Covering Current Events for Children’s Publications Can Be Tricky
Write-up by Aldene Fredenburg









Since at least 1928, when “My Weekly Reader” debuted in elementary school classrooms, publishers have been attempting to cover existing events for youngsters. “My Weekly Reader” was an accepted and unquestioned component of children’s lives for decades. I don’t forget searching forward to each concern, which got passed out when a week and which I got to preserve.
Looking back, I bear in mind the weekly newspaper a bit differently. I remember one story that told of youngsters in communist Southeast Asia getting encouraged to turn in their parents for alleged subversive activity, and one more piece about the wonders of nuclear power, which was touted as “clean” and the wave of the future.
News or propaganda? The problems in Southeast Asia grew into the seemingly unending Vietnam War, and nuclear power was later attacked for its prospective dangers and its something but clean waste items. Info that was becoming fed to fourth- and fifth-graders as settled fact was anything but.
Which brings us to the question–how do we bring present events into the classroom? Do we discuss the social and political events happening in the globe these days, and how? Present events include the a lot disputed war in Iraq, the firing of eight U.S. attorneys, possibly for political reasons, and the well being care insurance crisis. The problems involve homeland security, the separation of powers, and the basis of the economic structure in this country–big topics for ten-year-olds.
It’s important, when bringing existing and typically controversial topics into the classroom, for teachers to keep away from imposing their own personal views onto the students, to supply a assortment of age-suitable written materials that offer you a factual basis for the discussions, and to permit students to talk about the issues and express their own views with no criticism. Teachers need to also make an effort to incorporate neighborhood, as well as national, troubles in the discussion.
Teaching students to strategy troubles in an intelligent, rational way will benefit them and society in the future and dealing with present events in the classroom in a responsible way is a excellent chance for teachers to begin the process of creating students into informed, active citizens. It really is a difficult assignment for today’s teachers, but well worth the effort.


About the Author
Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New Hampshire. She has written many articles for local and regional newspapers and for a number of Internet internet sites, such as Guidelines and Topics.