As a new elementary school principal, I would introduce a school-wide reading initiative.
Reading is the first essential skill that students need to master in order to succeed in any subject. The earlier in life a child learns to read, the easier it is for that child to succeed in the pursuit of knowledge. Whether the subject matter is the humanities, science, or math, a student must be able to read well in order to comprehend the material, and comprehension of theory is required before that knowledge can be applied to real-world complex problems.
I would integrate the school-wide reading initiative into as much of the school’s practices as possible. As principal, I would be an active participant in the initiative, spending time in each of the classrooms reading to the children (if the children are not yet reading themselves) or being read to by the children. I would visit each classroom at least once a week, spending time with the students actively engaged in the process of reading. Perhaps some of that time would be spent in silence as each of us reads his or her selection. I would be reading my books; the students would be reading theirs. As a key representative of the school, I would want the children to be able to witness the importance of reading in my own life and believe that quiet time is an essential aspect of productive learning.
Reading broadens horizons
I envision teachers participating in a book club at school with meetings to be held during class hours. This book club would discuss a variety of books – nonfiction and fiction. Titles to be read would be solicited from all participants, and votes would be made on the order in which works were read and discussed. The purpose of reading something outside of the preparation required for typical lesson plans would be to maintain some sort of other world separate from the overwhelming responsibilities of classroom instruction. This book club would provide an opportunity to socialize while discussing something other than the required curriculum.
I envision older students with more reading experience reading to the younger children. The students would have the opportunity to select books on their own to be read. Whether the child is three or eight, he or she has unique interests. Over the course of each semester, as part of the reading initiative, each student would choose a predetermined number of books to read completely separate from the requirements of any other courses. These books could be about any subject of interest to the student. Those selections themselves would help a student to define his or her own particular intellectual pursuits. Selection criteria for each book – length, number of pages, reading level – would be determined according to the student’s age and year in school.
Children that had not yet started to read would need to have those books read to them at home. Reading to children not only encourages children to learn to read but can also provide quality time for parents and children alike. Students would be required to discuss their reading selections in class and to write about what they have read and how they have been affected by the experience.
Reading promotes self-sufficiency
Bulletin boards around the school could showcase book reviews written by the students in an attempt to share their enthusiasm for what they have read, while simultaneously giving them some sense of accomplishment in being recognized for their efforts. A wrapped book exchange during the holiday season could be part of each class’ celebration. Each child would select a book sitting on the shelves at home that he or she was ready to share with someone else and wrap it in brown paper decorated with art of some type. The idea behind the school-wide reading initiative would be to encourage students to read as a way of life and not just as a requirement for school.
I understand that everyone has plenty of responsibilities and often may not have quality time to read. Should teachers deem this initiative an unnecessary burden, I would explain that I found the time to read during a semester when I personally had eight new classes for which to prepare lectures. I read in the minute or two before class when the students did not yet need my attention but were filing into the classroom. I read when the students were working on math problems for a minute or two during my lecture. I read while waiting for traffic to clear while sitting in a parking lot. I read waiting in line at the bank and the post office. I read each evening before falling asleep, even if it was just for a few minutes.
Reading develops imagination
I found time to read because it was important to me, and it helped to take me outside of my life for a few minutes. Reading was essential to maintain my sanity. I needed to read because it gave me a few minutes to escape, often to some other less complicated place.
Because I started taking piano lessons at the age of three and began reading soon after that, it is almost impossible for me to remember a time in my life when I was not able to read. It is difficult for me to see children I know at the age of seven or eight still struggling to learn the fundamentals of reading. Although they are attending good schools and have attentive parents, I simply do not see in them the desire to pick up a book for some quiet time on the couch with a blanket and some hot chocolate.
I feel as though they are missing out on a time in their lives when they can read with abandon and without thought of any other responsibilities calling them away from that literary adventure. Reading can take a person abroad in seconds to cultures one may never experience in a lifetime. It allows one to travel to a time long, long ago before women were able to vote and travel by car or plane was possible. Reading broadens horizons, it improves vocabulary, it enhances verbal skills, it develops imagination, and it promotes self-sufficiency. It facilitates the mastery of spelling and grammar rules without rote memorization. Reading increases awareness of the world outside of oneself, fostering empathy for situations one may be fortunate never to experience personally.
The ability to read also contributes to a child’s sense of self-esteem and the process of socialization. Having difficulty learning to read may contribute to a student’s lack of excitement about attending school. Making reading errors in front of one’s peers may lead to feelings of embarrassment and shame.
Having spent many years teaching in college classrooms, I can cite numerous examples of students that failed a basic math course due to their inability to read and to comprehend word problems. For example, when students see the phrase “subtract 15 from a variable” and then write “15 minus x”, they are missing the logic. In order to subtract 15 from something (a variable), one must have the something (the variable) first. Thus, the correct answer would be “x – 15” in this problem. The inability to solve word problems is usually a byproduct of an inability to read logically and critically.
On a personal note, reading has also been fundamental in helping me to deal effectively with change. During changes in my career or when starting over after moving to a new city, I have found myself at a loss for a way to make new friends that share my interests. During the last decade, I have been a member of three book clubs – one of which I started with a friend. The last book club that I started has grown quickly; collectively, it has become much larger than the sum of its parts. Not only has it been an opportunity for me to make new friends but it has also helped me to find people that appreciate the wonder of reading.
Every day, in each encounter, I try to encourage the limitless pursuit of knowledge. Reading is at the crux of that mission. The process starts with connecting letters into words, words into sentences, and sentences into paragraphs. The entire journey begins with being able to read.
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