The Project Gutenberg eBook of The New McGuffey First Reader, by William Holmes McGuffey

contained diacritical markings, music notations, and samples of handwriting, which have been omitted in this ascii etext. There were several torn pages which are noted by [missing words]. If you have a good copy and would like to fill in the blanks or add the engravings to this etext, please contact Project Gutenberg.

THE NEW MCGUFFEY FIRST READER

PREFACE

The New McGuffey First Reader has been prepared in conformity with the latest and most approved ideas regarding the teaching of reading, and its lessons embody and illustrate the best features of the word, the phonic, and the sentence or thought methods.

While all the stories in this book are new, or have been rewritten especially for its pages, care has been taken to preserve the distinguishing characteristics which have given to the McGuffey Readers their unparalleled popularity and usefulness.

The gradation both in thought and in words has been carefully maintained, and the work provided enables the pupils to advance by easy and evenly progressive stages from the beginning to the end.

Only a few new words are introduced at each lesson, and these are repeated frequently in succeeding lessons until the pupils are able to recognize them without difficulty.

From the first lesson script is presented in connection with the printed forms of words, the frequency of its use diminishing as the printed forms become more familiar.

The sounds of the letters are taught, in the order of the alphabet, by appropriate exercises after the various reading lessons. The phonic elements and the common diacritical marks are learned one at a time and in a manner that is both natural and easy.

A a N n
B b O o
C c P p
D d Q q
E e R r
F f S s
G g T t
H h U u
I i V v
J j W w
K k X x
L l Y y
M m Z z

FIRST READER

REVIEW.

book said care was

REVIEW.

as on soon rose must was now some care at do said her him his how oh all love but keep kite kitten kind look book took does think pet picture other mother father far fast four found after of away many very Lucy John morning gone going your school gave jump this

At home, she likes to read to her mother. She likes to look at the pictures, too.

WRITING LESSON.

"Oh, I see some pictures. Two pictures are by the book, and two are not by the book."

  Jack and Jill went up the hill,
   To get a pail of water;
  Jack fell down and broke his crown,
   And Jill came tumbling after.

I am sure Lucy will be glad to see us. She will run out to the wagon and tell us so.

Violets sweet, violets sweet!
Who will buy my violets sweet?
Violets sweet, violets sweet!
I will buy your violets sweet.

REVIEW.

I came down the street to sell my flowers. But now I must say they do not sell very well."

If you will give me one of your pretty roses, you may have all the sunflowers I can find.

I like to see big, yellow sunflowers, too; but I do not care to take them home with me. Do you?

Then you can read about the pretty birds, and the tall sunflowers, and good children at school.

WRITING LESSON.

How doth the little busy bee
Improve each shining hour?
It gathers honey all the day
From every bud and flower.

A B C D E F G
H I J K L M N O P
Q R S T U V W
Q R S T U V W
X… Y… Z, O dear me!
I can not say my A B C.

"Yes," said one of the other girls, "the sun is too hot here. But if we go to the well, you must take care not to fall in."

I will sell you the green ones for three cents each. But I must have more for these yellow ones. They are sweet apples.

Oh, Frank! You want too much for your apples. We can not buy them to-day. We can not give so much.

Well, then, children, I will tell you what I will do. I will give you as many apples as you want.

Thank you, Frank. You are very kind. Will you give one of your sweet apples to each of us?

Yes, here are three apples for each of you; and I have four to take home to mother.

Why do the bees fly from flower to flower? Do they like to work when the sun is warm?

I will tell you all about them when we have found one at work. But come now, let us walk out to the green woods.

They will grow and grow; and after a time they will be ripe, and yellow, and good to eat.

Then we will come and sit here in the shade, and you may have as many apples as you can eat.

Oh, mother! I hear a bee. It goes buzz, buzz, buzz! I wonder how it came to be shut up in the flower?

Little Robin Redbreast sat on a tree, Up went Pussy Cat, down went he; Down came Pussy Cat, away Robin ran; Said little Robin Redbreast, "Catch me if you can!"

One warm day in June, Frank's father said to him: "Frank, I think I will go down to the river and catch some fish."

"Oh, father," said Frank, "I wish I could go too. Will you let me go and help you?"

Frank has let his hook down, and he wishes that a big fish would come and take it.

But the fish do not wish him to catch them to-day. They will not come near the hook.

They sit in the shade of the tree and listen to the birds that are singing above them.

The water is not deep, and the children will not fall out of the boat. They like to row here and there on the river.

John has a hook and line. But when May is with him he does not try to catch any fish.

REVIEW.

He sees the green apples about him, but he does not like them. He would not eat them if they were ripe and sweet.

At night he can look up from his place in the tree and see the bright stars in the sky. Some times he can see the moon, too, as it shines above him.

Sometimes the Pussy Cat comes under his tree and looks up at him; but she can not get him.

Do you know why she wants the bird? Do you know what she would do if she could get him?

One day Henry went out to the field behind the garden. He went out to see his father plant corn.

He sat down by a tree and said,
"Father, shall I help you work?
I have been in the house all day."

"Thank you, my little boy," said his father. "I want some help very much. What can you do?"

"I will give you four cents a day if you work well. But now the sun is about to set, and we must go home."

Then, if she will let us, we will take it down to the river. We will put it in the water and see it float. We will see how fast it can sail."

Soon Frank and Rose were on their way to the river. Frank said that if the boat sailed well, he would give it to Rose.

"See how it blows the leaves about! How fast Frank's little boat would sail with this wind!"

In the summer the corn grows tall and green. It is then that the children play in the woods.

Now jump up, and see what a bright morning it is. See how the sun shines. Wake up, baby!

Do you wish to know where I have been, baby doll? I have been down in the meadow with Frank and Rose.

Little Boy Blue,
Come blow your horn.
The sheep's in the meadow,
The cow's in the corn!
Where is the little boy
That looks after the sheep?
Oh, here he is!
Here he is, fast asleep!
Will you wake him? No, not I;
For if I do, I know he will cry.

[Caption to illustration of children playing with beetles.]
Fly away, little bird, fly away home!
If you are not a little bird, why did you come?

"Are the leaves and the flowers and the grass glad when the rain falls on them?"

"But, mother," said Lucy, "I do not like the rain very well. It makes me stay in the house when I want to go and play.

I think all children like to play on the beach when the sun is warm, and the wind does not blow.

He says, "Good sweet apples, only two cents each! Ripe, sweet apples, yellow as gold! Who will buy my apples this warm summer morning?"

The man walks in the road, behind the wagon, and tells every one that he has apples to sell.

The tall boy in the wagon is
Frank Brown. The little boy is
Henry. He is Frank's brother.

Frank is a good driver. He sits in the wagon, and the horse goes just as he is told.

Henry's little dog runs behind. Sometimes he has to run very fast to keep up with the wagon.

Henry says he will buy a book with pretty pictures in it. He can not read very well, but he likes to look at books.

John wants to ride down to the river and look at the boats. He would buy a new boat if he could. But he has only one cent, and what can he buy with that?

He lives in a big town, and he does not often see the fields and the green woods.

He lives in a tall house not far from the river. In the summer time he can see the ships as they sail up the river.

What does the summer bring? Green leaves, pretty flowers, busy bees, and birds of many kinds. It is then that we play in the woods and by the sea.

All children are happy when winter comes. They like to see the snow. They like to play on the ice.

They do not care if the north wind does make them shiver. Those who are dressed warm do not feel the cold very much.

It is very cold to day, but the snow is not deep. All the boys and girls are at school.

The teacher has been showing the children some pictures in her new book. Now she is telling them a story that is found in it.

Our clock at school tells us many things. It tells us when to work and when to play.

Tick, tack, tick, tack, tick, tack, tick, tack, Little clock saves me all care. Tick, tack, tick, tack, tick, tack, tick, tack, Tells me when the right hours are, For eating, for sleeping, for play and all, For rising and bathing, it sounds the call; Beat by beat with forward, back, Ever tick and ever tack.

REVIEW.

ship brown made sand meadow sheep brother make soft window shells brings wake sail minute shall bloom fade wind winter should blow face wake summer shade horn stay wish teacher those short steep white sister these north asleep each brother things hour feel obey every

TO BE MEMORIZED.

Children who may read my lay,
This much I have to say;
Each day and every day
Do what is right.
Right things in great or small;
Then, though the sky should fall,
Sun, moon, and stars and all,
You shall have light.

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE NEW MCGUFFEY FIRST READER ***

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