Hornbook
Hornbook, an early English primer. It consisted of a sheet of parchment or paper mounted on a panel of wood and protected with a covering of transparent horn. The wooden frame had a handle and could be held like a hand mirror.
The hornbook contained the alphabet in both capitals and small letters. The vowels were usually printed separately, and then were combined with the consonants: ab, ac, ad; ba, ca, da; eb, ec, ed; etc. Numerals were also listed. It often contained the Lord's Prayer. The hornbook was used in England from the 15th to the 18th century and was brought to the American colonies.