The McGuffey reader : the origins of composition /

Abstract

Modempublic education in America, and in particular the teaching ofwriting, had its recognized origin in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. It was at this time that composition became a recognized subject at the college level and its inclusion in preparatory instruction at the secondary schoo11eve1 began Predating these changes by thirty years, William Holmes McGuffey had created what became the most popular textbook in history. The McGuffey Reader taught the basics of reading, vocabulary, and pronunciation, and by expanding the existing teaching model to include analysis and critical thinking, McGuffey sowed the seeds ofwhat would become composition training. The McGuffey Reader was the predominant teaching tool in the early public school system ofnineteenth century America, and remained in constant use for sixty years. McGuffey affected generations ofAmerican students by carefully choosing lessons that reflected his conservative Christian philosophy. The McGuffey Readers were as distinctive for what they neglected to include as they were for what they included. In one amazing set oftextbooks, McGuffey established the foundation ofwhat would become the modem educational system of today.