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