Secular readers?

[mo2]

I've tried searching the boards but haven't come up with anything. Pathway readers and McGuffey are Christian. Elson apparently is overtly patriotic and contains a few bible stories. Is there a secular reader available? It can be a single volume or multiple books. It would just be nice to have our reading practice already lined up in one place.

[MIch elle]

I've tried searching the boards but haven't come up with anything. Pathway readers and McGuffey are Christian. Elson apparently is overtly patriotic and contains a few bible stories. Is there a secular reader available? It can be a single volume or multiple books. It would just be nice to have our reading practice already lined up in one place.

 

We used the old Calvert School readers grades 1-4 - Harcourt red series, a collection of stories with pictures in one book (many found in your library under separate cover).

[lisabees]

Remember that many old readers can be printed out, with pages left out.

 

Look on Don Potter's page and Elizabeth B's page for lots of links.

 

Here is one example:

 

http://books.google.com/books?id=e5AAAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1&dq=first%2Bsynthetic%2Breaders#v=onepage&q=&f=false

 

If you want something more modern, you can always do Bob Books or Nora Gaydos readers.

[amsunshine]

What level are you looking for? From what I've read, Elson becomes more "patriotic" in the 4th reader. You can always skip the Bible stories, as there aren't many.

 

On the other hand, I've started my dd on the newest volume from Mosdos Press -- Ruby. We just received it about 1 1/2 weeks ago, and love it so far. It is completely secular and the emphasis in the stories is on strong character. The vocabulary and discussion questions are excellent. The illustrations are also lovely.

[ElizabethB]

The 1879 McGuffey may only have a few stories you feel you need to skip.

 

Here they are online, you can look at them and see (you need the PDF versions to see the markings and pictures.) I really like the way they have the difficult words up front to sound out first for a struggling reader.

 

http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/m#a5671

 

You can get the whole series fairly cheaply at Amazon. The earlier Mott media version have much more Christian content, they also are not as phonetic as the 1879 version. (The earlier version has an all brown cover. The one you want has a blue and orange cover.)

[Devotional Soul]

McRuffy readers are secular. K through 2nd is all secular, and for 3rd grade, the public school version is secular. They are also funny and silly. You can buy them separate from the rest of the curriculum, just look under each grade level.

http://www.mcruffy.com/1P.htm

[Ottakee]

For K-3rd grade the I See Sam/Beginning Reading Instruction books are secular. http://www.3rsplus.com There are even on line links where you can print out the first 2 sets for free. These are wonderful books for learning to read.

[LadyAberlin]

Calvert has their discoveries in reading program, but it is super expensive. For first I plan to do along with McRuffy the Logos Press beginning literature guide 1. I haven't looked through it, but I've done the beginning lit 2 and all their selections are secular. there was only 1 question in the guide that talked about G-d. It could be easily skipped.

[Haiku]

My dad gave me his old Alice and Jerry reader from back in the age of dinosaurs, when he was in first grade (more than six thousand years ago ;). My dd loved it so much that I bought a few of the other ones from Amazon. Warning: all the characters are white, which I felt a little weird about in our multiracial family.

 

Tara

[lovemykids]

Believe it or not, LLATL's readers are secular friendly. I'd have to double check the red books contents, but I am sure the blue books are fine. Bob books are secular, what level did you say you needed?

 

Some of Sonlight's readers are fine...you may have to omit one or two here and there.

[Mom-ninja.]

I use the revised (blue and orange) McGuffey readers as Elizabeth suggested. There are few Christian stories. I love these books.

 

I also pick books from the SonLight site for the reading level I need. As someone posted just pick the books you want, and check the library for the books.

 

I also use Bob Books and Nora Gaydos. Although we like Bob books better.

 

Once you're past those Frog and Toad are great. Any Arnold Lobel is good.

[newbie]

We used Bob books.

[Lovedtodeath]

I have heard great things about McRuffy readers. I plan to use them with DS.

[Dobela]

We use a lot of discarded public school readers by Scott Foresman, Houghton MIfflin, Macmillan, and others. I can find them on ebay and used books stores in our area pretty easily. You can also buy the components to full sets at places like Follett Book Services - they specialize in the buying and reselling of public school texts. Ihave always had great service with them.

[tdeveson]

Instead of using a "set" of readers, I just identify books by reading level and turn them into our readers.

 

First, go here: http://www.renlearn.com/store/quiz_home.asp

 

This place will give you the level of almost every children's book out there. You can look for "series" and "reading lists,".

 

This year, for example, I found that Mike Venezia's series on the U.S. presidents are leveled between 5.0 and 5.9. These are our readers for the year. There are 43 books - perhaps 44 by the end of the year. It takes us three days to read each one. They're leveled and it counts as American History.

 

I've been sorting books by level for three years at this site. I love it.

 

"Readers" are rarely quality literature. Instead, we do it backwards. We find quality books, level them and use them when we're there.