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Get Caught Reading!
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Get
Caught Reading is a nationwide campaign to remind people of all ages how
much fun it is to read. Get Caught Reading is the brainchild of former
Congresswoman Pat Schroeder, President and Chief Executive Officer of the
Association of American Publishers, the industry association representing
book publishers. |
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The National Assessment of
Educational Progress recently released The Nation’s Report Card and the findings
were disturbing. Except for the highest-performing students (90th percentile),
declines were seen at all levels of performance since 1992. The percentage of
students performing at or above Basic level decreased from 80 percent in 1992 to
73 percent in 2005. The percentage of students performing at or above the
Proficient level decreased from 40 to 35 percent. And this is just the tip of
the iceberg.
International Reading
Association president Tim Shanahan commented, “An inability to read well harms
the individual because of the huge opportunity costs he or she must bear
throughout life; and it is harmful to all of us, because it undermines our
national productivity and thwarts the dream of a full-participation society.…We
must do better. America needs ambitious efforts to improve reading achievement
from birth through high school, and that includes families and schools.”
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Maurice Arthur, author of A
Black Man Thinking: Volume One – Raising Children ($19.95 hc, © 5/07,
www.ablackmanthinking.com), puts reading at the top of his list of
responsibilities parents must address immediately. He writes, “ Reading will
significantly enhance your child’s chances of success. Reading is the great
equalizer and can put you on the same level with just about anybody, anywhere.
Reading can take you places you’ll never go and help you see things you’ve never
seen before. Reading can educate the uneducated.” |
Arthur urges parents to read books and have books in the home. If you can’t buy
books, then get a library card and use your local library. Have a regular
reading time with your child. Treat reading like something that your child’s
life will depend on, and you’ll probably be right.
Arthur suggests every parent ask themselves the following questions:
• When was the last time you read a book?
• Do you have a library card?
• When was the last time you borrowed a book from a library?
• Do you read at home?
• Does your child see you read?
• When was the last time you read something to get better?
• Do you have a family reading time?
Parents who read often have children that read, and this is a huge area of
opportunity for parents. Far too many parents aren’t reading and neither are
their children. If you’re not currently a reader and would like to become one,
here are a few suggestions to get you started:
➔ Go to your local library and get a library card. While you’re there, ask about
any reading programs;
or set a goal to read a book every two or three weeks.
➔ Determine a subject of interest to you, and read a book on that subject.
➔ Find a place that you would like to learn about or visit, and read a book
about that place.
➔ Consider something that you would like to learn to do, read a book on it and
try to do it.
➔ Have a family reading time without the television.
And if you need assistance with your reading skills, seek out a literacy program
at a library near you. The key is to find something to read that is interesting
to you. More important than what you read is that you read! Before you know it,
you’ll discover all kinds of things that you wanted to know, and that’s only the
beginning. Your child will become a reader with you as a role model. Reading can
give you hope. It gives you the ability to learn. Reading is one of the most
precious gifts that you can give your child.
Reading is just one of the areas Arthur covers in Raising Children, which
provides basic insights regarding parenting, particularly but not solely for
black parents. By using anecdotes, thought provoking quotes, and specific action
items, this book is inspiring. It incorporates the values of personal
responsibility, House Rules, attitude, and spirituality to address parenting
issues and offers strategies that can change your world. Whether parents are
starting from a place of total family chaos, or just need a little help getting
back on track, Raising Children provides simple and easy steps that will make a
difference.
So make a pledge to Get Caught Reading and we can start reversing those reading
proficiency findings, one child at a time.
A Black Man
Thinking: Volume 1 - Raising Children
by Maurice Arthur
168 pages • 7.8 x 5.3 • Suggested Reading • Appendix Recaps
ISBN 13: 978-0-9788340-0-5 • $19.95 dust-jacketed hardcover
Published by A Black Man Thinking L.L.C., Oak Park, IL.
The book is available in bookstores nationwide and from
http://ablackmanthinking.com,
amazon.com and other online sources. |
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