A new reading book for family and school
A new reading book for family and school
Awaking joy of reading – With what and how?
by Elsbeth Schaffner, primary school teacher
With joy I hold the new edition of “Mein liebstes Lesebuch” (My favourite reading book) in my hands. As an experienced teacher I am always looking for suitable reading material for my 7–9 year old schoolchildren, for nieces and nephews and the children of friends and acquaintances. Already the first volume of the reading book for the second class is a rich seam of information. It is the same with the second volume, bound in fresh red. Stories, riddles and verses for the third class can be found between its book covers.
While browsing and reading, I encounter many experiences with children and memories from my own childhood, on traditional and current examples of living together, how it used to be and how it is today. The successful compilation enriches the child’s mind with contributions about humans and animals and contains a lot of interesting facts about nature and technology. You can feel the enthusiasm of the collectors and authors for reading and reading aloud. In their effort to pass on positive content to the next generation, they are once again making a great treasure available to us.
I can also warmly recommend this reading book to all fellow teachers, parents, grandparents and anyone who reads with and to children. The contributions in the book inspire to joint reflections and initiate conversations about rejoicing and pleasure giving, about crying and comforting, about thinking and helping. They arouse interest in today’s world, convey positive role models and give insights into history. With anticipation, I imagine a grandfather sitting in the kitchen with his grandchildren and reading with them the story “The Bee Sting” by Elisabeth Lenhardt about the life of Albert Schweitzer. The reading book makes it possible to take part in everyday and unfamiliar things. You can learn a lot about professions, transport and leisure. Some things are also new to me, for example details about stockpiling or about the construction of the Gotthard Base Tunnel.
More is not betrayed ... I hope, however, that I have also awakened interest of many other Current Concerns readers in the distribution of the reading book. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the making of “My favourite reading book”. You certainly do not only encourage my enthusiasm to read with children. •