According to a new report, To Read or Not To Read: A Question of National Consequence. released by the National Endowment for the Arts, Americans — particularly young Americans — appear to be reading less for fun, and as that happens, their reading test scores are declining. At the same time, performance in other academic disciplines like math and science is dipping for students whose access to books is limited, and employers are rating workers deficient in basic writing skills.“The study shows that reading is endangered at the moment in the United States, especially among younger Americans … and not merely the frequency of reading, but the ability to read as well,” The emphasis in many schools on bolstering reading skills and preparing students for tests, he added, is insufficient for nurturing an appreciation of reading.The NEA says this decline has “civic, social, and economic implications” and points out in their study that “nearly two-thirds of employers ranked reading comprehension “very important” for high school graduates. Yet 38 percent consider most high school graduates deficient in this basic skill.” And, “Literary readers are more likely than non-readers to engage in positive civic and individual activities – such as volunteering, attending sports or cultural events, and exercising.”
References:
http://www.nea.gov/news/news07/TRNR.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/19/arts/19nea.html
The Best Gift To My Son By James Patterson
James Patterson, the author, writes a letter to his son. It about the best gift he could give to his son - the love of reading. This letter can easily be one the teachers should be writing to their students. It should be a promise that all teachers make to their students. Dear Jack (Jackster, Boo, Bud), I have something grand to tell you—not dreaded advice or a boring lecture, just something cool as ice that I want to share. It’s a gift from your old dad—maybe the best one I’ll ever give you. Jack, I want you to become a passionate reader for life, and not because you have to or because it might make you more successful or get you into Harvard or Stanford. I’m talking about real passion here, like the way you currently go crazy over The Simpsons and The Incredibles. It’s true—books can make you crazy—but in a good way. Now, I have a confession to make. Truth be told, I wasn’t exactly a gangbusters reader when I was your ripe old age of 9. I didn’t have a prodigious vocabulary like you do. And, of course, I didn’t know how to roam the Internet. Hey, I was just starting to ride my bike around the streets of Newburgh, N.Y. Anyway, I think the main reason I didn’t read too much as a kid is because my parents and the nuns who taught at my school didn’t introduce me to books that I couldn’t put down. This was pretty much true of all my friends too. We read because we had to, not because we wanted to. But, Jack, there are so many wise, funny, exciting, magical, chilling and enlightening stories out there to read. There are the Harry Potter and Lemony Snicket books, of course; ev- erybody who isn’t a complete Muggle already knows about them. But there are other absolutely terrific, glue-you-to-the-page books. A great French writer named Gustave Flaubert once said, “It is a delicious thing to write, to be no longer yourself but to move in an entire universe of your own creating. Today, for instance...I rode in a forest on an autumn afternoon under the yellow leaves, and I was also the horses, the wind, the words my people uttered.” Jack, that’s how I feel when I write, and it’s also how you’ll feel when you read a great book. It’s truly one of the best things in life! I believe that getting you to read is my responsibility, my job. In fact, it’s the responsibility of all parents, grandparents and teachers.
That’s why I’m doing my homework now and searching for some terrific books that I know you’ll love. Why? Because, Jack, with all due respect, you probably won’t do it yourself; neither will most other kids. And so, every Christmas, you will get at least one book from me—at least one. What loving parents wouldn’t get their kids a book to read over the holidays? And every summer, I’ll also find at least a couple of books that you’ll devour just like Chunky Monkey ice cream and that you’ll never forget. Maybe someday you’ll tell your kids about them in a letter. Well, that’s my gift to you, and I can’t think of a better one. If I do my job right, reading will bring you happiness and satisfaction every day for the rest of your life. I love you, Jack. Always have, always will. Your Pop
