Note from the Learning Doctor: Rambling about Reading

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Feature Article: Choosing Books: What should They Read? 

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Listen to the Learning Doctor

Note from The Learning Doctor

Hi:

Back in the 1950s,  the Senate Subcommittee to Investigate Juvenile Delinquency and the Comics Code Authority decided that comic books were part of an evil conspiracy. My Father agreed, and I wasn't allowed to have comics. Naturally the minute I got to my friend's house, I read all her "Nancy" comics, all her "Archie" comics, and any other comics her parents allowed in the house.

Whatever the comics lacked in literary merit, they were hardly subversive. I can assure you that, despite my Father's fears, reading "Little LuLu" when I was eight didn't turn me into a Communist.

Now I watch as we struggle with the Junie B. Jones books (her grammar is terrible). With the Harry Potter books (promotes wizardry) and the Lemony Snicket books (orphans victimized by a very bad guy).
 
On the other hand, some books are appropriate for 8th graders that aren't appropriate for 4th graders. But how do we choose?

This month's feature article looks at this issue of what we want our children to read. Anything at all because at least they're reading? Or only what we think is "good."  Just the classics?  You may not agree with me, but I hope the article gets you to start thinking seriously about what your children are reading.

Oh, by the way, Eric and I moved back to Denver from the mountains. Logistically it just got too complicated. But I sure do miss that view outside my office window, the aspen in the fall, the snow in the winter! We were up there this weekend and so far about 40 inches of the white stuff.

MaryJo

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Feature Article

Summary: How do we make intelligent choices about what children should be reading at home? What about in school? What if we don't approve of a book the teacher has chosen? Includes parent guidelines for choosing books.

When Kierra, one of my granddaughters, was a little girl, she loved the Juni B. Jones books. For her birthday, she requested Juni B. For Christmas, she wanted Juni B. We got them for her. She collected all of the Juni B. books. I was thrilled that my granddaughter wanted to read. Then I read a Juni B. book and wasn't so thrilled. Juni B. uses dreadful grammar, talks back, calls people stupid, and acts out. Hardly a great role model.  

I became obnoxiously self-righteous about Juni B. I wasn’t alone. Some folks tried to get Juni B. banned and got so much publicity that the New York Times ran a pros and con feature article on this fictional kid.

Oh, please, lighten up, Grandma. The Juni B. books are charming, hilarious and brilliantly capture the spirit of a five-year-old—eventually she does turn six. Not every book needs to be great literature? Although Jim Trelease, an expert on kids and reading, defends Juni B as a morality tale without sermons.

My friend couldn’t get her son to read. No way! Then one day she suggested an adult Stephen King horror-murder mystery with plenty of blood and gore. He loved it and he’s been reading ever since.

If you don’t care for a book a teacher has assigned, ask the teacher how they’re using the book? What’s the point? What do they wish children to learn?  What’s the context of an event, of “bad” language, violence, or sexual content? Read the whole book yourself. Don't listen to what someone else says about the book or about one questionable paragraph.

Or ask politely that your child be excused from reading the book in question. Your child's teacher may have permission slips you can sign.

Better yet, spend some time discussing the book with your child. Talking about why the book may not represent the values of your family. Find out what your child’s learned from the book. How they’ve interpreted it. It’s quite likely your child will see a book differently than you do.

So far, we have no evidence that suggests reading “bad” books create “bad” children. Unlike the research that suggests violent video games may, in fact, cause some children to become more aggressive. No research indicating that books about “gay” penguins turn children into homosexuals. That comic books make kids too lazy to read "real" books.

The publicity challenged books receive only causes more people, including older children and teens, to read the book. Certainly defeats the purpose. Authors love to have their books banned because more books are sold.

Banned books aren’t even “forbidden fruit” anymore.  Some teen readers we’re trying to protect have been disappointed in the banned books they read. One teen remarked that the banned books he read were lame. If he wanted porn, he didn’t have to read a banned book, just go to the internet or listen to his music.

For better or worse, today's teens are considerably more sophisticated and worldly than we often realize. And very young children less likely to make metaphorical, subjective interpretations of books than we might.

Guidelines for choosing books:

• Let kids choose the books they want to read. Books don't have to be up to your literary standards.
  Research has shown that kids who read comics, books with bad grammar, and other "trash," eventually become more discriminating readers and read frequently. 
   

• Consider not simply your child's reading level but their maturity. You may have a 6th grader who reads at a high school level but isn't mature enough to be reading books at that level. Another precocious pre-teen might be mature enough.
   

• Avoid protecting children. Don't say "no" to age-appropriate books about war, crime, child neglect, children who get into trouble, even sexuality. Again, talk to your kids about what they're reading. Why they chose the book. What they've learned. What they think about the book.
   

• Encourage fun books, silly books, books that make everybody laugh. Read them aloud.

Just get them reading.
 

© MaryJo Wagner, 2009

MaryJo Wagner, Ph.D.
The Learning Doctor
"Helping You Help Kids Learn"
www.ADHDChildrenToday.com
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www.brain-based-learning.com

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Brain Quiz

Resources You Can Use

Sarah started in the middle of her page to draw an 8 lying on it's side. Looks just like an infinity sign. She went up to the left first, come back around, down and back to the center. Then up to the right, down and around and back to the center.

Sarah can track the Lazy 8 with her eyes. She can use her non-dominant hand. She can even use both hands.

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