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are 'early readers' all twaddle?
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I know most of the early readers are. But Mouse Tales or Little Bear? Is making the language more basic the same as talking down to children? From what I have recently read of CM style reading instruction, you would start a child making basic words with letters and then teach them to read through quality poems or literature. (I suppose how people used to learn to read from the Bible because that was all they had…) I’ve seen the Pathway Readers recommended many times around here though and have checked out the previews. Are they not twaddle because of the ideas they present, even though the language and plotline is simple? Or are people using the best available (least twaddly) early readers because they don’t want to do full on CM style reading lessons?
Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. I am still trying to figure all this CM stuff out. 😉 Plus, while dd6 is just about done with needing ‘early readers’, ds2 will be there before I know it!
I have struggled with this a lot. What I try to do is keep the twaddly early readers as their own practice time – not necessarily with me. And I use the Pathway readers once they are ready to actually read and not learn each word as we go. Even the preprimer is awfully slow then, and it drives us nuts (probably me more than the kids). This year with my 5.5yo, I plan to use real poetry and literature and learn the words in those before letting her actually read the poem or short passage. As she learns more words, she’ll be able to read those readers all on her own without me there anyway.
I don’t think Little Bear is twaddle. Making stories simple to read is not the same as talking down to the child, IMO. The difference is in acting like the child is too dumb to get anything more complicated and in giving them something that they *can* do to encourage them and make them want to learn more. Non-twaddle readers will still have beautiful pictures, good (albeit simple) plotlines, and heroes they want to emulate (and that you want them to emulate). An alternative to using “readers” would be to just use picture books. Eric Carle books are so easy to read for the beginning reader, as are stories such as Make Way for Ducklings or Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. You may teach different words, but they will still be simple enough for them to read.
Hope that all makes some sort of sense!
I would say that while a lot of what is out there is twaddle, they need not necessarily be twaddle. There area my picture books that aren’t twaddle so why not early readers? I think they can form a valuable step in kids’ reading. I would just look for the best ones like those by Arnold Lobel. Frog and toad manages to convey many good ideas.
Nebby
Your concerns were my own when mine were young and the answer to your inquiry is that, yes, most are twaddle. The ones I allowed were like those mentioned above-simple reading books but not books for simpletons! Of course, this also means you have to get books written prior to the 50’s, with jsut a few exceptions, IMO. Children’s lit. started going down after WW II.
But it’s really not difficult to find good children’s literature that is easier for them to read. For actual school “readers”, the PAthway’s are good, but I found that the Elson ones were better; pulled together prior to 1925-there’s absolutely no twaddle in there! Published by Lost Classics, Primer thorugh Eight:http://lostclassicsbooks.com/catalog/6?page=1
I did not use the TG’s with them. Also, if you can get a hold of them, older collections of fairy Tales, folk tales, poetry and children stories collected in these two collections (you will have children who love reading if you can get at least one of these, they are so rich); I got mine from my grandmother:
1)My Book House (prior to 1950’s) Vol. 1-12 with the first two suitable as early reading, both aloud and eventuially on one’s own. http://www.valerieslivingbooks.info/mbh.htm They are wonderful!
2) Book Trails VOl. 1-8 http://www.librarything.com/series/Book+Trails
I have the red bound ones. My son read thorugh all eight Vol. and stilol goes back and reads them and he’s 12. Again, the first couple are for the youngest crowd with each book getting more advanced in reading ability-just like My Book HOuse.
Other authors and books:
Robert Louis Stevenson
Ezra Keats
Arnold and Anita LObel
Corduroy and the sequels-DOn Freeman
Caps for Sale
MAurice Sendak
Harold and the Purple Crayon
Margeret Wise Brown
Tomie De PAola
The Story about PIng
The original Madeline books
Robert McKloskey
Stone Soup-MArcia Brown
The Giving Tree – Shel Silverstein
Virginia Lee Burton
Owl Moon – Jane Yolan (and others of hers)
The Little Engine that COuld – Watty Piper
A Family Treasury of Little GOlden Books
The original Babar books by Jean De Brunhoff and the original Curious George books by H.A. Rey
HTH!
I wasn’t able to read everyone else’s post, so please forgive if I repeat. I used to think that early readers were twaddle, until I realized that those early readers are necessary to build confidence. We have to help our children build a solid foundation in reading before we can introduce more advanced readers, chapter books, etc. We started with Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, and then began Dick and Jane books, Biscuit books, Little Bear, Eric Carle, and the Pathway books. I now have a 7yo and an 8yo who are excellent readers and are not afraid to pick up any chapter book and give it a try. Ds read the first 19 of The Boxcar Children when he was six. Dd is working on Cricket in Times Square and 100 Dresses right now, and she’s 7. I absolutely believe that some of those early, twaddly books were critical in giving my children the reading confidence they now have.
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