Your View On Reading

[Panda]

Many times I see, some from teachers (so Tiff your input is very improtant..) and some from random adults, that people in general just don't like to read and in fact don't.

I think this is bullshit, I read a ton of things but I do not read novels. I find them boring personally.

Anyway, What are you're view on this? How much do you read and what type of material do you read frequently?

[Tiff]

I honestly think it's balanced with children in most situations. In my classroom, sure, the children talked a lot about TV and movies. But they also adored books. They wore my books out becuase they loved them so much. So I'd disagree with the people who say kids don't read anymore.

I personally love to read. I haven't been able to do much of it lately, becuase of how busy i've been, but I do love to do it.

I like some fantasy, but not a lot. I'm not a hardcore fantasy fan. I like good, well written horror/thriller, and dramatic coming-of-age stories.

[Sailorasteroid]

I've always been a book junkie. I'll read anything, novels, long books, non-fiction. I like political treatises a lot.

But from what I understand, a lot of adults don't read at all, or not much. I guess they just don't have time. If you're working all day and you're tired at night it makes sense. But I make time to read, because it's relaxing and stress-relieving. So I read in the bathroom, and I like to go out to restaurants all by my lonesone, and read there.

[Panda]

It'd be interesting to see why some people who do say kids are not reading at all or as much consider reading. I'm sure most consider novels but when you think about it it's mainly because when you pick up a novel whatever you are about to read is totally unexpected wheras you can easily pick up the movie (Of the title or of anything) and preview it in less time to see if you like it.

I think making kids read magazines in schools (which I know they do here from about 5 grade up; Any younger than that wuld be pushing it) is a good idea myself. Or even sections of the Newspaper would be better than novels at some times.

[Tiff]

I think making kids read magazines in schools (which I know they do here from about 5 grade up; Any younger than that wuld be pushing it) is a good idea myself. Or even sections of the Newspaper would be better than novels at some times.

Actually, it's good to have ANY reading material around for very youngkids, whether it be magazines, newspapers, books, etc. (of course, it'd have to be child appropriate. You wouldn't leave a Cosmo magazine lying around. Zoobooks, national geographic for kids, stuff like that). Kids have to be able to recognize all kinds of print, and it helps in the development of reading skills to be able to use all kinds of mediums. When I student taught Kindergarten, my mentor teacher had magazines, books, and newspapers in her library area. The kids loved it.

[Butterscotch]

I think it's a shame that so many people (both kids and adults) claim to hate reading. I read a variety of things: novels, magazines, comic books, backs of cereal boxes....^^;

People's lives are so over-scheduled and micromanaged that people just don't have time to sit and read. I'll never understand the need to have every minute of your life planned out ._.

[Cardcaptor Takato]

It'd be interesting to see why some people who do say kids are not reading at all or as much consider reading. I'm sure most consider novels but when you think about it it's mainly because when you pick up a novel whatever you are about to read is totally unexpected wheras you can easily pick up the movie (Of the title or of anything) and preview it in less time to see if you like it.

I think making kids read magazines in schools (which I know they do here from about 5 grade up; Any younger than that wuld be pushing it) is a good idea myself. Or even sections of the Newspaper would be better than novels at some times.

I think that's why people say kids don't read because the kids aren't reading what the adults think should qualify as a "real book." For example, comic books. A lot of adults view comic books as immature and useless and just for entertainment. When they see kids reading comic books instead of novels, they think that the kids "aren't reading" in the sense that they aren't reading a "real book." But if reading a comic book is going to encourage a kid to read more than making your kid read "The Old Man And The Sea", then by all means, let them read the freaking comic book and just be glad they're reading at all. If schools didn't make kids read such boring books just because they're "timeless classics" over something that's entertaining, then maybe kids might want to read more and isn't that more important than making sure kids have read "Animal Farm" for the umpteenth time?

I know the summer reading books are a big reason why I'm not really into reading. When I was a kid, I abosulelty hated reading and would much rather watch TV over reading a book. I hated the boring books our school made us read for summer reading and because they were so boring, I was never motivated to go dig through all the shelves of books at the book store to find something good to read. I didn't get into reading until I was older and I first got into reading through manga. Even though it was a comic book, the stories in manga were just as entertaining as any novel and I kept coming back to the book store to buy more to read. Now I'm starting to get into other "normal" books and I'm reading Wicked and Chronicles Of Narnia now and Waldenbooks' has become my favorite store. I still can't read a lot at once and I can only read about a chapter or two at a time depending on how long the chapters are and what the pacing of the book is like, but I'm definetly more into reading than I ever was as a kid. I think if schools would actually choose books that were fun and entertaining for kids to read over those "classic" that they make kids read just because they're "important classics" culture-wise, kids would want to read more. I believe if I was introduced to more funner books as a kid, I'd probably be a much more active reader than what I am now.

[Tiff]

I think that's why people say kids don't read because the kids aren't reading what the adults think should qualify as a "real book." For example, comic books. A lot of adults view comic books as immature and useless and just for entertainment. When they see kids reading comic books instead of novels, they think that the kids "aren't reading" in the sense that they aren't reading a "real book." But if reading a comic book is going to encourage a kid to read more than making your kid read "The Old Man And The Sea", then by all means, let them read the freaking comic book and just be glad they're reading at all. If schools didn't make kids read such boring books just because they're "timeless classics" over something that's entertaining, then maybe kids might want to read more and isn't that more important than making sure kids have read "Animal Farm" for the umpteenth time?

In a teacher's defense, it's not always our decision. In fact, it's almost never our decision. We have to follow state standards and curriculums. If our chosen curriulum says, "Use the animal farm to show blah blah blah", then that's what we have to do. We can try to be as flexible as possible, but all in all, we'll get in trouble if we don't follow what we're supposed to do. I've had to teach many a boring lesson simply becuase it had to be done. We can't ALWAYS make things fun and enjoyable. It's not becuase we're forcing "timeless classics" down students' throats for our own amusement..it's becuase we, too, have our hands tied. So please don't think that teachers gather in the lounge and decide what horrible deed to force upon their students this week.

Also, a lot of teachers use comic books and such to help learn. Hell, I myself encourage my kids to "read" (they're 3 and 4) ANYTHING they can get their hands on (save for porn and the like >_>).

In the defense of the "timeless classics" argument...well, it's important to expand and open your mind. Sure, you may prefer fantasy books. Or manga. Or horror. But part of the reason schools assign such books is to expand your world. We want you to see what Dickens wrote, just so you can experience it. It doesn't harm you to read the book and formulate an opinion. Learn from it. If you don't like it, discuss why. Part of reading for enjoyment is to forumlate logical and intelligent discussions, opinions, and analysis of what you read. I don't always like the books I read, but I sure as hell am glad i gave it a chance, and that i can discuss with somebody else why I didn't like it.

[Sailorasteroid]

I have mixed emotions on this. On the one hand, there is a lot of greatness in the old classics. On the other hand, the way they are taught leaves much to be desired. I love to watch Shakespeare's plays, but reading the plays to dissect whether Hamlet was insane or not is boring.

Also, those old classics don't have as much relevance to modern life as do modern books. There are fewer instances of Dickensian poverty or the survival stuggles Melville described. The popular culture of today talks to the problems that people have today--disillusionment, lack of connection with humanity--more than the classics do.

[Cardcaptor Takato]

In a teacher's defense, it's not always our decision. In fact, it's almost never our decision. We have to follow state standards and curriculums. If our chosen curriulum says, "Use the animal farm to show blah blah blah", then that's what we have to do. We can try to be as flexible as possible, but all in all, we'll get in trouble if we don't follow what we're supposed to do. I've had to teach many a boring lesson simply becuase it had to be done. We can't ALWAYS make things fun and enjoyable. It's not becuase we're forcing "timeless classics" down students' throats for our own amusement..it's becuase we, too, have our hands tied. So please don't think that teachers gather in the lounge and decide what horrible deed to force upon their students this week.

Also, a lot of teachers use comic books and such to help learn. Hell, I myself encourage my kids to "read" (they're 3 and 4) ANYTHING they can get their hands on (save for porn and the like >_>).

In the defense of the "timeless classics" argument...well, it's important to expand and open your mind. Sure, you may prefer fantasy books. Or manga. Or horror. But part of the reason schools assign such books is to expand your world. We want you to see what Dickens wrote, just so you can experience it. It doesn't harm you to read the book and formulate an opinion. Learn from it. If you don't like it, discuss why. Part of reading for enjoyment is to forumlate logical and intelligent discussions, opinions, and analysis of what you read. I don't always like the books I read, but I sure as hell am glad i gave it a chance, and that i can discuss with somebody else why I didn't like it.[/quote]Sorry if I sounded like I was ranting towards the teachers. I didn't mean it like that because if the students hate the books, I can only imagine what the teachers have to go through. ^^;; I remember even one of my English teachers thought herself that The Great Gatsby was a hard book to get into. What I meant to say was I was more annoyed at the adults who complain about how the kids are reading those "useless comic books again", then they turn around and wonder why their kids don't like reading after forcing them to read The Lord Of The Flies. Sorry; I don't know how to quite put this into words. But I understand the classics are important to read too and I'm also grateful for them.

When I was in school, I always hated reading Animal Farm and they always made us read it like every other year, but now that I'm older and more into reading, I appreicate the book more for what it is. I just think there should be sort of a balance. Like, they should still have the kids read the classics, but the kids should be allowed to vote on a book that they want to read, too. Like, have the state's recommendations on the list but also have like a "reader's choice" recommendation based on the votes of the students too, if that makes any sense. ^^;; I also think that students should be allowed to discuss their opinions on the books chosen to read in classes. Like, when I was in school, we just had to look up definitions of certain words in the book, answer a bunch of questions so the teachers know we're really reading it, do the occassional book report, etc yet we never actually got to discuss the book itself in class. I think if they actually discussed opinions on the book in class, it could be another way to get kids into reading more.

[peachvampiress]

Cardcaptor Takato

I also think that students should be allowed to discuss their opinions on the books chosen to read in classes.

My Literature/Writing/English teacher did that with a lot of the books we read. She'd get us in a circle and we'd give our opinions on the book. Sometimes she'd even assign us to rewrite the ending anyway we wanted. Now that's something I think a lot of classrooms should do. That way, even if kids hated the book, they could still enjoy it in some way (I ended up writing an alternate ending to 1984 where Big Brother turned out to be a head in a glass jar on a robots body called "Robo Brother". It ended very oddly.)

[Gamer8585]

For the most part, I don't like reading too much. I'm really more of an aural learner, so anytime I had to read a textbook to study really put me off on reading in general. With fiction I like to take my time to read it, but Classes usually had a deadline for every chapter, and it was usually hard to make that deadline with all of the other work I had to do for other classes (Staying up at midnight to read part of a book because you're forced to, not fun. [Then they get pissed off, because no one could remember what they read, assholes]) .

Plus the way some teaches have to dissect every little detail in class really puts me off. Personally, I don't think the author was thinking about any deeper meaning of a character wiping dust off his hands.

Also, Summer Reading was generally annoying. Not only was it bad enough I had to waste part of my summer reading, I also had to take more time Writing Reports on what I read (I HATE writing papers, especially on stupid stuff like that).

However, I have had a few English classes and Summer reading lists where I have found books that I loved. "The Tripod Trilogy" I read to fulfill a summer reading requirement, and I read all 7 books of the "Incarnations of Immortality" series after being assigned the first book, On a Pale Horse, in my 10th grade English class.

[Tiff]

When I was in school, I always hated reading Animal Farm and they always made us read it like every other year, but now that I'm older and more into reading, I appreicate the book more for what it is. I just think there should be sort of a balance. Like, they should still have the kids read the classics, but the kids should be allowed to vote on a book that they want to read, too. Like, have the state's recommendations on the list but also have like a "reader's choice" recommendation based on the votes of the students too, if that makes any sense. ^^;; I also think that students should be allowed to discuss their opinions on the books chosen to read in classes. Like, when I was in school, we just had to look up definitions of certain words in the book, answer a bunch of questions so the teachers know we're really reading it, do the occassional book report, etc yet we never actually got to discuss the book itself in class. I think if they actually discussed opinions on the book in class, it could be another way to get kids into reading more.

Now, I 100% agree with that. I pride myself in trying to make lessons/reading enjoyable for my kids, and it is my opinoin that every teacher should do the same. It's unfortunate that you haven't had teachers who have done what you suggested.

[Musashi]

School made me utterly despise reading- when I was three, I would pick up ANY book, magazine, comicbook, pamphlet, ANYTHING just to read (or try. I only knew how to read some words back then.) after I went to school, I stopped reading English almost completely except 'close' 'open' 'end task' on the computer, and refused to learn to read Arabic. I started cutting pictures out of those same magazines that I read when I was younger and just play with that, not really caring that I'm cutting the text.
Up until age 11 or 12, I still refused to read ANYTHING that wasn't on the computer (webpages with long text bored me. I just left. xD; ) and then I FINALLY got bored enough to actually read the Harry Potter books my mom got me and loved it.
I was like: 'Hey, books that aren't boring as hell DO EXIST!'

So then I became obsessive about reading everything again and would try to stop my dad in the middle of the road so I could read what was on signs. xDD;
Yay, reading! Then I discovered FAN FICTION. And ROLEPLAYING (non oldschool style. You know, not in that horribly boring 'Character: -action- speech.' which I did for a long time... now I just use it for silly non-serious roleplays.) And Jareer Bookstore at the mall! Now I'm a happy happy bookworm. Also, school books made me not want to TOUCH all those Classics books my mom got me. ... I still haven't read many of them because they're so LONG, but Grimm's I adore and read over and over because most of the stories are short and its just one big collection in an itty-bitty book.

And yes, there are people like that. One of my friends is exactly like that. If I type up a paragraph or more, she'd be like: 'TOO LONG!' and won't read.
... GAH.

Basically school discouraged me from reading and made me think reading = death sentence.

[Kasumi]

I'll try to say something that adds to this discussion ^^

I'm reading a lot of things and I'm currently writing my own book. The things that I like to read are mostly for my pure enjoyment. Not much of these books are that much important in terms of literature since they are mostly for entertainment value.
That doesn't mean that I don't like reading more complex novels or something like that. In fact, I'm only reading stuff that gets a hold of me, that I'm hooked on from the very beginning. If the beginning of a book is a boring one, I'm most likely to not finish it.

I like such authors as Agatha Christie and Stephen King. These two are special, because I haven't read anything that wasn't brilliant. I simply admire them.
And for those who want to know: I'm a fan of horror literature ^^ A big one at that.

[Panda]

Well, with classic books I find that alot of kids my age (so about 13-15) actually have trouble understanding what they're reading... I couldn't comprehend anything when I had to read A Tale of Two Cities last year...

But since it's a state curriculum deal and teacher have to make people read these things I can understand it a little better. It's things like this that makes anyone appreciate the better teachers out there (Good job Tiff!).

Something I don't like is looking for meaning in text. No everyone is going to interpret the same meaning from Animal Farm or The Crucibal, or anything. Just like all of us interpret Sailor Moon's meanings in different ways

I'd much rather read and discuss what I thought was improtant in the story insted of the teachers telling us what is important.

(Mind you not all of them are like this I'm sure but the last couple English/Reading teachers I've had have been; I personally think they were being lazy and wanted to get through it...)

[DreamEmpress]

This can be such a heavy topic. When I was in school, we always had to read different books in english classes. Some kids hated it, others tolerated for what it's worth. This was mainly because it wasn't something we chose personally. It was just a book that was handed to us to read as a class.

I think it's sometimes harder growing up to always appriciate the written word. Having books assigned to you as a group just makes that more difficult. Especially considering as you get older, you're handed more of the "classics". Many of these books are hard enough to understand let alone try to analyze.

However, my mom always read. I was more into video games and tv, but I still enjoyed a good Baby-sitter's club book or anything from Mary Downing Hahn. As I got older, my tastes grew too. This includes many of Vivian Vande Velde and Sherryl Jordan's books. However I do enjoy reading A Little Princess now and then. Sometimes even a little Jane Austen.

I blame no one for this. Reading isn't going to be embraced when it's just assigned to you. That's just common fact. However, if it's not assigned you'd probably end up not being able to learn what kinds of books are out there. I remember in 9th grade we had to read Things Fall Apart. (ironicly our books were also falling apart) I couldn't stand that book. But in 12th grade we had to read Pride and Prejudice. That actually got me into really taking a good look at the classics. In 4th grade we read The Upstairs Room. At the time I didn't care for it, but a while ago, i went back and reread it. At the time I understood a few things about WWII and prejudice, but rereading it made me appricaite it so much more. I wouldn't even have given it another thought if I hadn't read it back then.

In my high school we had a program called DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) A lot of kids hated it because it forced them to stop what they were doing and read for 30 minutes. The school had time scheduled during one class for this. It ended up being a very mixed reaction. I liked it because it gave me time to finish my book that day. (I was reading a different book every other day) Kids who were more into sports and other activities called it a boring waste of time. This just goes to prove my theory that not everyone finds a book relaxing. But I saw a lot of them with magazines. So I think they just like to complain, but in the end everyone likes to be able to sit down with something they enjoy.

It's good teachers expose you to different books. You really never know the impact a thought or idea from a book will have on you years later. I wish there were ways to always make kids interested in reading. Hopefully in the future we'll have more teacher who can make things fun and interesting, but for now, we just have to remember that everyone has good intentions. And as long as kids have something to read, whether it's magazines, comics, ect. they'll always have that spark that allows them to expand to other things.

And if it wasn't for learning about fantasy books when I was in school, I wouldn't have started to write my own novels. (good luck with yours, Kasumi)

[Hobbes]

I remember DEAR, we did that too. I love to read, it helps ease the overactive imagination. However, most of the people I know don't like to read. One of my friends says she hates reading. Book disscussions are always fun, I like that a lot better because it can help clear up issues and makes reading the book more fun. As for the classics, I think that we should learn them but so much emphasis is placed on them. Not everyone regards the same books as classics. For example, The Scarlet Letter was a tough but good read for me but for everyone in my class it was torture. People gave up on the book and started winging the plot test. We didn't have any all-class disscussions on the book and that made it hard for all of us.

[Sailormars Obsessed fan]

My dad raised an interesting point last night.

People often say things like "You shouldnt watch so much TV. Try reading more."

What they fail to realize is books can easily be as bad as stuff you see on TV and sometimes a TV show can be as good as shakespeare. Its all a matter of the subject material really.

[Panda]

My dad raised an interesting point last night.

People often say things like "You shouldnt watch so much TV. Try reading more."

What they fail to realize is books can easily be as bad as stuff you see on TV and sometimes a TV show can be as good as shakespeare. Its all a matter of the subject material really.

That is a avery good point. But what I think the other people mean is that so many peopl (namely teens...) watch more crap on TV than the better stuff that when they notice no one is reading anymore it makes books look like a God.

There is always going to be those people that just have to find the negatives in everything. Reading and TV are no different I guess.