Got Books?

[theworm[$]]

Report shows big drop in reading

The drop in reading was widespread: among men and women, young and old, black and white, college graduates and high school dropouts. The numbers were especially poor among adult men, of whom only 38 percent read literature, and Hispanics overall, for whom the percentage was 26.5.

The decline was especially great among the youngest people surveyed, ages 18 to 24. Only 43 percent had read any literature in 2002, down from 53 percent in 1992.

I know that when I get really overwhelmed with life, my reading time seems to suffer, but I still look at reading as a great escape and a wonderful form of entertainment. I'd hate to think of a world without books, and I hate to think of young kids not reading, but opting for more immediate and visually fantastic forms of entertainment.

For anyone interested in reading more, don't forget our own EA Book Club.

We're just finishing up with Watership Down, and will be reading/discussing Phantom of the Opera next month.

[emeleel]

I can't say I'm not surprised, really.

I can but do my own part - I buy up books at the dollar store, the bargain bins, and the library book sales like they're going out of style! My kids never want for reading material. Regular trips to the library are a must, too, of course. In fact, we're leaving in about 20 minutes to go for summer reading hour.

[jenninca]

After I graduated from high school, I pretty much stopped reading literature. Now I read mostly non-fiction. I wonder if that was considered "reading" in the survey.

Cindy
who recently finished "Setting Limits in the Classroom" and is now halfway through "Teaching Students with Learning Difficulties in the Regular Classroom"...wonder what I do for a living

[icicleie]

I find that, for me, reading is a habit and comes in waves - I'll read 2 or 3 books over a week / week and a half, then not read anything for another two...

I think the drop is due to the fact that reading doesn't offer you an absolute instant escape from page one - whereas television and other forms of media do. A book takes more time to build up its own world and characters - they aren't given to you on a plate and they require you to use your imagination...I presume that if you don't have a very good imagination or visualization skills, reading won't be as impactful as telly.

Just a thought...:book:

[lynnzop[$]]

Wow. Yesterday Laura Bush was in Council Bluffs, at the library. She was talking to elementary aged kids about the importance of reading, and how "kids who read during the summer are ahead of those who don't when they return to school in the fall."

My son is getting into reading more this summer due to an excellent program through the library...he still enjoys his videos and playing computer/video games, but he has found joy in reading (thank God!). I read all the time. If I'm not reading a novel (hate non-fiction, can probably name two NF books I've read in the past 10 years!), it's a magazine or newspaper.

But while I (somewhat) agree with icicleie's premise that reading doesn't offer immediate gratification (it does for me, but only because I have such an active imagination!), I also think it has to do with the general levels of illiteracy and the "busy" life we lead. We don't have or take the time to sit down and read a book.

I'll bet if they took the survey on EA, the results would be very different.

[mtbat]

my daughter had a really hard time learning to read because of school issues, teacher issues and minor disablilities. But I encouraged her and bought her litterally any book or series she showed an intrest in-even those God awful Charmed books. Now, she's a year ahead of her age level, she's constantly reading.

A little encouragement goes a long way.

What saddens me is when her friends come over to play and comment on how many books she has-they can't imagine owning THAT many books. I can't imagine NOT owning that many books.

[murasaki]

Now that we have cable, I get sucked into the organizing shows on HGTV--the organizers are always making the people give away books. Sacrilege! I don't think I could ever part with our books anymore than I can stop buying new ones. And, strangely enough, we do read most of what we buy/receive as gifts.

[lambchops]

Doesn't shock me in the least--fortunately, my reading habits have not changed. I have for my entire life set aside bedtime as my time to read. Any other time in the car, while sunning myself, or just while relaxing is "extra."

My husband, a young-ish male, doesn't read. It's never come easy to him (ADD) so his habits haven't changed either. But I can COMPLETELY see how young people who grew up with instant gratification entertainment completely forget that books are fun too.

[thinkerlady[$]]

My kids were always given the opportunity, we have purchased a library of books. We took them to the library, read to them from infancy, and modeled reading ourselves also. We tried to foster in them a love for reading, but it did not work. They are both honor students, who can read, but don't. It saddens me deeply, but I don't know what else I could have done to encourage them to read. It got to the point in the summers during elementary school that the 3 of us sat down every day for 30 minutes to read. They only read if I read. And I loved it. But that didn't work either. I don't know, they read what they are required to read for school. Many of my own students are the same way. They(my students) tell me that they do not have time to read. Consequently, school selects and requires books to be read, and they do it, and dislike reading in the process.

[Redlass]

I can't imagine not reading either. But all the news I hear on the reading front is pretty grim.

I worked with one author and professor who said she hadn't read a book for pleasure in nearly 25 years. She was also somewhat skeptical of her daughter's passion for reading, being concerned that too much time spent reading robbed her of social skills and opportunities.

Last month, I met with several high school teachers who told us that our textbooks (written at a 7th grade reading level) were too hard for the kids to read.

Television certainly can have more appeal than reading, especially if that is what you are used to. At my age, I far prefer books to television because I find the storytelling to much richer in most instances.

I wonder, too, are the books at fault? Are writers not producing what people want to read?

[thinkerlady[$]]

I think sometimes, Bridgette, it is a combination. I think when schools began "required" reading, that stopped many kids, because of 2 reasons. Most "required" reading was at the middle/jr.high/sr.high levels, and those kids are naturally rebellious, and it took away the magic of free selection of reading materials. Most reading lists are preapproved for their literary content, and kids cannot connect with the books. We have a culture now, of literate illliterate people, those who have read what was necessary, but not any more.

I also think that in many cases the trend in education that began in the 80's--whole language/literature based reading and language approaches is at fault. It is an excellent way of teaching, and I fully endorse it, but not every teacher does, and not every teacher is enthused or skilled to teach reading and language by those approaches. Consequently, kids suffer at a very young age. Example, in the purest form, a "whole language" approach doesn't include "phonics". Instead the teacher is to present it through the student's actual reading. The student IS taught phonics, in theory, but the teacher may overlook it because she or he isn't skilled at teaching phonics this way.

Many school systems have "adjusted" the approach. Most call the reading a "Literature Based approach to Language". This allows for phonics books/instruction, spellers, and grammar workbooks. It makes teaching easier, and learning more structured.

My son lost out to this. In second grade his school changed approaches, and he never really learned vowel sounds. We moved, and all through grade school it was a problem for him. Some things have to be learned at certain ages.

[Redlass]

And you bring up a good point. If people find reading to be difficult or to be a chore, they're not going to develop a love or passion for it.

If they find what they are reading irrelevant, they aren't going to develop a passion for it.

How much freedom to children have in the schools to pick their own reading material? Is everyone in a classroom reading the same book? Or are there several to choose from?

[amykhar]

My reading is way up now because of my job. I read during executive sessions at meetings, before meetings, after meetings while waiting for my cab, on the bus and when I get home to wind down.

It's replaced a lot of my computer time. I have never been a huge television watcher.

Having my library card has been a tremendous aid in getting me reading more. Before, I could only read what I could afford to buy or what I could borrow from friends.

Sarah reads in spurts and Kareem and the girls both enjoy reading or being read to. If the kids didn't read, I would probably turn off the cable and drive them to books. Bob doesn't really read. He picks up a book - usually a programming manual - opens it, and promptly goes to sleep. He will read an Anne Rice novel though.

[Redlass]

Both my husband and I are huge readers, but we have to be. I don't think you could be a good writer, actor, or teacher if you didn't read a lot.

Our son likes being read to, but he dislikes reading himself. I'm not too worried about it yet, though. He's only six and reading still comes slowly for him. I'll worry if he doesn't like reading when it comes easily to him.

[emeleel]

Our son likes being read to, but he dislikes reading himself. I'm not too worried about it yet, though. He's only six and reading still comes slowly for him. I'll worry if he doesn't like reading when it comes easily to him.

Sean's nearly 9, and I worry about him sometimes. He's been able to read words since he was slightly less than 3 - started reading easy books when he was about 3 1/2. Reading has always been easy for him, and he does like it, but he almost always sticks with easy books. All he ever checks out from the library are easy books. But he still loves to be read to at night. And he will occasionally tackle a bigger book by himself - but only AFTER I've read it out loud at bedtime. He's read all 5 of the Harry Potter books himself, and "The Story of the World" (I nearly fainted when he chose that one and read it by himself! LOL) and maybe a couple of other chapter books. And sometimes he reads the Bible. But mostly it's easy books and Peanuts compilations. It's like he's afraid to try chapter books without "tasting" them first by my reading them at bedtime. And while I love our bedtime storytime ritual, I can't pre-read all of his chapter books for the rest of his life!

[thinkerlady[$]]

In my children's school experiences, much of their reading experiences have been orchestrated by the school. My daughter will occasionally pick up a book that strikes her interest. I still recommend books to her, but she rarely reads anything I recommend. She will not voluntarily as a regular practice, read.

My son is still in high school, and his reading is still orchestrated by school. He reads regularly, but what is required.

I am in a quandry. As an educator, I understand the need to encourage reading, and since kids will not read on their own, I accept that we as the school must "require" reading. As a mom, I have seen how the "required" element has turned kids off to reading. Not just my kids, most of their friends are the same.

In my class, I "require" a book each month. I have made the "report" nothing more than a fill in the blank paper, about the choice. I leave the choice to the student, but must have the 'report' as proof the book was read. I don't put a hefty grade on it either, and try to emphasize the "reading" not the reporting. It helps some, but not all. Many still see it as "required". One year, back when I was teaching 6 th grade, a boy asked how "big" was the last book I read. It was something like 670 pages. He said he had never read 670pages his entire life. By the end of 6th grade he had read almost 2000 pages. He didn't even realize it. He left my class reading, but I don't know if he kept it up.

[jenninca]

We "have to" read the stories in the reading book. Some of them are dumb, and most of them are so far removed from the kids' experiences that it takes a very creative teacher to get them to connect with them at all.

(Side note - sometimes it's interesting what they do connect with. They have to take a state test filled with mostly dumb passages. So we talk about what to do when you don't like the passage. When we took the test from the year before for practice, we did a vote of which stories they liked most and least. I thought they'd like the one about pandas and the one about the Boys' Choir of Harlem (as 2/3 of them are in choir). But many of them liked the one about the girl's aunt who weaves lace, which I couldn't get into at all.)

Aside from the reading book, though, I almost never require the same novel to be read. They choose their own books. Many of them need direct instruction in how to choose a book that's good for them. If they don't know how to find a good book, they will never learn to love reading!

After the state test is over, we do switch from the reading book to novel studies, but we always do things they love, like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," so many of them actually like doing the novels together better than choosing their own books. (Which, I think, comes down to an inability to choose a good book for themselves.)

Cindy

[erik_kosberg]

I’m not sure what I did right but I ended up with a kid who loves reading. My eleven year old reads books assigned at school (which tend to be way below his abilities) as well as a great deal of self-chosen stuff for fun. He just finished Stephen King’s Everything’s Eventual.

Next fall when he enters middle school he’ll be attending a “core knowledge” charter school that has a very different emphasis than the “urban environmental” primary magnet school he’s been at recently. I’d like to see him branch out into a bit more non-fiction.

[emeleel]

erik_kosberg said

I’m not sure what I did right but I ended up with a kid who loves reading. My eleven year old reads books assigned at school (which tend to be way below his abilities) as well as a great deal of self-chosen stuff for fun. He just finished Stephen King’s Everything’s Eventual.

Good for you! I think it's very important to instill in kids the ability to read stuff that they are supposed to read, as well as the stuff they want to. But I'm sure it's tricky trying to pull that off without instilling a general hate for reading, as several others pointed out above.

I hated reading assigned stuff in school, and ducked it as much as I could, when I could. With a few exceptions, like Shakespeare. But I read everything else under the sun that I could get my hands on. However, I wish I'd had the self-discipline to stick it out and read things for school even when I didn't want to.

[arianej]

Both my parents are readers and they raised all three of us (I have a younger brother and sister) the same way: many trips to the library, books at home, audio books and reading aloud when we were little. My sister and I grew up to be insatiable bookworms with both of us reading from a very early age. My brother, on the other hand, rarely reads for pleasure at all. Who knows how these things happen?

I can't imagine life without books. It's been wonderful and much-needed escapism for me since I was a kid, and I make time to read daily. My husband reads a bit less than I do, but still reads regularly for pleasure and on work-related topics like computers and programming. We don't have kids and aren't planning on any, but we do have a niece or nephew on the way and I already have a small library started for him/her.

Ariane

[soxfan[$]]

I actually spend more time reading books now that I'm involved with someone. It helps that a) she's a reader herself and b) she's got quite a few titles that I've been meaning to read but haven't yet.

[murasaki]

More food for thought:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/10/opinion/10SOLO.html