Re: Teenage Aliteracy

[Betty Dawn Hamilton <bhamilt@TENET.EDU>]

> From my personal experience, my daughter is a sophomore, Honors student,
> loves to read, & has always read several years above grade level. Her
> reading has *sharply* declined since last year--due to lack of free
> time. She now has friends that drive so has more mobility, she's in Track
> & Softball, is dating, etc. Maybe teenagers just don't have *time* to
> read like they did in previous years.

Debbie and Group,

Yes, from a *very* personal experience -- the same happened to me many
years ago.  I was an avid reader through 8th grade.  At junior high level
I read a book a night and got into some really heavy reading: Anna
Karanina, Kristin Lavransdatter, (sp?) etc.  Sad to say, once I received
my driver's license and was allowed to date and attend activities on my
own, the reading stopped except for assignments.

Fortunately, I had a strong reading background and sort of "coasted" on
that during my high school years. I still read my textbooks as soon as I
got them because they were available and I read from habit if I happened
to be waiting for someone, but I don't remember checking many books out of
the library. I wonder if *availablility* might be the secret?

Are any of you in schools that *require* students to have a library book
checked out and with them at all times?  We had a 6th grade teacher who
did that once. She would do surprise checks. Students who had a library
book with them received bonus points for that day but they never knew
when she would check.  Of course, the idea was that when they finished
whatever was assigned, they could read. If they didn't have a book with
them, that precluded reading except from the textbook.

Betty
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