When I was in first grade, I would sit by the window in my grandmother’s kitchen and read from a book of Shakespeare that had been my mom’s – did not know all of the words, but enough to follow most of the plot and by asking for help soon learned with exeunt means. So, let’s not assume the children will not like the books. I did see the movie version of “Our Town” before I was in 5th grade and liked it very much.
When my younger daughter was in kindergarten, I would volunteer 1 or 2 Fridays a month. One time I brought my favorite book from when I was in first grade (it was actually a 3rd-grade book, a gift from my teachers when I was in the hospital when I was 6; I went to a 3rd-grade class for reading & it was my favorite “free-time” book). I loved reading it to them, and they really enjoyed the story.
I was just-turned four. Mother already had read several of the junior youth classics to me, which I loved. I wanted her to re-read one – Tom Sawyer. She was busy and refused to leave what she was doing. I flung what I thought was the ultimate challenge at her: “All right then, I’ll just go and read it for myself!”
And I did. Mother said later that she nearly popped a stitch in her side to keep from laughing as I sailed out her bedroom door with my nose stuck up in the air in a high dudgeon. I spent about 4 hours decoding the first page, but kept going and never looked back. By the age of 5.5 when I entered 1st grade, I had read just about everything in the list of junior classics, and made a really good dent in the senior classics.
I spent the second half of my 2nd grade year sitting in the Principal’s office during reading, history, and English classes. Why? I was reading his 1st edition copy of Churchill’s 6-volume compendium, The Second World War. I already had read every book in the 18 classroom libraries for all six grades during my 1st grade year – more than 500 books. I turned in more than 50 2-page ’book reports, each one a summary of what I had read.
Don’t try to tell me that young children can’t read and understand …
I lived in a bi-lingual household growing up. My grandmother was French-Canadian and spoke the language whenever she would be in phone conversations with her parents (who only spoke the Quebecois dialect) and her siblings. From the time I was three, I was not only speaking English but Quebecois myself! I had a children’s French-English Dictionary and would write letters to my beloved Great-Grandparents! I was reading the classics by the time I hit kindergarten and got into trouble in second grade during a spelling test! I spelled table as tableau and the teacher marked it wrong. I wasn’t having any of that…I told her that THAT was the way my grandmother spelled it and that was correct. She gave me half credit and told me that we ONLY speak English here! The joke was on that school when they started teaching languages on PBS in sixth grade and MY class got French…LOL!! I still can read and write it although my Quebecois family is all long gone!
Particularly with kids – sometimes it is the nature of narrator that makes the story. I remember a second grade teacher reading Robert Frost to us – I can’t remember what she looked like, but I can still hear her voice almost singing “The Cliffs of Dover”.
Interesting that he chose three playwrights. Do you suppose he plans on acting the dialogue? The class would certainly find that entertaining.
But, O’Neill might be too dark and Beckett might be too esoteric. But Wilder? I think the kids would get a kick from The Matchmaker. Or even The Skin of Our Teeth. (There are dinosaurs in that one.)
I chaperoned my son’s 2nd grade class to the theater to watch “Fiddler on the Roof.” It was the first time I had seen it and thought it really was too heavy for 2nd graders. All the kids did was snap their fingers and clap their hands to the music. They had nooooo idea what the movie was about.
mafastore almost 4 years ago
When I was in first grade, I would sit by the window in my grandmother’s kitchen and read from a book of Shakespeare that had been my mom’s – did not know all of the words, but enough to follow most of the plot and by asking for help soon learned with exeunt means. So, let’s not assume the children will not like the books. I did see the movie version of “Our Town” before I was in 5th grade and liked it very much.
dadoctah almost 4 years ago
“Second graders? Why didn’t you say so? We’ll stick with Ernest Hemingway.”
Martin Booda almost 4 years ago
Eugene O’Neill’s OK for 2nd graders. You’re never too young for alcoholism and an inadequacy neurosis.
LobosSolos Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Heinlein’s juveniles. Excellent. “Have Spacesuit, Will Travel”, “Starman Jones”, and “The Star Beast” to name but three.
cdcoventry almost 4 years ago
I agree, every now and then it’s good to challenge them with more complicated works now and then.
jagedlo almost 4 years ago
I can imagine her Papa having one of those aristocratic, English-sounding voices…
Wren Fahel almost 4 years ago
When my younger daughter was in kindergarten, I would volunteer 1 or 2 Fridays a month. One time I brought my favorite book from when I was in first grade (it was actually a 3rd-grade book, a gift from my teachers when I was in the hospital when I was 6; I went to a 3rd-grade class for reading & it was my favorite “free-time” book). I loved reading it to them, and they really enjoyed the story.
pheets almost 4 years ago
Never underestimate the mind of a child : )
DiopticTurtle Premium Member almost 4 years ago
I mean, hey, it’d be educational…
FrannieL Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Wonderful cartoon today and the comments are good to read also.
Mando almost 4 years ago
It would be much worse if he had picked learning your ABC’s with Tom or a book for kindergardeners.
Aladar30 Premium Member almost 4 years ago
I like this man. You can see he has excellent taste just by his beautiful mustaches.
Lynnjav almost 4 years ago
My second grade teacher read “Winnie the Pooh” to us serially. When my younger son was in first grade, we read “Call of the Wild”.
cubfan826 almost 4 years ago
Samuel Beckett would be a stretch, though…
SrTechWriter almost 4 years ago
I was just-turned four. Mother already had read several of the junior youth classics to me, which I loved. I wanted her to re-read one – Tom Sawyer. She was busy and refused to leave what she was doing. I flung what I thought was the ultimate challenge at her: “All right then, I’ll just go and read it for myself!”
And I did. Mother said later that she nearly popped a stitch in her side to keep from laughing as I sailed out her bedroom door with my nose stuck up in the air in a high dudgeon. I spent about 4 hours decoding the first page, but kept going and never looked back. By the age of 5.5 when I entered 1st grade, I had read just about everything in the list of junior classics, and made a really good dent in the senior classics.
I spent the second half of my 2nd grade year sitting in the Principal’s office during reading, history, and English classes. Why? I was reading his 1st edition copy of Churchill’s 6-volume compendium, The Second World War. I already had read every book in the 18 classroom libraries for all six grades during my 1st grade year – more than 500 books. I turned in more than 50 2-page ’book reports, each one a summary of what I had read.
Don’t try to tell me that young children can’t read and understand …
Levana_214 almost 4 years ago
I lived in a bi-lingual household growing up. My grandmother was French-Canadian and spoke the language whenever she would be in phone conversations with her parents (who only spoke the Quebecois dialect) and her siblings. From the time I was three, I was not only speaking English but Quebecois myself! I had a children’s French-English Dictionary and would write letters to my beloved Great-Grandparents! I was reading the classics by the time I hit kindergarten and got into trouble in second grade during a spelling test! I spelled table as tableau and the teacher marked it wrong. I wasn’t having any of that…I told her that THAT was the way my grandmother spelled it and that was correct. She gave me half credit and told me that we ONLY speak English here! The joke was on that school when they started teaching languages on PBS in sixth grade and MY class got French…LOL!! I still can read and write it although my Quebecois family is all long gone!
fritzoid Premium Member almost 4 years ago
“A Long Day’s Journey Into Nap-Time.” “The Ice-Cream Man Cometh.” “The Cat in the Hat on the Hot Tin Roof.” (Sorry, wrong playwright.)
Thinkingblade almost 4 years ago
Particularly with kids – sometimes it is the nature of narrator that makes the story. I remember a second grade teacher reading Robert Frost to us – I can’t remember what she looked like, but I can still hear her voice almost singing “The Cliffs of Dover”.
vanaals almost 4 years ago
Interesting that he chose three playwrights. Do you suppose he plans on acting the dialogue? The class would certainly find that entertaining.
But, O’Neill might be too dark and Beckett might be too esoteric. But Wilder? I think the kids would get a kick from The Matchmaker. Or even The Skin of Our Teeth. (There are dinosaurs in that one.)
samfran6-0 almost 4 years ago
I chaperoned my son’s 2nd grade class to the theater to watch “Fiddler on the Roof.” It was the first time I had seen it and thought it really was too heavy for 2nd graders. All the kids did was snap their fingers and clap their hands to the music. They had nooooo idea what the movie was about.
BlueKnight1966 almost 4 years ago
In that case, Tolstoy.