The challenge of writing a book for the Nursery Classes

The challenge of writing a book for Nursery Classes

Though I had the privilege of writing textbooks for over four decades, when I was confronted with the task of writing a book for the Nursery children, I realized the challenges involved in the same. These children basically don’t need a book at all for learning, but very often parents do raise a question - how would children learn without a book? The schools oftentimes are under the obligation to keep the parents happy. More than that, the teachers have also developed a psychological dependence on the textbooks and hence they have become a practical necessity, if not academic.

The challenge started with the first page of the book where I was to introduce the concept of birds and facilitate their identification.  The page offers opportunity to put six visuals along with the names of the birds..

I started writing.. Crow...Parrot....Peacock... Swan...Pigeon...

“hey.. hold on..” I told my own self...”What are you trying to do? What is the basis for your writing these words..?

“Crow is a very popular bird..” I convinced myself.. “But then, don’t you think peacock has a better aesthetic sense than the crow? Would not the children love to see the picture of a peacock as against a crow..?”

“Of course, yes..” My cerebrum became more functional..

“But sir, the word peacock is a seven lettered word, as compared to crow, which is a four lettered word. The difficulty level is low in learning crow as against peacock”

“Sure, there is more justification for crow rather than the peacock.” I changed my decision..

Another neuron from the cortex fired up to ask me.. “but sir, if the child having admired this popular bird spells crow and writes “Kro..” what would you do?

“Oh, dear...” I advised that interfering neuron..”The teacher comes into picture only there.. Teacher will point out the correct spelling..”

This restless neuron interrupted “ but then the child asks the teacher – why crow?.. why not Cro..?”

I told that neuron.. “Be silent ..that ‘w’ is silent”

"Ok, Let me write Parrot.... children would love because they see parrots more often than the peacocks.."

Another neuron popped up... "Sir, the best is Swan... that is what children often draw.. even in their picture book you will Swan and not the crow.."

Again in a fix? What should I write? How do my children learn? What are their priorities in learning...? 

I decided I must give up.. I have no way to justify that what I am doing is correct..

Teaching the children of the age group three to six is a Herculean task.. as cognitive psychologists point out that the speed of learning and  learnability is very high for this age group..!!  

Kudos to my nursery teachers!!