.] What is your shirt, apron, &c. made of? [Ans. Linen.] What is linen made from? [Ans. Flax.] What is flax? Ans. A plant that grows in the fields.] What does cotton come from? [Ans. Another plant.] What are your stuff gown and your flannel coat made of? [Ans. Wool.] Where does wool come from? [Ans. Sheep.] Who made the sheep, and caused so much wool to grow upon them? [Ans. God.] Did not God create first of all every thing from which clothing is made? [Ans. Yes.] Could we have any clothing without God's works? [dns. No.] Do you not think God must be wise and powerful to make all things from nothing? [Ans. Yes] Is not God most good thus to supply mankind with houses, victuals, drink, and clothing? [Ans. Yes.]

Instruction.-God not only created all things, but he preserves all things. If God did not take care of his works, they would all fall back into nothing, there would be an end of them, for there is no creature that could preserve them. Mankind, indeed, plant corn and trees, and all kinds of vegetables, but they cannot make the trees bear fruit, nor the corn grow and ripen; neither would the cattle, and sheep, and other things multiply, if God did not make them do so. It is God who keeps us alive, who gives us the use of our limbs, our eyesight, our hearing, and all our other senses, and it is God who gives us health, and strength, and understanding.

Questions.-Who preserves all things? Ans. God.] What would become of all things if God did not take care of them, and preserve them? [Ans. They would fall back into nothing.] Can mankind make any thing grow after they have planted and sown it? [Ans. No.] Who sends rain and sunshine? [Ans. God.] Who keeps the cattle, and fowls, and other things from dying? [Ans, God.] Who keeps us alive, and preserves our eye-sight and other blessings? [Ans. God.] Is not God very good in thus taking care of all his creatures? [Ans. Yes.]

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Instruction.-God is in all places, at all times, nothing can be hidden from him: for he knows the very thoughts of our easeth that he doeth. It is the ing, frost, and snow, hail and he year fruitful or unfruitful; year fruitful of ings and nations of the earth,

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