Today's Destiny Card is Commitment.
This weekend I read the following article in the Sydney Telegraph: We've failed to give kids education they need. Seeing as it's coming to the end of the National Year of Reading, I thought this article was quite interesting.
It says that Australia is rated 27th of 48 countries test for reading skills. And goes on to say "One quarter of our students even failed to meet the minimum standard for their age group, despite being among the relatively most advantaged in terms of reading resources, home environment and the emphasis on early grades on reading skills."
I'm a bit shocked. The article then discusses how schools are continually asking for funding to deal with this issue, yet since the funding has been supplied the result has not improved. So where are we going wrong??
I think an earlier article might hit the nail on the head. In Well-known children's author Mem Fox says parents key to children's literacy as teachers want funding redirected, children's author, Mem Fox says: "I am so tired of that. If parents don't enjoy their children enough to read to them, if they don't make the time to do that with their kids, then whether they be rich or poor, disadvantaged or advantaged, if they don't make that time to love their children enough to do that for them, then they will not learn to read happily, quickly and easily. Parents have a huge role here; it is not about teaching at all, it is just about reading to them."
When you decide to have a child, you make a commitment that you give that child the best chance you can give at providing them with a safe and happy upbringing. But as a parent you also have a responsibility to teach them.
Yes when they get to school age there will be some things they learn better from a teacher, but as with everything they learn, they need their parents to support them and assist them where needed.
As an information professional and a lifelong reader, I read to my child while she was still in the womb and as soon as she was out of it, I kept going. I recognised the importance of doing this simple task - not just to get her ready as a reader, but to create a bond between mother and child.
It's unfortunate, that some parents don't recognise this role or perhaps they can't read themselves.
Or perhaps it's a time thing. As a parent, you often hear that we should be spending more time with our kids and less time working - well if only life was that simple. With the economic situation the way it is, it is almost impossible to live without both parents working. I realise there are arguments against this as well and we all have different standards of living we like to live to. However, you must agree that we are all time poor.
I have an internal argument about homework. My daughter got homework in kindergarten/prep, and while as a parent and child it frustrates you that you are spending quality time sweating over getting homework done, at least I get to see what my child is learning and how they are going with it. That said, I think that the time would be better spent reading to/with your child then sweating over homework.
So what do we do if our children are not growing up knowing how to read? If parents are failing their children by not teaching them to read or not being able to teach them to read?
I won't dwelve into the fact that the school library seems to have lost it's importance somewhere in the system as I think this is not the crutch of the situation. Learning starts at home, so how do we, as information professionals, ensure that we assist in getting this message out there? That reading to your child is important?
I know libraries are doing some great things - but what do we do about those that haven't yet stepped through our doors??
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