Textbook... Try Hornbook

Obiviously, there wasn't much in the way of textbooks in the colonial era. So, what did "dames" use? A hornbook, of course. These were lessons printed on a wooden paddle. The usually had a piece of transparent horn over them to protect the words; thus, the reason for their name. They usually consisted of the alphabet, numbers 0-9, the Lord's Prayer, and the Trinity. It taught only the basic skills. Imagine, could you handle this being your only source of educational reference?



Image from Wikimedia Commons