We ALL Need To Read More

A few weeks ago,  I visited a local middle school and I had an interesting conversation with the school’s librarian. We worked together for a good bit of the day and I noticed that almost no one, not even teachers, visited the library. The entire space felt lifeless, empty and isolated. When I asked her about this, she revealed that not only does no one visit the library but most of the books were goin untouched until the district ultimately re-homed them. 

An entire space in the center of the library, filled with chairs and tables facing a smartboard , used to be the home to several bookshelves. These shelves were donated by the school district, in order to make space for meetings. Another room inside the library was formerly a media room, filled with multiple computers. Now it was sitting empty, except for the little bit of storage it held, rendering it practically useless since students have been assigned individual Chromebooks. If you’ve been in a public school within the last five years, then you know exactly how discouraging and desolate some of these libraries have become. 

As a kid, the school library used to be one of my favorite places to be, as it was one of the few places I could be relatively independent. I remember being in elementary school and checking out books for AR points.

Does anyone remember AR?

If you don’t know, AR was a program called Accelerated Reader and it gave you points for passing short quizzes on the books you read. Every book in the program was ranked by reading level as well, so students could not only see their reading level they were on, but it motivated them to attempt books at higher levels. At my school, the points could be used at a school store that had all types of treats and incentives. 

I remember I would rush to the library before class to take my quizzes. Sometimes I’d even ask to go during class, and when I’d walk down the hall with my library pass I felt so responsible and confident. I remember having a sense of purpose in those moments. 

The more me and the librarian reflected on AR the more I felt that the district I’m in, and many others, could likely benefit from a program like that. She used to run an AR program many years ago, and spoke about how quickly reading levels increased, all because the students had an incentive that was accessible and appealed to their independence. Once they finished their book, they took the quiz, got their points and did it again, a self-sustaining cycle.

Nowadays, I don’t see anything like this. From my experience in schools, there are sites like Lexia for reading, or Class Dojo for awarding points. But none seem to provide the right incentives to truly increase interest in reading or comprehension. My opinion is that none of these programs provide a tangible experience for students to cling to.

For example, Class Dojo is implemented in a similar way to AR, with students earning points and using them at a school store. The issue, however, is that it is behavioral focused. The problem with awarding points for behavior and not skills is that it is not practical or effective for any age group. Children will struggle with behavior until they can emotionally regulate, so it puts students with emotional irregularities at a disadvantage and eventually becomes no longer effective when those students see that they are constantly losing points or not earning any at all. I’ve watched Dojo be dismissed by students who struggle with behavior because it's patronizing and doesn’t help them actually improve. Even when I tried to talk to them, they just saw Dojo points as not worth earning because it wasn’t accessible. 

I personally believe that no student should receive points for good behavior in school, because it is the expectation. Providing points for behavior, based on my own observation, communicates that it is optional to behave well. Certain students will opt out of “getting points” because it is easier. It also forces teachers to constantly remember to give out points throughout the day instead of focusing on teaching the content. A program like AR would have greater incentives and accessibility, providing immediate gratification that is independent of how “well” a child is behaving in class.

Ultimately, we ALL should be reading more. Culture starts with the adults in our communities. Everything we do, the children imitate. We set the tone for what is expected of them. So if we, as adults, as a global community, do not prioritize, value or practice reading and writing, then we cannot be surprised when our children do the same. When we choose to outsource reading and writing in the name of convenience, we also choose to forfeit valuable skills like critical thinking, comprehension, emotional regulation, and adequate articulation of our thoughts. 

Studies have shown that the development of these skills is not only practical, but crucial for growth and success. These studies prove that reading physical books, instead of listening to audiobooks, is more engaging when developing comprehension and motor skills, for various reasons. Cognitively, we develop more skills when our learning is more hands on, targeting our motor skills. It's easy to overlook, but incorporating the use of muscle memory actually increases our overall retention of information. They also show that reading physical books over digital ones helps to regulate stress levels, as they are overall less stimulating. The same is proven for writing by hand instead of typing. 

In schools, this can aid in decreasing behavioral issues. Instead of giving rewards targeting behavioral issues, which is a symptom of a much larger problem, we can address the actual cause, which is cognitive decline. But understand, as someone who works in schools, I’m not implying that any child is dumb or stupid. In fact, many children are sharp and situationally aware. However, they are easily ill-equipped when the adults around them overlook investing  in developing reading and writing skills. It’s as if we have taken for granted the work needed to truly have agency over ourselves. 

Ultimately, the more you read and write the old fashion way, the more mentally fortified you are, and it's best to start young and at home. So parents, you cannot wait until your child is going to kindergarten to care about their reading. It almost has to start as soon as they can crawl and babble. This may seem like a daunting take, to teach your child to read, but even the smallest efforts have a great impact. 

For example, no matter the age, you can read to your child. Once a day or every other day, pick up a book and read aloud to them. Even more nuanced, read to yourself around them. Just the simple act of witnessing you pick up a book, open it and flip the pages, is enough to spark curiosity and remove any unfamiliarity that can become barriers in a classroom. Point out page numbers to them, which is great if they are learning to recognize numbers and sequential order. And if you are a parent who doesn’t read that well yourself, your baby won’t care if you read The Hungry Caterpillar or Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See. Grab a kiddie book that you can read and read it to them. You can even talk about what's on the pages. 

The important thing is building familiarity, so the idea of reading is not so foreign that it's intimidating. Building a routine or habit around reading and writing in the home will help spark curiosity and they’ll want to do it on their own.