Laura Ingalls Wilder, the Teacher (Little House on the Prairie)

(image credited to https://littlehouseontheprairie.com)

The televised series, “Little House on the Prairie” (1974-1983) introduced Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family to households everywhere. Watching those shows caused me to explore a little deeper, and I discovered the treasure contained within the Little House books.

My children began by reading them aloud to me, then to themselves, beginning with “Little House in the Big Woods” and on through the series. This became a great homeschooling experience which lasted through many books and many years. Now I’m watching the next generation discover these treasures.

Laura Ingalls was a great teacher. Her stories explain that her mother and grandmother were teachers, and her older sister Mary was expected to teach as well. Laura, however, had to take Mary’s place, when her sister became blind.

“Pa” Ingalls taught Laura to be Mary’s eyes. Laura learned to craft wonderful word descriptions of sights and activities which Mary was otherwise unable to experience. In this daily practice, she developed the skill of descriptive writing, which is seen throughout her work.

The history of the American frontier is learned while reading the books. Readers learn about the uncle who fought in the Civil War, about homesteading, food preservation and preparation. Laura details the experiences of building homes, planting wheat, succumbing to grasshopper infestations, blizzards that kept them homebound for days, and many more.

I recommend these books to a reader who has completed a preliminary phonics course such as Sam Blumenfeld’s Alpha-Phonics. The Little House books become progressively difficult as the child advances through them, gradually adding new phonemes in groups.

As a bonus, these books have become so popular that it is easy to find additional teaching resources on the internet. So settle back and enjoy the stories.

by Meg (homeschooling mom of 9)

MS, Exceptional Student Education (Univ. of W. Florida) emphasis on Applied Behavior Analysis

MA, psychology (Grand Canyon University)

Bachelor of Arts (Northwest Nazarene University)

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