| When I was a little girl, I watched my parents and | | | | After the first two nights of this reading regime, |
| my grandparents read... a lot. If you're as old as I | | | | he announced that he might die from all this |
| am, you probably had the same experience. I | | | | reading. I reassured him that nobody had every |
| figured that if they read, then I should read too. | | | | died from reading. Then asked what would help? |
| Most kids learn by imitating parents and siblings. I | | | | He suggested that I should read with him at the |
| had no siblings so I did what my parents did. I | | | | same time in the same room. I agreed. While he |
| became an early reader and a voracious reader. | | | | read his book, I would read the newspaper which |
| Fast forward 2009: Our grandson Caleb spent last | | | | I hadn't gotten around to earlier in the day. |
| year with us. He's 2-3 years behind in reading. | | | | Now I'm guessing he thought it wouldn't work. |
| Sees no reason why he or anybody else would | | | | That I, too, might worry about death caused by |
| need to read, must less WANT to read. Anything | | | | reading once I tried it. Never crossed his mind |
| beyond short abbreviated text messages is | | | | that someone, his very own Grandmother for |
| clearly a waste of time and BORING. | | | | example, might actually ENJOY reading. |
| Unfortunately, from his perspective, the Denver | | | | After a couple of nights of this, he asked |
| Public Schools think middle school kids should read... | | | | "Grandma, are you really reading the paper or are |
| every night. They suggest 30 minutes. Caleb's | | | | you just pretending to read it?" To which I |
| teacher and I agreed that maybe in Caleb's case | | | | answered, "Of course I'm reading it. Why would |
| 30 minutes was extreme so we settled on 15 | | | | you even have to ask?" And he says, "Grandma, |
| minutes and he would choose the books. | | | | you're weird." |
| He balked. He whined. He cajoled. I won on the | | | | Sadly in Denver and around the country, lots of |
| condition I would set the kitchen timer for 15 | | | | kids agree with Caleb and lots of them are a |
| minutes. He certainly wasn't going to be "cheated" | | | | couple years behind in reading... or more. |
| and accidentally read for 16 minutes! | | | | |