McGuffey's Eclectic Readers - please share your thoughts

[Chibby]

What are your thoughts on this series?

 

If you have the parent/teacher guide, is it good? Is it an later addition or was it written by McGuffey himself?

 

Do you prefer the 1830s version or the later version? I'm leaning toward using the later version b/c from a review on Amazon, I get the impression that the earlier one is a little "fire and brimstone" which isn't my style. I just want an old-fashioned, good quality series that teaches basic reading and writing skills.

 

Does this teach grammar also? What is the scope?

 

Thank you!

[learningmama]

I like McGuffey's for their historical value and I love older readers in general, but it lacks IMO. We have used the later version, but they still has very conservative content (although we are conservative it still bugs me a bit). I like the reading selections in higher levels- exerpts from real works. I would think a study guide would be very helpful, we have never used one.

Have you ever heard of Elson Readers? Same basic concept, but they were a little different. We really enjoyed the first two levels and used the study guide that went along with them. I think Rainbow Resource carries them.

[Hunter]

I use the Dollar Homeschool version. There is the original vintage eclectic teacher's manual.

 

The controlled word list (available on the CD) is why I like this series so much. I teach the vocabulary/spelling one word at a time to make sure the student can write each word correctly in cursive, and then I can use the readers as copywork.

 

I really like the audio books at CBD. This series was designed to teach children to read aloud with skill and I appreciate the modeling.

 

I supplement McGuffey's with modern PS readers, that include vocabulary instruction. Just the student books, not the whole program. All we do is read them and discuss the vocabulary. McGuffey's are our main book.

 

Vocabulary is my first priority in a reading curriculum, not literary value. I use novels for that, and I don't ruin the novels with a lot of study.

[Amy Jo]

I had the older version from Mott Media, but not the teacher guide. I got rid of it, it's way to preachy for me. Almost like 'we love Johnny because he is a good boy'. (It didn't say that, that was just my impression.)

 

I only had the Primer, 1st and 2nd Reader, so maybe the last two are different. The Treadwell, Elson and CLP Nature readers are much better IMHO.

[MeganW]

They get great reviews, so I bought the Wiley (blue ship on the cover) version.

 

So far, we have only used the Primer book. We read the first few stories, and they were simple cat / hat type words, too easy for my crew. Then all of a sudden, there was a huge jump, and we had to put them aside as they were suddenly way too hard. I plan to pick them back up, but it is going to be more as a literature type thing, as opposed to a learn to read type thing.

[sbgrace]

They get great reviews, so I bought the Wiley (blue ship on the cover) version.

 

So far, we have only used the Primer book. We read the first few stories, and they were simple cat / hat type words, too easy for my crew. Then all of a sudden, there was a huge jump, and we had to put them aside as they were suddenly way too hard. I plan to pick them back up, but it is going to be more as a literature type thing, as opposed to a learn to read type thing.

 

This seemed true here too. And when we were ready to pick them back up (could read anything) I found that it was, again, too easy and even beyond that my kids weren't interested at all in the content. Maybe I needed to skip up some books. I'm not sure. But I'd pick something else (CLP nature reader we have was loved).

[thenichols]

We like them, We use them as a filler, if my kids fall behind in reading or I want to test how they are doing, or just for extra practice. The kids really like them. But the kids read only 1-2 a year because they are for each grade.

[Homemama2]

They get great reviews, so I bought the Wiley (blue ship on the cover) version.

 

So far, we have only used the Primer book. We read the first few stories, and they were simple cat / hat type words, too easy for my crew. Then all of a sudden, there was a huge jump, and we had to put them aside as they were suddenly way too hard. I plan to pick them back up, but it is going to be more as a literature type thing, as opposed to a learn to read type thing.

 

 

This is very true for the Primer. I don't think the others are like this, though, thankfully. We've used up through the 4th reader (Wiley edition). We use them a couple of times per week here. I've never used a teacher guide (didn't know there was one, actually!) but never felt like we needed it (well, I could have for the primer.) I don't use them as literature, we read whole books for that, but I like that I can keep up on how they are reading orally once most of their reading becomes independent/silent. It also helps me know they are reading on grade level.

[Mrs Twain]

I like McGuffey, Elson, and Treadwell readers. I just use them as practice for my kids reading aloud to me. I never used a teacher's guide.

 

I find them very helpful because each is a collection of stories at a certain reading level. I choose a reader that is a level higher than my child's current ability and use it to help my child improve his reading level.

[Susie in MS]

What are your thoughts on this series?

 

If you have the parent/teacher guide, is it good? Is it an later addition or was it written by McGuffey himself?

 

Do you prefer the 1830s version or the later version? I'm leaning toward using the later version b/c from a review on Amazon, I get the impression that the earlier one is a little "fire and brimstone" which isn't my style. I just want an old-fashioned, good quality series that teaches basic reading and writing skills.

 

Does this teach grammar also? What is the scope?

 

Thank you!

 

I have the original (brown and tan--written by McGuffey) which has a TG (written by Ruth Beechick). The blue and gold are not original. I don't know if they have a TG or not.

 

I like the TG, and yes it does have grammar for book 2. It is scattered and here and there.

 

There are no writing skills taught. What I see beyond basic reading and the scattered grammar is observation, evaluation, morals, vocab, and Biblical truths. Admittedly I have not read all of readers, but have gone thru them. I have yet to find hell fire and brimstone. There was this one time where boys were instructed not to pull the wings off of insects to see them suffer.