Dr Seuss, educational?

[Demented]

Myself and DS1 (almost five) love the Dr Seuss books, I'm sure I read somewhere that they are pretty educational, my DH however thinks they are nonsense. Does anyone know much about these books and their educational value?

Sorry don't know much about the educational value, I don't like them myself on the same track as your dh bur dd(4) loves them and my m & d are big fans and they would never let us read 'rubbish' as children!! BTW there's a film on tonight The Grinch based on a Dr Seuss book i don't know what it will be like, but your message just reminded me i'd seen it

I love the Dr Seuss books. No idea on educational value. They are repetitive and rhyming so possibly make reading fun for learners. DD is just starting to enjioy them DH had never heard of them.

Watched the last part of The Grinch last week. 20mo DD was quite engrossed by it.

I think they are supposed to be educational especially for boys because, although they are findamentally nonsense tales, they contain rhyme and repetition which encourages some early reading skills. The kids learn to listen out and start to anticipate words and stories. At ds'school last year (International) there was a club for the equivalent of Reception and Year 1 based upon the books. The leader would come up with things like recipes for Green Eggs and Ham and other Dr Seuss based activites and discussions.

To my mind anything which inspires an interest in reading at this age is a good thing although personally I find them overlong and irritating and prefer books like the Gruffalo.

They are also highly structured because they contain a limited number of words, that are 'pitched' at a specific reading level. Dd had them read to her over and over and she loved them. She is now an excellent independent reader.

I agree many children find these particularly appealing books, so that is an educational value in itself. DS2 did go through a stage (age c. 3.5) of speaking in rhyme, with the rhyming word each time being a 'made-up nonsense-word' a la Seuss ... that did make me worry a bit But it didn't last long, and he has gone on to be an excellent reader.

I did hear somewhere that by the time your child can really understand and follow a story, you should try and ensure that you don't just read to them in rhyme ... many of our favourite books at this level - the Gruffalo, Monkey Do, Duck in the Truck, etc. are all fully in rhyme. They enjoy the sing-song sound of the story, but a straight prose text can be fun too, and teaches them to listen for the story as well. Some of our prose favourites would be the Biggest Bed in the world, Swim Polar Bear Swim, and Ladybird Favourite Tales (retelling of classic fairy tales).

Thanks everyone!

He does have other books read to him but they are mostly in rhyme (Gruffalo etc) so will be mindful about varying the books, throw in a few more stories etc.

I was sitting on the kitchen floor earlier reading One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, DS1 was captivated but DH's face was a picture!

Ds (and dh) love Sr Seuss. I am a convert believing anything that encourages ds to love books and reading is a good thing. He is way ahead of his peers with reading and vocab so I presume they have done no damage.

All books for children are 'educational' IMO - though I do think that 'educational' is a bit of a sad and gloomy label for any book - they have to be enjoyed! And if your child enjoys a book then it is certainly 'educational' IMO. A love of books is one of the most fulfilling things a child can ever learn.

Does anyone remember 'The Lorax' (Dr Seuss)?
I've been trying to get hold of a copy of the video for years.

we have the book and also a tape (audio). i do remember the video, but haven't seen it recently. it's an excellent eco-fable, isn't it?

hi i found it on Amazon.com .

hth.

obviously this one is region 1 (US) so you would need a multi region dvd to play it here.

Dr Seuss books are hugely popular for children in the States and Canada......and very educational ( lots of repetition, rhyme, key words, etc) Dd has lots

Droile, if you haven't got a multi region dvd player but have a Playstation, you can buy a converter that lets your PS play multi region dvds. I bought The Lorax book for ds for Christmas but haven't read it to him yet so good to hear it's a good one.

Trivia for your day: The real Dr. Seuss (can't remember his real name) had 'GRINCH' as his personalised licensed plate.... and he didn't particularly like children, either!

I love the Dr Seuss books and so does ds1. When we saw Nemo at the cinema we saw the trailer for the Cat in the Hat film with (i think) Mike Myers.
I can't wait !!!!

I used for an insurance company and I'm not wild about insurance. I doubt plumbers get that excited about sticking their hands down toilets. What's wrong with being a children's writer when you don't like children?

Ds1 and I love Dr. Seuss. I read them to him when he was younger, now he reads them himself. An enthusiasm for books is educational in itself so ignore your dh!

Can't wait for the Cat in the Hat movie either.

Thanks for The Lorax, folks.

Thamks www, I'll check to see if my dvd is multiregion. Haven't had to buy a playstation yet, but I'm sure the dreadful day is fast approaching ..........

dr suess dvds are on sale in woolies atm they encourage the kids with dr suess books at my dd's special school, helps bring on speech apparently!

Waterstones are also selling the Dr Suess books on a 3 for 2 at the moment.