Readers are Leaders
As technology soars people spend more and more time playing and messing on screen devices. There are glossy flat screened TVs, Ipads, Iphones, Xboxes, and computers everywhere.
They are so inviting and are fun and even useful, but suddenly the reading levels of children have dropped unbelievably and the use of these devices seem to be a large part of the reason. A Fox News article in 2007 revealed, “The lack of reading is the most important socio-economic issue in the United States today.” It said that 72% percent of high school graduates were deemed by employers as “deficient” in reading and writing. Less than 50% of 9 year olds read more than 5 books a year, other than for school and 20% in high school.
There was a time in this nation when reading was common. People even enjoyed it. Many kids I talk to now laugh at reading and books as though they are outdated. I've seen several Facebook profiles that say in the "favorite books" section, "Seriously, who reads books??" How sad. I can honestly say where the majority of my learning has come from is reading. Even books that I chose, I learned from. I took a college class on Anaylzing Lit. and was mortified by all of the Old English and confusing poems, but once I dug deeper I actually enjoyed finding the meaning behind the formal, rich words. I was amazed that even something that I had considered "stuffy reading" could really capture the imagination.
A lot of adults have the philosophy of, "Okay, so lets just get kids reading something." So the most popular books, for boys especially, are extremely inappropriate. The titles alone indicate that! So even those who are reading tend to read junk. There are good books out there for kids. I absolutely loved the kid's "Left Behind" series by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, when I was young. It was 40 fast paced books that were really quite unbelievablely awesome!
Why do I think reading is so important? Because it is proven that those who read, especially thought-provoking books, are more intelligent, and even well-mannered adults. Readers really are leaders. Reading stretches the brain like nothing else. A good book is better than any movie. You've seen a movie and heard someone say, "The book is better." Books have a way of pushing us. Kids have lost this in the fast-paced, thrilled culture. I love Facebook, but it can easily eat up hours of time. People don't know how it feels to have to imagine anything anymore. Sometimes we need to have to be patient for the climax of a book or have to really think about the story line. I love movies and TV shows, but they just don't require much brain power. Reading does. Lets get back to reading and thinking. It is worth it and is incredibly enjoyable.
They are so inviting and are fun and even useful, but suddenly the reading levels of children have dropped unbelievably and the use of these devices seem to be a large part of the reason. A Fox News article in 2007 revealed, “The lack of reading is the most important socio-economic issue in the United States today.” It said that 72% percent of high school graduates were deemed by employers as “deficient” in reading and writing. Less than 50% of 9 year olds read more than 5 books a year, other than for school and 20% in high school.
There was a time in this nation when reading was common. People even enjoyed it. Many kids I talk to now laugh at reading and books as though they are outdated. I've seen several Facebook profiles that say in the "favorite books" section, "Seriously, who reads books??" How sad. I can honestly say where the majority of my learning has come from is reading. Even books that I chose, I learned from. I took a college class on Anaylzing Lit. and was mortified by all of the Old English and confusing poems, but once I dug deeper I actually enjoyed finding the meaning behind the formal, rich words. I was amazed that even something that I had considered "stuffy reading" could really capture the imagination.
A lot of adults have the philosophy of, "Okay, so lets just get kids reading something." So the most popular books, for boys especially, are extremely inappropriate. The titles alone indicate that! So even those who are reading tend to read junk. There are good books out there for kids. I absolutely loved the kid's "Left Behind" series by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, when I was young. It was 40 fast paced books that were really quite unbelievablely awesome!
Why do I think reading is so important? Because it is proven that those who read, especially thought-provoking books, are more intelligent, and even well-mannered adults. Readers really are leaders. Reading stretches the brain like nothing else. A good book is better than any movie. You've seen a movie and heard someone say, "The book is better." Books have a way of pushing us. Kids have lost this in the fast-paced, thrilled culture. I love Facebook, but it can easily eat up hours of time. People don't know how it feels to have to imagine anything anymore. Sometimes we need to have to be patient for the climax of a book or have to really think about the story line. I love movies and TV shows, but they just don't require much brain power. Reading does. Lets get back to reading and thinking. It is worth it and is incredibly enjoyable.
Comments
Post a Comment