A Look at Arrested Literacy
by Kelley Rosario, M.S.Ed.
As an avid reader, I’m always looking for other likeminded folks with which to unpack the content of whatever novel I’m reading that week. Like everyone else, I’ve got several group chats in which I just drop photos of the covers and ask “Have you ladies read this yet?” I almost always know which friends will reply with “OMG, YES” or “No, let me catch up” and which won’t reply at all. With my “yes” friends in mind, I began planning a book club. Almost as soon as I sat down at my computer, doubt stopped me with this question: would anyone even sign up? Of course I’ve got a few friends that I know would be interested, but most of my peers simply aren’t reading. No surprise there because my years in the classroom showed me that many of my students weren’t reading either. By eighth grade, they’d filled their free time with anything that would show a video.
In our society, reading for leisure is extremely undervalued. We often don’t encourage our children to read until we realize they’re struggling to do so. If it doesn’t affect their grades, it isn’t high on our list of priorities. We’d be proud to look in the backseat of our cars and see that our children have brought books along for the ride, but we don’t always encourage them to make that choice. And who can blame us? We’re busy. The average household has two working parents or a full-time employed single parent. We work all day, prepare meals, help with homework, clean up, support our kids in their extra curricular activities, and get ready for the next day. We don’t have our own time to read, let alone make sure our kids do. Unfortunately, skipping reading is costing all of us more than we can afford to lose.
The Problem
The U.S. Department of Education reports that 130 million adults read below a 6th grade level; more than half of adults read only as well as elementary school students. The primary reason being that reading interest tends to dwindle during or shortly before students reach middle school. Decreased interest leads to decreased frequency and limited practice of any skill arrests its development. In other words, we only read as well as we did the last time we read. As an adult, that may be difficult to swallow, but as a parent, this information is helpful. Literacy is necessary for every part of life. Words are everywhere! The likelihood that a child will succeed in English, Math, Science, or History without literacy is slim to none; all of those core subjects are text-rich. Whether or not a student is successful in these core areas is directly linked to their ability to obtain employment, specifically the kind of employment that pays a living wage. If we understand the connection between literacy and poverty, it should be quite easy to deduce the solution: more frequent, more effective reading.
The Solution
It’s important to model reading. Children are much more likely to do what they see than what we say. Reading in front of our children encourages continued interest. When that time is part of their daily routine, they begin to expect and embrace it.
Children also need choice in order to remain enthused. Allowing kids to choose what they read not only keeps them interested in reading, but reinforces their independence and gives them the sense that the adults in their lives value their opinions. They are also more inclined to advocate for themselves in other areas when they exercise their choice in seemingly less significant things like books.
What Does This Have to Do With Writing?
Author and educator, Kwame Alexander, asserts “…the best way to become an effective writer is to become an effective reader…” (2019). Just as literacy affects every other aspect of our lives, it has a direct effect on the ability to express oneself through writing. All too often, my clients will find themselves defeated by writing for years only to find out during our consultation that their real struggle is reading comprehension. Once a student receives adequate reading support, their writing challenges are much easier to overcome.
During a Greater Writing consultation, a tutor will assess reading and writing skills and recommend the course of action necessary for the student’s success. We can help you secure access to literacy. Book today!
Alexander, K., Colderley, C., & Stephens, A. (2019). The Write Thing: Kwame Alexander Engages Students in Writing Workshop and You Can Too. Shell Education.
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