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Learning to read...


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I don't remember when I started, but I think I was a slow starter. I know my parents had began to worry a bit (which is odd because they were not readers) had me tested with specialist and my dad started bringing home loads of books (the house had none prior to that) and I used them mostly for coloring in. I didn't really read for enjoyment until my parents divorce when I was 10 and I've had a book (or a few) close at hand ever since.

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I was reading by the age of 3. My mum is a big reader and encouraged me from very early. We used to sit and read the TV Times together! Then at school we had Roger Red Hat, Billy Blue Hat and Jennifer Yellow Hat!! I loved reading at school and was always sent home with extra books.

My favourites were My Naughty Little Sister books, Milly Molly Mandy, and Little Mrs Pepperpot. (I suddenly feel old)!!!

I feel like I've always been reading!

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My favourites were My Naughty Little Sister books, Milly Molly Mandy, and Little Mrs Pepperpot. (I suddenly feel old)!!!

I feel like I've always been reading!

I remember the My Naighty Little Sister books & also Mrs Pepperpot, but I have never once seen a Milly Molly Mandy book.
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Yes, I remember those too. I bought alot of them for my kids. May have some of them still.

 

Been looking for MMM but can't find her. Found a couple of other treasures though. Ten Bobalink and Bunty Stories by Violet M. Williams, about brownie called Bobalink who makes friends with a distressed teddy bear called Bunty, who is gorgeous; and Ameliaranne Goes Digging, told by Lorna Wood.

 

I also found Little Black Sambo, by Helen Bannerman, first pub 1899, but our copy was early 70's. Probably not PC now.

 

Ring any bells anyone?

 

PP:006:

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I remember learning to read with the 'Topsy and Tim' books, remember those?

 

One of my favourite quotes is from "Topsy and Tim go riding" or "Topsy and Tim go to the Gymkhana" or something equally horse, where Topsy is feeding the horse and has to admonish - "No, that is hair not hay!". With the long hair I had for most of my life, this came in very handy!

 

I don't recognise either of Purple Poppy's - and looking at the covers, I think I may be glad of that!

 

My other half would like to know if anyone else knew Alfie Atkins? I managed to track one down for him on abe books, and I don't think I have ever seen him look so happy. However, we can't find "Don't Touch the Saw, Alfie!" which was his fave so if anyone has it hidden in an attic, I am willing to pay....!

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  • 8 months later...

The first book I clearly remember reading by myself was The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss. I was on the school bus coming home and I was so engrossed in it, I almost missed my stop. I must have been in kindergarten, so I was probably around 6. Then I used to read all of the Little Golden Books, along with the Berenstain Bears. Wow, this does bring back memories! :lol:

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By "reading" I would take it to mean that one has to be able to read and understand what was being said. To be honest, I first did that in July 1960, when I was 4 years and 8 months old. It was a children's story - a Chinese folklore one translated to English and called "The Thief".

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I had Peter and Jane and Pat the dog. My son had the New Reading 360 series - they are good too, and he also used to love the Kipper , chip and Floppy series (Oxford Reading Tree) - the stories were excellent!

 

I remember reading Peter and Jane at school and my son has been reading the New Reading 360 series and the Oxford Reading Tree books this year at school - started last Sept.

 

I think Mum told me I was reading fluently before I started school at 4 1/2 and then started reading in a more stilted way when I heard other kids reading like that. I don't remember much about that time. I moved schools though when I was 6 and I do remember the teacher trying to find a book for me to read. I remember the conversation - "Have you read this?" "Yes" "Have you read this?" "Yes" "Have you read this?" "Yes" "Well you shouldn't have!" :thud: Then she gave me a book about an Ice Queen or something which gave me nightmares!

 

I don't remember a time when I didn't enjoy reading books and always having one (or several!) on the go - and I fell asleep over books from at least as early as 8 because I can remember which bedroom I was in! :lol:

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I have an older brother and two sisters.

The big deal in our house was that we'd introduce new words into our conversations that we picked up while reading. It was a very smug thing to do and we'd always set it up with a pause, "she seemed rather ... nonchalant", sometimes holding a bit for a reaction. At times we'd go so far as to deliberately pronounce the word, "must you be ... os-ten-ta-tious?", which doubled back pretty well.

Since these were words picked up while reading, we'd often flub the pronunciation and get mocked or teased, or even worse; not really know the new word having inferred meaning from the context. Decades later, when this goofy family gets together we still brandish our vocabulary with alacrity at any opportunity.

 

A whole family full of readers; I grew up with piles of kid's books, comics, storybooks and even the beloved "baby books" with textures and holes and pop-ups.

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I can very clearly remember desperately wanting to be able to read, at the age of three - watching my mum reading a book and knowing the print meant something but not being able to decipher it!:thud: I became an avid reader very soon and remember being terribly bored by the reading books we were given at school. I do know that at the age of 8 my reading age was 14, we were given tests and the teacher was so impressed she sent me to see the headmaster. I was given permission to choose books from the school library instead of working my way through the reading scheme stuff everyone else was lumbered with.

My earliest memories of books involve a series called Teddy Tar, little board books you could buy from Woolies, anyone remember them?

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