Name: Thrive! NCHE Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-05-22T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-05-24T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Winston-Salem, NC

Tagged: McGuffey's Readers

This topic has 5 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 9 months ago by Vanessa.

Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

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July 25, 2016 at 11:52 am
Vanessa
Participant
Hi,
I’m planning on using the McGuffey’s Readers – 2nd and 3rd Revised Edition for my 8 and 11 year old this year. I would like to use it as a complete English program, which will include Language Arts: spelling, copywork, reading, etc. Or on the other hand, I’m wondering if I should use it only for general reading such as one on one with each child?
I’ve been searching high and low, but to no avail I have not found a solid way to implement it in the way in which I desire.
What ways or how do you use the McGuffey’s Readers? For example, copywork, spelling, etc. or just reading. Do you use it everyday or certain days?
When using the McGuffey’s Readers, do you also tie in daily independent reading with a chapter book or do you use it as the main reading for the day?
Thanks!
July 25, 2016 at 12:44 pm
HollyS
Participant
This is a teacher’s manual that covers how they were used:
https://archive.org/details/eclecticmanualof00cincrich
We use the Primer & 1st reader for phonics practice & instruction. I previously used the later readers for language arts, but have switched to other things. I had them copy portions of their lessons for copywork, which you could easily turn into a dictation lesson as well later in the week. I had them read their lesson aloud to work on elocution. The upper levels have vocabulary words & writing assignments. I found grammar more difficult to cover since grammar has changed over the years.
In the end, I had a difficult time coming up with lessons for 3 of my DC on top of everything else. Our language arts lessons ended up being more sporadic than I liked, so we switched to more “open and go” materials. If I’d had more time and a better grammar background, I’m sure I would have been more successful. Actually, by switching to a more open-and-go program, my grammar knowledge has grown quite a bit, so maybe a 2nd attempt at McGuffey would work for me now! 😉
July 25, 2016 at 12:49 pm
HollyS
Participant
As far as adding more readings, I like to add others. We generally did a lesson each week, except for with my beginning readers, who do/have done 3-5 lessons per week. I tried to include chapter books and picture books outside of the McGuffey Readers for interest, as well as all our family readings for literature, history, and science. We would work on copywork 3-5 days per week and they’d read it aloud once or twice during the week.
July 25, 2016 at 1:45 pm
2Corin57
Participant
What I plan on doing is:
– Having them read a lesson and narrate it
– Using the words for vocabulary and spelling
– Choosing passages for copywork and dictation
I would use it every day in a loop schedule approach. So loop through: read & narrate, discuss vocabulary, assign spelling words, copywork, dictation, spelling quiz… then start over again with the next story.
July 25, 2016 at 9:46 pm
mommamartha
Participant
Last year, I used grade 2 for my 3rd. grade daughter. She read it aloud to her brother underlining a word if she didn’t know it and circling a word if she didn’t know the meaning. She came back with me to review it before we moved into grade 3 reader. Grade three we would take turns reading it aloud. For example she would choose odd or even to read and I’d read the opposite. If a selection was difficult we would re-read it the following day. This was her whole reading lesson. We used scripture for copywork/cursive. Both activities of reading took 10-15 minutes total. Martha
July 26, 2016 at 10:01 pm
Vanessa
Participant
Thank you Ladies for your advice! I greatly appreciate it!