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Structure of Lessons for Repetition

Way back in 1813, John Freeman described a method of teaching adult persons to read in which printed cards were used. The first card contained 7 lessons. The first six lessons, together, contained 100 words (like an, can, man, than, as, has, on, up-on, ...). The seventh lesson was made up of words selected from the previous 6. (Freeman, 1813, p. 12) Additional repetition was built in as follows (from pg. 14):

The first line of the first lesson, should be
repeatedly gone over, till it be perfectly known;
and then be dismissed, and the second learned
in the same manner. Afterwards, the remaining
lines in this lesson, should be learned, one
at a time. When this is accomplished, the
whole of the first lesson is to be repeated,
the words being spelled before they are pronounced.
The second lesson should then be learned in
the same manner as the first. When that is
done, proceed to the third, and then to the
fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh; taking one at
a time, in the order in which they stand. Then
all the seven lessons are to be repeated as one
lesson, every word being spelled before it is
pronounced.- Then all the seven lessons should
be again repeated as one lesson, till the whole
can be read, without spelling any of the words.
When adult persons have proceeded thus
far, a Testament, or any other suitable book,
may be put into their hands, and they should
then read all the words they can without spelling
them; and the others they are to spell, till
they can read them at first sight.
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