McGuffey Eclectic Readers The McGuffey Eclectic Readers are basic reading texts intended to develop children’s reading skills. They were used widely in America’s early public schools as a common book for all. However, the overall theme for the readers was to promote moral character and personal attributes aligned with a Protestant perspective and the King James version of the Bible.
Starting at a primer level with very small (two- to three-letter) words, the vocabulary and literary passages increase in length and difficulty with each level, 1 through 6. Although there are no separate teacher’s guides, the introductions to early volumes suggest that teachers can use the readers with a phonics method, a whole-word method, or a combination. Exercises in early levels, starting with grade 1, expect the youngest students to practice writing (on their slates) in both manuscript letters and script (cursive). Key vocabulary words are presented with pronunciations, and definitions and illustrations are frequent, intended to serve as conversation starters. Upper-level books emphasize skills in oral reading inflection and articulation. A Short History William McGuffey was born in 1800 and first taught in a one-room schoolhouse at the age of fourteen. Later he would become a valued professor of philosophy, including positions at Miami University of Ohio and University of Virginia, and presidencies at Cincinnati College and Ohio University.
William McGuffey believed that with a Presbyterian, Calvinist influence, students could excel in both academics and moral behavior. As a strong supporter of public education, McGuffey encouraged the poor and free slaves to attend classrooms, thinking that the ability to read was essential for all Americans. In the late 1800s, the readers were revised, and the fifth- and sixth-grade volumes were added.
William McGuffey died in 1873.
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