I read for pleasure. Do you?
Have you ever said this to your child? Think about the power these words hold.
Think back to when your child first started kindy. Think about how important it was to you that they learned to read. What happened after they could put the letters together? After they could read words, then sentences, then whole books independently? Do you still care as much about their reading now, as you did then? Because you should.
As a teacher librarian you would expect me to have a 'reading is important' mantra that constantly runs through my head and out my mouth. In fact, after over 15 years as an English teacher I retrained to become a teacher librarian BECAUSE of that mantra. I know what happens to high school students who stopped reading in Year 5 and Year 6. I’ve taught them, time and time again. I can tell you; life is harder for them.
Next week is National Book Week. At Avondale School we’re celebrating that reading is wonderous. And it is. It really is. Reading helps you make sense of yourself. Reading connects people to each other. Reading is a creative act. It leads to learning.
In a world where we live distracted lives, of multiple screens, of pinging phones, of algorithms designed to grab our attention, reading is one thing that helps develop our attentional literacy and enable us to focus on something for a sustained time. A skill so necessary for success in school and in life.
So say it to your children:
I read for pleasure. Modelling that reading is a positive experience, one that is enjoyed by people beyond school, shows young people there are a community of readers out there. People who enjoy the act, even when they don’t have to.
Do you? These two words make it dynamic. It needs a response, and the response is the conversation opener. A positive response can lead to a great conversation about book recommendations and shared experience. A negative response can also lead to a GREAT conversation about how to improve their recreational reading.
I hope you read some great writing this weekend.
Ms Leigh Shamley
Teacher Librarian
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