Education

He's an absolute disaster.

Funny isn't it how History is the subject that is the most popular as a political football.
Gove seems to major into undermining teachers and harking back to some mythical golden age of education. (the one when most teenagers went to very poor secondary modern schools and left at 14, or 15) Many of them illiterate and unable to do basic maths.
He has neither done nor said a single sensible thing in the last 3 years in my opinion.

I think that way of teaching could appeal to kids. At that age they're not always adverse to a bit of regressing.

Love the idea of the older ones working with the littlies.

With any luck they will tie the King Arthur stories to the solid history to make it real to the younger ones. But I don't see where the Mr Men can be tied in.

Yes feetlebaum - King Arthur days. (sigh!) #onceandfutureking

"heptarchy : a hypothetical confederacy of seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of the seventh and eighth centuries"

It's a very effective, traditional strategy to ask a learner to teach someone else what they have just learned. But to choose this medium, the Mr Men vehicle, is so wrong in so many ways!

Have to say it seems like a strange and rather inappropriate idea to me. It is for the international GCSE and I read somewhere that it was produced by a teacher in an independent International School abroad.

No, I was puzzled - wondered if I'd made a name for myself My fault for not spotting the blue link - I often do, especially if it's just a one word one. Must get to Specsavers.

I am, Sel. You must have thought I was bonkers comparing Mr. Tickle with Hitler.

You've got to laugh merlot

That's what I thought, Sel. One of my grandsons is in yr 6 and would be mortified if he was presented with a book portraying Hitler as a Mr. Men character.

I agree - I think the whole idea is bizarre!

Actually, in my case, you're right, I hadn't. I missed the blue What a bizarre idea. Mr Men and Hitler? Hey ho. I'm not a teacher but would have said by the time children can actually understand what Hitler was about relating that back to their pre school days books and Mr Men is patronising.

I read it, merlot. I think there is some talking at cross-purposes here!

Am I the only one who has read Jingle's link?

merlotgran I'm confused I would have said Mr. Men books were for the under 5s. I did try and keep them going beyond as I loved the length of them for reading at bedtime.

Somehow Hitler doesn't quite come across as Mr. Tickle.

I doubt many children, even unsophisticated or immature ones would not enjoy reading Mr. Tickle with me nanaej as readings became very physical and descended into ticking matches.

I think they are terrible stories and I hated having to read them! So many better books I would prefer to read to children and that children enjoy.

Perhaps your kids were particularly sophisticated or mature sel. In my experience most under 5s really struggle to appreciate them properly.

I read the original Mr Men books to my children and still have them. They did understand the humour at an early age and loved it. My daughter has a boxed set now and the grandchildren love them too. The original Roger Hargreaves are so much better than the subsequent ones written by family members after his death.

I loved reading them at bedtime as they weren't too long

My nearly 5 year old grandsons have lots of Mr Men and Little Miss books, but they don't quite get the subtle humour yet and the paragraphs are just that bit long for them to be able to keep up with the stories. They have the toys and DVDs, though, and love those.

Isn't WW2 supposed to be a rather serious subject?

Merlot I think Mr Men books are not aimed at toddlers. To understand the humour and irony of the books needs a level of sophistication that is beyond most 3 yr olds. They happily watch them on TV as a lively moving image but I suspect many don't 'get' the story.

Seeing as Mr. Men books are aimed at toddlers and small children, might not yrs 6 and 7 be insulted or am I missing a point here?