Reading - The Endangered Species

It’s that time of year – end of school for millions of children.  Will your children be reading any good books this summer?  Appreciation of literature is now becoming an endangered genus. Today’s generation does not enjoy reading and by extension, cannot recognize the value of literature.  Research has found that over two hundred thousand hours are spent viewing television or being exposed to some form of electronic media [or gadgets] from age five to eighteen (A Balanced Use of Educational Media). In the present culture electronic media has become an excellent baby-sitter both at home and in the classroom. Parents use it while they perform domestic duties and teachers use it while they carry out administrative tasks.

As technology improves, parts of the minds of this generation deteriorate, in large part because of lack of use. Constant bombardment of electronic gadgets creates a passive existence which requires little thinking, if any at all. Humans were made after God’s image and likeness – a little lower than the angels, with the ability to think critically and to reason. Parents can nurture this ability in their children by reading – both reading to them and with them. Reading aloud to children has been called the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for success in and love of reading. Reading aloud, with children participating actively, helps children learn new words, learn more about the world and see the connection between words that are spoken and words that are written (Ambruster, Lehr and Osborn).

As grateful as we are for electronic gadgets, they have their place. That place is not to usurp reading, but to complement it. We risk a generation that does not understand various types of writings if we fail to act now.  Please encourage your child to read!

References –

"A Balanced Use of Educational Media." Liberty University, 2007.

Ambruster, Bonie, Fran Lehr and Jean Osborn. "A Child Becomes a Reader." National Institute for Literacy 2003: 8.