When People Say, "I Don't Read"
As a reader, you probably turn your estimation of that person down a notch. We're a bit snobby, we readers, and we think that anyone who doesn't read is a few books short of a bookshelf.
I spoke on the topic yesterday at the request of a local organization. I began unsure of how much the average reader knows about the average non-reader, and I learned that my audience hadn't thought about it much. We tend to think non-readers can't read. As an educator of many years' experience, I've pondered, studied, and fretted over the prospect of turning reluctant readers into enthusiastic ones. Here's what I've learned.
Non-readers probably had a bad experience with reading initially. They may have had a disability to overcome, may have come to school unprepared, they may have had issues that kept them from concentrating on this very complex process, or they may have had no support at home (and sometimes even from the teacher). The impression that reading is hard and "un-fun" colors the rest of their lives if something doesn't change it.
Nevertheless, almost everyone learns to read, at least to decode the words on a page. There are three factors however, that must work together for reading to become fluent: speed, vocabulary, and comprehension. If reading (decoding words) is too slow, the message is lost in the struggle. If vocabulary is lacking, too many words are missed and the passage makes no sense. And even if the other two things work, some readers don't "put together" the thoughts they are decoding to make a cohernent message from them. Some people can read, but they don't get a complete experience and therefore don't enjoy reading. Unfortunately, like any complex skill, reading requires practice. The less one reads the more he falls behind those who are gobbling up books.
The non-reader becomes resistant, and when she gets to the point of being able to choose what will or will not happen, chooses not to read unless absolutely necessary. Non-readers claim they're too busy or they don't like sitting still that long or they'd rather be "doing something." Possibly true, but that negative feeling about reading is there, reminding them that they weren't very good at it. And if they haven't practiced, they aren't getting any better.
The cure? Finding something a person wants to read. I've had many, many "non-reading" students who, when they found something that inspired them, worked until they had mastered it, and often re-read it many times because they liked it so much. No matter how late in life a person discovers that subject or piece of writing, it opens up the world of reading to him. With the discovery that they CAN read, non-readers begin to lose that feeling of inferiority. And once they've had a taste of success, they often want more.
My father quit school in the tenth grade, certain that he was not cut out for "book learning." He was successful in business and raising a family, but I don't remember him reading when I was at home. As he got older, however, he started reading: Readers' Digest Condensed Books, the Bible, and the work of James Herriot are the ones I particularly recall. In his last few decades of life we had many good conversations about books he recommended or books we both liked. It's sad that he lost all the enjoyment he could have had from reading in the first fifty years of his life, but it's cool that he discovered reading success.
Reading is a life skill, and we don't all master it in elementary school. So when someone tells you "I don't read," you might want to say to them ( or at least think to yourself), "Not yet. But if life is good to you, someday you will."
I spoke on the topic yesterday at the request of a local organization. I began unsure of how much the average reader knows about the average non-reader, and I learned that my audience hadn't thought about it much. We tend to think non-readers can't read. As an educator of many years' experience, I've pondered, studied, and fretted over the prospect of turning reluctant readers into enthusiastic ones. Here's what I've learned.
Non-readers probably had a bad experience with reading initially. They may have had a disability to overcome, may have come to school unprepared, they may have had issues that kept them from concentrating on this very complex process, or they may have had no support at home (and sometimes even from the teacher). The impression that reading is hard and "un-fun" colors the rest of their lives if something doesn't change it.
Nevertheless, almost everyone learns to read, at least to decode the words on a page. There are three factors however, that must work together for reading to become fluent: speed, vocabulary, and comprehension. If reading (decoding words) is too slow, the message is lost in the struggle. If vocabulary is lacking, too many words are missed and the passage makes no sense. And even if the other two things work, some readers don't "put together" the thoughts they are decoding to make a cohernent message from them. Some people can read, but they don't get a complete experience and therefore don't enjoy reading. Unfortunately, like any complex skill, reading requires practice. The less one reads the more he falls behind those who are gobbling up books.
The non-reader becomes resistant, and when she gets to the point of being able to choose what will or will not happen, chooses not to read unless absolutely necessary. Non-readers claim they're too busy or they don't like sitting still that long or they'd rather be "doing something." Possibly true, but that negative feeling about reading is there, reminding them that they weren't very good at it. And if they haven't practiced, they aren't getting any better.
The cure? Finding something a person wants to read. I've had many, many "non-reading" students who, when they found something that inspired them, worked until they had mastered it, and often re-read it many times because they liked it so much. No matter how late in life a person discovers that subject or piece of writing, it opens up the world of reading to him. With the discovery that they CAN read, non-readers begin to lose that feeling of inferiority. And once they've had a taste of success, they often want more.
My father quit school in the tenth grade, certain that he was not cut out for "book learning." He was successful in business and raising a family, but I don't remember him reading when I was at home. As he got older, however, he started reading: Readers' Digest Condensed Books, the Bible, and the work of James Herriot are the ones I particularly recall. In his last few decades of life we had many good conversations about books he recommended or books we both liked. It's sad that he lost all the enjoyment he could have had from reading in the first fifty years of his life, but it's cool that he discovered reading success.
Reading is a life skill, and we don't all master it in elementary school. So when someone tells you "I don't read," you might want to say to them ( or at least think to yourself), "Not yet. But if life is good to you, someday you will."
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Comment by Peg Herring on May 9, 2008 at 10:02pm
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I haven't read that one, but I will take a look. I've used HOOKED ON BOOKS, which is very old but worthwhile.
Thanks for the info.
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Margot,
At a presentation I gave to a group the other day we laughed because we'd ALL gotten the "Get your nose out of that book!" line from our parents when we were kids. Readers are like that!
I present to library groups on topics like mysteries, historical novels, reading, writing, speaking, and getting published. I've come to truly appreciate what librarians do to promote reading and to help writers like me become better known! Couldn't do it without you. Peg
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