Hornbook - American Education

The earliest form of children’s primer in the American colonies, consisting of a sheet of parchment or paper protected by a sheet of transparent horn, or a clear, plasticlike sheet, which were glued together onto a paddle-shaped wooden tablet for easy grasping. European hornbooks dating back to 1450 were often two-sided and usually displayed the alphabet and the most common syllables. Hornbooks for older children often contained prayers and religious quotations that children were expected to memorize.