Reading

I tried to find a picture that would speak what I wanted it to, but couldn't. This one is of my girls after winning trophies for reading the most books during the library's summer reading program. They read a LOT. It's a very painless thing for us to write down the books they read and get prizes for them. lol
Since I read so much on the unschooling groups about reading worries and similar thoughts, I think about it a lot, too. I think if I didn't read so many peoples thoughts on "schoolish things" I wouldn't think about them nearly as much. I have thought about leaving some groups which are for *beginning* unschooling, but I still get some food for thought, so I stay. Anyway...
This morning...without any coercion...Anna sat next to me and read, for about half an hour. We put up a bird feeder and she's interested in the kinds of birds we get, and last week we picked up a new identification guide. She looked through it, read the birds' names and descriptions, some to herself, some she shared with me. It made me think about reading...some people wouldn't consider what she was doing "reading". I don't get that. Reading is reading...regardless of WHAT you're reading.
There was a study done about a year ago which said that...ummmm I forget the exact numbers...I'll make some up...
Anyway, it said something like more than fifty percent of people don't read anymore. However *reading* was defined by the study as "reading fiction for pleasure"...or some such nonsense. I read. Just ask my husband...lol But, according to their study (which didn't count me, btw) I am a non-reader, because I read non-fiction mostly. I started a program this year...well, not a program, just an idea...reading a book a week, for a total of 52 books by the year's end. I'm making an effort to read non-fiction, and also to read books which I haven't read before. The non-fiction part isn't going so well...but I think I've only read one book so far which I have read before, and that one I barely remembered.
But back to my subject. I read the newspaper every day. I read the news online. I read biographies...I am huge into history. I read homeschooling books. I read education books. I read books of trivia facts. I read books of famous quotations. I read poetry. Sometimes I even read poetry aloud to my family. I read magazines...lots and lots of magazines...Martha Stewart Living, Oprah, Smithsonian, National Geographic, Country Living, Family Circle, Nick, Jr, Family Fun, Civil War Times...gardening magazines, parenting magazines, history magazines, antiques magazines, nature magazines, kid's magazines....I could go on...
I, according to their study, I am a non-reader.
Whatever.
Today I was talking to my sister, and she was mentioning a lady she worked with..."she used to be on the library board, and she thinks it's awful how kids today won't hardly read. She says her grandchildren are always on the internet, never reading anything." I pointed out that it would be almost impossible to do anything online without reading *something*, but she just poo-pooed that..."YOU KNOW what I mean....REAL reading..."
Okay....
Uh huh...
original date
Sunday March 18, 2007