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How Can A Powerful Nation Have So Many Children Who Can’t Read?
Undeniably Sad!
Warning: This may ruin your day!
This morning I was reading the New York Times, preparing to do my daily battle with Wordle, when I came upon an article titled,
“Good grief,” I thought. “Our kids need to get better at reading, not worse!”
As a former English professor, lover of literature, and avid reader, I value the ability to read above all other skills. Reading is the gateway to knowledge, to understanding, to tolerance, and to enjoyment. Thanks to my parents who were both readers and to the fact that they often took my sisters and me to the library to get books, reading became as natural to me as breathing.
My parents are gone now, but I thank them every day of my life for showing me the importance of reading. I can only hope that there are somewhere out there, parents are still passing a love of reading on to their children.
The title of the article I had glimpsed, however, suggested otherwise. “Reading Scores Reach New Lows” forecasted the gist, so I fortified myself and read on.