這套讀本的英文原版共分七級，包括啟蒙讀本和第1-6級。考慮到啟蒙讀本與一級篇幅都較少，難易程度也很接近，于是我們將之合并為第1冊，其余2-6級與英文原版相同。這樣國內出版的這套讀本共包括6冊。第1冊從字母表開始，主要側重于字母的發音與書寫、簡單的單詞與句型，同時強調英文書寫，課文后面附有不少書法練習，讓孩子們不僅將英語說得像外國人，而且寫得也跟外文書法一樣，這是國內英語教學所缺少的一個環節。從第2冊開始，均是比較正式的課文了，每一課包括詞匯和課文，對一些生詞有英文解釋，讓學生學會通過簡單英文理解生詞，養成用英語理解和思維的習慣。第4冊還附有課后思考練習，這些練習可以幫助學生更好理解文章，引發孩子們的思考。第5冊和第6冊的課文前增加了作者簡介與相關背景知識，內容豐富而有一定深度。 從所選課文的英文難易程度來看，大致而言，這套讀本的第1-3冊跟國內小學畢業程度相近，第4冊則適用于初中生閱讀使用，第5、6冊可供高中及以上程度學習者閱讀。從文體方面我們可以看出，除了常見的記敘、散文體以外，這套讀本對詩歌、戲劇、論說文等文體也很重視，書中選取了不少名家的名作名篇。這對國內孩子們真正感受英語這一西方語言的魄力是大有幫助的。 This series of schoolbooks teaching reading and moral precepts, originally prepared by William Holmes who was a professor at Miami University McGuffey, had a profound influence on public education in the United States. The eclectic readers, meaning that the selections were chosen from a number of sources, were considered remarkably literary works and probably exerted a greater influence upon literary tastes in the United States more than any other book, excluding the Bible. It is estimated that at least 120 million copies of McGuffey's Readers were sold between 1836 and 1960, placing its sales in a category with the Bible and Webster's Dictionary. Since 1961 they have continued to sell at a rate of some 30,000 copies a year. No other textbook bearing a single person's name has come close to that mark. McGuffey's Readers are still in use today in some school systems, and by parents for home schooling purposes.
影響美國學生近一個世紀的教科書，一套塑造美國精神與文明的語文讀本！這套書讀本，精選于美國一套語文讀本，由美國著名教育家、俄亥俄大學校長威廉 H 麥加菲花費20多年時間傾心主編，至1920年累計銷量便高達1.22億冊，是美國最暢銷的語文課本，被《時代周刊》評為“人類出版史上第三大暢銷書”。
威廉 H 麥加菲，美國知名教育家。1800年出生于賓夕法尼亞州，1826年畢業于華盛頓大學杰斐遜學院。在數十年教育生涯中，他曾擔任過邁阿密大學語言學教授，俄亥俄大學校長。自1845年開始任弗吉尼亞大學道德哲學教授。他還幫助組建了俄亥俄州公立學校體系。 早在19世紀初期，麥加菲就意識到，應該給那些孤獨的墾荒者和歐洲移民的后代提供普遍的教育，于是他利用自己作為演講家與教育工作者的天賦，開始為孩子們編寫系列教材。這套教材共7冊，從學齡前至第6年級。他前后花費了20多年的時間才完成全套教材的編寫。這套教材面世后就被美國很多學校選為課本。在75年間銷量高達1.22億，直到今天仍以各種版本流行于西方，被美國《出版周刊》評為“人類出版史上第三大暢銷書”，對美國青年的心靈塑造與道德培養產生了的影響。 William Holmes McGuffey (September 23, 1800 – May 4, 1873) was an American professor and college president who is best known for writing the McGuffey Readers, one of the nation's first and most widely used series of textbooks. It is estimated that at least 122 million copies of McGuffey Readers were sold between 1836 and 1960, placing its sales in a category with the Bible and Webster's Dictionary. He was born the son of Alexander and Anna (Holmes) McGuffey near Claysville in Washington County, Pennsylvania, which is 45 miles southwest of Pittsburgh. In 1802 the McGuffey family moved further out into the frontier at Tuscarawas County, Ohio. He attended country school, and after receiving special instruction at Youngstown, he attended Greersburg Academy in Darlington, Pennsylvania. Afterwards, he attended and graduated from Pennsylvania's Washington College, where he became an instructor. He was close friends with Washington College's President Andrew Wylie and lived in Wylie's house for a time; they often would walk the 3 miles to Washington College together. McGuffey's house in OxfordMcGuffey left Washington College in 1826 to become a professor at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. A year later in 1827, he was married to Harriet Spinning of Dayton, Ohio, with whom he had five children. In 1829, he was ordained at Bethel Chapel as a minister in the Presbyterian Church. It was in Oxford that he created the most important contribution of his life: The McGuffey Readers. His books sold over 122 million copies. He was very fond of teaching and children as he geared the books toward a younger audience. In 1836, he left Miami to become president of Cincinnati College, where he also served as a distinguished teacher and lecturer. He left Cincinnati in 1839 to become the 4th president of Ohio University, which he left in 1843 to become president of Woodward College (really a secondary school) in Cincinnati. In 1845, McGuffey moved to Charlottesville, Virginia where he became Professor of Philosophy at the University of Virginia. A year after his first wife Harriet died in 1850, he married Miss Laura Howard, daughter of Dean Howard of the University of Virginia, in 1851. McGuffey is buried in the university burial ground, in Charlottesville, Virginia. The School of Education at Miami University is housed in McGuffey Hall which is named for him and his home in Oxford is a National Historic Landmark offering tours on weekdays.
《美國語文讀本2》LESSON 1 EVENINGAT HOMELESSON 2 BUBBLESLESSON 3 WILLIE'S LETTERLESSON 4 THE LITTLE STARLESSON 6 AFRAID IN THE DARKLESSON 8 PUSS AND HER KJTTENSLESSON 9 KITTYAND MOUSIELESSON 11 WHAT A BIRD TAUGHTLESSON 12 SUSIE SUNBEAMLESSON 13 IF I WERE A SUNBEAMLESSON 14 HENRY,THE BOOTBLACKLESSON 15 DON'T WAKE THE BABYLESSON 16 A KIND BROTHERLESSON 17 MY GOOD-FOR-NOTHINGLESSON 22 THE SONG OF THE BEELESSON 23 THE TORN DOLLLESSON 24 SHEEP-SHEARINGLESSON 25 THE CLOUDSLESSON 26 PATTYAND THE SQUIRRELLESSON 27 THE SPARROWLESSON 28 SAM AND HARRYLESSON 29 THE LITTLE RILLLESSON 30THE BOAT UPSETLESSON 31 MARY'S LETTERLESSON 32 THE TIGERLESSON 33 THE FIRESIDELESSON 34 BIRDIE'S MORNING SONGLESSON 35 WILLIE AND BOUNCELESSON 36 WILLIE AND BOUNCE (CONCLUDED)LESSON 37 THE KITCHEN CLOCKLESSON 38 THE NEW SCALESLESSON 39 THE BEAR AND THE CHILDRENLESSON 40 THE LITTLE HAREBELLLESSON 41 THE FISHHAWKLESSON 42 WHAT THE LEAF SAIDLESSON 43 THE WIND AND THE LEAVESLESSON 44 MAMMA'S PRESENTLESSON 45 MARY'S STORYLESSON 46 RALPH WICKLESSON 47 COASTING DOWN THE HILLLESSON 48 THE FOX AND THE DUCKSLESSON 49 PRETTYIS THAT PRETTY DOESLESSON 50 THE STORY-TELLERLESSON 51 THE STORY-TELLER (CONCLUDED)LESSON 52 THE OWLLESSON 53 THE OWL (CONCLUDED)LESSON 54 GRANDFATHER'S STORYLESSON 55 GOD IS GREAT AND GOODLESSON 56 A GOOD OLD MANLESSON 56 A GOOD OLD MANLESSON 57 THE GREEDY GIRLLESSON 58 APLACE FOR EVERYTHINGLESSON 59 MY MOTHERLESSON 60 THE BROKEN WINDOWLESSON 61 THE BROKEN WrNDOW (CONCLUDED)LESSON 62 FRANK AND THE HOURGLASSLESSON 64 JENNY'S CALLLESSON 65 POORDAVYLESSON 66 ALICE'S SUPPERLESSON 67 A SNOWSTORMLESSON 69 BESSIE (CONCLUDED)LESSON 70 CHEERFULNESS
《美國語文讀本1》《美國語文讀本3》《美國語文讀本4》《美國語文讀本5》《美國語文讀本6》
