Let Them Read Junk

It's true! It has to be-- it was in the New York Times. (Internet validity and critical thinking lesson another time.) Let kids read what they want. That's what makes them readers. This was the topic of my very first blog post, an open letter to parenting "expert" John Rosemond who sanctimoniously declared that children should only read the classics. I am so glad we don't have a required list for children over the summer. I loved these two quotations from the Times article reporting on a longitudinal study:

"One of the most notable findings was that children improved their reading scores even though they typically weren’t selecting the curriculum books or classics that teachers normally assigned for summer reading. That conclusion confirms other studies suggesting that children learn best when they are allowed to select their own books."

“'If those books get them into reading, that has great repercussions for making them smarter,' Dr. McGill-Franzen said. 'Teachers and middle-class parents undervalue kids’ preferences, but I think we need to give up being so uptight about children’s choices in books.'"

I will renew the Mad magazine subscription.