Talk:Dick and Jane

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Was the "80% of first graders" in the USA or elsewhere? 162.84.72.171 21:15, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

"For this reason, they came to be used less and less as studies supported phonics as a more effective method of gaining literacy." As a teacher, I'd like to see this cited. Some children phonics is the more effective way but as someone who was a whole language learner and never could grasp the whole phonetics concept and consistently sees preschool and kindergarteners who are unable to read using the phonetics, I would really like to see the statement that phonetics is better than whole language backed up with a source because I think that an effective teacher would have both methods available in a classroom as each child learns differently.--Starladustangel 06:06, 1 June 2006 (UTC)

As a non-teacher, I'm shocked at how poor your grammar is: run-on sentence, wrong words used, missing words, etc. Perhaps "whole word" is not so good after all?  :-) Just having fun with ya. The article is unclear, but studies in the 70s did support the switch to phonics (not phonetics), which is part of the reason why D&J fell into disuse (along with the books being dull and insipid). Later studies showed it was not nearly so clear and uniform as that, as you suggest, but by then D&J were gone. Matt Deres 15:44, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

Ummm ... I was in grade 1 in 1986, and clearly remember Dick and Jane books in school, still at that point. Most people I know remember Dick and Jane from their early childhood, as well. --142.242.2.248 18:25, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Kim and Wendy

When I was in first grade in the 1958-1959 school year, our teacher used a series of books featuring Kim (a boy) and Wendy, who had a dog named Tike (possibly spelled Tyke). There were three first grade sections in our school. One of the other classes also used the Kim and Wendy book, while the third class used Dick and Jane. I always felt a little deprived because I didn't get to read about Dick and Jane, although I did love my first grade teacher!

In 2nd and 3rd grades, my classes also used the books for these grade levels that were extensions of the Kim and Wendy series. I don't recall if any of the other classes in these grades used the 2nd and 3rd grade Dick and Jane books. The kids in my school did not stay together for these three years, and in fact I specifically remember, even after all of these years, some kids in my 2nd and 3rd grade classes who were in the first grade class that used the Dick and Jane books. So they got exposed to both series.

I have a sister who is six years younger than I am. When she attended first grade at the same school in 1964-1965, her class used updated versions of the same books my class had read. But instead of Kim and Wendy, the main characters' names were Jimmy and Sue. I'm guessing that the name Kim was discontinued because it had become more popular as a girl's name, thus possibly confusing some kids, especially girls named Kim. RSLitman 03:43, 5 December 2006 (UTC)


[edit] Dick and Jane

I remember Dick and Jane very well. What's so strange is how they were supposedly poor books to read because they weren't "phonics" readers. My sisters, brother and I were all raised on "Dick and Jane" books. We are all avid readers even now in our 50's. I don't know how anyone can possibly say that Dick and Jane books didn't help kids read. Maybe we were all GT students and didn't know it! Netters06 21:47, 7 December 2006 (UTC)