Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Why Beginning Reader Books Irk Me

My oldest is starting to read - really read - and hearing her read a word or a sentence just amazes me.  I know a lot of it is memorized but it's still pretty cool - like hearing her speak for the first time.  My four year old also loves books - always has (I guess she takes after her momma) and I have been reading to her since before she was born.  Yes, I was one of those parents who read to her belly.  I would also play music to both my unborn children via headphones on my belly so Grace (and Leah too) could listen to something other than my heartbeat while hanging out in my womb but that's another story.  So my four year old is starting to actually read and it's very cool - except for the beginning reader books.  Listen, I am not a teacher but I understand how repition works as does practice but why do these books have to be so boring?  I get you have to learn to walk before running and all the other sayings out there but is it possible to maybe make these early reader books ummm I don't know a bit more interesting?  Every week, Grace comes home with her reader that includes two books that she is suppose to read to her father and I and it's painful (I know, I've been reading a lot longer than my daughter has and the books are written for me to enjoy but still). 
I often wonder how these readers are written who comes up with these stories?  I would love to hear the pitches for these books.  As if a writer bursts into his editors office declaring he has an great idea for a new early reading book.  The editor, who for some reason I imagine being the editor from the Spiderman comics, leans back in his chair and says with a cigar in his mouth, "tell it to me kid".  So the writer tries to contain his excitement, " so there are these kids and this clown and the clown hands each of the kids a different colour party hat.  But in the end, the clown puts on a rainbow party hat.  The end!" (Yes this was an actual book Grace read).
"Genius!  Brilliant, I tell you!  In the end, the clown puts on a rainbow coloured hat!  I love it!  Print it up right away!  We'll make millions kid!  Millions!"  Ok, I might be putting too much into this whole thing but still.
This weeks book is about a kid packing up his backpack.  It is a bit more exciting since, (spoiler alert!) he packs a toy spider to scare his teacher!  Oh man, I did not see that one coming!
As boring as they are for me, they are doing what they are suppose to do and teach my daughter how to read so I guess I will endure listening to them for a few more years until she moves on to reading about vampires, warewolves or wizards.

No comments:

Post a Comment