XPost: rec.arts.books.childrens   
   From: laro@idworld.net   
      
   "Kye Ohtie"  wrote in message   
   news:40239cce@news.zianet.com...   
   > In article , laro@idworld.net says...   
   >   
   > >I guess I learned from him what I now tell youngsters I talk to, that   
   > >"reading is a very economical and fast way to travel ... just grab a book   
   > >and settle into a chair and GO GO GO!"   
   >   
   > I have a branch of a university where I live.   
   > The other day I saw a call for volunteers to   
   > tutor students in reading. Now you might just   
   > wonder how one becomes a Univ student if one   
   > has poor reading skills - OR - you don't wonder   
   > about it at all since you know the score through   
   > experience with lack of discipline in the school   
   > systems today (discipline used here in regard to   
   > teaching kids to learn: learn = read!).   
      
   Yeah, Kye, that's what is sad about education.  One of the newsgroups I   
   frequent has recently discussed (???) the state of education and teacher   
   pay.  Some of the resident mental pygmies say they believe teachers are   
   overpaid and don't teach.   I'm sure some are, but generally, if you want to   
   talk overpaid and of no use to society, look at Janet Jackson or Hollywood   
   "stars" or basketballers, etc. etc.   One very simple yet effective way of   
   increasing learning in kids is finding a way to motivate them to read.  I   
   really believe a lot of it is that simple.   Pretty much true, I find,   
   "reading = learning."   
      
   But some kids don't take to books naturally, they must be shown the   
   benefits.  Our teachers, unfortunately, are often too busy filling out   
   forms, having meetings, being evaluated, prepping for national or state   
   mandated tests, trying to maintain discipline, writing referral slips,   
   writing progress report to parents, and so on, ad nauseum.   When do they   
   have time to teach?  (and that ignores the Special Ed teachers who have all   
   that paperwork to do, plus the added level of mandated meetings.)   I dunno,   
   my favorite pres seems to think an underfunded program called "NO child Left   
   Behind" might do some good.   
      
   I disagree.   Strongly.  Even if it as effective as that successful War on   
   Poverty that we started back in the 60s.  Especially if it is as effective!   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)