As promised, a post on this learner reader system.
I learnt to read using Peter and Jane. It is a system of 36 books, 3 per level, which aim to introduce children to the most common words of the English language. Strikingly, 100 words account for 1/2 the words used, and 300 for 3/4. Each level adds new words.
It is a method currently out of favour, as it in the main uses whole word recognition (though a 1/3 of the books use phonics) as opposed to the more fashionable phonics - see here for a discussion of this - though it seems now a combination of phonics and whole language is popular. Whole language seems to be more effective for children from high literacy households or with natural verbal gifting.
Sparky, who has learnt to read almost by himself, seems to favour whole word recognition and get frustrated with phonics, so I decided to use the readers I used, though also doing some phonics. I enjoyed these readers as I liked being able to go up levels, and I thought this would motivate Sparky as well.
The thing is, though, that the readers were written in the 1960s, and although revised in the 70s, still have a very old fashioned air to them. So, for instance, Peter plays ball and Jane stands by and watches. I have found myself having to explain to Sparky that when these books were written people had some funny ideas about what boys and girls could do but now we know differently. I guess he is learning to read critically already!
The picture is of some Peter and Jane illustrations, taken from http://www.theweeweb.co.uk/ a website all about Ladybird books - the publisher of this series.
So, how did you learn to read?
2 comments:
Gawd, I don't know, I don't remember not being able to read. Which isn't to say I learned particularly early or anything, just that it was a completely painless process and I have very few clear memories from when I was little.
Learning to read has been damn hard work for my older two kids but number three seems to take after me. The sheer relief of not having to do the blood-out-of-a-stone thing with him is positively euphoric!
Having a school teacher mother, I learned mainly via phonics, though the full word recognition seemed to come fairly quickly, too (by 3 and a half, apparently). I remember sitting at our dining table looking at flashcards with various phonemes and diphthongs on them.
Fun days! :)
Post a Comment