
audiobook
by Harlan Hoge Ballard, Charles J. (Charles Joseph) Barnes, S. Proctor Thayer
NEW NATIONAL FIRST READER - BY - CHARLES J. BARNES - HARLAN H. BALLARD - S. PROCTOR THAYER - NEW YORK--CINCINNATI--CHICAGO AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY - 1888, by A.S. BARNES & CO.
ALPHABETS.
LESSON I.
LESSON II. - NEW WORDS.
LESSON III. - NEW WORDS.
LESSON IV. - NEW WORDS.
LESSON V. - NEW WORDS.
LESSON VI. - READING REVIEW.[A] - I.
LESSON VII. - SCRIPT EXERCISE
LESSON VIII. - NEW WORDS.
This early reading primer invites young learners into the world of words by treating each term as a concrete bridge to everyday objects and actions. The authors champion a “word method,” presenting short, familiar vocabulary in lively, conversational sentences that encourage children to speak and think rather than decode abstract letters. Frequent review sections and carefully designed spelling drills reinforce each lesson, ensuring that new words become lasting tools for expression.
The book is richly illustrated with graceful line drawings that accompany simple scripts, inviting pupils to copy, draw, and internalize the language they hear. Its layout features large, clear type and thoughtfully placed exercises that blend reading aloud with gentle dictation, making the experience feel like a friendly dialogue rather than a rigid lesson. Listeners will appreciate the historic charm of a text that balances instruction with imagination, guiding beginners step by step toward confident reading.
Language
en
Duration
~40 minutes (38K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Susan Skinner, the PG Online Distributed Proofreading Team, and The Internet Archive Children's Library,
Release date
2004-10-25
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1853–1934
A lifelong champion of nature study and reading, this American writer helped spark young people’s interest in science through the Agassiz Association. He also spent decades shaping library life in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, while publishing books and editing periodicals.
View all books1837–1921
Best remembered for the widely used New National Readers, this 19th-century educator helped shape how generations of children first learned to read. His books mixed simple lessons with a clear teaching method that aimed to keep early reading practical and engaging.
View all booksBest known today as a co-author of late 19th-century school readers, this little-documented writer helped shape practical books for children learning to read. The surviving record is slim, which gives the work itself an old-school kind of mystery.
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