From Pictures to Letters: First Steps in the Teaching of Reading and Writing

Originally published in 1937. This book is ‘an account of the special training necessary for the young boy or girl in letter-making and simple reading’. The book uses ‘Basic English’, the 850 words of which are included specifically for reference, as a suggested starting point for the teaching of reading and writing, and presents a system for teachers to teach letters by pictures. The order of the letters in the main section of the book is from simplest form to most difficult with a later section showing them in alphabetical order. This is a superb insight into educational history and a fascinating early explanation of a now common method.