No Joy in READING?!  Librarians to the Rescue!

Recently,  People for Education released a startling report, ”Reading for Joy",  that reveals that while reading scores have increased in elementary school, children’s enjoyment of reading has gone down.  The percentage of students in grade 3 who report they “like to read” has dropped from 75% in 1998/99 to 50% in 2010/11 and the number of students in grade 6 who “like to read” fell from 65% to 50% during the same period.

While reading enjoyment is not only associated with high school achievement, research shows that "engaged" readers tend to be more socially and civically engaged as well.  How do we nuture the joy of reading?  Supportive parents and teachers;  free choice of reading materials in and out of school;  access to a wide and varied choice of wonderful reading materials;  and knowledgeable and passionate librarians.


Everyday at my Library, I bear witness to the joy and excitement of children who have received their copy of the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Percy Jackson,  or 39 Clues and I am proud to see the work of Library Staff who strive in various ways to encourage a passionate connection with reading in the children of our community.