Fun With Pre-Primers

Remember sitting in your kindergarten or 1st grade classroom learning to read with pre-primers? The pre-primers were usually small softbound or paperback books and each page usually had a water-color illustration with simple text and most pre-primers were part of a series. Usually a series of 3 pre-primers were read in the first semester before progressing to the primer. In these pre-primers were the adventures of any one of the popular duos such as Dick & Jane, Alice & Jerry, Jack & Janet, Tip & Mitten, Tom & Susan, Don & Peggy, Bill & Susan and the list goes on. Each author and illustrator included pets that were loyal to the children. Their animated stories were chocked full of family values and something the children of the era could usually relate to, or at times envy. Each publisher used short stories in these pre-primers to teach children strong values such as sharing, family interaction, responsibility, health, safety and helping others along with basic reading skills.

Today, the vintage pre-primers and primers can still be found but are becoming harder to find. The Dick and Jane pre-primers tops the list of the collectible, elusive and the highest value. Teaching aids that accompanied the pre-primers, such as the flashcards, paper doll cut-outs and big books (the large easel supported books used to teach along with the small pre-primers) are fetching high prices due to the scarce availability of these items.

The baby boomers and the tweeners of today can still remember learning to read with Dick and Jane or many of the other popular pre-primers. The authors and illustrators of these pre-primers were wonderfully talented and gifted because they gave us such a high level of self esteem and confidence as we learned to do the big kid thing…READ!! -- Courtesy of Abebooks bookseller Julia's Collectibles, specialist in pre-primers.

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