McGuffey's Readers · First Reader · revised edition

McGuffey's First Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition

63 short reading lessons, from "The dog ran." to the last lesson of the book, for children about 6 and 7 who are just starting to read. Every lesson has a guide you can follow step by step, with the right page of the book beside it.

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How to use it

  • A little, often. About 15 to 20 minutes a day. Early lessons may take one day each; later, longer lessons can be split over two days.
  • Words first. Each lesson begins with a list of new words. Read them together before the story, and the story will go smoothly.
  • Reread yesterday. Start each day by rereading a few lines of the last lesson. Easy rereading builds speed and confidence.
  • Slate work. Some lessons have sentences printed in script (handwriting) to copy. Have a slate, small whiteboard or lined paper and a pencil ready every day.
  • Talk and tell back. Ask a few questions about the story and the picture, then let your child tell the story in their own words. That is how McGuffey children learned to understand what they read.
  • Reviews are a gift. The review lessons use only words your child has met. If they go easily, celebrate. If not, slow down and reread earlier lessons.

Part 1 First words: the dog, the cat and the hen

The first short sentences, about a dog, a cat, a hen, Rab the dog and Ann, with a review and the first slate work. Lessons 1–9.

  1. 1The dog ranLesson I✓
  2. 2The cat on the matLesson II✓
  3. 3The man has a penLesson III✓
  4. 4The fat hen and the ratLesson IV✓
  5. 5Rab has the hatLesson V✓
  6. 6Ann can catch RabLesson VI✓
  7. 7Ned and the black henLesson VII✓
  8. 8The big man with the black hatLesson VIII✓
  9. 9Review: Ned, Nat and the eggsLesson IX✓

Part 2 Nell, Kitty, Tom and the pond

Longer sentences about pets, a cart, a duck pond and summer fun, ending with two lessons of script sentences to copy. Lessons 10–18.

  1. 10Nell and the pan of eggsLesson X✓
  2. 11Ann gets in the cartLesson XI✓
  3. 12Kitty's petLesson XII✓
  4. 13Tom and his dogLesson XIII✓
  5. 14The duck and the pondLesson XIV✓
  6. 15The duck nest under the rockLesson XV✓
  7. 16Review: on the bank of the pondLesson XVI✓
  8. 17Slate work: the pen and the inkLesson XVII✓
  9. 18Slate work: the dog and the foxLesson XVIII✓

Part 3 Kate, John and friends

Little stories about an old cow, a ride on Prince, a ball, a band, the woods and the sandy brook. Lessons 19–27.

  1. 19The old cow in the pondLesson XIX✓
  2. 20A ride on PrinceLesson XX✓
  3. 21Fanny's pretty ballLesson XXI✓
  4. 22The trip to the pondLesson XXII✓
  5. 23Here comes the bandLesson XXIII✓
  6. 24Bess and Robert in the woodsLesson XXIV✓
  7. 25James, Kate and the dollLesson XXV✓
  8. 26By the brookLesson XXVI✓
  9. 27Review: what shall we do?Lesson XXVII✓

Part 4 Chicks, kites, boats and Ponto

A lost chick, a kite, a doll boat and brave Ponto, a Fourth of July flag and a poem about a white kitten. Lessons 28–37.

  1. 28The lost chickLesson XXVIII✓
  2. 29My kite flies highLesson XXIX✓
  3. 30A boat for the dollsLesson XXX✓
  4. 31Brave PontoLesson XXXI✓
  5. 32A bright June dayLesson XXXII✓
  6. 33Review: Ponto and the ballLesson XXXIII✓
  7. 34The big flagLesson XXXIV✓
  8. 35Kitty, my pretty white kitty (poem)Lesson XXXV✓
  9. 36Frank's white boatLesson XXXVI✓
  10. 37Lucy and the little boatLesson XXXVII✓

Part 5 Home, market and school

Market day, grandma, a bee in a flower, horses, a bird nest, a pretend train, school at noon and Polly the bird. Lessons 38–46.

  1. 38Market dayLesson XXXVIII✓
  2. 39Dear old grandmaLesson XXXIX✓
  3. 40The bee in the flowerLesson XL✓
  4. 41Frank and James White and their horsesLesson XLI✓
  5. 42The girl and the bird nestLesson XLII✓
  6. 43The lightning trainLesson XLIII✓
  7. 44School at noonLesson XLIV✓
  8. 45Polly the birdLesson XLV✓
  9. 46Review: home from the woodsLesson XLVI✓

Part 6 By the sea and in the snow

Seaside trips, fishing, rain, winter fun, Fido the clever dog, Nero and the rat, and Willie's rabbits. Lessons 47–54.

  1. 47Home from the beachLesson XLVII✓
  2. 48Frank goes fishingLesson XLVIII✓
  3. 49The rainLesson XLIX✓
  4. 50Winter funLesson L✓
  5. 51Fido the clever dogLesson LI✓
  6. 52Nero, puss and the ratLesson LII✓
  7. 53At the beach with grandpaLesson LIII✓
  8. 54Willie's rabbitsLesson LIV✓

Part 7 Birds, a whistle and Chippy

Rose and Willie watch a bird nest, a verse to copy, Frank's willow whistle, the hen and Chippy, and the last lesson. Lessons 55–63.

  1. 55The bird nest in the bushLesson LV✓
  2. 56How the bird makes her nestLesson LVI✓
  3. 57Feeding the young birdsLesson LVII✓
  4. 58When the stars at set of sun (verse)Lesson LVIII✓
  5. 59Mary and lame FrankLesson LIX✓
  6. 60The willow whistleLesson LX✓
  7. 61The hen and her twelve chickensLesson LXI✓
  8. 62Chippy triedLesson LXII✓
  9. 63The last lessonLesson LXIII✓

The book itself

McGuffey's First Eclectic Reader

Revised edition, 1879 (this copy printed about 1920) · Beginning readers, about ages 6 to 7

Short lessons with a picture, the new words listed at the top, and a handwriting line to copy. The sentences grow from a few words to short stories.

🧑‍🏫 Teaching guides ⬇ Download PDF (6.1 MB) Internet Archive ↗

Scanned from a New York Public Library copy.

Lesson numbers match the book's Roman numerals: Lesson 3 is the book's Lesson III. The guides are written for this site; the book is in the public domain.

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