The appeal of old textbooks...

[Momling]

I totally enjoy looking at the textbooks of previous generations because they can be cool and sometimes nutty and offer insight into the culture of the time, but I wouldn't really consider using a dated textbook with my kids. Of course, primary sources are different... but I'm talking especially about secondary source textbooks and basal readers (i.e., "McGuffey Readers" or "Child's history of the world" or "Our Island Story"...).

 

For those who happily use older textbooks, I'm really curious why and how you use them. Is it nostalgia -- books you knew as a child? Do you have a sense that previous generations had better curriculum than our current generation? Is it a mistrust of modern (presumably more progressive) textbook writers? When you use these textbooks, do you find you often have to reconcile ideas of xenophobia or race or gender that are different from your own? Do you use older curriculum in all subjects (incl. math and science) or just reading or history? Also... do you know of any penmanship textbooks? (I'd love to see how my 96 yr old grandmother learned her amazing script!)

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I use Webster's Speller and McGuffey Revised readers as a supplement to our cyber school curriculum. I am a bit enamored of the old books since I suspect they are more academically challenging than todays' book:)

 

I would take care if I saw something racist or otherwise objectionable and explain to my ds that unfortunately in those days some people held prejudiced views.

Edited November 20, 2009 by priscilla

[Guest Dulcimeramy]

I love old textbooks! I want my children to have the strong foundation that books from another era can provide. I do not use them exclusively, but they are an important part of our homeschool. I've used McGuffey and Elson Readers, Harvey Grammar, Ray's Arithmetic, A Child's History of the World, Eggleston's history books, Famous Men of..., others from the Baldwin Project, and tons of very old literature.

 

We also use Apologia Science, Sonlight Science, entire Sonlight cores, WTM recommendations and methods, Charlotte Mason methods, Horizons Math, MEP math, and Rod and Staff grammar. (Spread out over 4 children and 14 years so far LOL)

 

For those who happily use older textbooks, I'm really curious why and how you use them.

 

Is it nostalgia -- books you knew as a child? No, I only had extremely dumbed-down social studies books, and readers that were too easy. I think I like old books because they are the opposite of the vapid books I hated in school.

 

Do you have a sense that previous generations had better curriculum than our current generation? Yes. That is part of the attraction for me. I look at my McGuffey readers, and compare them with the readers used at our local elementary. The McGuffeys are so much more advanced in vocabulary and sentence structure!

Is it a mistrust of modern (presumably more progressive) textbook writers?

 

Sometimes. I don't really like textbooks written by committees. I prefer to use whole books written by one author, because it is easier for me to detect the bias.

 

When you use these textbooks, do you find you often have to reconcile ideas of xenophobia or race or gender that are different from your own?

 

Yes. This can be a huge problem in older books. I don't allow my children to read them on their own, and I don't recommend them to anyone unwilling or unable to confront their own feelings on these issues, and edit as needed.

 

Do you use older curriculum in all subjects (incl. math and science) or just reading or history?

 

I've used Ray's Arithmetic for math. My oldest son was just not grasping flashy modern math. After a few years of intensive arithmetic drill with Ray's, he moved on to (better) modern programs. He's beginning Algebra and Geometry now, with no problems.

 

Also... do you know of any penmanship textbooks? (I'd love to see how my 96 yr old grandmother learned her amazing script!)

 

Mott Media has Spencerian script books. You can get them for a good price at christianbook.com

[Lori D.]

We used the Ginn Basic Readers as part of our reading in grades 2-6. I stumbled across one (published around 1960) a year into homeschooling, and loved it, and set about collecting about 8 of them, all published from about 1950-1960. We used them as reading material (not as teaching reading as a subject -- never really used anything for that), along with tons of "living books". Similarly, I got a wonderful anthology series for middle school/high school years: Collier's Young Reader's Shelf of Books, a 10-volume series with excerpts from many classics throughout history and around the world. I think it, too, was published in the 1950s-60s. We used it in a similar way, to supplement our readings to match up with history.

 

(Must confess: I now have a huge weakness for those vintage readers! I have to shut my eyes and run to keep from wanting to buy various series!)

 

What I LOVE about the Ginn series is how many classics they include, and all for beginning readers -- GREAT classic poems, and classic stories (Beowulf, Pied Piper, King Arthur, ancient Greek myths, etc. etc.) written at grade level. Also, tons of stories, folktales, etc. set in different cultures around the world. What a treasure for putting together your own combo of chronological history & literature -- plus wonderful exposure to world cultures -- for elementary ages.

 

There is only a little stereotyping in the Ginn Basic Readers -- we either skipped those stories or used them to discuss those issues; and the Collier Young Reader's Shelf of Book series is reprints of literature, not abridgments, so we discussed the times and attitudes in which those works are written, just as we do for any piece of literature, since these are actual short stories, poems, and chapters of longer literature.

 

 

Don't know if this is old enough to count as an older school text, but we used Jacobs Algebra (published in the 1970s -- so about 35 years old) and loved the gentle incremental steps and that every single lesson had a very visual real-life example of how that algebra concept is really used. The author taught in an integrated California school, so there really wasn't any stereotyping I could see -- we just get a kick out of the hairstyles, clothes and antiquated computers in some of the photos used to help illustrate an algebra concept.

 

 

Finally, we did try English for the Thoughtful Child (modern reprint of a turn-of-the-century early elementary grammar work text), but it was too much writing and too formal. We ended up just doing it aloud orally, and then went on to other grammar programs that were a better fit.

 

 

BEST of luck in your own vintage homeschooling! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited November 20, 2009 by Lori D.
added info

[ElizabethB]

I've tutored remedial reading for 16 years. Webster's Speller is the most powerful method I've found yet.

 

Most recently, I've been using Noah Webster's 1828 Spelling Book along with another free program called Blend Phonics and my online phonics lessons. Before I used this, I got most of my students to grade level and a few one grade above grade level, usually after several months of work, but some students took longer. My early students were were mostly middle class. After discovering Webster's Speller, I taught two classes of inner city students with the help of volunteers from our church in Little Rock. And, after 2 months of work, twice a week for 90 minutes, we had 4 students reading above grade level, including a 1st grader reading at the 3rd grade level and a 5th grader reading at the 8th grade level!

 

When Webster's Speller was used to teach reading and spelling, students did not need specialized readers, they went directly to reading out of the KJV Bible or other older Bibles, all written around the 12th grade reading level.

 

I also recommend McGuffey's Readers to many of my struggling students, difficult words are marked diacritically before the reading selections. Parker's Readers (linked at the end of my Webster page) are also great resources for struggling students--difficult words to pronounce are marked and obscure words are both diacritically marked and defined, allowing the student to gain vocabulary in context while practicing reading.

[thowell]

We are using Mcguffey's and love them. We also recently started Ray's Arth. and all I can say is it was our 3rd math and the first to actually work. My mother has always told me that many generations ago educational standards were much higher and alot of the older text books seem to prove this. She sent me a website one time of a test that was on what children in the 5th grade were doing in the 40s and my junior in high school couldnt answer all. I think she made a 72. While we are still using some modern curriculum if I had my choice I would use all old text.

[usetoschool]

I have a pet theory about children pushing the envelope regarding what you teach and model - that you need to parent and teach at a little higher level then you would be comfortable having them live out in real life. We end up living somewhere in the middle.

 

I use older language arts books like Primary and Intermediate Language Lessons so they will hear and learn language at a more sophisticated level. I want them to hear old fashioned (to modern ears) sentences and words and complete thoughts, well worded.

 

I had one girl tell me "I don't talk like that". My answer was, well, uh, like you should, like totally like talk, uh like more like that because, uh, that is like an awesome way to like uh show people you are like totally smart. :glare:

 

And I do agree with a pp that older books include more classical references - two birds with one stone.

[Crimson Wife]

For those who happily use older textbooks, I'm really curious why and how you use them. Is it nostalgia -- books you knew as a child? Do you have a sense that previous generations had better curriculum than our current generation? Is it a mistrust of modern (presumably more progressive) textbook writers? When you use these textbooks, do you find you often have to reconcile ideas of xenophobia or race or gender that are different from your own? Do you use older curriculum in all subjects (incl. math and science) or just reading or history?

 

We incorporate some older books into our homeschool, mostly in history & literature. I did find the old Catholic version of Voyages in English was just too dated for my tastes, however.

 

The main appeal for the older books is that they are not "dumbed down" and politically correct like new ones are. The vocabulary and syntax are written at a much higher level than in more recently published books. Also, I like that they aren't afraid to incorporate moral instruction.

 

I do find that I do have to point out ideas that are artifacts of the author's less enlightened times. I typically compare the copyright date to how old my 98 1/2 year old grandma was at the time (or her mom for 19th century books) because that's understandable by my kids. So I'll say that the book was written when Grammy R. was X years old or when Grammy R's mother was Y years old. Back then people had certain ideas about race/ethnicity/etc. but today we know better. We should judge what's written by the standards of their own times not our modern ones.

[alpidarkomama]

I also find the subject matters generally more pleasant (and more like our real life), the language richer, and written on a more sophisticated level. Lots of good manners. And plenty of happy housewife stereotypes. :)

 

-The Happy Housewife

[WishboneDawn]

We use a geometry text from 1920 that I found in a used bookstore. I use it because it's everything I was looking for in a geometry text - hands on drawing, lots of challenging tasks, clear, no nonsense explanations and proofs. And it was $5. Can't beat that.

 

I've since realized that a lot of the things I'm attracted to with newer, more innovative curriculum can also be found in old texts gathering dust in some small used bookstore.

[LizzyBee]

I love old textbooks for all the reasons already stated: higher academic standards, higher level of language, good manners and morals, focus on mastery of foundational skills, references and excerpts from classical lit.

 

My reality is that I prefer a book I can hold in my hands, so we usually end up using something I've purchased rather than the older textbooks I've downloaded. But we do use some of the older books I've downloaded, and looking at old textbooks helps me set a higher standard for the curriculum I purchase.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I love old textbooks for all the reasons already stated: higher academic standards, higher level of language, good manners and morals, focus on mastery of foundational skills, references and excerpts from classical lit.

 

My reality is that I prefer a book I can hold in my hands, so we usually end up using something I've purchased rather than the older textbooks I've downloaded. But we do use some of the older books I've downloaded, and looking at old textbooks helps me set a higher standard for the curriculum I purchase.

 

which is why kindle is potentialy a great thing;)

[LizzyBee]

Also... do you know of any penmanship textbooks? (I'd love to see how my 96 yr old grandmother learned her amazing script!)

 

http://books.google.com/books?id=PPkBAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=handwriting&as_brr=1&ei=9hQHS7LvB5ecyASFjeHSDw#v=onepage&q=&f=false

[LizzyBee]

which is why kindle is potentialy a great thing;)

 

It's on my Amazon wishlist. :001_smile: