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I think so. My parents made sure that I could read fluently and comprehend, which is something a lot of kids can't do (at least when it comes to reading out loud).
Many people don't read for pleasure anymore, hence why Barnes & Noble's sales (and other bookstores) are down.
Very true. My young son was picked to be part of a reading improvement program at school. We were told because he does not read at grade level. We did not know what grade level for a 4th grader was but shared the kind of books that he had in his small libary, books that he read cover to cover and could not wait to get another one. He owns the complete Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series and he had completed it. He also has read many other books that we thought were above his grade level. Still the school thought he needed help because he was not into reading their books. LOL
Wondering if the school is basing their assumption on something like reading out loud versus reading retention/comprehension?
I think so. My parents made sure that I could read fluently and comprehend, which is something a lot of kids can't do (at least when it comes to reading out loud).
Many people don't read for pleasure anymore, hence why Barnes & Noble's sales (and other bookstores) are down.
Having worked in book publishing I can tell you that B&Ns sales are down because of ebooks, not less reading.
It's not just our children who hate to read, apparently. Adults don't seem to enjoy it much, either. My dad is from the Baby Boomer generation, and their age group accuses us of not having good attention spans, wanting everything instantly, and depending on other people to teach us everything. Dad's given me the impression that he would prefer that I pick up a book to find out some of the things I want to know instead of shelling out money for a class. 1. Is reading really a lost art? 2. Do we know how to get as much from a book as our parents did?
3. Do the generations of past times know more about actually setting out to learn a skill than the generations of today?
1. In many respects, yes. Far fewer people read for pleasure now than a generation or 2 ago. And that's because contemporary culture doesn't value reading as a skill and kids aren't systematically taught do anything requiring actual work (grit).
2. Absolutely not. Ask any English professor at a highly ranked college about kids reading skills compared to 2 generations ago. They've had to substantially reduce the amount number of books read in a given course cause kids just can't read as well. This is true of the most competitive schools out there.
3. Most certainly. This is well known, at least for Americans. But this doesn't seem to be a problem for Asian immigrants. Go figure.
Okay, so maybe the hatred of reading isn't as widespread as I thought it was. That gives me another idea; I guess maybe I'll post it in another thread.
There is no possible way that you can draw that conclusion based on a miniscule sampling of CityData responses. All you know is that the response to your post was the response. Extrapolating to the broader world is a huge mistake.
Hatred of reading. Wow! Where did that idea come from? Everyone in my extended family loves to read. One of my dear memories was of my granddaughter when she was barely sitting up. She'd crawled over to her book basket and reached for one of the books. She held it and looked like she was reading although I'm sure she wasn't. She's much older now, but still loves books and reading them.
In one of my bridge clubs, people bring books they've read and put them on a table so anyone who wants to read it can take it. This is a once a week exchange. When I've finished whatever I've read, I know I can probably pick up another soon. Most everyone I know reads quite a bit.
To actually think reading is a lost art is an odd notion, imo.
There is no possible way that you can draw that conclusion based on a miniscule sampling of CityData responses. All you know is that the response to your post was the response. Extrapolating to the broader world is a huge mistake.
As is believing the Chicken Littles who have reading already dead & buried.
I worked with a couple of kids with their reading. My goal was to show them reading is necessary to do cool stuff like cooking and science experiments but I also tried to show them how much fun it could be. I really wish I could teach elementary. I love reading and most subjects can be learned so easily if the teacher understands how to build that basic foundation. It's a skill that will serve them forever!
OH btw, I used to volunteer to read to elders at a home. That was a hoot!
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