William H. McGuffy developed his famous McGuffy Reader series while teaching at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio from 1826-1836. McGuffy Readers became the standard text for teaching students to read in elementary schools throughout the United States. More than 125 million copies have been sold, and they are still available for purchase today.

McGuffey's Readers and Speller were the books from which children learned to read and write in the 1800s and 1900s. The McGuffey Primer taught children to memorize the alphabet in order, and then to accurately pronounce words.

Stories included in the McGuffey Reader included adventures, poems, and fables, and each usually integrated a moral lesson. Sample titles of stories include:

• "The Greedy Girl"
• "The Kind Little Girl"
• "The Honest Boy and the Thief"
• "The Effects of Rashness"
• "On Speaking the Truth"
• "Consequences of Bad Spelling"
• "Decisive Integrity"

Popular authors were also included, such as Defoe, Irving, and Byron. The books were also known for their intricate illustrations.

Find out more...

• The McGuffey Readers at Barnes and Noble
• Vermont Country Store: McGuffey Readers