In Honor of Read Across America Day: The "I Hate Reading" Crisis
I've always loved reading, and as a writer, I pretty much have to read all I can. That's how writer's improve really: by constantly reading and writing. Now, that's not to say that I enjoy every single book that comes my way; I have an opinion on things just like everyone else. In fact, authors are some of the most opinionated people out there.
So when an avid reader like myself hears when people say, "I hate reading," it disheartens me slightly. Now, I know we can't all enjoy everything but the as of late, I've been hearing those three words more often from people of all age groups. And quite frankly, it scares me. What's causing this crisis? I think I know.
Required reading.
Of all the reasons I hear why people don't like to read, it's because they had to read a certain book for school. Most of the time it was a classic book that they couldn't relate to or had trouble understanding because of the language. This needs to stop. The reading of classics? No, definitely not. The reading of classics in middle and high school? Yes.
I always viewed classics as "books for adults." When I'd hear about them when I was little, I would always assume it was just those kinds of books that only adults would want to read. I'll let you in on a little secret, I still sort of think the same way. Not that I didn't enjoy The Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird. Those I could relate to because I could remember growing up a curious child like Scout and currently having periods of angst like Holden (although, not to his severity). But when I was forced to read Oliver Twist as an incoming freshman at fourteen-years-old, it was a little off-putting. I was not intellectually mature enough to handle it at the time, and I still don't think I am.
I think the classics should be saved for college or just as personal reading in adulthood. I think I can better handle a Dickens novel in two or three years from today than I could freshman year. What needs to be done isn't "teach us the classics," but "teach us to love reading."
How do you do that? Well I'd say stay clear of preaching the typical reasons: "it'll make you smarter," "your vocabulary will improve" and "it takes you to another place/teaches you about other people and cultures." While they are very true, they are tired, worn-out reasons that don't faze the typical youth. You have to start early to establish a love of reading. It has to start at the home, for the most part. But schools need to enforce it too, because we all know that not every child can have the joy of a parent reading a bedtime story to them.
Part of the reason elementary school kids generally like reading (at least when I was there, I didn't know of any kids who disliked it) is because they have much more freedom in choosing the books they get to read. In fact, most of the books that I read, I got to choose myself, with an occasional required reading given to the class. So why can't middle and high school be like this?
I understand those romantic teen novels and Twilight aren't necessarily works of literary merit, but is the student reading it and enjoying it? Yes? Then that should be reason enough to allow it (of course, if it's school appropriate that is. Not sure how comfortable I would feel if the kid sitting next to me was reading erotica), because from there they'll choose better books. Once they've established that love, or at least like, of reading, they'll read whatever they can. I understand that this could cause problems with grading, as a teacher would have to be familiar with every book their students read. Something like this would probably work better with independent reading assignments, which I have not had since second marking period of last year, and at that point I hadn't had IR since eighth grade.
For a something a little less liberal than my last point: why not have a list of recommended books? That way there's still a sense of literary worth in the books chosen, but students have more freedom in what they get to read. Grading would also be easier for the teacher since they would have to be familiar with all the books on the list. I know I, personally, enjoy reading something a lot more when I get to choose what it is.
Schools should be making reading fun, not a chore. Perhaps it's time to update the curriculum. Forcing classic books we're not interested in down our throats does not help the anti-reading epidemic, but only makes it worse. I think it's time for educators to understand that as our society moves towards the future, dated books become less appealing to the modern youth. I think it's time to start a reading revolution.
Who wants to join me?
So when an avid reader like myself hears when people say, "I hate reading," it disheartens me slightly. Now, I know we can't all enjoy everything but the as of late, I've been hearing those three words more often from people of all age groups. And quite frankly, it scares me. What's causing this crisis? I think I know.
Required reading.
Of all the reasons I hear why people don't like to read, it's because they had to read a certain book for school. Most of the time it was a classic book that they couldn't relate to or had trouble understanding because of the language. This needs to stop. The reading of classics? No, definitely not. The reading of classics in middle and high school? Yes.
I always viewed classics as "books for adults." When I'd hear about them when I was little, I would always assume it was just those kinds of books that only adults would want to read. I'll let you in on a little secret, I still sort of think the same way. Not that I didn't enjoy The Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird. Those I could relate to because I could remember growing up a curious child like Scout and currently having periods of angst like Holden (although, not to his severity). But when I was forced to read Oliver Twist as an incoming freshman at fourteen-years-old, it was a little off-putting. I was not intellectually mature enough to handle it at the time, and I still don't think I am.
I think the classics should be saved for college or just as personal reading in adulthood. I think I can better handle a Dickens novel in two or three years from today than I could freshman year. What needs to be done isn't "teach us the classics," but "teach us to love reading."
How do you do that? Well I'd say stay clear of preaching the typical reasons: "it'll make you smarter," "your vocabulary will improve" and "it takes you to another place/teaches you about other people and cultures." While they are very true, they are tired, worn-out reasons that don't faze the typical youth. You have to start early to establish a love of reading. It has to start at the home, for the most part. But schools need to enforce it too, because we all know that not every child can have the joy of a parent reading a bedtime story to them.
Part of the reason elementary school kids generally like reading (at least when I was there, I didn't know of any kids who disliked it) is because they have much more freedom in choosing the books they get to read. In fact, most of the books that I read, I got to choose myself, with an occasional required reading given to the class. So why can't middle and high school be like this?
I understand those romantic teen novels and Twilight aren't necessarily works of literary merit, but is the student reading it and enjoying it? Yes? Then that should be reason enough to allow it (of course, if it's school appropriate that is. Not sure how comfortable I would feel if the kid sitting next to me was reading erotica), because from there they'll choose better books. Once they've established that love, or at least like, of reading, they'll read whatever they can. I understand that this could cause problems with grading, as a teacher would have to be familiar with every book their students read. Something like this would probably work better with independent reading assignments, which I have not had since second marking period of last year, and at that point I hadn't had IR since eighth grade.
For a something a little less liberal than my last point: why not have a list of recommended books? That way there's still a sense of literary worth in the books chosen, but students have more freedom in what they get to read. Grading would also be easier for the teacher since they would have to be familiar with all the books on the list. I know I, personally, enjoy reading something a lot more when I get to choose what it is.
Schools should be making reading fun, not a chore. Perhaps it's time to update the curriculum. Forcing classic books we're not interested in down our throats does not help the anti-reading epidemic, but only makes it worse. I think it's time for educators to understand that as our society moves towards the future, dated books become less appealing to the modern youth. I think it's time to start a reading revolution.
Who wants to join me?