Customer Reviews

McGuffey's First Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition

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I work in a public high school where many of the middle school students enter freshman year incapable of reading a simple sentence!! This is the legacy of whole language, untested reading theories, radical education ideas, and an environment that is more concerned (out of necessity because no one is disciplining) with behavior problems than with actually educating students. After trying out a number of materials provided by the school district which didn't do the job, I have been secretly using these readers with good success. What they don't know won't hurt them (the district) and will help the students (who are finally learning to read at age 15 and 16!).
Think about it: when these readers were used, we had one of the highest literacy rates in the world. Now (with all of the crazy reading approaches out there) we have one of the lowest in the Western world.
Some complain that these readers are not "multi-cultural" enough. Excuse me? Since when are the fables of Aesop, nursery rhymes, and classic poetry considered bad for our children? I have found that my students thoroughly enjoy these and I have yet to hear my students complain that they are boring or "mono-cultural". It is always the nuts in the school system who ruin everything.

I was first introduced to these astounding books by accident. While browsing through the campus bookstore I noticed this wonderful book and purchased it for my newborn son's later use. When he turned three I started reading to him from this book and in a very short time he was beginning to pick up the pronounciation, and could follow the story lines. This was sixteen years ago. My son is now in college, doing quite well, and using a partial scholarsip he recieved for achademic excellence. Throughout his school career he was lauded for his outstanding reading ability. His ability can be traced directly back to McGuffy. I strongly recommend this book and the others in this set to any parent who wants to take part in opening the world of reading to their children.

The Revised McGuffey's series is an excellent tool for developing reading comprehension, and because the stories are also short, they can be used as copybook exercises for improving handwriting skills. Includes many examples of beautiful 19th century artwork. Also, these hardcover textbooks are an extremely good value when you consider what you are getting.

My dad taught me to read with this book when I was six. He took this step when he found out that the public schools were not getting the job done. As a result of McGuffey's Reader and that early intervention, I was reading 3-4 grades ahead of my school mates all through school. A really splendid resource for anyone concerned with their child's education.

My dad taught me to read using this book well before I ever started school. By the time I did get to Kindergarten I was already reading and writing and was always several skill levels ahead of my classmates. My reading comprehension was also very advanced. Now that I am expecting my own child I hope that by using this book he/she will have the same early appreciation for school and learning and reading that I did!

I was very disappointed in this reader, compared with the version published in 1836-37. It removed passages containing faith in Jesus Christ, piety, theology, virtue, morality, and spiritual growth. This version is the "revised" version of 1879. The earlier (first) version contains stories of children who want to please God and who love to learn. I think they need to categorize these as the 1879 version and the 1836 version, because they are very different stories. The artwork is beautiful, on a positive note. I would recommend purchasers check the publishing date to make sure it is the book you want.

Of course we all have heard about the McGuffey readers from Little House on the Prarie ! I use this book to teach "adults" how to read. It is a great book and has been for over a hundred years!! So it is not only great for kids, but also for an adult learning to read for the first time.

While it isn't as brightly colored as many new books. It is basic and teaches kids as young as 3 to read with ease.

I have purchased this book and the others in the series because of the timeless teaching tool that it is. I wish schools would go back to this book. I myself learned from these books because I was in a private school and I remembered this fact in the attempts to find a good teaching tool for my own son.

The next best thing is Abeka books if you can get your hands on them. My grandmother taught 3 year olds for years and she would start children every year with the tools in this book. I am so glad I found them in stock at Amazon. Every parent should buy them for their children. There is no better textbook available and the method is tried and true.