You are what you read
Let’s talk about the importance of libraries. I once had the great honor of attending a workshop with Dr. Stephen Krashen. He is the absolute guru of ESL education in the field of linguistics. He is referred to as the “father of second language acquisition.” I studied his second language learning theories in the University and again when I did my masters in Second Language Acquisition Education at UH. I asked Dr. Krashen, "What is the single most important thing educators can do to help non-English speakers learn English." I prepared myself for a complicated answer. I was surprised when he answered, "Good libraries." He went on to say, "Read, read, read! Children need to have excellent libraries in their schools and in their neighborhoods. Focus on the libraries."
Personally, I don't remember having a librarian at my schools growing up who engaged with me or gave me any personal direction with my reading, but I had a wonderful friend, Jennifer Kirby, who was a voracious reader. We rode the bus together and she would pass me every book she finished, "Here Lauri, read this, you will love it! Just turn it in before it’s due back to the library." Jennifer was my librarian growing up and I did love the books she recommended on the bus to Artondale Elementary School from 3rd-6th grades. I still remember every book I read during those years. Wonderful worlds and words were opened to me, thanks to my friend. I was fortunate to have a Jennifer in my life.
My aunt who lived to be 103, was a public-school librarian in Tacoma. I might add, her mind was as sharp as a tack. Does it have anything to do with reading? I don’t know, but we do know that reading improves cognitive development. When you read to a child it affects how they think and learn. Reading stimulates and increases brain function. It exposes children to better grammar, increased vocabulary and better comprehension. Dr. Stephen Krashen said, “FVR (free voluntary reading) has a dramatic effect on second-language learners, vocabulary acquisition, cognitive development, and writing style, and is the key to linguistic improvement." We used to call it “silent reading” and it was a part of our day growing up in elementary school.
I also remember when teachers read to us in school. I specifically remember in third grade when the teacher read Charlotte’s Web and in the 6th grade, The Blue Man, A Wrinkle in Time, and the White Mountains. I remember sitting in my little desk enthralled with the stories. Those were moments far more powerful and memorable than any math or language worksheet. I couldn’t wait to come in from recess and sit and listen to my teacher read!
Did you further know that reading might also make you a nicer person? Keith Oatley, cognitive psychologist writes that “When we read about other people, we can imagine ourselves into their position and we can imagine it’s like being that person. . . . That enables us to better understand people, better cooperate with them”. In fact, studies who that reading develops empathy. And doesn’t our culture need that!? Reading also helps a person relax, slow down, concentrate and ultimately destress. This is key in a cultures where anxiety is on the rise.
And what about the importance of bonding with your child over a good book? Lap time and bedtime stories with a young child are imperative. When you share a book with a child, it will increase the bond between you. If you develop a nightly routine of reading a good book together, your child will remember those sweet times for the rest of their life. Bedtime reading with small children can create a safe and calm environment for your child to relax and have a good night’s rest.
We need to protect and support our libraries and value the position of librarian in our communities and schools. The trained and qualified librarian who comes alongside a child and understands their interests, their reading level, and recognizes what kind of books that would turn them on to reading is invaluable. You've heard the expression; you are what you eat? Well, we also are what we read. I am who I am today in part because of the books Jennifer Kirby suggested during the impressionable years in elementary school. I want to thank the librarians out there for all they do for our educational system, our communities, our culture, and most importantly, for our children!
*Published in The Facts April 2023 Guest Columnist, Lauri Cruver Cherian
See link for unfortunate trend in Texas…HISD, Spring Branch librarian cuts spell change for students (houstonlanding.org)
