The problem of reading is not in the millions of poor people who can barely read and write, but in the millions of university students who do not want to read ... Which implies (because reading makes vice, like smoking) that they have never been hit to reading: they have never come to know what it is to read "
Gabriel Zaid
Learning to learn to read
Search for chaos.
Children in a primary school children read less than one book a year. How do teachers and parents boost the interest in reading?
Stating the problem
Unfortunately, there is a very low level of reading in Mexico. According to UNESCO statistics indicate that only 2% of Mexicans have the habit of reading, there are also statistics that say that we are the number one consumer of lampoons and best sellers. In this space, when talking about reading, I refer to works such as novels, stories, essays and fiction. No best sellers or comics
The lack of reading among children is not a problem created by the children, the problem of the absence of reading is a problem of the population. How can we encourage reading in children when adults do not read? Here is my plan.
Defining the problem There are other factors that influence this situation.
a) Accessibility to books. There are children who do not read simply because they do not have access to reading materials. There are NO books in their homes, they do not have a library card or access to libraries and the adults just do not take the time to read to them.
b) Prejudices. For many Mexicans reading is considered a thing of nerds or queers. These stereotypes are taken and appropriated by children.
c) There is not much quality children's literature is if there is, it is not being promoted
d) The mental conception of reading a book is one of boredom and not of the opening of new worlds.
e) Within existing children's literature, many of the texts are foreign, which creates a disagreement between the reality of the child and reading.
f) Children's literature should not be a preachy. Both the author and the adult who shares the book should allow the child a space for reflection and avoid well-known advice. The child can then ask questions, which there will be answered with the best judgment of the adult. The child will then come to a proper and permanent conclusion.
g) conceptions and hierarchical identifications of what culture is. What different social / gender / educational groups do and do not do.
First challenge: how to compete with other media
In other words, how to convince parents of the long-term benefits of reading vs. immediate satisfaction (and the easy solution to entertain children) with a video game. It would be necessary to create some entertaining talks dictated by some people with authority in the matter and who are respected by the parents. Psychologists, educators, doctors, sociologists. Many times I have heard people listen to the presentation to say things like "it sounds nice, but this is not Finland" or who has time? I would ask the speakers to discuss the barriers and ask the audience for sensible solutions they see to achieve reading and to make everyone as part of the solution..
Second challenge How to get the parents to read.
Creating a reading club. Respecting local culture and / or scheduling conflicts, if necessary, would create a club for dads and another for moms. If the latter were necessary at first, I would choose books with specific gender guidelines. For fathers Hemingway, Steinback, Vonnegut, Dostoevsky, etc. For moms Gorky (Mother), Plath, Wolf, etc. Later I would begin to give less polarized books in terms of gender. At the end of the year two pairs of tickets for children's theater would be raffled off. In this way parents have an incentive to be the "winners" (in my opinion everyone wins).
Third challenge How to get adults to read with children.
Story time needs to be understood as very valuable time for the future of your children.. At recess time and also for those children who wait for their parents for half an hour or more. A teacher with training in reading and storytelling would read to the students half an hour every day. Students can ask questions and the theme of the book can be used for manual activities in the classrooms. You can make a list of children's books to suggest to dads to read with their children.
Fourth challenge Learning the dynamic reader / writer / reader.
Once a week the children will write their own stories which will illustrate and be able to bind into a small book. Children can read and exchange these stories. At the end of the year the children take all their stories home creating their own collections.
Fifth challenge Promoting understanding.
Children will make written reports of the books they read. These reports will be reviewed but not graded and are required.
Sixth challenge Openness to other cultures.
I would invite puppeteers, storytellers and indigenous speakers to participate in different school events.
Seventh challenge Community.
a) All children would visit the library and receive their card as members of the library.
b) Parents and / or grandparents will be invited to read the class or tell a story.
Achievement of acceptance The "clients" in this case are not direct clients but clients who depend economically and culturally on their parents. That is why in my project I have started with the campaign towards parents.
Parents must discover the value of reading and that this is a long-term investment in the personal development of their children. Although the lecturers might be the most expensive of all my suggestions I think it would be well worth investing in at least three of them a year in conjunction with the reading clubs for the parents. If these two phases were successful, the other phases would be much easier to implement.
I believe that by calling on the ideals that parents have for their children, the idea of reading can take root in their lives. The success and acceptance of this project also depends on the preparation of the school to offer resources. If reading time is instituted it is important that the school, with the help of the library and / or with dedicated teachers, can provide adequate lists of children's literature. Many of the winning books of the Caldecott medal of children's literature in the USA. They have been translated. The Scholastic publishing house in the USA has many good children's books in Spanish but I do not know if they arrive in Mexico. I do not know the children's editorials in Mexico but I'm sure there must be some.
The solutions to the last three challenges are directly aimed at children. It seems to me that many children would accept them and would know in an experiential way the work of the author. I think they would be proud to be authors of part of their own collection.
Gabriel Zaid
Learning to learn to read
Search for chaos.
Children in a primary school children read less than one book a year. How do teachers and parents boost the interest in reading?
Stating the problem
Unfortunately, there is a very low level of reading in Mexico. According to UNESCO statistics indicate that only 2% of Mexicans have the habit of reading, there are also statistics that say that we are the number one consumer of lampoons and best sellers. In this space, when talking about reading, I refer to works such as novels, stories, essays and fiction. No best sellers or comics
The lack of reading among children is not a problem created by the children, the problem of the absence of reading is a problem of the population. How can we encourage reading in children when adults do not read? Here is my plan.
Defining the problem There are other factors that influence this situation.
a) Accessibility to books. There are children who do not read simply because they do not have access to reading materials. There are NO books in their homes, they do not have a library card or access to libraries and the adults just do not take the time to read to them.
b) Prejudices. For many Mexicans reading is considered a thing of nerds or queers. These stereotypes are taken and appropriated by children.
c) There is not much quality children's literature is if there is, it is not being promoted
d) The mental conception of reading a book is one of boredom and not of the opening of new worlds.
e) Within existing children's literature, many of the texts are foreign, which creates a disagreement between the reality of the child and reading.
f) Children's literature should not be a preachy. Both the author and the adult who shares the book should allow the child a space for reflection and avoid well-known advice. The child can then ask questions, which there will be answered with the best judgment of the adult. The child will then come to a proper and permanent conclusion.
g) conceptions and hierarchical identifications of what culture is. What different social / gender / educational groups do and do not do.
First challenge: how to compete with other media
In other words, how to convince parents of the long-term benefits of reading vs. immediate satisfaction (and the easy solution to entertain children) with a video game. It would be necessary to create some entertaining talks dictated by some people with authority in the matter and who are respected by the parents. Psychologists, educators, doctors, sociologists. Many times I have heard people listen to the presentation to say things like "it sounds nice, but this is not Finland" or who has time? I would ask the speakers to discuss the barriers and ask the audience for sensible solutions they see to achieve reading and to make everyone as part of the solution..
Second challenge How to get the parents to read.
Creating a reading club. Respecting local culture and / or scheduling conflicts, if necessary, would create a club for dads and another for moms. If the latter were necessary at first, I would choose books with specific gender guidelines. For fathers Hemingway, Steinback, Vonnegut, Dostoevsky, etc. For moms Gorky (Mother), Plath, Wolf, etc. Later I would begin to give less polarized books in terms of gender. At the end of the year two pairs of tickets for children's theater would be raffled off. In this way parents have an incentive to be the "winners" (in my opinion everyone wins).
Third challenge How to get adults to read with children.
Story time needs to be understood as very valuable time for the future of your children.. At recess time and also for those children who wait for their parents for half an hour or more. A teacher with training in reading and storytelling would read to the students half an hour every day. Students can ask questions and the theme of the book can be used for manual activities in the classrooms. You can make a list of children's books to suggest to dads to read with their children.
Fourth challenge Learning the dynamic reader / writer / reader.
Once a week the children will write their own stories which will illustrate and be able to bind into a small book. Children can read and exchange these stories. At the end of the year the children take all their stories home creating their own collections.
Fifth challenge Promoting understanding.
Children will make written reports of the books they read. These reports will be reviewed but not graded and are required.
Sixth challenge Openness to other cultures.
I would invite puppeteers, storytellers and indigenous speakers to participate in different school events.
Seventh challenge Community.
a) All children would visit the library and receive their card as members of the library.
b) Parents and / or grandparents will be invited to read the class or tell a story.
Achievement of acceptance The "clients" in this case are not direct clients but clients who depend economically and culturally on their parents. That is why in my project I have started with the campaign towards parents.
Parents must discover the value of reading and that this is a long-term investment in the personal development of their children. Although the lecturers might be the most expensive of all my suggestions I think it would be well worth investing in at least three of them a year in conjunction with the reading clubs for the parents. If these two phases were successful, the other phases would be much easier to implement.
I believe that by calling on the ideals that parents have for their children, the idea of reading can take root in their lives. The success and acceptance of this project also depends on the preparation of the school to offer resources. If reading time is instituted it is important that the school, with the help of the library and / or with dedicated teachers, can provide adequate lists of children's literature. Many of the winning books of the Caldecott medal of children's literature in the USA. They have been translated. The Scholastic publishing house in the USA has many good children's books in Spanish but I do not know if they arrive in Mexico. I do not know the children's editorials in Mexico but I'm sure there must be some.
The solutions to the last three challenges are directly aimed at children. It seems to me that many children would accept them and would know in an experiential way the work of the author. I think they would be proud to be authors of part of their own collection.