Drawing ought always rather to precede reading and writing, as the minute appreciation of forms is the proper preparation for these.  But reading and writing may come into Kindergarten exercises at once, if reading is taught by the phonic method, (which saves all perplexity to the child’s brain,) and accompanied by printing on the slate.  It then alternates with other things, as one of the amusements.  We will describe how we have seen it taught.  The class sat before a blackboard, with slates and pencils.  The teacher said, “Now let us make all the sounds that we can with the lips:  First, put the lips gently together and sound m,” (not em,)—­which they all did.  Then she said,—­“Now let us draw it on the blackboard,—­three short straight marks by the side of each other, and join them on the top,—­that is m.  What is it?” They sounded m, and made three marks and joined them on the top, with more or less success.  The teacher said,—­“Now put your lips close together and say p.” (This is mute and to be whispered).  They all imitated the motion made.  She said,—­“Now let us write it; one straight mark, then the upper lip puffed out at the top.”  M and p, to be written and distinguished, are perhaps enough for one lesson, which should not reach half an hour in length.  At the next lesson these were repeated again.  Then the teacher said,—­“Now put your lips together and make the same motion as you did to say p; but make a little more sound, and it will be b” (which is sonorous).  “You must write it differently from p;—­you must make a short mark and put the under lip on.”  “Now put your teeth on your under lip and say f.” (She gave the power.) “You must write it by making a short straight mark make a bow, and then cross it with a little mark across the middle.”  “Now fix your lips in the same manner and sound a little, and you will make v.  Write it by making two little marks meet at the bottom.”

This last letter was made a separate lesson of, and the other lessons were reviewed.  The teacher then said,—­“Now you have learned some letters,—­all the lip—­letters,”—­making them over, and asking what each was.  She afterwards added w,—­giving its power and form, and put it with the lip-letters.  At the next lesson they were told to make the letters with their lips, and she wrote them down on the board, and then said,—­ “Now we will make some tooth-letters.  Put your teeth together and say t.” (She gave the power, and showed them how to write it.) “Now put your teeth together and make a sound and it will be d.”  “That is written just like b, only we put the lip behind.”  “Now put your teeth together and hiss, and then make this little crooked snake (s).  Then fix your teeth in the same manner and buzz like a bee.  You write z pointed this way.”  “Now put your teeth together and say j, written with a dot.”  At the next lessons the throat-letters were given; first the hard guttural was sounded, and they were told three ways to write it, c, k, q, distinguished as round, high, and with a tail.  C was not sounded see, but ke (ke, ka, ku).  Another lesson gave them the soft guttural g, but did not sound it jee; and the aspirate, but did not call it aitch.