All these reading/literature curricula make me want to vomit

[Meriwether]

I'be only heard Eskimo being a "bad" word here at WTM so I looked it up today and found this:

 

http://www.aaanativearts.com/alaskan-natives/eskimo.htm

 

I'm still not sure why it is bad.:confused: It seems like different areas prefer different things.

[Soror]

I might that missed something here, but may I ask why you have gotten rid of your D'Aulaire books?

 

Just the constant talk about the savages and such and judgmental tone. I know it was a product of the time but I just couldn't past it without the need to explain way more than I wanted. The pictures are beautiful though.

[shann]

That book was written in 1909 and is a product of its time.

 

 

I have to say :iagree: with Farrar's assessment. It isn't surprising that you've come across so many bigoted statements if you are using books from those times. I think you'd be hard pressed to not find some kind of idiotic statement in a reader older than about 20 years.

 

:iagree: Sorry if I missed it, but is there a reason your only looking at vintage readers? They are bound to have prejudices in them. Even if you were reading the "great" books of classic lit you'd be hard pressed not to find some offensive opinions, much less in these, what appear to me to be, just everyday readers.

Unfortunately I think you're fighting a losing battle if you want to stick with all pre-1950 texts

[Hunter]

For NOW, I'm just going to stick my little turtle head back into my shell, and resume teaching reading with nothing but the Bible and nonfiction. Students can go wallow around in the ART of literature on their own as they see fit, but I'm not going to TEACH literature, for NOW. I've got too much else on my plate that will get short shifted, if I invest much more money and time into what I consider an elective.

 

Electives are important, I think maybe even critical, but sometimes they don't need to be taught at all, and sometimes they need to be taught differently.

 

Some things just take time to figure out, and no amount of pushing brings earlier clarity. Sometimes I can be a bit of an aspie, and I've seen many, many, many other aspies struggle--sometimes hilariously so--with the whole concept of literature.

 

MP's Christian Studies suggests the option of using the Children's Golden Book as a reading curriculum, and that is what I'm going to do, for NOW. And I think I'll invest in a few more God's Design Science books that include the beginners lessons.

 

Who knows what curriculum will soon come onto the market, and maybe blow me away. And I'll be all "free and easy" to jump on it's bandwagon, because I won't be loaded down with another curriculum that I am invested in. :lol:

[Hunter]

:iagree: Sorry if I missed it, but is there a reason your only looking at vintage readers? They are bound to have prejudices in them. Even if you were reading the "great" books of classic lit you'd be hard pressed not to find some offensive opinions, much less in these, what appear to me to be, just everyday readers.

Unfortunately I think you're fighting a losing battle if you want to stick with all pre-1950 texts

 

You didn't miss anything. I never said I wanted to use vintage readers. They are just one of the many options I have looked at.

[shann]

I can certainly understand wanting to put off your lit plans for now, it's very overwhelming. But I do think that literature is as important as math, science, and every other subject.

I'm not sure what age students you're working with but have you thought about using illustrated editions of classic lit? I am collected the Great Illustrated Classics for my dd. She is only 8 but the books can be enjoy by much older kids imo.

http://www.greatillustratedclassics.com/

The series maintains the heavy themes of the originals but are much easier to read and they look to have been sanitized of offensive language and subjects. I'm not normally one for sanitization but 8 years old is not the time for me to have a convo with Dd about why Twain uses the N-word so casually...

I think these are a good prep for her and she can go on to conquer the originals in her middle school years.

I buy the books off ebay for $1 or 2 a piece, in the older hardback.

Once she makes a good dent in the classics, I am going to start collecting the Newbery Award winners http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal

I'll probably buy back to 1980 without too much worry but then look very carefully at anything pre that date.

 

Now if you are looking to "teach" the books with detail, I think you can find specific info on the well known titles by just using sites like Spark notes and my favorite lit site, Shmoop. Just print out or take some notes on the themes, symbolism, and biographical info for a book and your discussion is off and running.

[stripe]

Hunter, is this with students, or is this for yourself?

[shann]

I don't think Twain's use of the n word is in the least casual:lol

 

I don't understand why you wouldn't use age appropriate lit rather than sanitized classics and I don't understand the OP at all. There is an abundance of perfectly good lit out there meant for kids today.

 

She's reading Tom Sawyer now, which I believe is age appropriate with the n-word removed. Since she is only 8 she's not yet able to read the original, the vocab is too complicated for her. I read many such books to her aloud but she likes to read on her own as well

[Guest]

To the OP: Marva Collins taught the so called here "marginalized" (hate that word :glare:). She also dealt with kids that were labeled LD, some even severely disabled. She taught the kids to be strong and rise above what was around them. Through the classics she taught them values and she taught them how to fight for themselves. I feel that sometimes we may be more overly sensitive than the kids are. Underprivileged or disadvantaged kids (as I prefer to call them) live in this world more than anyone else. Teaching them to avoid the tough discussions may be doing them a greater disservice than teaching them the way things were, the reasons for it, and the way things are now.

[NASDAQ]

Someone said that McGuffey's readers aren't classic. McGuffey's Sixth Reader is absolutely a classic, and an excellent and highly influential anthology.

 

If you're in a sensitive place regarding racial relations, don't read anything before 1990 or so. Those books are only appropriate in a situation where the child can be guided to understand them as a product of their time without getting too distracted.

[Hunter]

Hunter, is this with students, or is this for yourself?

 

Kind of both. I'm trying to pick curricula in each main subject that covers about grade 3-8. When I say grade 8, it's an old fashioned rigorous grade 8 that prepares for general life and entrance into a junior college.

 

I'm trying to work ahead of the students I am working with right now, so I've done all the lessons they will encounter and can take notes in my books, about anything that is poorly written. I'm trying to kill 2 birds with one stone, by remediating any of my brain damage and educational holes, and also being prepared to teach this same material.

 

I only have one consistent student, and some in and outs right now. At times I end out with multiple students that are all quite intense and almost panicked, wanting me to teach FAST. I've learned that I am not responsible to teach, the way these students want to learn. Some of them really cross boundaries with me. They think I'm stingy with my knowledge :-0 They push me.

 

I'd like to be better prepared next time I get bombarded. I'd like to have a set curricula that I teach with, and to be able to tell them, "take it or leave it". I want to like and be fully capable of teaching this curricula, even on my bad days.

 

Also my brain damage is expected to be ongoing. I want a set of curricula that I'm familiar with, that I can keep reviewing with over and over, to keep filling in the holes as they develop.

 

I've been reading some expensive books on education, that I can only view at the main library. I've learned some things from those books, especially a couple Amish ones. One of the things I have learned is that there is great benefit to a teacher, teaching with the same curricula, she learned from herself.

 

I'm taking some time to hide out at home right now. I want to just spend hours a day diving into a set of books and push through, to make as much progress through them as possible. I'm actually avoiding places where I'll be pointed out to potential students, as someone who can help them. I want to focus first on myself, but also to be prepared to teach on MY terms.

 

This is triage learning and teaching. I have to keep reevaluating what is a priority and what is the most efficient way to get it accomplished.

 

And Stripe, thank you for all the reviews you have posted. It saves me a lot of wasted time seeing if I can manage to stomach certain series and sets.

[ElizabethB]

Sarcasm aside, part of the reason we use MFW is that the authors worked as missionaries and are sensitive to that sort of thing.

 

I have no direct ideas for you, but thought Leigh print might work for you and your students. It makes English 100% phonetic by redrawing the letters but preserving the original spelling. There did not use to be enough material available to teach using Leigh Print, but Edwin Leigh's Alma Matter recently made available enough of his material to make teaching from it possible.

 

Here is my Leigh Print page. Hillard's Primer is a good introduction to teaching Leigh's font. You need the PDFs or the online version to be able to see the font.

[ElizaG]

This does indeed say Eskimo women are easy. However, I do not believe the meaning is inappropriate, but instead refers to open or casual instead of demure (modest) in light of the comment that "Eskimos are always friendly people" (p36).

 

This might still be a poor choice of reader since the meaning of "easy" can be understood as insulting.

In context, I think "free and easy" might just have been a euphemistic way of saying that women in that culture often went about naked indoors. :leaving:

 

This book by Norwegian explorer (and Nobel Peace Prize winner) Fridtjof Nansen uses that exact phrase in that context, describing the people of Greenland:

 

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Eskimo_Life/Chapter_2

 

The book was written in 1893, 12 years before that reader was published. I'm guessing his account had been very much in the news. I can imagine that the children might already have been giggling about it in the schoolyard.

 

Whatever it meant, I doubt very much that it was the modern meaning of "easy" as promiscuous. That sort of thing wouldn't have been mentioned at all in a 4th grade Catholic school book. Though I do agree with those who've said that the people are described in ways that we wouldn't use today. But this goes for Nansen's book (which was considered quite humanitarian for its time), as well as the school reader.

[EKS]

I love K12's literature for grades 6-8, but I don't know if it will be shocking or not. It seems pretty tame to me.

[Bluegoat]

In context, I think "free and easy" might just have been a euphemistic way of saying that women in that culture often went about naked indoors. :leaving:

 

This book by Norwegian explorer (and Nobel Peace Prize winner) Fridtjof Nansen uses that exact phrase in that context, describing the people of Greenland:

 

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Eskimo_Life/Chapter_2

 

The book was written in 1893, 12 years before that reader was published. I'm guessing his account had been very much in the news. I can imagine that the children might already have been giggling about it in the schoolyard.

 

Whatever it meant, I doubt very much that it was the modern meaning of "easy" as promiscuous. That sort of thing wouldn't have been mentioned at all in a 4th grade Catholic school book. Though I do agree with those who've said that the people are described in ways that we wouldn't use today. But this goes for Nansen's book (which was considered quite humanitarian for its time), as well as the school reader.

 

Actually, I think that it may well have meant promiscuous. Some of the customs about sexuality were not quite the same as European ones. These things, like "borrowing" or trading wives, were probably overblown and exaggerated as far as frequency went, but they were not, as far as I understand, not invented.

 

I don't know a ton about the Northern peoples in this regard, but more generally, different cultures can have pretty different sexual norms. I don't think I'd want to use a reader describing such people as "easy" for my kids - on the other hand, I don't really find it shocking that someone would observe that kind of thing and place a value judgement on it.

[ElizaG]

Actually, I think that it may well have meant promiscuous. Some of the customs about sexuality were not quite the same as European ones. These things, like "borrowing" or trading wives, were probably overblown and exaggerated as far as frequency went, but they were not, as far as I understand, not invented.

 

I don't know a ton about the Northern peoples in this regard, but more generally, different cultures can have pretty different sexual norms. I don't think I'd want to use a reader describing such people as "easy" for my kids - on the other hand, I don't really find it shocking that someone would observe that kind of thing and place a value judgement on it.

I wouldn't find it surprising if the phrase were used that way in a book meant for adults.

 

But I *would* find it very surprising in a 4th grade Catholic school reader. :001_huh:

[Bluegoat]

I wouldn't find it surprising if the phrase were used that way in a book meant for adults.

 

But I *would* find it very surprising in a 4th grade Catholic school reader. :001_huh:

 

Yeah - it's hard to know what the author expected the kids to make of that.

[Abbeygurl4]

This does indeed say Eskimo women are easy. However, I do not believe the meaning is inappropriate, but instead refers to open or casual instead of demure (modest) in light of the comment that "Eskimos are always friendly people" (p36).

 

This might still be a poor choice of reader since the meaning of "easy" can be understood as insulting.

 

LOL I thought the same thing so I googled it

 

"What does "free and easy" mean?"

 

 

Careless, sloppy, morally lax, as in This administration was free and easy with the taxpayers' money, or These girls hate to be considered free and easy. [First half of 1900s]

[ElizaG]

FWIW, it says that the passage was taken from Our Little Alaskan Cousin by Mary F. Nixon-Roulet (1907).

 

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10224

 

She wrote a whole series of similarly titled books about children in other cultures. They're listed in the "Old Fashioned Education" curriculum that uses free e-books.

 

http://www.oldfashionededucation.com/geography.htm

 

(I suspect there are other books on that list that some people would consider to have emetic qualities. Although The Seven Little Sisters who Live on the Round Ball that Floats in the Air sounds intriguing. Like something from postmodern cinema. :D)

[stripe]

FWIW, it says that the passage was taken from Our Little Alaskan Cousin by Mary F. Nixon-Roulet (1907).

 

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10224

 

She wrote a whole series of similarly titled books about children in other cultures. They're listed in the "Old Fashioned Education" curriculum that uses free e-books.

 

http://www.oldfashionededucation.com/geography.htm

 

(I suspect there are other books on that list that some people would consider to have emetic qualities. Although The Seven Little Sisters who Live on the Round Ball that Floats in the Air sounds intriguing. Like something from postmodern cinema. :D)

Thank you for reminding me how much I love the word "emetic" !

 

They are all like this. (As I mentioned in post 41.) Some of the cultures are to be admired, but most are about how queer and quaint or whatever "the other" is. I remember the German one being somewhat odd as well.

 

"Bertha shuddered. Duelling was quite the fashion in German universities, but the little girl was very tender-hearted. She could not bear to think of her brother having his face cut up by the sword of any one in the world." (Chapter 5)

 

Eta: Don't read Our Little African Cousin if you find being "free and easy" to be deeply insulting. But hey, at least he's our cousin, right? ;)

 

Yet the little negro whom we visit to-day is of a savage race. He is ignorant of civilised ways and customs. He knows nothing of books and schools. I doubt if he even knows when his birthday draws near; but he is happy as the day is long; his troubles pass as quickly as the April showers.

 

Let us paint his picture. We must make his eyes very round and bright and black. The teeth should be like the whitest pearls. His head must be covered with a mass of curly black wool. His lips are red and thick, while his skin is black and shining. He is tall and straight, and has muscles of which any boy might well be proud. He is not bothered by stiff collars or tight shoes. He is not obliged to stay in the house when he has torn a hole in his stocking, or ripped his trousers in climbing a tree, because he does not own any of these articles of clothing.

 

From morning until night, and from night until morning again, he is dressed in the suit Mother Nature provided for him, -- his own beautiful glossy skin. She knew well that in the hot land near the equator, where Mpuke was born, he would never feel the need of more covering than this.

Edited May 29, 2012 by stripe