| |
|
November Links
General Info
Member Info
|
|  |
From Mensagenda - August 2001
Does It Matter?
Jean P. Swenson
[Jean Swenson is a
community columnist for the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Here is an article
that appeared in that paper on June 3 of this year.]
“It doesn’t matter what my
kids eat as long as they’re eating something.”
Sound ludicrous? Yet,
how often we hear, “It doesn’t matter what my kids read, as long as they’re
reading some thing.” But just as a steady diet of junk food leads to poor
health, a steady diet of reading junk does the same. Some books nourish
the mind, while others are mental Hostess Twinkies.
Unfortunately, many popular
but poorly written books are cranked out by publishers intent on making money.
Others do little more than advance an author’s own agenda.
Great
books, on the other hand, contain great thoughts written by great minds.
Their words come alive in our imaginations, and lift us up to what is true and
noble. Good literature explores the real world through well-developed
plots and characterization. Author C.S. Lewis [] said that no book is really worth reading at the age
of ten that is not equally worth reading at the age of fifty.
Some books, called “the
classics,” have endured the test of time. Books by Charles Dickens [],
William Shakespeare [], and Jane Austen [] are examples. Book critics Roger
Lundin and Susan Gallagher state, “Classic works are those which have been
continually celebrated, analyzed, and discussed by successive generations of
trained readers.”
A connoisseur of foods learns
to discriminate between the good and the best by partaking of the finest.
We and our children can do the same with books by taking in healthy portions of
those classics already proven over time.
Some people may object that
the classics are no longer relevant to current problems in our multicultural
world. Marva Collins, African-American educator who founded an outstanding
school in inner-city Chicago, would disagree. She encourages the reading
and discussion of great books, and states that “students will never learn to
organize their thoughts, or to have great thoughts for that matter, if they have
never been exposed to great ideas, great writings.”
In addition to the classics, a
well-balanced diet will include biography, fiction, history, inspirational,
science, geography, hobbies, poetry, music, and art.
Classic and well-written
contemporary books offer many benefits. They are magic carpets,
transporting us beyond time, cultural, and geographical limitations. They
increase our vocabulary and knowledge, enhancing communication skills and
success in school. We learn about good and evil, and experience principles
of success and failure vicariously through the characters themselves. And,
of course, a really good book is as delightful as a delectable meal.
How do we help children
develop a hearty appetite for good literature? Children pick up most of
their attitudes from parents and other caring adults. If we turn off the
TV and pick up a good book, they are more likely to do the same. The
U.S.
Department of Education states: “Parents are the child’s first and most
influential teachers. If parents are not effective teachers, then in most
cases the school will have far greater difficulty being effective.”
There are two ways to get good
literature into kids — reading aloud to them, and guiding them to books they can
read independently.
Parents reading to children or
children reading to each other is a wonderful family activity. I fondly
remember my dad reading to us after supper. Involving kids in the process
is fun. Let them make predictions about the story from the cover.
Encourage them to ask about new words or things they don’t understand. Ask
them questions. Help them organize their thoughts by retelling a section
in their own words.
Older children can learn to
enjoy reading independently. Never force books on children, but help them
find good books that interest them. My sister, whose kids love to read,
has difficulty getting them to close their books and go to bed! Kids who
are used to a fast-food diet of TV, shallow books, or comics may balk or
complain at first, but don’t give up. Eventually they will develop an
appetite for quality, and begin reading worthwhile books on their own.
Why not turn off the TV, which
isolates people and inhibits creativity, and turn your kids on to good
literature and related activities? Try discussing good books during meals.
Encourage kids to act out stories and give puppet shows. Let them draw
their own illustrations. Prepare pioneer foods from the Little House
Cookbook ()()(). Attend plays at children’s theaters. Be creative!
Where do you start?
Libraries offer books with suggested reading lists and activities, such as Books
Children Love (), by Elizabeth Wilson, and Honey for a Child’s Heart
(), by Gladys
Hunt. Every summer the St. Paul Public Library sponsors a children’s
reading program, and librarians can help your child find quality books.
Begin your own list of “good books to read.” Start building a family
library; explore garage sales and used bookstores. Plan to do something
within the next week.
My favorite childhood books
include The Chronicles of Narnia (), by C.S. Lewis, and the Anne of Green Gables
series (), by L.M. Montgomery. Any boy would devour Treasure Island
(), by
Robert Louis Stevenson. I have compiled a brief list of good books to help
you and your child get started. Go to
http://www.jswenson.org/.
Summer vacation is here. What better
time than now to continue nourishing our children’s minds with a hearty and
delightful serving of great literature? And you may just want to sneak in
a healthy portion for yourself!
|
The Mensa logo is a registered trademark of International Mensa Limited, all rights reserved.
Mensa does not hold any opinion or have, or express, any political or religious views.
Copyright © 2008, Minnesota Mensa.
Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org
Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org
Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org
Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org
Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org
Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org
Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org
Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org
Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org
Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org
Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org
Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org
Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org
Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org Minnesota Mensa mnmensa mnmensa.org
|
