It’s interesting. I recently saw a sign that said, “Read More Books than Blogs” and here I am writing a blog post. I think I understand what that person is saying but it doesn’t have to be an either/or sort of things. That would be like saying just fiction is worth reading…or only non-fiction books are worthwhile. Actually I’ve found that you can glean information and truth from both kinds! The key is to READ!
I have the interesting pleasure of working with my five-year-old grand niece. She’s in kindergarten and they’re expected to be reading a little by the end of the year. She is a smart child but her learning pattern isn’t the usual audio/visual-wham-bam-I’ve-got-it. The teachers are stretched thin and this little one is slipping between the cracks. She has already learned how to guess and fake it as well as how to wiggle and avoid to give herself thinking time to come up with the right answer. Neither technique works all that well and she is slipping further behind.
There are several things I need to work on simultaneously: Learning strategies and focusing, confidence, phonics and sight words to name a few. If we can get a handle on those elements this child will soar. So-far-so-good but we have a lot of ground to cover before May. Wish us luck!
Reading is so important. There are people who aren’t big readers for a variety of reasons. In some ways that makes it rough as the world is spinning faster everyday. I think it’s extra important for this upcoming generation to be able to read as more and more information is thrown at us and we need to sort through it and analyze. I won’t say that you can’t accurately evaluate information without reading… but it certainly helps. Otherwise you are vulnerable of getting your information from other people’s spin.
When my son was in school he too had a different learning modality and was being lost in the system. Working with him every night did wonders and in one years time he moved up five grade levels in his reading. Woot! Success! The teacher wanted him to read a variety of genres and got a bit nasty because he wasn’t interested in biographies but preferred science fiction or Sherlock Holmes. Good grief! He was reading! Wasn’t that the main idea? Today he’s primarily a non-fiction reader and while it is a trifle sad that he will never read my books I’m delighted that he is proficient. That’s a valuable tool he takes through life.
Books, blogs, newspapers, magazines, internet articles are all wonderful and each have flaws but the more you read and learn the better you are prepared for dealing with life. Yes, read them all! Give your kids comic books and picture books when they are small. Encourage them. Reading is an incredible gift.
Thomas Jefferson once said, “An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people.”
And education starts with reading.
2 Comments
Holly– Lovely blogpost that mentions some things near and dear to my heart. When I was a kid I devoured Nancy Drew books, as well as the Steinbeck books and biographies my mother was reading. I also followed my father’s example and read the newspaper every day. At first, it was the comics, then Dear Abby, and finally, the news articles. I wholeheartedly agree with you that the idea is to get kids to read, and providing them with material that is interesting to them is the key. Sometimes that will be comic books. Reading my older brother’s Superman, Batman and G.I. Joe comics didn’t hurt me one bit. Congrats on the success you’re having with your niece. She’s fortunate to have you in her life. –Jayne
Thank you, Jayne.I was a comic book reader and a little slow for reading to “click” but when it did there was no stopping me. I was devouring James Mitchener by middle school. Today everything is just a bit more accelerated and I’m trying to give my grand niece a bit of a nudge. I only get to work with her once a week. 🙁 but we are making progress.