h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The other day, I remembered the Letter People we had in kindergarten. They were these large (almost as big as a kindergartner) inflatable "people" shaped like letters -- and each had a theme that went along with that letter. For example, "Ms. B" was covered in buttons, and "Mr. C" in cotton candy. Anyway, these Letter People were for the benefit of those poor children who arrived in kindergarten not yet knowing their alphabet. Each week we would "celebrate" a different letter person, and when we had made it all the way through the alphabet, we had a big party and parade, with each of us dressed as one of the Letter People. (I, by the way, was Ms. B for Buttons).

Anyway, the friend I was discussing this was sure that I must be hallcuinating, or inventing something. Giant inflatable people shaped as letters? Far too psychedelic for a classroom, she insisted. But through the wonders of googling, I found my Letter People online. Should she really be surprised, though? I did, after all, start school in the 70s.

We're about the same age and I've never heard of them...

And I can assure you that we don't use them in school now. Kindergartners are almost expected to be pre-readers.

Forgot to add the link -- http://www.buten.com/bobopolis/letter/pictures/alphabet.gif

Erm....we have letter land I think.

Annie Apple
Kicking King

and whatnot. At least I have been informed of this by people.

And kindergarten kids aren't always expected to be able to read. Know the alphabet yes, but you know how shaky these things can be. It depends how much effort the child and parent has put in, and the intelligence of the child.

Just because some of us were reading Jane Austen age eight doesn't mean the rest of the world should.

I didn't have any letter people; my only tie to the 70's is a CD of the Partridge Family's greatest hits. But I did have pop-up blocks.
"What the-?" Yeah, pop-up blocks. When I was ten, my grandma, who never seemed to connect with my likes and dislikes past the age of five, sent me these little cardboard boxes rigged with rubber bands to jump out of the bigger box they came in (some novelty thing from Toddler Land magazine). The six sides of each box had different letters printed on them with accompanying pictures: A is for Apple, B is for Ball, etc. I felt sickened by this insinuation against my IQ level, but my sister and I had fun launching the boxes at each other, anyway.

Yeah... like we never actually played Hungry Hungry Hippos - we'd just pull the levers and watch them jump out and grab the marbles.

Mikey, those are pretty psychedelic. Definitely a 70's thing. They remind me of the Beatles' Yellow Submarine - especially the J and the T.