The sixth reader is described by its publisher as "a rhetorical reading book, for the more advanced classes." It begins with 60 pages of instruction in articulation, inflection, accent and emphasis, reading verse, the voice, and gesture.  This is followed by 179 literature-based lessons. These include readings from Sir Walter Scott, Shakespeare, Milton, Longfellow, Lord Byron, Cowper, Patrick Henry, William Pitt, William Cullen Bryant, Charles Dickens, Dr. Samuel Johnson, and others. Many selections are prefaced by brief biographical notes about the author, which adds interest and context to the reading.

By the end of the sixth reader, your student will be working with literary selections from Shakespeare, Lord Byron, Dr. Beecher, the Bible, Washington Irving, Daniel Webster, and other well-known writers and orators. Reading level for tested selections in this book ranged from Flesch-Kincaide grade level 9.4 for an early selection through grade level 12.6. A few passages tested at graduate level, but they should all be accessible to a teen with a good learning foundation.

An effective way to use these readers is to use Charlotte Mason's language arts methods of copywork, recitation, and narration for any of the lessons presented. Instructions for each of these methods is found in the new 18-page introduction that has been added to this edition. Like Miss Mason, Mr. McGuffey believed in short lessons, learned well, so the Readers provide a convenient source for age-appropriate material to use with Miss Mason's methods.