For those fans of Dick and Jane

[Johanna Halbeisen <johanna@MASSED.NET>]

I know the discussion was about something else, but I couldn't resist
posting this piece a teacher friend of mine wrote:

      Every day, I read the notes from teachers around the world on Internet.
One teacher was annoyed by the "whole language" approach to teaching
reading, and longed for a return to basal readers. This teacher ended the
note with the question, "Where are Dick and Jane when we need them?"
Here's the answer I sent:

      I was beginning to think no one remembered us. Spot was run over
by a car years ago - 1968, I think. The driver didn't even stop. Spot was
a good dog I remember the way we used to play on the lawn. Sometimes,
in my dreams, I can still see Spot run.
     It's funny you should mention Jane. I just heard from her recently.
She went to UCLA, and majored in Chinese medicine. Then she dropped
out about a week before she graduated. Typical of Jane, I think. She has
a health food store in LA. It's called "Peacemeal."
     I've been teaching third grade since 1968. I do use the whole language
approach. Children seem to get more involved in what they read, and
reading fits in more with the rest of their lives. I've used basals (because
I've had to), and with the exception of the classic one about me and Jane,
they aren't worth the ink used to mass produce them. They're mostly good
at providing  jacuzzis and Saabs for Scott, Houghton, Foresman, Miflin, and
the like. I  used to call the stories in basal readers "Saab stories."
     I know the old controlled-vocabulary stories were supposed to cater to
children's ability levels. But it's strange how much more a child can read
if the stories are interesting, even if the words aren't necessarily from some
prescribed list.
     Thanks for asking about us. When I read your question, "Where are Dick
and Jane when we need them?", I just had to answer. Jane is alive and well,
and selling tofu and sprouts in LA. And I am using the whole language
approach to teach reading.
                                                                Fondly,
                                                                Dick

(written by Bob Blue, bblue@k12.nsm.umass.edu)

---------------------
Johanna Halbeisen, Teacher Librarian
Woodland Elementary School (preK-4)
80 Powder Mill Rd.
Southwick, MA 01077
johanna@massed.net

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