The McGuffey readers were the first readers to be used in America that progressively became more difficult with each volume. The McGuffey readers were based on a strict moral and ethical code of conduct. In the six volumes published there were a variety of sources; therefore the McGuffey Readers were known as the “eclectic readers.” While each volume progressively increased in difficulty, the first two volumes focused on more expository content; whereas, it wasn’t until the 3rd volume that fictional stories were included.