The Moore McGuffey Readers – Third Reader
Preface To The Third Reader
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Moore-McGuffey Third Reader
When the McGuffey READERS were first published, eclectic was a fashionable word in the field of education. Then, as now, competing educational philosophies claimed superiority for their own methods and goals. by using the term eclectic in a title, an author or publisher was suggesting that he had gleaned the best from every available philosophy or method. Winthrop B. Smith and Company, one of McGuffey's early publishers, advertised an entire ECLECTIC EDUCATIONAL SERIES including grammar, arithmetic and algebra, as well as the McGuffey READERS.
William McGuffey's use of the word eclectic carried a double significance. Besides meaning "built on the best features of all educational philosophies," it also meant that his literary selections were the best pieces taken from many sources.
In the THIRD READER McGuffey continues his emphasis on lessons designed to build character. Although this present THIRD READER contains few lessons that are completely lectures on behavior, nearly all the adventure stories, historical reports, Biblical excerpts, nature articles and poetry include instruction and admonition to encourage a child in personal piety, social responsibility, patriotism and industriousness.
The Biblical selections of the THIRD READER are primarily from the poetry of the Old Testament -- Psalms and Isaiah -- and from the words of Jesus in the New Testament -- the Sermon on the Mount. As late as 1840 the Bible was read daily in all the schools of the West. Although parents did not want sectarian teaching in the schools, "religious instruction was desired by the great majority of the school patrons," according to McGuffey editor and historian Henry H. Vail.
In a world without television and colored book illustrations, McGuffey considered it necessary to include detailed descriptions of the insects, animals and other natural wonders presented in the lessons. But nature is not presented merely for scientific investigation. According to McGuffey authority John Westerhoff III, the nature lessons "focus upon the role nature plays in helping us understand God and his ways."
Each of the lessons in the THIRD READER is prefaced with a Rule for Reading. In the era of the great American orators, whose influence stretched even to the little one-room schoolhouses dotting the countryside of the frontier West, classroom instruction emphasized oral reading and elocution.
Questions and a Spell-and-Define word list follow each lesson. All new questions, intended to aid oral discussion or to provide written assignments, were written from the understanding and viewpoint of today's child. The Spell-and-Define list suggests words for spelling and vocabulary development. The numbers before each word refer to the paragraph or stanza where it is found.
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[...] In the THIRD READER McGuffey continues his emphasis on lessons designed to build character. Although this present THIRD READER contains few lessons that are completely lectures on behavior, nearly all the adventure stories, historical reports, Biblical excerpts, nature articles and poetry include instruction and admonition to encourage a child in personal piety, social responsibility, patriotism and industriousness. Read Full Article: The Moore McGuffey Readers – Third Reader [...]