Poor reading

http://www.nytimes.com/schoolbook/2012/01/20/dear-governor-lobby-to-save-a-love-of-reading/

This is very sad.  I went to public school, learned a great deal from my teachers, and was encouraged to range far and wide in my reading–and rereading.  I thought only little kids mistook reading for a competition, but it seems that grown-ups are just as susceptible to trouble.  The comments from the authors’ children’s teacher, admonishments to keep students reading precisely at their level, and to never let them re-read, are exactly at odds with everything I strive to teach my students: that reading at a clip says nothing about your reading skill at best and, at worst, indicates that you missed out; that re-reading is key to a deep literary experience; that “difficulty” in literature has do with a great deal more than whether it’s worded for children or for adults; that there is more to works of literature than how easily they can be made to fit “love conquers all” or any other theme you might bring to the table.  No wonder students are confused.  Sydney will likely use articles such as this to persuade me to home school our kids . . . and then we’ll get to console them when they fail their state examinations.

Erin