Little Lessons for Little Learners

This week has seen a mammoth upheaval of classrooms, children and staff as the school is about to  undergo a huge building programme. It's so big it's even got phases! My room is directly involved in phase one and phase two so we have been forced in to a much smaller room where 'our stuff don't fit'. Whittling through the what's necessary and what can we squeeze into a cupboard I came across this book

I 'rescued' it a few years ago from a box outside a charity shop - one of those 'everything 10p' affairs. Even I almost put it back as despite it's obvious charm it looked a bit manky! But then I came across this page

Letters to teach you to read

Complemented by this

Letters to teach you how to write

(What a strange idea to use bunnies as the children!)
As a fan of all things font I thought it would be fun to show the little chaps at school and see if they could attempt some copperplate themselves. As it stood I put the book on a shelf with some reference folders and promptly forgot about it.

Looking at it today I was charmed all over again. It has a page for maths (or numeracy as we now have to call it)

You may have as many of these apples as you can count

Poetry

A wintry wind is blowing

And I'm not quite sure what this one was for but it's beautiful

Our Bunny Rabbits

I love the whole fantasy of this picture although I'm afraid in all my time on door duty in the mornings I've never witnessed anything quite so glamorous ( however I do recognise the reluctant look on little boy's face)

Come to school

He doesn't look convinced does he?

This picture I just love because I am exactly the same when I receive a comment!

A letter? I wonder who's written to me
Please little Postman, oh please let me see

There is something so wonderful about the use of colour in these images - a very simple black and white plus one other. The book continues with simple tales such as 'The Toad and the Elf', 'A Tale of the Sea' and 'Pat and Smut'. Sadly I can see no sign of when it was published but it was part of the 'Golden Gift' Library from Raphael Tuck and Sons.

Inside there is a name

Edward Probert

I wonder if the book was originally his and if he did actually learn anything from it? I won't start on about old books at the minute but there is just that whole history attached to something like this - it's as though it has been transported through time and gives an inkling of what children were surrounded by all those years ago. I'm getting a bit wistful now so I'll stop there. 

Before I go though I'd like to share a little rhyme from the book entitled 'Slow but Sure':

'Come, hurry up, old Mr Snail,

You're really very slow,

You'll never see the lovely world

If at that pace you go.

You just should see how fast we fly,

Nor stop for anything,

Until we drop, quite tired out,

And cannot move a wing.'

'It's better to be slow and sure,'

The snail to them replied,

'In time, if I crawl long enough,

I'll reach the other side.'

Let that be a little lesson to us all x