Reading is key to education

It seems virtually every day of the week we read about the need to “reform” education.
We have an idea that would make a tremendous difference in the education of our children: Encourage kids to read.
We believe that no other single action would make a bigger impact on how well, and how much, our children learn.
And not only is it effective, it doesn’t have to be costly.
One of the best sources of free materials — the public library — is supported by all of us through tax dollars. This newspaper, which is effectively a textbook meeting Indiana education standards that is updated daily, is another of many free or low-cost options.
Reading, like many other daily activities, is a habit — one that must be developed.
Here are some suggestions to help encourage young readers:
•If you have young children — even infants — develop a special pre-bed reading time. Reading deepens already strong bonds between parent and child, and helps develop lifetime readers. Long before children are ready to read, they are learning vital lessons on sentence structure and following along in a story. Make it a fun time, using voices for different characters and filling the story with enthusiasm.
•Read yourself. There is no better encouragement for children. Books, magazines, newspapers, junk mail, comic books … it’s all good.
•Keep books and other reading materials accessible. Babies, toddlers and preschoolers should all have books available on or near the floor that are appropriate for their age.
•Think about giving books or subscriptions (newspaper or magazine) for birthday or holiday gifts.
•Turn off the television. Despite what they may tell you, children cannot concentrate on what they are reading if they are distracted by television.
•Take them to the library. Library cards are free of charge, and most materials are available for check-out with no or minimal charge. Not only does using the library encourage reading, it also develops responsibility through keeping track of materials and return dates.
We understand that big changes may be necessary in how we educate the children of America and the world.
But encouraging kids to read is one change we can implement right away. — M.S.[[In-content Ad]]