Were the "Dick and Jane" readers used in England?

[LadyTrieste]

OH remembers growing up in the 1960s in the Midlands and learning to read at school using the "Dick and Jane" books. I think those books were only used in North America and so he must be remembering it wrong.
Does anyone know?

My brothers and I learned to read with the Peter and Jane ladybird books (mid 70s, early 80s) perhaps that's what your OH is thinking of

I think my mum had ones about Peter and Janet (?)

I read some Peter and Jane books with my daughter in the noughties - they were still being printed. I prefer that type of book (based on word recognition through repetition) to the phonics that are in favour now.

I remember Peter and Jane, and also there was a boy called Dick in some of my reading books.

Also a dog, who I think might have been called called Spot: ‘Run, Spot, run!

I could have conflated the dog’s name with the Spot books.

The ‘action’ I remember centred mainly on chasing balls and playing catch.

This was late 70s/1980 in London.

They were SO boring. I thought reading was the most boring activity on earth until I was a little older and the books improved. The reading books my five year old has now are quite an improvement, even given the limitations of needing to use simple vocabulary.

Before Peter and Jane it was Janet and John. There were a few left over books in the classroom when I started school.

I remember Peter and Jane books. They were numbered 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b etc depending on level of difficulty.
Does anyone remember Alpha and Beta maths books?

I learned with Janet and John books, two of my sons were born in early 70s and learned with the Dick and Dora books. This was also in the Midlands. I think the series was actually called Fluss and Nip, they were the pets of Dick and Dora if I remember correctly.

Might he have mixed up Dick and Dora with Dick and Jane? Nip and Fluff might trigger his memory.

We had Kathy and Mark and their dog Socks, but no one else seems to know about them. Did anyone else have those?

I had Janet and John in the early 70s.

I remember the Alpha and Beta maths books @MrsMoastyToasty They were so boring. We were never allowed to do the interesting bits like measuring the playground or measuring water!

We also had Daily 10 for maths - ten sums each morning if the same type for a week.

At least they had proper names, unlike Biff, Chip and bloody Kipper!

I learned to read with Dick and Dora, and Nip and Fluff, dog and cat respectively. Never seen them anywhere since.

I remember Peter and Jane and also Janet and John. I started school in 1973.

Ah! Thank you everyone who commented. It looks like he's confused Dick and Dora with Dick and Jane. He particularly remembers the illustrations and those in the Dick and Dora books look like what he's described. (If I can find a vintage copy that will be forthcoming 60th birthday gift sorted!)

@MrsMoastyToasty

I remember Peter and Jane books. They were numbered 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b etc depending on level of difficulty. Does anyone remember Alpha and Beta maths books?

Yes. I’m still bitter about the fact that when I finished them in y4 or 5 I was made to go back to the beginning and do them all again.

I could have sworn it was Dick and Jane. This was in the Midlands in the early 70s. There was a dog too.
However I actually have a photo of my old reception classroom when it was first opened (so 2 years before I went there) and you can see pictures of Dick and Dora and Fluff the dog, with their names underneath.

Maybe they had Dick and Jane as well.

I remember ladybird reading books - Dick and Dora and Peter and Jane and Nip the dog and Fluff the cat.
This would have been the early 1970s when I read them.

@simbobs

I learned to read with Dick and Dora, and Nip and Fluff, dog and cat respectively. Never seen them anywhere since.

The series with Dick and Dora is called The Happy Venture Readers.

@TitilatedOcelot

We had Kathy and Mark and their dog Socks, but no one else seems to know about them. Did anyone else have those?

Apparently this was the replacement for Janet and John when that got too dated. [from Wiki] In the UK there were three Kathy and Mark Little Book collections, each of four volumes: Green 1-4 (1973),[13] Orange 1-4 (1973),[14] and Turquoise 1-4 (1974).[15] They incorporated small in-line illustrations in place of certain words, such as 'umbrella'.

My Mum learnt on Dick and Jane definitely. (Midlands 50s). There were a couple on our bookshelf with the name of her first school in.

Kathy and Mark were really modern. Shiny paperback covers and everything.

I remember Dick and Jane readers from the 1970s.

We also had a series called 'The Gay Way' reading series which, in those unenlightened days, provoked some sniggering even from six year olds.

@Huginamugg

I remember ladybird reading books - Dick and Dora and Peter and Jane and Nip the dog and Fluff the cat. This would have been the early 1970s when I read them.

Dick and Dora wasn't Ladybird when my kids read them. They changed school and did Peter and Jane for a while and they were Ladybird.

I had Janet and John (1970s), I also remember ladybird Peter and Jane books. There was also a series of terribly dull reading books in our school called “wide range readers”.

Not sure why the post was hidden.

You're probably right about that.
This thread took me back many years. I was delighted the old memory cogs are still turning