“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”
— Frederick Douglass
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A week or so ago, Reavis Wortham wrote a TKZ post entitled “Reader Under Construction” where he outlined the benefits of reading to young children. The comments revealed how many of us remember our first experiences with reading and the joy of reading to others.
The photos of Reavis’s grandchildren made me think how fortunate children are who have parents and grandparents who read to them and encourage them to read for themselves. Not everyone is so lucky.
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THE GOOD NEWS
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss
Those of us who frequent the pages of the Kill Zone Blog are well aware of the profound benefits of reading. We remember the excitement that came with learning to read and the many hours of our youth spent with characters like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys.
Some of us were drawn to writing from the books we read. I’m going to guess that *none* of us can imagine our lives without being able to read.
But reading is more than enjoying a good story or educating oneself. It actually transforms the brain and makes the reader smarter, healthier, better organized, and more likely to make wise decisions in life.
MORE GOOD NEWS
“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” – Richard Steele
According to an article at the Mather Hospital website:
Regular reading improves your brain power and memory function by giving your brain a workout . It may help to slow the process of natural memory and brain function decline that comes with age. According to neuroscientists at Emory University in Atlanta, “reading a gripping novel makes changes in the way the brain connects with different circuits.”
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NOW FOR THE BAD NEWS
After reading Reavis’s post, I was inspired to look up the data on literacy in America. Here’s what I found.
Although the U.S. spends an average of a whopping $17,280 per pupil annually to fund K-12 public education, the National Literacy Institute reports 21% of adults in the US are illiterate in 2024.
To expand on what this means, a Wikipedia page on Illiteracy in America states
Adults in this range have difficulty using or understanding print materials. Those on the higher end of this category can perform simple tasks based on the information they read, but adults below Level 1 may only understand very basic vocabulary or be functionally illiterate.
In addition to the large numbers of illiterate Americans, the National Literacy Institute also reports 54% of adults have a literacy below a 6th-grade level.
Furthermore, thewearyeducator.com site reports on the impacts of illiteracy:
- 43% of adults at Level 1 literacy skills live in poverty
- 85% of juveniles who interact with the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate
- More than 60% of all prison inmates are functionally illiterate
- Low literacy costs $73 million per year in direct health care costs
I could go on, but you get the message.
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So, how can we as authors help combat the harmful effects of illiteracy? Writing good books that people want to read is one obvious answer. I like to think mystery novels not only entertain, but also challenge the reader to figure out who committed the crime, thereby improving the reader’s problem-solving skills. Stories that emphasize themes of justice and honesty are welcome messages in our often cynical world.
But can we do more?
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“Books can be dangerous. The best ones should be labelled ‘This could change your life.'” —Helen Exley
So TKZers: What are your thoughts about the problem of illiteracy in our country? Any ideas on how we can help overcome it?
“Books and doors are the same thing. You open them, and you go through into another world.” —Jeanette Winterson
Fly with private pilot Cassie Deakin and enter a world of mystery.
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, or Apple Books.
I spent a number of years in Orlando volunteering for the Adult Literacy League, tutoring and then training tutors.
Good morning, Terry. What a wonderful service to perform.
There are a number of very good literacy organizations in the country. My husband and I support the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. I understand Dolly Parton established an organization to provide books to pre-school children, but I don’t know much about it. (I’m frustrated that we need literacy orgs – it seems to me that schools should be at the very least turning out people who can read.)
Teachers are doing more and more with behavior issues. We need to get to the root cause, which I believe is multifaceted. Drug use, including marijuana; alcohol abuse, poor nutrition, and plastic in our environment. It starts in the home with prenatal care and good parenting. Teachers can only do so much when children come to school sick, hungry, cold, and/or neglected.
Thanks for this excellent observation, Kim. It all starts in the home. No amount of money flung at a problem can change that.
I may sound like an old lady, but I don’t care. I think it’d help if cell phones were not allowed in schools and that kids and teachers had to learn/teach with pencil and paper and chalk. Sweden started doing away with digital learning in 2023, and the results are good and go beyond learning but improve behavior and play, too. A group of education researchers in Germany believe the same thing and tried to change things last year, making school a digital-free zone until after age 11 (I don’t know if they were successful).
Good morning, Priscilla!
Doing away with cell phones in schools sounds like good ol’ common sense. I can’t imagine how hard it must be if kids are constantly checking their phones all during the school day.
I’m reminded of a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon. Calvin amazes his parents with details about dinosaurs. Dad asks why he doesn’t do better in school, and Calvin answers that they don’t study dinosaurs in school.
The US education system was designed to crank out dependable factory workers. Rote learning and repetition were seen as features rather than bugs. Montessori has a different approach, emphasizing children’s natural interests and activities rather than a top-down, uniform approach. My grandchildren love their Montessori school, and I bet even Calvin would like it.
Hi Mike.
If it’s good enough for Calvin, I’m all for it. 🙂
Several years ago, my husband and I were asked to help judge a speaking competition put on by a home schoolers organization. The contestants were around twelve years old and each one would speak for a certain length of time on a subject of their choice. We were blown away by the maturity and skill of those kids. That one experience made me a fan of home schooling.
My kids all had the good fortune of being accepted into a gifted student program in elementary school. They held an open house, where the kids explained the project they’d undertaken, and it was mind-blowing at the maturity of these second graders talking to adults as equals. But it’s the other end of the spectrum that needs help.
Working at pubic libraries for many years showed me the value of connecting people with books that would speak to them. My favorite class assignment to help a student with was the one where the student had to read a book, about anything. I would ask them about what they were interested in, what they loved, and we’d look at books in those areas, nonfiction or fiction.
To me, that’s the key–sparking an interest in reading based on their own interests. Too often there’s a checklist aspect to education, and it is important to have the fundamentals down, as well as learn how to learn, but when you can connect someone to books about things they care about, it can make all the difference.
Good morning, Dale.
What a wonderful part of the job of librarians – to help kids find something to read. I can understand why that was your favorite thing to do.
Kay, I couldn’t agree more. I always appreciate your support of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.
Education needs to concentrate on fundamental reading skills. Until students attain an appropriate level of reading proficiency, they should not advance to the next grade. If that means additional tutoring and assistance, that should be the priority to help kids who are struggling.
If I were teaching, students would have to leave their devices outside the classroom door. Physical books would be in every kid’s hands.
Good morning, Debbie!
I agree with you – children need to learn how to read. Everything depends on that one fundamental skill. I also like your idea that a child shouldn’t be promoted to the next grade level until they can demonstrate ability to read at the current level. (If they would just put us in charge, Debbie, we’d straighten this out. 🙂 )
My daughter has a tutoring business in Northern Ireland, and she is constantly complaining at how the teachers are teaching to tests, and she has to teach her students how to think. Or the tests cover things that aren’t part of the curriculum.
It all comes down to parents. If the kids are read to and they see the parents reading for enjoyment, they will learn to read. If teacher teach books kids want to read, they will be readers. My parents were serious readers, but I didn’t really want to read until I read my first horse book.
Good point, Marilynn. We cannot overstate the influence parents have on their children.
First horse book. Yes! For me, it was The Black Stallion.
My grandboys are all readers. Their parents give them books, not tablets or smart phones. Mrs. B sponsors “Nana’s Summer Reading Club” where they get prizes for reading a number of books. The result has been truly wonderful. They are all well spoken and at the top of their classes. Most satisfying is how their eyes light up as they tell me the plots of the books they’ve read.
Good morning, Jim.
“Nana’s Summer Reading Club” — I love it! I foresee a new generation of Bell authors.
I don’t know how you introduce reading for pleasure, but there is the start. Reading for class doesn’t excite many children. My oldest child doesn’t read for pleasure since wait for it… AP Literature class. The Hate You Give I think was the deal breaker. Maybe Toni Morrison.
Hi Alan.
Yeah, reading assignments for people who aren’t particularly interested in the subject are a bore. I haven’t read The Hate You Give, but maybe it’s time to put it on the list.
I think we need more emphasis on creative writing. Being able to craft your own story can generate a bigger appreciation for the written word. Also, if you wrote the story, it is a topic/theme that speaks to you.
I get frustrated when banning books is discussed. Shouldn’t we be pleased that books are actually being read? Banning them will cause greater interest in them anyway. Maybe we should ban classics that we want people to read? 🙂
Hi Annette! Thanks for stopping by and for your comment.
Once a child learns to read, they can be encouraged to write creatively. Then the circle begins: read more / write more.
Have a great week.
I started reading to my kids when they were still in the womb. My kids had their own library cards when they could sign their own names. My daughter and son & his wife have done the same. They go to the library regularly. They read every night before bed. They have screens, but they also play baseball and soccer and dance competitively so they don’t have much time to watch Youtube and play video games. Kids now learn to read in kindergarten (I didn’t learn until 1st grade). Their teachers and school librarians do everything they can to encourage reading, but it starts with the parents. I don’t think we can blame the school system. Even if it’s for less than altruistic reasons (kids who read well do better on standardized tests required by most states now and teachers get dinged if their students don’t pass). It seems to me in part it’s an economics issue. Parents who are struggling to make ends meet, who have trouble putting food on the table and clothes on their children’s backs, have to make hard choices when it comes to priorities and they have fewer resources. Dolly Parton’s program is really great. My grandson Henry received his last book when he turned five after receiving one every month since he was two. She’s amazing!
Hi Kelly.
I think we all agree that it has to start at home. But how do we get that message across to parents? I’ve read about Dolly Parton’s program that sends a book every month to pre-schoolers. She may have hit on the best way to get a child to start reading. Good for Dolly!
When I first started tutoring for the Adult Literacy League in Orlando, the number one reason people came to learn to read, or improve their reading skills was to be able to read to their children (and help with their homework). If the parents aren’t readers, the kids won’t be.
It’s a perennially interesting subject.
Back before the last ice age in 1955 there was a book by Rudolph Flesch titled Why Johnny Can’t Read. Still in print I believe as of 1986. The educators took this all very seriously in my little town and put all the kids through a speed reading class. Of course they thought I was a smart aleck because I was way ahead of the crew. My folks taught us to read early and we did not have the distractions of television.
On the other hand my cousins did have television and they all turned out to be very literate and intelligent folks so that wasn’t it. I’d finish my paper route in time to watch Mister District Attorney on their tube.
So, it is what’s bred in the bone so to speak. It comes from within the family.
What puzzles me is those folks who say “Well, I don’t read unless its something for work.” with a satisfied smirk. Those people cannot be saved. They’re bereft of intellect. Oh, they may have degrees but that’s where it ended.
We’d be preaching to the choir if we saw it any other way.
But how to communicate to kids the wonder of the world that reading provides? I guess it is a set of tools for understanding the world.
How do we get that across? Blamed if I know.
Hi Robert,
I suppose Mr. Flesch could write a new edition “Why Johnny Still Can’t Read.” It’s frustrating.
I believe teaching phonics in reading fell out of favor some years back, but now it’s making a comeback. I believe it’s been shown to be the most effective method of learning to read.
I knew much of the information, but when you put it all together, it is startling. Thank you for reminding us of how important reading is to a child.
Hi Ron. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Yes, it is startling and frustrating. From the comments here today, it appears this problem can only be corrected in the home. Teachers can only do so much.