Some things in our homeschool just work—and for us, McGuffey’s Readers have been one of those things. They bring such a steady, time-tested rhythm to our language arts lessons, and I love how simple yet rich they are. No fluff, no busywork—just good, solid reading, spelling, and writing practice wrapped up in beautiful old-fashioned language.
If you’ve been wondering how to use McGuffey’s in a way that feels manageable and effective, I thought I’d share our five-day lesson plan. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s been such a sweet and productive routine in our home.
Our Weekly McGuffey Lesson Rhythm
Before we share our schedule, it’s important to highlight that this plan is designed for one story per week. This approach allows our children to deeply master key concepts, vocabulary, and ideas. Our 2nd and 3rd graders have made remarkable progress in their reading skills by following this method.
I love keeping things predictable but not overwhelming. Here’s what our week looks like:
Day One & Day Two:
- Copywork (pulling key words from the lesson)
- Story highlight (we read the lesson together, and I ask a few questions)
- Spelling words (pulled from the lesson)
- Vocabulary (we talk through tricky words)
- Doodling section (because my kids always seem to remember things better when they can see them in their own little drawings!)
Day Three & Day Four:
- Copywork (this time, we move from words to full sentences)
- Spelling words again
- More doodling, because why not?
Day Five:
- Dictation (I read a sentence aloud, and they write it out on their own)
- Spelling test (short and sweet!)
- And yes… more doodling, because it keeps things light and fun
Why This Works for Us
This rhythm has been so good for us. The copywork builds good handwriting naturally, the spelling and vocabulary give plenty of practice without being overwhelming, and the doodling? Well, it just makes things more enjoyable. Plus, dictation on Fridays has been one of the best ways to reinforce everything in a meaningful way.
I love that this plan doesn’t take all morning but still gives us a solid language arts foundation. And the best part? It’s flexible. If we miss a day or need to slow down, we just pick back up where we left off.
Do you use McGuffey’s in your homeschool? What does your routine look like? I’d love to hear! It’s always encouraging to swap ideas and see how other families make these lessons their own.
Download the plan here!
McGuffey Lessons Plans (not grade specific)
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We have been loving the Mcguffeys alongside Sherry Hayes’ Lesson book. It’s very similar to this except I like that yours includes a space for spelling words. I agree that it is effective and not overwhelming. We usually read the same story all week and it’s amazing to hear my daugther become so confident every day. She is a pretty good reader but since starting her on the Mcguffeys she reads with much more inflection.
I have also found a version of the Mcguffeys that maintains the integrity and content of the originals but has updated spelling lists and removes overly repetitive sentences. They are called the Moore Mcguffeys. Check them out. I think you will like them.
Yes! We do one story a week as well, and LOVE it!❤️
We used the same lesson books from Sherry Hayes too. They are perfect for using along side the McGuffey’s.
Thank you for the suggestion! ❤️
When I open the download, I have a grid paper square, instead of a blank square for doodles?
Hello!
So sorry. I just updated it!
Thank you so much for sharing, this is just the focus I needed on these readers.
I also appreciate that my email wasn’t required. Although I did subscribe to your blog : )
I am so glad to hear that! Have a beautiful day!
Do you read the chapter every day? Or just the whole chapter on day one? I was already leaning toward this for reading and I just love it even more with your sheets!
We read the same story each day throughout the week, allowing the child to build beautiful confidence in reading, master challenging vocabulary and study words, and naturally absorb new spelling and word meaning in full context.
Hi! I’m so inspired by this approach and we have both the revised and original books. One question I have for you is do you add any other curriculum to this approach? I love that you said simplified does not mean that it’s not impactful. I’m really trying to pair down this year with four kiddos and I’ve really enjoyed this video to help me make this happen in our homeschool. My oldest will be in 3rd and I also have a 1st grader. Thanks for sharing the lesson plans. I love how simple they are and I’m excited to try them!