Note N, p. 195.--It will always be found advisable to teach the alphabet to children long before they begin to read; and while they are being verbally exercised on the "Groupings from Scripture," and other books of a similar kind. To do so at home by way of games, will be found easiest for the parent, and most pleasant for the child. By having the small letters on four dice, (six on each,) and allowing the use of only one till the six letters on its sides are familiar;--and not giving the third, till those on the two first have been mastered; and the same with the fourth,--will be found useful, provided they be only occasionally made use of. A too frequent repetition of the _game_ will destroy its effect; and therefore, as there is sufficient time, it ought only to be allowed on proper, and perhaps on _great_ occasions. Other contrivances, besides those given in the text, such as making the child guess at letters, drawing letters from a bag, and naming them, &c. will readily occur to ingenious parents or teachers. It should be observed, that as this acquirement is needed but _once_ in the child's lifetime, a little pains or trouble ought not to be grudged in forwarding it. Note O, p. 208.--In using the "First Class Book on the Lesson System," the teacher must take care that the letters and their sounds, or powers, be perfectly familiar to the child before he begins to read. The first lesson, of course, is composed altogether of words new to the child, each of which he must be taught to _read_ by combining the powers of the letters composing it;--and he must never be allowed to pass on to the following word, till all the previous ones can be correctly and readily decyphered. Before beginning to the second, or succeeding lessons, the new words occurring in it, (which are prefixed,) must be read and made familiar to him one by one, and explained if necessary. By this means he will soon be able to _pick up the ideas_ in his lesson by even a first reading, which is the great end that the teacher ought to have in view.--The capital letters need not be taught till the child comes to them in his reading.--The lessons being consecutive, none must be omitted. Note P, p. 220.--The nature of successive "Steps" will be better understood by using, than by describing them. The following, however, will give some idea of their design; keeping in mind, that the contents of the several branches must be written out in such a manner as to convey the ideas in the common way. The following is a rude sketch of what the History of Joseph would be like, if the ideas under each branch of the analysis were fairly written out as First, Second, and Third Steps. ANALYTICAL TABLE. SHEWING THE NATURE OF SUCCESSIVE STEPS IN EDUCATION. THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH.