The Summers readers: manual, first lessons in reading

Transcriber's Notes
1. Cover-page modified by the transcriber.
2. Typographical errors and hyphenation inconsistencies were silently corrected.
MANUAL
FIRST LESSONS IN READING
MAUD SUMMERS
FRANK D. BEATTYS AND COMPANY NEW YORK
Copyright, 1908, by Frank D. Beattys and Company New York THE DE VINNE PRESS
The Summers series of Readers consists of a Primer, a First Reader, and a Second Reader, closely articulated for the purpose of teaching beginners to read, and a Manual of Instruction intended to give teachers a full knowledge of the elements involved in the process of learning to read, and definite, practical guidance for daily classroom work.
The whole purpose and essence of reading is the communication of ideas. It is the thought—the impression—rather than the form—the expression—which gives value to what is read. With this fact in mind the subject-matter has been chosen with special reference to primal social activities in history and contemporaneous society significant of the race development, as the securing of food, shelter, and clothing. But this subject-matter must touch the child personally if it is to be of value in learning to read. It must appear for him in the form of action, rhythm, stories, observation, plays and games, if the symbols of reading are to be fraught with meaning for him. What is of interest to the child, and what is of value to society, have both been kept in mind in selecting and arranging the literature of childhood used in this series of readers.
This Manual of Instruction provides for three half years of work. Foreign children, or those of slower development, will require a longer time. In that event, the lessons in the Manual will suggest the order , not the time.
In learning to read, two lines of work are to be developed at separate periods each day. Reading lessons and Phonic lessons in orderly sequence are given in the Manual of Instruction.