Do you remember the names of the characters in the primers/readers when you first learned to read?
When you first learned to read, who were the characters in the primer?
Were they Dick, Jane, and their dog Spot?
Or were they Mary, Mike, and Jeff—with a dog named Bolo and a cat named Velvet?
Did you have Pat and Cathy and an English Sheepdog (the star of the series, really) named Mr. Mugs?
or were they Janet and Mark (who also had a dog and cat, but no one I know remembers their names).
What do you remember about the primers?
Discussion about gender stereotypes and other stereotyping welcome, but I hope some positive things will be discussed also.
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28 Answers
I think it was Dick and Jane but I’m not positive. This was in the early 70’s.
Dick, Jane, Sally, Spot, ...and I think the cat’s name was Kitty.
Sally, Dick, and Jane for me too. ‘73—‘74, I was in first grade. I’m not sure every first grade teacher used the same book. My teacher was as old as the hills. My mom thought she was great. It might have been all teachers in the area, @jca2 was in a different school district, but same county as me I think.
Who can forget Fun with Dick and Jane?
However, I digress.
It was Noddy and Big Ears.
Indiana Jones. In a read a long record.
I don’t remember learning to read. My mother says my sisters taught me when I was three, I honestly have no idea. Could be, as I was always desperate to keep up with everybody. I was the youngest and the smallest in the extended family.
Dick, Jane, Sally, Spot, and the cat was Fluff.
The first books I read were Snow White & Cinderella; however, the first primer/reader was Dick & Jane with little sister Sally & their dog Spot.I seem to remember that they also had a teddy bear named Tim as well.
OMG, @jca2, I loved those!
I had sra cards too.
I cut my first tooth on Dick and Jane, Then got moved up to The Roundabouts. They were more fun. Mr. and Mrs. Roundabout were an elderly couple who took us on adventures as they introduced us to abbreviations and multiple syllables.
Dick and Jane.
Also, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Owl and Eyore.
Prince Bertrand the Bad. Mom put me in time out once when I was 4. Prince Bertrand was on hand. I picked it up and started reading it “backward.” That is I went to the last page and started reading the last world first. Mom sat down next to me and asked what I was doing. I told her. She said, “Interesting,” and I never heard another word about it.
Rosalie. WHERE IS SHE??!!
I loved, LOVED SRA too.
I dunno. I don’t remember ever not being able to read. Even when I entered kindergarden I was reading at a level a few grades above me.
Me too. Ever read “Look out for Pirates,” @Darth_Algar? God I loved that book! I actually bought it for my 7 year old grand daughter.
@Dutchess_III
Not to my recollection, but I suppose I may have at some point in time.
Adolf, Franz, and Bratwurst.
I checked that book out from the library probably at least twice a month my 2nd grade year.
It was Dick, Jane, Spot and their cat Puff. I remember a couple of the kids in my class, when reading out loud, pronounced both “F“s in Puff. It came out as Puff-ff.
I had Dick and Jane with their dog Spot. There was also Father and Mother.
I remember a Halloween story of some sort and this sentence threw me:
“What?” said Father.
I had trouble deciding if they were asking me what Father said. I figured it out eventually.
Looking through one my grandfather and great aunt used, copyright 1891.
Willie, Alice, May, Minnie, Grace, and Ned. They have all sorts of barnyard animals.
Does nobody remember Dr. Seuss?
“The Cat in the Hat?” Etc….
I remember lots of Disney books too. With characters like Goofy, and others…
Oh, I loved Go Dogs Go. My favorite illustration was the dogs having a tree top party. It was like they were partying on a sticky tree cloud
I assumed the OP was talking about reading instruction books in school not just books we read as children.
Yes, they did restrict the question to “Primers.” In that case our answers were done at “Dick and Jane,” and SRA. I don’t remember characters in SRA. I just remember colors and levels and that I blew it out of the water.
And that means I’m done interacting on this thread.
Yes, I DID mean the primers.
First and second grade reading is permissible. I liked ‘Look Out for Pirates too. And an Alfred Hitchcock series.
But those primers, and some of the very first books read in school, are kind of what I had in mind.
Dick, Jane, Sally, Spot and Puff.
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