jim henson

Please follow this link to my flickr set:
'Excerpts from Elson-Gray's Primer & Book One Readers, 1930 editions'
(54 images)

I've posted some images from the first set of beginning reader textbooks that introduced the characters 'Dick and Jane', who - - for better or worse
- - would influence a generation.

Basal readers like the Elson-Gray series were considered 'state-of-the-art' educational tools once upon a time, and they received wide use in American schools for several decades.

Eventually their typical neglect of phonics, coupled with an unnatural narrative structure would turn popular opinion, and they were deemed to be an inferior method for teaching reading skills.



Flawed? Perhaps...
...Clichéd over time?
Most definitely - - but nevertheless, the scenario and structure propagated by
William H. Elson and
William S. Gray became an archetype.

There's a dearth of info available about the various illustrators for these 1930 editions.
Anything you can share on that subject is much appreciated. Please leave a comment or drop an e-mail.

Please follow this link to my flickr set:
'Excerpts from Elson-Gray's Primer & Book One Readers, 1930 editions' (54 images)