Did you know that the National Institute for Literacy conducted a study in 2008 that concluded that an average of 50 percent of American adults could not read a book written for eighth graders?
As adults in college, this statistic may seem worrisome and even a little outrageous for those of us about to enter the working world. A simple and effective way to prevent this literary deficiency in adults is by starting out with youth in their early education. Designating at least twenty minutes of free reading time in the current school curriculum will allow kids and teens to express themselves creatively and grow intellectually.
As you may have guessed, out of all subjects in school, reading and writing continue to remain vital necessities. However, with us now living in the digital era, younger generations are especially susceptible to disregarding reading and writing skills for other conveniences. This is why we are in desperate need of silent sustained reading, commonly known as SSR.
SSR was created by Lyman Hunt from the University of Virginia in the 1960s. The original idea had students independently pick a book of their choice and read silently for about 15 minutes or so. The intended outcome was to encourage students to read outside of the classroom and increase their reading comprehension. The theory that practice makes perfect led to SSR’s rise in popularity in the 1980s. Today, however, its value is being questioned in certain school districts.
According to the National Education Association, “having kids read a lot is one of the crucial components of becoming a good reader. Young readers need to become practiced at recognizing letters and sounds. The only way to get good at it is to practice.” Because of this way of thinking, SSR grew to different programs more specific in detail but relatively similar in process and goal, like "FVR: free volunteer reading and DEAR: drop everything and read."
Not to mention, a 2005 study conducted by the U.S Department of Education concluded that high school seniors who read almost every day scored at least 10 percent higher on standardized reading tests than seniors who hardly read at all. The study also showed that high school seniors who read almost every day scored 21 percent higher in the writing portion of standardized testing.
These facts prove that SSR works its intended effect, but what about how? Well, reading improves communication skills as well as creative skills. Each set of skills we use in our daily lives. By focusing on syllables, sounds, and memory when learning how to read, we are learning how to memorize, pay attention, socialize, have empathy, write effectively, and exercise our brain. Seriously.
In fact, the Open Education Database Organization said that “Stanford University researchers [in 2013] have found that close literary reading, in particular, gives your brain a workout in multiple complex cognitive functions, while pleasure reading increases blood flow to different areas of the brain.”
Even more pressing of a consequence is how struggles or success in reading have been linked to future behavior. Dr. Joshua Breslau says his 2009 study published in the U.S National Library of Medicine “suggests that poor academic performance in high school predicts lower probability of completing high school, as well as other negative outcomes, including violence and substance use.”
Most importantly, the sky is the limit with imagination. Reading fiction is the epidemy of creativity! Why wouldn't you want your future children to read "Harry Potter"? Youth can almost always put their creativity to use in the world with future careers. Not to mention, a creative way of thinking is extra valuable nowadays.
With the benefits of reading so easy to obtain, why not encourage the SSR program to the teachers you know? If anything, at least support the positive mindset toward reading for pleasure, because you never know who might be influenced.
All in all, the youth in question are our future, so why not provide them with the best platform for success possible?
