Valuable Reading Programs from the Past from www. Googlebook.com
I have examined each of these programs for effectiveness - and freedom from dyslexia producing attributes.
1. The 1909 Edition of McGuffey's Eclectic Primer Here is a link to McGuffey's Eclectic Spelling Book (1879). This, by the way, is the one that my ancestors studied in their one room school house. You can purchase a beautiful hardback copy at:McGuffey's Spelling Book
Here is Henry Vail's 1911 History of the McGuffey Readers. Here is Alexander McGuffey's 1865 New Eclectic Spelling Book. This is even better than the 1879 edition.
2. Rebecca Pollard: Synthetics Phonics: It is pity that this method ever went out of print: Rebecca Pollard's 1897 A Complete Manual: Synthetic Method of Reading and Spelling. Here is Pollard's First Book for Little Folk (1898). Pollard's 1895 First Synthetic Reader, Second Synthetic Reader, Third Synthetic Reader Here is the 1897 Primer. Here is the 1896 edition of Pollard's Synthetic Speller. Here is the 1887 edition of Pollard's Advanced Speller This is perhaps the best phonics method ever published in the history of reading in America. It is certainly the most beautiful. The stories, poems and maxims are of the highest caliber.
3. FIRST LESSONS IN READING: A NEW METHOD OF TEACHING THE READING OF ENGLISH, BY WHICH THE EAR IS TRAINED TO DISCRIMINATE THE ELEMENTARY SOUNDS OF WORDS, AND THE EYE TO RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS USED FOR THESE SOUNDS IN THE ESTABLISHED ORTHOGRAPHY by Richard Soule and William A. Wheeler (1866). Based on the plan of John C. Zachos. This is an excellent phonics-first method. Here is a 1867 review from The Englander and Yale Review. I am including extra information of the illustrious Rev. John C. Zachos because of his contribution to the history of the teaching of reading in America with phonics-first.
4. Elizabeth Burnz' 1892 The Step-by-Step Primer in Burnz' pronouncing print. Correct pronounciation shown without new letters or change of spelling. Thanks to Dr. Gene Roth for sending me the URL for this book for which I have been looking for over a year. It is a masterpiece of continuing value. Also read: Pure Phonics for Home and Kindergarten, Burnz
5. Katherine E. Sloan: Primary Readers: Containing a Complete Course in Phonics (1905, 1917) First Reader. Second Reader. New Sloan Readers Manual, Primer, New First Reader, New Second Reader, New Third Reader. (Warning: The Primer is sight-word.)
6. The National Pronouncing Speller by Richard G. Parker and J. Madison Watson. A masterpiece! I have not seen their National First Reader: Primer of Word-Building. I am told that the Reader started with some sight-words and phony phonics, but I see no objectionable elements to this Speller.
7. Lewis B. Monroe wrote a set of readers that include valuable information on the English speech sounds and phonics: How to Teach Reading, Monroe's New First Reader, Monroe's Fourth Reader,
8. The Phonetic Reader by Charles W. Deane (1896). From the looks of this little jewel, it appears that decodable texts are nothing new.
9. The New Code 1871, Reader and Speller. Be careful of the two-letter whole words taught in the very first part of the book. Here is Division Two. The move away from religious and devotional material in English public schools can be seen in this series.
10. Mary Isaphene Ives: Illustrated Phonics: A Text-book for Schools (1909). This is a very helpful book. Here is an earlier book: The Ives First Book. Here is a magazine article by the author: Practical Hints on Teaching Phonics.
11. The New Beacon Primer 1921. This was a very famous and successful phonics method. Here is the 1912 edition which has the phonics charts in the front of the book, they were moved to the back in the 1921 edition. Here is the Second Beacon Reader: Folk Tales. Hazel Loring's Reading Made Easy with Blend Phonics for First Grade was influenced heavily by the Beacon method. Here is A Manual of Instruction for Teachers Using the Beacon Readers (1922). Ignore Faucett's instruction to teach some sight-words first. The Phonics Tables and articulation training are excellent. Kathy Diehl recently told me that teachers Lima, Ohio used Beacon for many years even after the Dick and Jane Readers came in. The knew a good thing when they saw it.
12. English Words as Spoken and Written: Designed to Teach the Powers of the Letters and the Construction and Use of Syllables and Words by James A. Bowen, 1900. An excellent book.13. Modern Word Book for Primary Grades: An Elementary Course in Phonetics, 1914. Teaches both script (cursive) and print. The words illustrating the consonant sounds are not to be memorized. Here is a more advanced and comprehensive method by the same author: The Modern Spelling Book, 1896.
14. Reading without Tears by Favell Lee Mortimer (1866). This primer must be used with caution because it uses printed words to teach letter sounds. The author is careful to tell the teacher to spell the words from the beginning with the sounds of the letter. If this advice is followed, there should be no problem. Her religious reader for children, Peep of Days, is also available.
15. First Steps to Reading by J. S. Lauria (1862). This is an unusual phonics method. It is not particularly good, but the later decodable texts make nice reading for students who have a good start on their phonics.16. And Ear and Eye Spelling Book: A Book on Word Study for the Primary Grades by Albert R. Sabin (1904). This is an excellent spelling book for first through fourth grade. It would, also, serve well as a beginning phonics method. Here is The Progressive Speller (1994) by F. P Sever.
17. Hyde's Derivation of Words: with Exercises on Prefixes, Suffixes, and Stems (1896). An excellent work for advanced readers.
18. Town's New Speller and Definer (1866) by Salem Towns. A profound work. Sander's Union Speller (1872) is somewhat similar.
19. Organic pronounciation; or Reading Made Easy. by G. Shute (1830).
20. Brownie Phonograms by Corinne H. Johnstone (1915). Some really cute pictures to teach phonograms.
21. The First Reader by Lewis B. Monroe (1875) Manual for the Use of Teachers.
22. Word Mastery by Florence Akins (1913). Unquestionably one of the best phonics methods ever publish. It was in print for many years. Here is a large print edition I typed up for free distribution on the Internet: WORD MASTERY.
23. A Phonics Reading Book for Young Children on a Plan Which Lessens the Difficulty and Saves Much Time in Learning to Read. With an Introduction to the Method, for the use of Teachers. W. L. Robinson (2nd ed. 1876). Excellent Method.
24. Word Studies: Primary Book (1905) by Edwin Sheppe. This may just be the BEST single book for teaching reading and spelling. It is a complete course in reading: from beginning reading to college level - in a single volume. You can order a printed copy from Amazon: Word Studies: Primary and Advanced Books.
25. On the Teaching of Reading (1899, 1907) by Nellie Dale. Diane McGuinness in her book Why Our Children Can't Read says that this is the right way to teach reading. It bears close examination by anyone involved in teaching reading to children. Here is the First Dale Reader.
26. Information on Leigh Self-Pronouncing Font. This information has been made available by Mrs. Elizabeth Brown.
27. Teaching to Read (1912) by James L. Hughes. He also published an earlier book (1889), How to Secure and Retain Attention. Here is his Pedagogical Creed. Be sure and compare and contrast it with John Dewey's Creed written in the same publication. Hughes' essay "Dickens as an Educator" makes delightful reading. Here is a brief tribute and a portrait, School Men of the Hour. Last but not least is his thoroughly delightful book, Mistakes of Teaching.
29. See and Say Series, Book 1. Teacher's Manual 1; See and Say Series: Book 2. Teacher's Manual 2; See and Say Series: Book 3. Teacher's Manual 3. The Mastery of Words: Spelling Book. This series by Sarah Louisa Arnold was in publication from 1913 to at least 1946. It appears to be a effective and fun method for teaching beginning reading.
29. Kellogg's First Reader: Phonetic (1889). This unique phonetic reader uses a phonetic script. Kellogg's Wonder Book: First Book (1887). Be sure to read the preface to this book concerning the baby nature of most beginning reading books. Phonetic Kellogg's Wonder Book: Second Book, Phonetic. The main value of this book is for researchers desiring to know how older forms of ITA was designed and worked. I wouldn't necessarily recommend the method, but the stories are so good that I learned the script well enough to enjoy some of them.
30. Everyday Language Lessons: Practical English for New Americans (1914) by Markowitz and Storr. While the phonics is not complete, this is a very interesting book that was used to teach English to new immigrants.
31. Stepping Stones to Reading: A Primer (1888) by Anna Badlam. This excellent primer uses the Leigh "pronouncing orthography." Stepping Stones to Reading: A First Reader (1889). Suggestive Lessons in Language and Reading for Primary Schools: A Manual for Teacher (1886). A superb reading method.
32. Emma Gordon (1918) A Manual for Teachers of Primary Reading. An enormously valuable addition to my vintage book page. Includes excellent, practical information on phonics instruction. There is a full set of phonics sound cards. Here is her Third Reader (1918). It also contains some fine phonics material. The Comprehensive Method of Teaching Reading - First Five Months. (1908.) Fourth Reader (1918).
33. Maud Summers (1908) The Summer's Readers: Manual - First Lessons in Reading. This is the earliest use of Caroline Yale's Northampton Charts that I have seen. Here is Summer's Primer. The primer looks all the world like look-and-say reader to me, but it is one of the cutest little book I have ever seen, full of poems and rhymes for little children. I recommend that you read it to your children, but get a phonics book to teach reading.
34. This is the most unusual and original on my list of reading instruction books in my list. I was not sure whether to list it with reading methods or spelling books. The Syllabic Spelling, or A Summary Method of Teaching Children to Read (1830) by Honoria Williams.
35. While not a reading program, the following book deals with education from a non-materialist point of view and is very important for its metaphysical orientation to education. Methods of Instruction or That Part of the Philosophy of Education which Treats of the Nature of the Several Branches of Knowledge and the Method of Teaching them According to That Nature (1865) by James Pyle Wickersham.
36. First Steps in Reading, An Introduction to the Graduated Series of English by James Stuart Laurie (1862). This is a VERY IMPORTANT work from a theoretical standpoint. It would be easy to teach and undoubted highly effective.
37. Lucy Grey and Other Stories for Boys and Girls (1880) by Timothy Shay Arthur. This has nothing to do with phonics, but it is a great book of stories for kids who have mastered their phonics.