Edited and expanded by Gary and Wanda Sanseri

Heritage Edition Hardcover

The New England Primer helped produce a high level of literate, self-taught citizens who valued righteousness and liberty. For over a hundred years, the Founding Fathers and others learned to read using the Bible and this book (first introduced in 1690). Even McGuffy used this text in his early days of teaching.

Each page in this first major textbook of our nation is based on Scripture. The Primer includes prayers, a rhyming alphabet, a Bible alphabet, several catechisms, Bible questions, a dialog between Christ, the youth and the devil, and the advice John Rogers gave his nine children before he was martyred for Christ. It includes the Lord’s Prayer, a study of the Ten Commandments, and instruction in right living summarized in simple sentences like: Fear God. Tell no lies. Speak the truth.

Expanded by Wanda Sanseri, author of Spell to Write and Read and The WISE Guide for Spelling, the text now includes the best in phonetic instruction as well as nine simple-to-read stories made up of 99 of the most frequently used words in the English language. Each story has a character-building concept illustrated by a Bible verse (The Good Book). Gary Sanseri has also included his summary of the gospel entitled, “A Clear Path to God.”