The article is written by Natasha Harding and Caitlin Black, Sun Online.
The article starts by mentioning that up to one in five 16-year-olds will leave school with a below average reading ability and that the new Department of Education figures also reveal that 20 per cent of children will fail the SATS reading test. The article also mentions that studies show poor reading skills leave children with low self-esteem, a higher rate of absence and poor exam results.
The article tells us the many reasons why reading is so important.
Film and television are wonderful but all the work is done for you. Whereas, when you read a book, you have to use your imagination and ask questions.
It's a quieter, more personal thing and you set the pace yourself and can totally immerse yourself in the story.
Some children however, need some encouragement to read. This article mentions some ways to do so. First of all, it’s important to have books around, make story-time part of a bedtime or daily routine, find books they respond to, don’t be judgmental about the topic of type of reading material and do not force it. It doesn’t matter what their choices are, as long as they are developing a love of reading.
I think in Holland we have the same issue. Kids these days do not read unless they have to. We don’t have to discuss why this is a problem, we all know the benefits of reading. I think this article has a very good point and it’s good to give parents and teachers tips on how to get kids reading again. I think the most important thing is to have books around that draw their attention. You can not force books on them that they do not respond to. If anything, this will make them dislike books. Another good point is to have children make their own choices on what they want to read. As long as they develop a positive attitude towards reading. I think this is very much needed, also in Holland.
I totally agree with you. Books are a great way to acquire vocabulary, to stimulate imagination, to develop ideas and to form an opinion. Not everyone is born with a love for reading, but I do think that parents can play a major role in stirring up that love. By early in the education reading out loud, for example, by making them members of a library or by helping their children to find an appropriate book, including comics. You often see that required reading in high school evokes an aversion to reading, but if before that reading was a positive experience it will restore again.
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