McGuffey Primers - Which Ones?

[Guest]

Which McGuffey Primers would you recommend purchasing, the brown ones or the newer blue/tan ones?  Other than one set being newer, what are the main differences?

[Holly]

We use the blue/tan ones.  Mainly I started using that version because it was free on Gutenberg.org.  Eventually I decided to buy a hard copy.  You can preview them on Gutenberg before buying.  Our library has the brown ones, and I took a peak at them, but still prefer the set-up of the blue/tan ones.  I think they are great for teaching phonics!  

[ElizabethB]

The Blue/Orange ones are much better for teaching phonics. Actually, they used to teach phonics and spelling with the speller and then read through the series, the primer and first reader are not meant to be the primary source of phonics, just a quick review.

Edited May 3, 2016 by ElizabethB

[Holly]

The Blue/Orange ones are much better for teaching phonics. Actually, they used to teach phonics and spelling with the speller and then read through the series, the primer and first reader are not meant to be the primary source of phonics, just a quick review.

 

That's interesting.  I use the Primer and 1st Reader to teach phonics, but add ETC or MCP workbooks for some review.  We sometimes use Noah Webster's Reading Handbook, which is similar to a speller, but I primarily use the Primer for teaching phonics.