This article was in the Wall Street Journal last week and it really addresses some of the concerns I've had about the content of some of the books out there for boys (and girls for that matter). I've even gotten to the point where I don't even want to take my kids into bookstores like Barnes and Noble anymore because some of these books are front and center. I'd love to hear what you all think of it:
How to Raise Boys That Read
Courtney - What a great article. On the one hand, I can understand why librarians are trying to elicit some excitement in young readers even in the basest way, especially when we hear statistics about how reading is declining in all ages, including adults.
ReplyDeleteI remember Jim Trelease from the Read Aloud Guide made the point that most adults admit to only reading a few books a year, and I can testify that a majority of my college students confess that reading is a low priority, unless it's the beloved Twilight series. Their lack of writing skills is evidence of this trend. My friend who is a high-school English teacher has also observed a decline in her students' interest in reading books, even those read for pleasure, and in her students' reading comprehension. She too attributes it to the influx of electronic media.
While I agree that electronic media is sucking away the time of many boys and that grossology books are not the answer to solving this problem, I don't think we should say that all grossology books are taboo, or that children should not be allowed to watch TV or play computer games, and I'm sure that's not what this author is saying either. The problem of illiteracy is complex and has to do with issues other than just electronic media.
It seems to me that electronic media has sealed the deal, but that the problem also may have to do with the fact that parents may not be reading as much to their children as they did in the past. Also, even more problematic is the thinking that once a child learns to read, it's unnecessary for the parent to continue to read aloud to the child. I know the idea of reading aloud to a child after she learns to read was eye-opening for me, but what parents may forget, what I forgot, is that we should read stories like Treasure Island because they far surpass a child's reading level. These stories not only become favorite stories held in the child's mind, they actually strengthen the child's imagination and vocabulary, and ultimately, help children develop a taste for literature with depth. Your thoughts?
This article made me think of Jim Trelease, too. I remember Trelease making the point that for someone to enjoy reading you had to signal the pleasure-principle in his brain and if it meant using some lighter fiction to do this, then by all means let them read comic books or Sweet Valley High. I don't think there's anything wrong with light fiction, but it also doesn't necessarily mean that we have to sink to grossology books either. I think one of the points that the author made in the article was that it was a mistake to think that this is what you have to offer boys to read or they just won't read. I think the best kinds of books for boys are those with a good adventure and brave characters, especially as they get older.
ReplyDeleteElectronic media is not inherently bad. I keep thinking of the line from the T. David Gordon interview that I gave you when either he or Mike Horton said we have to understand that electronic media is a tool to be used and that we need to be careful to not become a tool of it. And the problem Gordon said he sees in his college students that he would be afraid to see what would happen if he took their laptops and cell phones away. Electronics used wisely can be beneficial and helpful in many ways, but, like anything, if it is misused, it can also become a detriment.
I totally agree with your point about parents not reading to their children. After reading Trelease's book, it gave me hope that if for some reason I had to send my kids to school, I could still influence their education by reading aloud to them. I think one of the mistakes parents can make when sending their kiddos to school is to assume that their child's education is out of their hands or being taken care of so they don't have to do anything anymore.
I am glad this subject is being brought up and discussed.
On a lighter note, I thought Rea Berg's brief commentary on the article was interesting, too: http://reaberg.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/male-twenty-somethings-reading-jane-austen/