Should Reading Be Taught In Schools Essay

In the past several decades, children’s reading levels have drastically decreased as it has been a constant battle between classic versus contemporary readings. Children prefer contemporary literature as they can relate better to the subjects versus being uninterested in the classic novels. The problem with students choosing contemporary novels is the fact that they tend to select ones that are below their reading level, which is why they have a hard time understanding the classics. As a response to the shift towards contemporary novels, Erik Iwesen states “we need to raise rigor” (Eldeib), not just the choice of text. Students should not be permitted to choose their own books because by doing so, educators risk them regressing in their comprehension

The study proves that children are not increasing in reading difficulty levels as they grow older, instead, choosing to remain stagnant in their literary understanding. In the article “What Kids Are Reading, In School And Out”, Sandra Stotsky states it was when “schools began introducing more accessible books in order to motivate kids to read” that the average reading level dropped. As a result of more accessible books, students do not feel a need to advance their reading skills, causing them to get stuck reading at the same grade level. The modeling of choosing an appropriate text should come from the teacher, and can start as early as elementary school. When they are young, children should be provided a free range of novels to choose from in order to hook them onto the idea of reading for fun. As children progress in age, they should continue to progress literary wise, too, so that by the time they reach high school, they have a higher knowledge and quickly identify key themes throughout books. However, if teachers do not guide their students, they sacrifice their children’s learning and reading comprehension. Many classic stories have been modernized by current authors; perhaps by having students read both versions and comparing them would help children understand the classics