I was scrolling through social media recently when I came across the above meme and quote. As a mother, certified teacher, and fulltime literacy education student, I have mixed feelings about this message.
On the one hand, I wholeheartedly believe in the transformative power of books. They allow us a glimpse into other people’s lives, reflect our own experiences, and act as portals to different worlds. We learn from books, lose ourselves in books, and fall in love with books.
On the other hand, reading can be a real struggle for many kids for various reasons. Learning differences, social/emotional issues, comprehension problems, neurological impairments, and weak foundational literacy skills (to name a few) can make reading a less than enjoyable experience.
Is falling in love with reading really just a matter of finding the right book? Will the right book help turn struggling readers into successful readers?
I plan to expand this post in the future because I think it deserves more attention, but I’d like to know your thoughts. Please answer the poll and share your reflections in the comments section.
I agree completely! I was thinking the same thing. One in five are affected by dyslexia in this country. To assume kids are not reading because they can’t find a book they like is short sighted and takes the onus away from where the responsibility lies: on schools.
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