How to use McGuffey Readers (Original post from old OFE Yahoo group) Hey there.

I usually don't post but thought I'd throw in my method of using the readers. I have six kids from 16 down to 5, also every other year, also in our eighth year hsing. One has completed the readers and the rest are still using them. Oh and I use them for more than just reading. This may look long but it really only takes about ten minutes with the littler kids and the older ones can help each other or do it alone. Hope this helps. From "Chris" Reader (reading, spelling, penmanship, oral & written composition) Age 6: McGuffey's Primer Age 7: McGuffey's First Reader Age 8: McGuffey's Second Reader Age 9: McGuffey's Second Reader Age 10: McGuffey's Third Reader Age 11: McGuffey's Third Reader Age 12: McGuffey's Fourth Reader Age 13: McGuffey's Fourth & Fifth Reader Age 14: McGuffey's Fifth Reader Age 15: McGuffey's Sixth Reader Age 16: McGuffey's Sixth Reader The Lesson: Step One: Primer to mid third reader~Print letters on the board, review sounds of each letter at the beginning of each day's lesson ~Print new word on the board, opt: find photo or sketch picture to represent word ~Teach children to pronounce the word by sight ~Have children show understanding by using word in a sentence; older child copies sentence in copybook ~Child uses letter tiles to spell the words & read them aloud; older child- copies words in notebook & read them aloud ~Have child find word in a pile of loose words; teacher can call out words for child to find ~Have child find word in a column of words; teacher can call out words for child to find ~Find the words in the text, read them but out of order to avoid rote recitation Third reader~Make flashcards of the diacritical marks, review at the beginning of each day's lesson until mastered Mid third reader to sixth reader~Child make flashcards of vocabulary words, drill daily

~Write out each word, look up its definition in the dictionary and copy it completely (including part of speech, origin of the word, definition(s) and forms of the word), then write at least one original sentence for each definition of each word REPEAT WITH EACH NEW WORD CONTINUE UNTIL ALL WORDS ARE MASTERED Step Two: ~Child reads sentence by sentence out loud, narrating after each ~Younger child copies a selection of the lesson; older child prepares a section for dictation Step Three: ~Practice reading the sentence until smooth ~Review by making words with letter tiles, by memory if possible Step Four: Spelling Lesson (not necessary if child is good at spelling) The child makes up spelling cards with the words. ~Child print clearly the words on the card. ~Review cards daily together. ~Teacher holds the card in her hand. She *flashes* it quickly for the child to see and then covers it with her hand or another card. ~Child says the word, begins to spell, teacher uncovers that letter until the word is spelled completely. Penmanship Age 6: copy letters and very short words from Reader Age 7: copy a sentence a day from Reader Age 8: copy a paragraph from Reader once per week, from other sources on other days Age 9: copy 2 paragraphs from Reader once per week, from other sources on other days Age 10: copy 3 paragraphs from Reader once per week, from other sources on other days Age 11: copy entire page from other sources