McGuffey's Third Eclectic Reader

Produced by Don Kostuch
Transcriber's Notes:
Welcome to the schoolroom of 1900. The moral tone is plain. She is kind to the old blind man.
The exercises are still suitable, and perhaps more helpful than some contemporary alternatives. Much is left to the teacher. Explanations given in the text are enough to get started teaching a child to read and write. Counting in Roman numerals is included as a bonus in the form of lesson numbers.
There is no text version because much of the material uses specialized characters that have no ASCI equivalent. Wherever possible the ASCI text has been converted.
The non-ASCI text remains as images. The non-ASCI text is approximated in text boxes to right of the image, as are script images.
The form of contractions includes a space. The contemporary word don't was rendered as do n't .
The author, not listed in the text is William Holmes McGuffey.
Don Kostuc
McGuffey Editions and Colophon are Trademarks of
JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC.
The long continued popularity of MCGUFFEY'S READERS is sufficient evidence of the positive merits of the books. The aim of this revision has been to preserve unimpaired the distinctive features of the series, and at the same time to present the matter in a new dress, with new type, new illustrations, and with a considerable amount of new matter. Spelling exercises are continued through the first half of the THIRD READER. These exercises, with those furnished in the two lower books, are exhaustive of the words employed in the reading lessons. Words are not repeated in the vocabularies. In the latter half of the book, definitions are introduced. It is hoped that the teacher will extend this defining exercise to all the words of the lesson liable to be misunderstood. The child should define the word in his own language sufficiently to show that he has a mastery of the word in its use. Drills in articulation and emphasis should be given with every lesson. The essentials of good reading are not to be taught by one or two lessons. Constant drill on good exercises, with frequent exhibitions of the correct method from the teacher, will be found more effectual than any form prescribed in type. If the pupils are not familiar with the diacritical marks, they should be carefully taught; such instruction constitutes an excellent drill on articulation, and enables the pupils to use the dictionary with intelligence. Copyright, 1879, by VAN ANTWERP, BRAGG & Co. Copyright, 1896, by AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY. Copyright, 1907 and 1920, by H. H. VAIL. (ii) MG 30 60 REV. EP 308