THE POWER OF READING 10 FACTS EVERY TEACHER & PARENT MUST KNOW EMAIL: jimmckenzie@trsonline.org
• We are raising the most distracted “Our politics, religion, news, generation in the history of the athletics, education and commerce world. have been transformed into congenial adjuncts of show business, largely without protest or • ADD/ADHD is the most common even much popular notice. The diagnosis of children today. result is that we are a people on the verge of amusing ourselves to death .” ---Neil Postman, 1985 In a search for answers, we’re asking ourselves the wrong question .
� Overcome by an externally imposed oppression � Overcome by an externally imposed oppression � Feared those who would ban books People will love their oppression & adore the technology that undoes their capacities to think � � Feared those who would ban books � Feared those who would deprive us of information � Feared those who would deprive us of information No reason to ban a book, Feared those who would give us so much information for there would be no one who wanted to read one � we would be reduce to passivity and egoism �
� Feared the truth would be concealed from us � Feared the truth would be concealed from us � People are controlled by inflicting pain Feared the truth would be lost in a sea of irrelevance � � People are controlled by inflicting pain � People are controlled by inflicting pain � People are controlled by inflicting pain � What we hate will ruin us � What we hate will ruin us � What we hate will ruin us What we love will ruin us � People are controlled by inflicting pleasure � People are controlled by inflicting pleasure �
“There is a big difference between processing information on a printed page compared with processing data Are we on the verge of amusing converge through a series of moving pictures. Images have a way of ourselves to death? evoking an emotional response. Pictures have a way of pushing rational discourse into the background.” “The chief aim of television is to sell “A church cut from its word-based WORD-DEPENDENT products and entertain audiences. It is heritage and a nation stripped of word- designed to be amusing. Substance based modes of learning do not have • The Judeo-Christian heritage is gives way to sounds and sights. Hard the rhetorical or mental resources to characteristically word-dependent. facts are undermined by stirring feelings. guard against despotism.” • Movements like the Protestant Important issues are drowned out by Reformation, Puritanism, and the dramatic images. birthing of America were all created “Our image-saturated culture is and sustained in an environment that Reason is replaced by emotion .” at risk of being preyed upon by transmitted its ideas through words . a tyrant in waiting.”
The more you read, the more you know. IMAGE-DEPENDENT The more you know, the smarter you grow. • Paganism is typically image-dependent The smarter you are, the longer you stay in school. • As people trust experience and visual The longer you stay in school, the more diplomas representations, they focus less on content THE POWER OF READING you earn and the longer you are employed, thus and more on sensory appeal. making more money in a lifetime. • Historical shifts to emphasize image have A COMMUNITY OF READERS CAN BE A POWERFUL SOCIAL FORCE The more diplomas you earn, the higher your own children’s grades eventually will be in school. occurred during periods like the Dark Ages. The more diplomas you earn, the longer you live. • As the word, both written and spoken, is devalued, there is a renewed descent into paganism. #1: Reading is the most #1: Reading is the most important subject in important subject in school. school. THE POWER OF READING A child needs reading to A child needs reading to 10 FACTS EVERY TEACHER & PARENT MUST KNOW master most of the other master most of the other subjects. subjects.
#2: Across the #3: Humans are REWARDS: world, children pleasure-seekers, who read the doing things over and • Pleasure most, read the over if we like it . • Escape best. • Information Make sure they like • Prestige And that includes reading more than • Grades/Salary all social levels. they hate it. What nation has the highest per-capita What nation has the highest per-capita DIFFICULTIES: readership in world? readership in world? • Distractions JAPAN • Lack of Print a commuting nation (time & opportunity) • Lack of Time • Disabilities • Noise Level
What nation has the highest per-capita What nation has the highest per-capita #4: Read aloud to readership in world? readership in world? them, even as infants. Technological distractions Technological distractions have created a sudden & have created a sudden & dramatic drop in dramatic drop in As the child grows, so readership in spite of readership in spite of too does the time you high literacy rates. high literacy rates. should spend reading A cautionary tale for every parent bent on in one sitting. saddling an easily- distracted child with every new tech-gadget. “The single most important Phonics = “how to” (mechanics) Phonics = “how to” (mechanics) activity for building the Read Aloud = “want-to” (motivation) Read Aloud = “want-to” (motivation) knowledge required for eventual We read aloud to children for the same success in reading is reading But reading aloud goes further than reasons we talk with them: aloud to children. ” conversation when it: • to reassure • conditions the child to associate reading • entertain with pleasure “Reading aloud is a practice that • bond • creates background knowledge should continue throughout the • inform grades.” • builds “book” vocabulary • arouse curiosity • Provides a reading role model • and inspire.
1. It makes a pleasure connection between 1. It makes a pleasure connection between 1. It makes a pleasure connection between child and print. child and print. child and print. Evident even with infants. Evident even with infants. Evident even with infants. 2. It enlarges vocabulary. 2. It enlarges vocabulary. “And the waters receded continually from “And the waters receded continually from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters decreased.” (Genesis 8:3) days the waters decreased.” (Genesis 8:3) 3. It stretches the attention span. Story Time in the K3 Preschool Class “The best SAT preparation course in “The best SAT preparation course in #5: Listening the world is to read aloud to your the world is to read aloud to your comprehension comes children in bed when they are little. children in bed when they are little. before reading Eventually, if that’s a wonderful Eventually, if that’s a wonderful experience for them, they’ll start to experience for them, they’ll start to comprehension. read for themselves.” read for themselves.” --- Tom Parker, Admissions Director at Amherst College --- Tom Parker, Admissions Director at Amherst College You must hear a word Tom Parker also claims that he’s never met a student with high verbal SAT scores who wasn’t before you can say it or a passionate reader. An ACT or SAT prep class can’t package that passion, but teachers and read and write it. parents can.
There’s a kind of “word There’s a kind of “word #6: Children usually reservoir” in a child’s reservoir” in a child’s read on one level and brain and one of the jobs brain and one of the jobs listen on a higher level. of a parent is to pour so of a parent is to pour so many words into it that it many words into it that it It’s usually not until 8 th overflows into speech overflows into speech grade that the reading and then reading and and then reading and level catches up to the writing. writing. listening level. #7: Children with the most print have the #7: Children with the most print have the highest reading scores. highest reading scores. They also use the library more than those with lower scores.
Reading families use the 3 Reading families use the 3 #8: There is a strong B’s to help with the 3 R’s. B’s to help with the 3 R’s. connection between over- viewing of screen time and under-achieving in school. Books, Books, Bathroom, Bathroom, Those who watch the most & Bed Lamps. & Bed Lamps. know the least. For each hour of daily TV viewed A study by the Kaiser Family A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that among all 8- Foundation found that among all 8- by infants and toddlers, the risk to 18-year-olds the average length to 18-year-olds the average length of ADHD by age 7 increased by of media exposure each day was of media exposure each day was 10 percent. 10 hours and 45 minutes. 10 hours and 45 minutes. 59% of children two or younger watch TV daily and 42% watch DVDs or videos.
Recommend
More recommend
