3 Review(s)

The Ontario Readers: The High School Reader (1886), compiled by the Ontario Department of Education, is a comprehensive anthology aimed at high school students, combining classical literature, historical essays, poetry, and philosophical texts. The selections are drawn from prominent authors, including William Shakespeare, John Milton, and Sir Walter Scott, as well as significant orators and historians. The content is carefully chosen to enhance students’ language skills, analytical abilities, and understanding of complex literary forms.Each selection includes vocabulary notes, comprehension questions, and interpretative prompts to encourage critical engagement with the text. Students are introduced to rhetorical devices, character analysis, and thematic interpretation, building a strong foundation for advanced literary study. The anthology places a special emphasis on moral and civic values, with many selections underscoring virtues like integrity, resilience, and patriotism. This reflects the educational ideals of the time, where literature was seen as a means of character-building alongside intellectual development.