What Is Government?

May 1, 2007
K-Gr 2 -Each of these books has a sentence or two in large type under a full-color photo. These sentences would form one paragraph, but appearing on separate pages, they create a choppy text, with statements such as, It runs schools and libraries (Government ). The texts are so vague that they convey little information, and some of the photos lack sufficient explanation. InRules, for example, a picture of children climbing the ladder of a playground structure is captioned, A good rule is fair to everyone.Citizenship andRules have charts with text and pictures to help explain how to become a U.S. citizen and how laws are made, but most youngsters this age will need assistance to make sense of them. Because all of the books are simplified for the sake of newly independent readers, they will require adult input to make them effective for meaningful civics lessons.Lynda Ritterman, Atco Elementary School, NJ

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