Reading Feeds The Brain!
Reading—a method of learning new information—has been sharply declining in the past few years. More importantly, this inclination is occurring during an information age were innovative ideas are as diverse as the books in a library. Literacy—mainly reading and writing—has started to become a dominate concern in society today as more and more people are not appropriately learning the capability to read and write. Surprisingly, schools—as well as other educational intuitions—and the present educational system are two significant factors that dramatically contribute to this unfavorable outcome. Students are not dynamically engaging in activities that instruct them the importance of reading and writing; activities which can help students improve their reading and writing skills.
As a society we should not be scrutinizing the books that students are reading but instead focus on how they are reading. Similarly, we should focus more on how students are writing rather than what they are writing about. While school teacher—kindergarten to twelve grade—do in fact give reading and writing assignments to students, the individual schools typically do not have a curriculum in place that stress the importance of reading, and the enjoyment that can be gained from books. Ultimately, we should be asking ourselves: Is the current education system failing us and how can it be changed to produce better ramifications
Literacy Rates Are Decreasing!
The fact that the literacy rates in the United States are decreasing suggests that future generations will undoubtedly experience obstacles in the future. We live during a time were information is updated every second. We are forced to take in and absorb mass amounts of information quickly and simultaneously generate quick judgments. Hence, with all the events that are occurring on television, the newspapers, and every other medium, we are required to quickly formulate our own opinions. If literacy in the United States continues to be a problem, one most likely will experience factors that will delay one’s learning abilities. Such factors will make it very difficult for new generations to absorb and retain information. Information overload will also become exceedingly prevalent in society as more and more people are unable to read correctly.
The fact that students are reading less than they were several years ago suggests that we should narrow the gap between readers and books (Hinton). This can be accomplished simply by providing students with books that interest them in terms of their culture and background. A large percentage of public schools in the United States teach young students to read by using classic American literature. While this is an excellent direction, not all students are interested in books related to that subject. As a result, students and young adults should be assigned books that they can easily relate to. Not only will they be more likely to continue reading but these books will help them learn new information.
Better K-12 Educational Systems Are Required!
Schools should integrate the library and classroom environment by promoting students to read more often. Although there is a plethora of information present in libraries and classrooms, students are not taking advantage of these resources. By promoting books though posters and classroom discussions, students will be able to develop a better relationship with books. Intuitively, teachers should be able to work individually with students to ensure that they are engaging in attentive reading that is influencing them in one way or another. More importantly, this reading environment should also be present at student’s homes.
Whether we want to believe it or not, we live in an information era that is driven by information technology and will continue to dominate the future. With the rise of new websites and new information, people must be able to decipher which sources are legit and which are not. As a result, people must be fluent readers. Therefore, a fluent reader is more likely to achieve success in school and future career (Kogut).
