Recently I heard someone say that because children aren't talking at home with their parents anymore, it is now the responsibility of schools to get children talking and discussing. There's even a name for it; oracy. What once was something that existed as an innate part of human nature and interaction, now has to be taught like an acquired skill. From that follows reading. Statistics have recently shown that as little as a quarter of children read for pleasure at all. When you take into account the fact that we are now looking at building reading stamina (i.e. a child's ability to focus for longer than a few moments) the general facts about reading and communication are looking woefully grim.
I often feel like engaging children to read is like being a salmon floating upstream (in my head I can hear Jason Stathom from those wonderful Kit Kat ads telling me I am not a salmon). I'm one of a billion things vying for children's attention and time. Much like the magpie, the average child is being confronted with shiny toys, mobile phones, tablets, instant gratification falling into their lap. And the overall sense that from everyone everywhere, reading always takes a back seat so long as targets are basically reached. It's no wonder I get home tired and feeling disparaged some days.
Now I'm not all doom and gloom, in my time I have met plenty of good parents out there. So it's not as bad as the media likes to paint it. However, I look at children's books today and think 'they're all written with one aim, to engage, grip and entertain the reader'. Even bog standard home reading books are bright and alluring, with interesting subject matter and cliffhangers and beautiful illustrations. Which makes this next book in my blog series a complete throwback to a time when home reading was just done because it had to be.
I've been searching for ages for a book with my name in having thought that the last time it happened was such a coincidence, it was practically kismet. Whilst going through old home reading and library books I came across this unbelievable anomaly and thought I was quids in... ...until I had to read it today. I mean no offence at all to the author, but the plot is so straight forward I could practically walk off the edge of it.
Sarah (who in the illustrations is wonderfully shown to be gender neutral) has an issue with her walk to school in that she has to pass the big neighbour's dog. Every time she does, the dog barks, making her afraid. Now, with only 16 pages of story, about 10 of which are just introducing the setting and extra characters such as Sarah's mum, you would be forgiven for hoping that she would conquer her fears and do something about the dog.
Yeah that doesn't happen, instead one day the neighbours move away, taking the dog with them . So the moral of the story is that if you ignore something for long enough, it'll go away. A true inspiration to someone like me who values facing fears and confronting obstacles head on. My do I wish you could hear the dripping sarcasm in my tone as these words fly on to the screen.
This book is a glaring reminder that once upon a time books didn't have to try. Children read them because the general recognised understanding was that they had to. There was no devaluing reading as something that isn't necessary. It mattered and was appreciated as a key to unlock learning. Much as I talk like those years were of my childhood this book proves that it wasn't all that long ago: after all it's only 23 years old. But how sad is it that the world has gone from this in it's simplicity to 'wham, bam' in your face books that have to demand your attention?
This book is book 15 of my 52 book list and a book with a character with my name. I'm off to go and ignore the growing illiteracy problem, hopefully it'll go away.
Book Title: Sarah and the Barking Dog
Author: Jenny Giles
Illustrator: Priscilla Cutter
First published: 1997
Pages: 16
Suitable for: any child above the age of 4 who can confidently read
Interesting words: rattled, shaking (that's your lot)
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