America Not Reading Books, But What About Anything Else?

The headline screams: One in Four Read No Books Last Year but the story fails to discuss anything else, like newspaper, magazines, internet reading, etc.

Still the trend is disburbing. If Americans are not reading boooks, and there are questions as to whether they are reading at all, what might be the impact? Well for certain, we may not have enough historical knowledge to prevent public policy mistakes or personal mistakes. We certainly may not have the knowledge to adequately choose our government.

But Eduflack brings up an even more important point--we may be raising a generation of kids who can't read either.

Effective communications is not only about words, it is about actions and behaviors. We have all heard that a picture is worth a thousand words. And it is particularly true with young people. Children mimic adults. They watch us closely and try do what we do — the good, the bad, and the ugly.

This is particularly true in teaching children to read. Parents of young children are taught to expose their youngsters to books. Show them how to hold a book. Teach them one reads left to right, and front to back. And most importantly, let them see you read — a book, a magazine, a newspaper anything.

In a field where modeling promising practices is king, this seems like a no-brainer. Non-verbal communications is a key component in teaching our children.

That's why it was so discouraging to see the latest AP-Ipsos poll that found one in four adults read no books at all in the past year. And on the whole, the average American read four books a year. Startling — 25 percent of adults couldn't bother to read one piece of chick lit, one Harry Potter, or entry from the NY Times best seller list.

Is it any wonder that 40 percent of fourth graders can't read at grade level? Of those who struggle to master basic reading skills, how many do you think see parents or siblings or neighbors reading at home? Do we honestly think there is no correlation between the absence of reading in adults and the struggles of reading in kids?

Like it or not, parents are the first, last, and most impactful teacher a child ever has. Because of this, we have an obligation to ensure all children have access to the education and opportunity needed to succeed in this 21st century economy. And one can't get on that path without an ability to read.

I am certain this won't be the case in my household, since my daughters love to read (or be read to) and routinely see my wife and I spend much time with our head in a book, magazine or newspaper.

The post noted that minorities and poorer people were less likely to read, could this be the cause of the achievement gap? Is it a chicken and egg arguement? Unless you live so far out of town that a library visit is a major trip, there is no reason why even poor kids cannot access books. But if they lack an exemplar at home, are they likely to pick up a book? Probably not.