From: john coy <johncoy_at_mac.com>
Date: Sun, 06 Feb 2011 20:47:07 +0530

-

Folks,

Thanks for an interesting thread on literacy and reluctant readers. In my experience, another word can often be substituted for reluctant readers: boys. When I ask students how they feel about reading, the overwhelming majority of those who say they don't like it or hate it are boys, and some of them are proud about thiis. However if you ask these same guys how many of them like to text and spend time on Facebok, they all raise their hands. That they do not think of this as reading reflects our narrow definition of reading. I think we have a wider group of people reading every day than we have ever had in the country. That many of these people are identified as nonreaders is a major problem of how we are defining reading.

I am in India for school visits and spent last week in Kerala. Many people there earn less than three doars per day, but the liteacy rate is above ninety percent. Incredibly impressive to see children impecably turned out coming out of poor houses and streaming towards school each morning.

Thanks everyone for working on this important issue.

John Coy Author Top of the Order Eyes on the Goal

www.johncoy.com

CCBC-NET Digest for Saturday, February 05, 2011.

1. Reluctant readers
Received on Sun 06 Feb 2011 08:47:07 PM CST