Produced by Don Kostuch
[Transcriber's Notes:
Welcome to the schoolroom of 1900. The moral tone is plain. "She is kindto the old blind man."
The exercises are still suitable, and perhaps more helpful than somecontemporary alternatives. Much is left to the teacher. Explanations givenin the text are enough to get started teaching a child to read and write.Counting in Roman numerals is included as a bonus in the form of lessonnumbers.
Each lesson begins with vocabulary words, followed by the description of apicture (if any) related to the lesson's reading exercise. The lesson thenconsists of printed text for reading and sometimes script (handwriting)for reading or copying.
Don Kostuch]
ECLECTIC EDUCATIONAL SERIES.
MCGUFFEY'S [Registered]
First
ECLECTIC READER
Revised Edition
McGuffey Edition and Colophon are Trademarks of
JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC.
NEW YORK - CHICHESTER - WEINHEIM - BRISBANE - SINGAPORE - TORONTO
SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS.
This First Reader may be used in teaching reading by any of the methods incommon use; but it is especially adapted to the Phonic Method, the WordMethod, or a combination of the two.
I. Phonic Method.—First teach the elementary sounds and theirrepresentative, the letters marked with diacriticals, as they occur in thelessons; then, the formation of words by the combination of these sounds.For instance, teach the pupil to identify the characters a, o, n, d, g, r,and th, in Lesson I, as the representatives of certain elementary sounds;then teach him to form the words at the head of the lesson, then otherwords, as nag, on, and, etc. Pursue a similar course in teaching thesucceeding lessons. Having read a few lessons in this manner, begin toteach the names of the letters and the spelling of words, and require thegroups, "a man," "the man," "a pen," to be read as a good reader wouldpronounce single words.
II. When one of the letters in the combinations ou or ow, is marked inthe words at the head of the reading exercises, the other is silent. Ifneither is marked, the two letters represent a diphthong. All otherunmarked vowels in the vocabularies, when in combination, are silentletters. In slate or blackboard work, the silent letters may be canceled.
III. Word Method.—Teach the pupil to identify at sight the words placedat the head of the reading exercises, and to read these exercises withouthesitation. Having read a few lessons, begin to teach the names of theletters and the spelling of words.
IV. Word Method and Phonic Method Combined.—Teach the pupil to identifywords and read sentences, as above. Having read a few lessons in thismanner, begin to use the Phonic Method, combining it with the Word Method,by first teaching the words in each lesson as words; then the elementarysounds, the names of the letters, and spelling.
V. Teach the pupil to use script letters in writing, when teaching thenames of the letters and the spelling of words.
Copyright, 1879, by Van Antwerp, Bragg & Co.
Copyright, 1896, by American Book Company.
Copyright, 1907 and 1920, by H.H. Vail.
EP486
Preface
In presenting McGuffeys Revised First Reader to the public, attention isinvited to the following features:
1. Words of only two or three letter