《三字经》是我国古代面向男女儿童的通俗启蒙读物，从前流传范围很广，历代不绝。相传《三字经》有几种不同版本，各种版本的内容都有依据各代统治阶级的需要有所增减修订，其中以南宋学者王应麟（1223-1296）编撰的版本流传最广，为历代男女少年儿童所习诵。

　　近代以来，由于社会的不断变革，科学的迅猛发展，思想观念不断变化，教育内容日益更新，《三字经》之类的传统读物或被淘汰，或无人问津，一度曾被当成封建糟粕而禁读。现在60岁以下读过《三字经》的人可能是屈指可数了。然而，这本儿童蒙书在海外却不胫而走，据悉，1990年新加坡的译本被联合国教科文组织列为儿童道德丛书，此后，国内也曾重印和发行过各种不同版本，这表明人们正在对《三字经》开始重新评价。

　　为人子， A son or daughter, should from tender age 　　方少时， Respect and honor their friends and masters, 　　亲师友， And try their best to seek their instructions, 　　习礼仪。 And learn as well propriety and manners. 　　香九龄， Huang Xiang of nine,for his parensts old, 　　能温席， With his own body warmed up the bed-mat cold; 　　孝于亲， Such filial piety, a model of this kind, 　　当所执。 Should always be borne firmly in your mind. 　　融四岁， Kong Rong at the age of four behaved so well 　　能让梨， As to let his brothers pick big pears first. 　　弟与长， This norm of love fraternal, bear in mind: 　　宜先知。 Between brothers, be polite and kind. 　　首孝弟， Be a worthy son and loving brother, 　　次见闻， Then try to broaden your outlook further; 　　知某数， Learn to count numbers, and further still

　　识某文。 Learn to read and write with a strong will.(来源：爱思)