... IN FAITH

I have been intending to comment on a Literacy News article  by children’s book author Joseph Kehoe that was posted in February. There are actually two aspects to the article that I wanted to share.

1. The article lists some interesting quotes and disturbing statistics:

• “Reading opens doors. Not reading slams those doors shut.”
• “More than 70 percent of inmates have limited literacy skills. So many non-readers wind up in jail, in fact, that many states use 4th grade reading scores to help calculate future prison needs.”
• “Reading in elementary school is really that important. There’s nothing more important. Everything else is a distant second. Everything.”
• “schools remain full of reluctant readers…and statistics show that the problem is getting worse.”
• “The National Center for Education Statistics reports that fewer than 30 percent of 4th graders nationwide read at a proficient level”
• “In an age of enormous advances, reading skills are actually declining.”

2. Joseph provides suggestions for reaching the reluctant readers in your life:

      Interesting Content: Children need to read things that interest them.

      Plenty of Time for Reading: Schedule reading time every day.

      No Genre Hating: We all have personal preferences, but it’s critical to keep our eyes on the prize – getting kids to read is the goal. Having students share our particular passion for this or that book is not. Within reason, let students read what they want.

      Reading Comes in All Forms: It’s important to remember that reading material comes in all forms. Comics, graphic novels, and web sites are just a few examples where kids can go for interesting reading material.

      Read Aloud: By reading aloud, adults can transmit the excitement of reading to children.

I hope you will use these suggestions and other methods to help reverse the negative trends outlined in the article. Happy reading!

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