ABECEDARIUS

The abecedarius (alphabet book) dates from colonial times with The New England Primer(1683) which included the ABCs in rhyme. This served not only to introduce the letters of the alphabet but passed on the morals of Early America. Learning to read was taken seriously and little thought was given to making it interesting or fun. A warning in the primer says "He that ne'er learns his A,B,C/Forever will a Blockhead be."

By the end of the 19th century, the abecedarious began to reflect America's changing attitudes toward education and a more lighthearted attitude toward life in general. Alphabet books were still used to pass on moral values but the abecedarius was changing. In 1871, an ABC book was published that had humorous limericks for each letter. In 1882,The Shaker Abecedarious, included rhyme and rhythm to make reading instruction more enjoyable. In 1886, an ABC book of familiar rhyme "A Apple Pie" marked the transition from moralistic alphabet books to enjoyable, brightly colored books that made the ABCs fun to learn

The publication of alphabet books continues to grow and specialized alphabet books have increased in popularity. The internet also has information often listed as "From A-Z". ABC books help children learn their ABCs and contribute to visual literacy.