Manners Don't Come Naturally

The only book that I still have from when I was a youngster is 

Manners Don't Come Naturally by Robert Sylwester.

And I'm glad, too, because it was one of my faves!

It was published in 1964. Can you tell?

Imagine if that were the biggest playground issue we had.

And the reason I loved it?

The boy had to write a paper about manners and he did it

in code! 

There were two pages for the reader to decode in the back.

I still get excited when I see it.

So I adapted it slightly for my second graders a few years back.

Here's what it looks like; click graphic to download.

There were even a few blank pages after the code

so readers like me could work it out.

Funny how childhood memories can come back so vividly.
I remember creating lots of codes after that.

And here we are, fifty years after this book was published,

still working with our little learners on manners,

because children's aren't born with them.

Practicing on manners with your class family?
Click {here} for some ideas in my guest post Manners, Please.
Then visit Holly over at Crisscross Applesauce 
for a Magic Words freebie.

What was your favorite childhood book and why?