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Originally compiled by a teacher of Little Children in Philadelphia IMPROVED BY JOHN C. TOTTEN.

When I was a child, I spake as & child.-St. Paul.

NEWARK, N. J.

PRINTED & PUBLISHED BY BENJAMIN OLDS.

1843.
EK

Southern District of New-York, ss.

BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the twelfth day of Apr' n the forty-eighth year of the Independence the United States of Amer ica, John C. Totten, of the said District, hath deposited in this office the title of a book the right whereof he claims as proprietor, in the words following, to wit.

"The Child's Instructor Improved: consisting of Easy Lessons for children; on subjects which are familiar to them, in language adapted to their capacities. Originally compiled by a Teacher of Little Children in Philadelphia. Improved by John C. Totten.

"When I was a child, I spake as a child.-St. Paul."

In conformity to the Act of Congress of the United States, entitled *An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned." And also to an Act, entitled, "an Act, supplementary to an Act, entitled, an Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mertioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints."

JAMES DILL,

Clerk of the Southern District of New-York.

ENOX LIBRARY

NEW YORK

ADVERTISEMENT.

AMONG the many books which have been written for the improvement of children, the CHILD'S INSTRUCTOR has held a place sufficiently conspicuous to justify its re-publication. Nevertheless, since

Spelling Books are become common, and daily experience manifests their indispensable utility in perfecting Youth in orthography and pronunciation, 't has been thought advisable, in this Edition, to expunge the spelling lessons; and instead thereof to insert reading lessons, accompanied with appropriate cuts, knowing, that

He who reads what meets the eye

Is sure to be improved thereby.

With these views, the publisher submits the work m its present form to the public, and hopes it may meet with the approbation of parents and teachers generally. Of the numerous Spelling Books in use, I would particularly recommend the one called the NORTH AMERICAN SPELLING BOOK.

It contains all the most elegant and useful words of the English Language-arranged in parcels according to the sounds of the vowels in the accented syllables: This arrangement secures the perfect pronunciation of every word, and renders the book extremely valuable.

A

PREFACE

THE FORMER EDITIONS.

THE books which we first put into the hands of children, are generally dry and unentertaining.They are unentertaining to a child, because he cannot understand them: and if a child does not understand his lesson, he will learn it with difficulty. Books for little children should be printed on good paper, with a fair type. The lessons should be short and easy, on subjects which are familiar to them ; and written in language which they can understand. It is presumed that this book contains such lessons; and if they are suitably attended to, it may not be unreasonable to suppose, that children of all ages will be improved by them.

It is unhappy for society, that men of genius have too frequently thought it beneath them to write books for little children; and that men of abilities are too apt to consider the business of teaching children, as an employment too humble for them. If the foundation of a noble building is to be laid, men of the first eminence consider it as honourable to lay the corner stone: and why should it be thought less honourable to begin a work of much greater importance? The mind is the noblest work of God, and is capable of infinite improvement: but for want of care in its first cultivation its growth is often greatly

retarded.

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