You often hear parents complain that their children no longer read books. And the data would indicate that they are right! A recent study from the National Endowment for the Arts (yes, that group of crazy reading fanatics!) found that over the last 20 years, the number of 17-year olds who never or rarely read rose from 9 to 19 percent. And there is a direct correlation between low reading activity and academic achievement. See? When I'm nagging my kids to read and read and read some more, I'm not just being a pest who is trying to tear them away from GameBoy and Hannah Montana! I'm not anti-gaming or anti-TV. I'm pro-good grades.
Honestly, I'm not making as much headway as I'd like. This holiday season, my husband and I insisted that our children put at least one book title on their holiday "wish" list. My little one (6 years old) had no trouble finding books she wanted but for the older children who have finished the Harry Potter series, they just don't have that much awareness of what books they would enjoy .They seem to sense greater risk in selecting a bad book. And so they are leery of trying to pick. Is it that way in your house too?
For me, the concern about pushing my kids to be good readers is not just tied up in wanting them to do well in school. It's also to share with them the glories of a wild world of literature. I enjoy reading so much and want it to be an integral part of my children's lives. That's why another recent study (see, apparently I like to read research reports almost as much as books) finds that most of the activities our teens are engaging in online are in content creation.
According to a recent Pew Center study, kids lead the way in creating online content. 64% of online teens are creating online content, as opposed to 57% in 2004. Posting blogs, uploading photos, creating social network pages, and creating videos, are all creative endeavors. And these activities suggest that kids are learning technical skills and flexing their writing muscles. It might mean we can celebrate rather than mourn all those hours kids are spending online. I have to imagine that active engagement with technology is far superior to passive usage, like watching TV or YouTube videos. So, at least for the Merritt kids, perhaps my next step is a book on how to use social networks safely, such as Anne Collier and Larry Magid's extremely readable book: "MySpace Unraveled: What it is and How to Use it Safely." Great read for parents new to Facebook as well!