McGuffey's New Fourth Eclectic Reader
McGuffey's New Fourth Eclectic Reader
Written by William Holmes McGuffey
Cincinnati, Van Antwerp, Bragg, and Co, 1879
5.5" x 7.5"
Kerlan Collection, Children's Literature Research Collections
University of Minnesota Libraries
In widespread use in American schools between the mid-19th and early 20th centuries, this series of graded primers ranks with the Bible and Webster's dictionary among the best-selling books of all time. Their originator, William Holmes McGuffey, was the son of Scottish immigrants and a dedicated teacher. McGuffey replaced rote memorization as the key to basic literacy with a phonics approach that allowed children to build on their experience. The more advanced volumes, such as the one displayed here, featured literary excerpts selected with a view to challenging schoolchildren intellectually and to instill good Christian values.
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