State-Approved Textbooks

* In support of “No Wonder Kids Hate Textbooks” (by Joy Hakim, Commentary, Jan. 10), I would like to relate a real-life story. Several years ago I taught fourth grade. A new textbook for social studies was adopted by our school, covering everything from the beginning of time up to the present day in California in carefully arranged, factual sound bites. I was new to teaching. What did I know? So I implemented the curriculum just as described in the teacher’s manual. Around the third week of school, I asked the children to take out their new books and a groan went around the room.

I visited the principal and fortunately got money to buy historical novels, and we spent the rest of the year happily wending our way through several novels, reenacting events and participating in adventurous activities in which the children learned a great deal about three important eras in California history (Chumash Indians, missions and the Gold Rush), but failed to “cover” all the facts in the text as prescribed by the state. Once in awhile, someone would drag out the new text to research specific information. However, the kids would usually want more than the text provided and we would have to go in search of books or other sources of information. Now, that was real learning.

Textbooks are useful, even necessary, for some subjects, such as math or some parts of science. But, if I were in the classroom again, I’d steer clear of the standard texts for history or English in favor of real, live literature that engages the minds of the youngsters and entertains them.

SALLY ANGEL

Valencia

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* Hakim pushes hard for a narrative approach to the writing of textbooks for youngsters. All well and good with the possibilities of “humanizing” history, making history a storytelling event. But in the “telling,” I think we ought to be careful not to slant and jazz up facts and events for the purpose of promoting appeal.

History is inherently full of facts, events and people dealing with an ongoing saga. It can be made an intriguing documentary. But Hakim’s negative estimate of the less entertaining history textbooks extant is a judgment that needs close scrutiny before we discount their effectiveness.

CHARLES R. BARR

Upland

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* California could start a useful new trend in the school textbook market as it spends $1 billion on new texts (Jan. 3): “textbookazines.” Why not create a new category of magazine-like textbooks that are each pupil’s to keep? Magazines are more affordable than books. I believe this new approach to school textbooks would stimulate greater interest by students and teachers in the subjects. Textbooks that read and look like modern magazines would turn fewer students off to reading and learning. Also, the “textbookazines” would be lighter to lug to and from school.

GREGORY WRIGHT

Sherman Oaks